Food and restaurants with Craig LaBan
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Good afternoon, my hungry friends, and welcome back to the Philly food chat! Winter
We’re using a new online platform for the chat today (Scribble Live), so bear with me if there are any technical hiccups.
is melting! Yes! As much as I enjoy couple months of hearty stews and soup
weather, I am so ready to feel the sweet warmth of spring and lighten those
plates. What’s been going on at your tables? -
I have been busy, as always, munching through our great city in search of the
best bites. And in case you missed it, I reviewed Capofitto quite favorably
last weekend. This is the Neapolitan-style pizzeria and gelateria hybrid in Old
City from the folks behind Capogiro, and it was a really nice surprise. We are
fast getting to a saturation point in our pizza world, but Stephanie Reitano
has given Neapolitan-style pizza the same attention to detail that made her
Philly’s gelato queen. So this is seriously good, authentic Naples pizza, with
some of the best dough in town. It’s also a lovely, accessible and affordable
place in Old City, which really needs that. -
Lots of other things to discuss – the launch of beer delivery from Hawthorne’s,
Instacart and others (still to come) thanks to the PLCB’s “transporter”
license; a new fish taco place scheduled to open next week from Jose Garces
(Buena Onda, near Pizzeria Vetri on Callowhill) that was something of a secret
and surprise to many; the opening of two new indoor beer gardens (U-Bahn,
Williams St.) among other topics. -
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Correct ASB! This is the new burger place on East Passyunk from the people behind SliCE. I can't say I was that impressed, frankly. They seemed incapable of cooking the beef burger medium-rare (got closer on a second try), and I have a big problem with the buns - so big and bulky and dense, it's like chewing through furniture to get to the meaty stuffing. A softer bun would be better. This tuna was a pretty tasty slice of meat - good quality. But again, some details weren't right. Waaaaaaay too much wasabi in the slaw. It's still early. They seemed eager for feedback, and I hope they get there. The service was very outgoing. I liked the turkey burger with guac best... but again, that bun got in the way. My favorite thing at P'unk Burger so far? The milk shake made with Little Baby's coffee ice cream. That was delicious.
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Well, in my opinion, you need to head to Philly's western 'burbs - aka the "Dosa Belt" - where you'll find really authentic, fully-spiced food out in Exton and Downingtown and Trooper. Much of it has a South Indian accent, which is hard to find in the city. Favorites inlcude Devi, Bangles, Indian Hut, and the Dosa Hut isn't bad, either. (Great Hydrebadi biryani!) In town, Ekta, Indeblue and Tiffin will do. This Crumb Tracker clue was not from any of those - but one of the better things on the menu where I ate it.
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Had a wonderful meal at Osteria (the original) this week...so great to see a Philly classic still humming on all cylinders after all these years! Know they have a lot of older classics, but the duck agro dolce they have on the menu now needs to join that list and also the conversation of best dishes in the city..single best duck dish I've ever had! Go try this NOW! -
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Don't know about downtown areas but good pizza places in Fishtiown area have gone away. There is no where that has decent pizza. Tac's is ok but over rated and Pizza Brain and Bedhia are schtick places. Great gags but product is less than desirable for price and time it takes.
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I disagree with you Billfish - especially on Beddia, which is really great, crispy crust pie. Pizza Brain is pretty good, but heavy on the schtick. (Though honestly - WHAT a schtick it is! Have you seen their 'closing time' dances on Instagram? Too funny.) I'm not sure what long-gone pizza classic you're yearning for in that neighborhood... Tacconelli's is in Port Richmond. Also, don't sleep on Bufad, which is in the Eraserhood/Loft District on Spring Garden, not too far away. -
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I will be looking for Shore recommendations pretty soon... it's almost that time of year. And if it's tasty in OC, I'll definitely find it. That's usually our home base for eating travels from LBI to Cape May. What I crave really now is a good Voltacco's hoagie on AC's Rando bread. That is a taste of summer!
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Wow, that's a really impressive (and correct) guess Amit! I've gone to the not-so-cleverly-named Indian Restaurant multiple times over the years out of convenience. I generally find it fresh and adequate (the channa's not bad, either) but a little on the bland side. This tikka, though, is a stand-out... big chunks of moist chicken singed around the edges in the tandoor and sent steaming into the dining room. Very basic, but also still very tasty.
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Hi Steve - welcome to the chat! Many more queries come into the question cue than actually make it onto the conversation transcript you see. I moderate them, and if I find the question to be something I'd like to take forward, I'll give it a click and the public can have at it. Sometimes, it's just a matter of timing for the topic, or where the conversation is already headed. But be patient! I often come back to skipped questions later when there's a lull.
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Thanks Craig. I do hope that you or someone can tell me where there are (hopefully more than one real SPANISH restaurants that are not fancy Garces places in Philly. Since the one on 100 block of South left 10 years ago, I can't find one. Where does Philly population from SPAIN eat?
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OK, Steve.. you're Spanish quest has been posted. Most of what we have in Philly these days are modern interpretations by non-Spanish chefs - Bar Ferdinand, Jamonera, Amada/Tinto... and all of those I really enjoy. There are a number of traditional Portuguese restaurants still in N.'east Philly (like Tio Pepe, El Balconcito, which also does Peruvian) that I've not been to that might land in the general neighborhood of what you're looking for. But we just don't have a large enough Spanish national crowd to support what you're looking for. I find many of the restaurants mentioned above, though, to be very good.
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The correct missing clue, of course, was the vinegar-braised rabbit frittata, which was one of the many excellent and delicious things we ate last weekend for brunch at Noord, the Dutch-influenced BYOB off East Passyunk. Smoked fish and rustic toast. Tender braised brisket over potato 'hash". Surinam-curried chicken... stroopwafels! (see my feature on those Thursday in Food)
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Was not impressed. I have not been back since I very nearly gave Gaslight No Bells in a review at the end of last year. (It landed at one...) Hoping it has improved, but with so many other good things to follow, I have no idea when I'll find the time to return.
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