Here’s a great list from yet another food/farm/produce/local food movement website: Farm To City. Not sure why the just re-opened Headhouse Market is not there, but that’s on Sundays from 10-2. If you’re lucky, the openings of these markets might feature cute boys in bands, like Headhouse did. Go outside!
If you know of other markets, please add in your comments!
Some people say they’ve got the blues. I’ve got the greens. No only have I realized that I look good in bright green lately, but I’ve also noticed that Philadelphia and this country is finally realizing, hopefully not too late, that we need to go “green.” This is a bandwagon I am happy to jump on. There are so many ways you can reduce your negative environmental impact. As I’m watching “Today,” which is showing me numerous ways you can go green, I get a message from a friend about LocalHarvest, an organization who is educating the masses on how you can learn about and buy locally grown food products. (The Ethicurean is also good!) I started with a lightbulb change (incandescent to compace flourescent). Now I try as hard as possible not to use plastic bags. I’m currently using a tote bag, a granny cart (I’ll be pimping this soon), and reusing bags I already have.
Selling my car was a big decision, but how often did I really need it? If you live and work in the city, why not join Philly CarShare? This May, they’ll be sponsoring a challenge for you Philadelphia drivers to find alternative ways to get around. You can win a bike! (Please don’t ride it on the sidewalk)!
I was out of town after the Philly Spring Clean-up, but have found the results of the largest United States cleaning day in history. This Nutter’s on to something! All major goals were surpassed. Look out for future clean-ups. Here’s a beautifying event, sponsored by Greater Philadelphia Cares.
One final note: Keep your eyes peeled for GreenFest Philly, held on South Street. I haven’t been able to find the date of the event yet, but check back for updates! (September-ish)
Here’s 8 Days of Eats, which I’ve seen on flyers around South Street on my walk to and from work. Looks like South Street and Headhouse Square will be presenting some tasty deals on some affordable foods. $30 specials! More than 40 restaurants and eateries will be participating. I don’t know about you, but I love eating, and I’m not sure where to start. There’s XoChitl (you must have the margarita), Kildares, Django, Artful Dodger, Bistro Romano (ask for the wine cellar table, but wear a sweater - very romantic), Pad Thai…
There’s a kick-off party, as well, in Headhouse Square (2nd and Lombard): April 29, 7-9 p.m., including menu sampling and refreshments for $10 per person.
p.s. Wednesdays, parking is free! Chow down!
I spent last Saturday in South Philly, walking around IKEA with my mother while waiting for my car at Strauss. No problems there! Why don’t I treat everyone to dinner? My family suggested the Diner on the Plaza (formerly known as the Dynasty Inn) at Snyder Plaza, and as my father opened the door for us, my mother asked me if I’d be able to find something to eat. My brother and I snickered. It’s a diner, I said. Surely there’d be something for me to eat.
Famous last words.
I scoured the menu. Besides the house salad of iceberg lettuce with tomato, I thought I found the lone meatless entree: classic cheese ravioli in traditional tomato sauce. After asking the waitress what exactly the stuffed rigatoni was stuffed with, and not feeling satisfied by the answer, I settled on the ravioli.
I should have known it didn’t stand a chance. As I prepared to dig into my ravioli with a ferocious hunger, I noticed something as the fork neared my mouth. Ground meat in the sauce!
The menu said nothing, absolutely nothing, about meat in this entree. I called the waitress over and told her I didn’t know there would be meat in the sauce, that I was vegetarian and could I have another order without the sauce? She answered that I would then have to pay for both dinners, so instead of chucking it I asked her just to box it up and my brother would have it for lunch the next day.
Center city Wawas seem to be a dying breed. The most recent of several locations to go is the all-important 20th and Locust Wawa. Not only is it essential for the locals, it’s an incredibly popular post-bar spot for snacks and re-hydration. Inebriated masses congregate, consume and leave sated after long nights of drinking. Where will they go now?
Another good question would be, why are all the Wawas closing? According to their PR Department: “The closing of this particular store is not unlike others we have made throughout our 5-state operating area from Chadds Ford, PA to College.” This doesn’t explain a whole lot, and I’m still curious as to why those locations were targeted. The 20th and Locust, in particular, must have brought in quite a bit of revenue.
One of the drawbacks to my current neighborhood is, indeed, the fact that the local Wawa closed last year. The next closest one is over a mile away. It looks like that is to be the case for much of center city as well.
I know - I have a knack for posting things that are happening on the same day of my post. Here’s about 17 hour’s notice for something going on tomorrow. Do you like to eat? I do. I’m also planning a fancy mushroom soup for dinner, and I know where to get those ’shrooms: Reading Terminal Market. PLUS, tomorrow is their Souper Bowl and International Comfort Food Festival. There’s going to be a soup contest, as well as a jazz band and some children’s activities. Groovy. Watch out, kiddies! I’ll be getting there hungry.
Last night we had several errands to run in the City Line/Main Line area, including a Target stop so my husband could pick up the special two-disc edition of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean.
Since I’m always starving after work, I suggested we try the new Chipotle right there. We were both excited for a little pseudo-Mexican food, and I had heard good things about Chipotle. Well, we never did get to taste that food. The restaurant is very poorly designed, with nowhere near as much seating as necessary to accommodate dinner hour customers. I can’t imagine what a mess it is at lunch. We could have ordered and eaten in the car, but why bother?
We ended up just a few doors down at the Pei Wei asian diner. It was also crowded, but had more seating and an effective number system. They turn tables very quickly, and the meal definitely feels rushed. The food is pretty decent, though and the service extremely friendly and polite.
I was also shocked to find, lo and behold, alcohol! They serve beer and wine right there, no bracelets, no 21+ room, everyone mixed in. Parents could have wine with their meal with a child on their lap. PFCCB (corporate overlords of said chain) must have done quite the job on the LCB.
Last Saturday night, I had the opportunity to eat at Cochon, the relatively new French BYO at the corner of Passyunk and Catharine in Queen Village. Scott and I went along with Philafoodie so that he could have one last taste of the food and take pictures for the review he posted today. David’s review is really wonderful and complete, but here are my two cents anyway.
The food at Cochon is deeply pleasurable. There were moments when I would take a bite and need to stop and close my eyes. The crispy chicken livers were so good, sweet and crispy on the outside but still retaining deep pockets of melting softness on the inside. I wanted that bowl to last forever. If you are like me, always looking for food experiences that make you stop, focus and enjoy (and you eat meat) I definitely recommend that you find the time to have a meal down there.
Photo <a href=”“>link
This past Saturday we celebrated not one but two friends birthdays with Northern Liberties as the chosen location. The liberties walk is somewhat odd to me, great little places surrounded by depressing vacant lots. Fortunately, the great little place we went to, Bar Ferdinand, was so good the vacant lots were quickly forgotten.
My one and only complaint about this place is they refused to seat us without our whole party. The bar was packed, and if they had given us a table they would have made some nice cash from our drink orders. 
The food though! The tapas selection is overwhelming, and our sweet waitress couldn’t help much as she listed at least four favorites from each section. We shared two pitchers of sangria, not quite in season but tasty nonetheless, and two people ordered a speciality drink called “Grenada” which also received very good reviews.
We each ordered at least two dishes and shared, although I kept my baked goat cheese (cabra) to myself. The fried calamari was deemed “the best I’ve ever tasted” due to the unique sesame not-quite breading. My tuna and duck were both perfectly rare and delicious while the birthday girls raved about their empanadas.
Bar Ferdinand offers a perfect setting for social eating. I wouldn’t recommend it for a romantic date as it gets a bit crowded, and the more people you have, the more dishes you try!
I’m not sure if they know it, but the owners of the new 24/7 Food Mart at 2nd and Christian are false advertising. I’m wondering if they know that 24/7 means shoppers are assuming that means they will be open 24 hours a day, all 7 days of the week. I’ve only been in twice since they took over the former Wawa, quite suddenly, last week. The workers are completely different, and very nice. The atm is still free. The food ordering screens are gone (boo!), but the deli is there, and there are more food items on the shelves (yay!). I have to say that, as a Wawa, it was pretty shoddy, compared to most. To my point: just today, I noticed the very prominent signs on their doors, which posted the hours as some morning hour (sorry, I didn’t notice the opening time) to 1a.m. every day. Huh??
