Revisiting a West Philly Favorite

A & I didn't really get into the Philly food scene until the latter portion of our time as undergrads at Penn, which is unfortunate because there are so many fun restaurants in that area that are now a little too far away to walk to (our transportation mode of choice). However, my boyfriend's birthday required me to choose a dinner date location, and I knew I wanted to share a "tried and true" favorite with him that would also be a surprise. Because it was a special occasion, I figured I could splurge on bus fare for us to get to Rx, an adorable little place on 45th and Spruce.

A few blocks from Penn's campus, the neighborhood is much more quaint and quiet and seems very friendly and almost family oriented. The restaurant itself is relatively small, with a mishmosh of decorations consisting of pharmacy-related antiques and random artwork for sale. I had made reservations for later in the evening on a weeknight, but the place was almost entirely empty when we arrived, which was fine by me. Of course I want to see solid Philly restaurants doing good business, so I was also glad to see a few other couples and groups come in right after we did. Also, the relative quiet in the dining portion of the restaurant makes it very easy to hear every word that is spoken behind the thin divider that separates the kitchen area. Not a huge deal, but it sort of detracts from the atmosphere.

Rx has a great prix fixe option during the week. They're closed on Mondays, but Tuesday through Thursday you can order an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $30 (with one or two $25 & $35 options reflecting the cost of the entree). Another thing about the Rx menu is that it is seasonal- each month the menu is changed to reflect whats available. They also have information about all of their food suppliers (farms, etc) which shows the importance they place on getting ingredients from accountable sources. However, there are some things that I have seen on the menu a few times, so its not like they are totally revamping the menu every month.

I chose the calamari for my appetizer- not usually a terribly exciting dish, but Rx puts a little twist on it to make it a little more interesting. The calamari itself is lightly breaded and fried, a good mild salty flavor, a little peppery, not too chewy, not too greasy- it just seemed a lot lighter than other calamari I've had. It was a good sized portion- enough for two to share, easily. The "twist" comes in the form of an Asian influence seen in the spicy sweet dipping sauce, sort of like sweet & sour sauce, but kicked up a notch with some red pepper flakes. Additionally, the pile of spring greens that was served alongside had an extremely light, almost invisible soy-sauce-based dressing that was surprisingly flavorful. Overall, the three components meshed really well- salty, sweet, spicy... delicious.



The bf ordered the beet salad (yes, beets continue to play a prominent role on this blog). This consisted of a base of thinly sliced beets of the red, yellow, and pink varieties (pink was new for me...) which held a big fluff of arugula coated with a whole-grain mustard viniagrette. Some toasted pine nuts and a few chunks of blue cheese helped to complete the picture. The salad led us into a beet-related conversation- apparently neither of our mothers like beets, which makes me wonder if its a generational thing. Maybe beets are prepared in a different way now than they were a few decades ago? And although A & I both love beets, my boyfriend is decidedly more apathetic towards them- in his words "I've never gone out of my way for a beet but then again I've never had a beet I didn't like." The salad was light and fresh, leaving him with plenty of room in his stomach for all my leftover calamari.



On to the entrees... I ordered the whole trout, deboned (thankfully), with a single stuffed grape leaf inside, served over a big pile of chickpeas, onions, and olives. I don't have a problem with seeing a whole fish on my plate, but there were two other fish options on the menu for those who dislike seeing the head/tail/skin. Overall, the dish was pretty good. The fish came out perfectly cooked, flaky and steaming, though as it sat on my plate for awhile, the meat seemed to get a little on the mushy side. Again a portion big enough to share, two big meaty "fillets", served with what seemed like a whole jar of olives and a whole can of chickpeas. The onion chunks were soft and sweet, but the combination of feta cheese and the olives made the salt content a bit high for my liking. I liked the idea of the stuffed grape leaves inside the fish, but thought it a little odd that it was just one, and it was just another salty contribution to the dish.



My date ordered the pork belly, which came with broccoli rabe and macaroni and cheese. I'm not a huge fan of pork belly, mostly because it just seems so fatty (and it is!) but my boyfriend enjoys a good piece of fatty meat, so he was happy. I did try a (less fatty) bite at his request, and was pleasantly surprised with the range of textures and flavors in that single bite. The top and bottom had a tougher "crust" (skin?) that seemed difficult to cut through, but tasted like syrupy-sweet crispy bacon. The inner layers were softer, salty and smoky. I liked one bite, but I personally would not have liked to eat the whole big hunk of it. However, it did seem to be a popular item on the menu as someone at each of the three tables around us also ordered the plate- yes, I am THAT nosy restaurant-goer that not only listens to your conversations but I also analyze what you ordered. I was excited to try the macaroni and cheese, which was coated in a yellow cheesy layer, but it was a little on the bland side. I'm not a mac & cheese connoisseur, so I'm not sure what it needed, but it just seemed like it was missing something.



Dessert at Rx is ALWAYS a highlight (just going for dessert is a great date idea, it's worth the hike), so we excitedly perused the menu. The seasonal fruit cobbler is a personal favorite, and when informed that it was apple, I just couldn't say no. Sweet, soft, juicy chunks of apple in a thick sweet cinnamon-y sauce, covered in a buttery, crunchy, cobbler-y topping, and served with a big dollop of whipped cream and an even bigger scoop of vanilla bean-embedded ice cream... you really just can't beat that. You better believe I ate every single bite. I can never decide which component is my favorite, they just meld together in a giant conglomeration of amazing flavors and textures and temperatures. A was a little jealous of our trip to Rx and texted me a request to "open purse, insert cobbler" to bring home to her.



My boyfriend and I both have a big weakness for chocolate, so I was happy when he ordered the triple chocolate bread pudding so that I could sneak a bite (or two). The base was chocolate brioche from Metropolitan, which is a superb start. The bread was dense enough to encapsulate a solid chocolate flavor without being overly heavy. Chocolate chips and a rich chocolaty syrup hold the bread chunks together to make a chocolate-y explosion in your mouth. No complaints here.



Overall, a good repeat trip to a good little neighborhood restaurant. The place is actually more famous for its weekend brunch, which I've never had the chance to participate in. My boyfriend was happy with my choice, he was definitely surprised, and we both enjoyed our meals. I will certainly continue to recommend this place, especially for anyone who lives in the University City area.

Nashville Eats, Part Two

Although pancakes were a highlight of our trip, we also experienced a fantastic dinner in Nashville that we thought we'd share with you. You might think that the city only has Southern eateries to offer, but there are also a variety of restaurants that cater to other preferences of the palate. We checked out an Asian fusion place with the catchy and cute name "Suzy Wong's House of Yum." Located on Church Street a few blocks from the city center, the space is a good compromise between too big and too small. When we walked in with a group of 6, we immediately wanted the round table in the front, complete with squishy bun-shaped stools. However, we were treated to a big round booth in the back with high walls that gave a sense of "semi-private" dining. The lighting was good for the atmosphere, bad for picture taking.



The menu is split into "Shared Plates" that are more of a tapas style, or appetizers if you looked at it the way we did. There is also a selection of "Yum Bowls" which are described as "family style"- also good to share, but a larger portion.

Since we were dining with a larger group than we usually do, we got to try more dishes, which is always exciting to us. Another point of interest on the menu was the notation of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items which we love to see- it must be such a pain for any Celiac's out there constantly having to inquire about ingredients.

A & I started with vegetable tempura ($7), which is a classic dish (and personal fave) by which we can assess general food quality. Lucky for Suzy, the tempura was almost spot on. Not too fried, good amount of crisp, good variety of vegetables. The tempura string beans were unusual, but in a good way. The only downside was the tempura sweet potato- a bit too thick-cut, making for a mealy mouthful of dryness.



We also ordered Lump Crab Wontons with Bacon ($5) which seemed like mostly fried shell stuffed with a little canned crab and nonexistent bacon. Good, but not great. As one of our friends commented "These taste remarkably like a fish stick" and this was closer to the truth than we would have liked.



The highlight of the appetizers was undeniably the Steamed BBQ Pork Bao Bun ($3). We've somehow missed the boat on these steamed bun things, but HELLO we want 100 of them. A great use of Tennessee BBQ, the bun had a tender, smoky, meaty filling encased in a doughy puff of delicious sweet airy bread. If anyone has good recommendations on where to get great steamed buns in Philly, we will personally treat you to some. YUM.



Other shared plates at our table included Sesame Steak Yakitori Skewers ($7) which were surprisingly good. The meat was extremely flavorful without being fatty, easy to bite off the stick, and well complemented by the crispy sweet pieces of wonton and sticky sesame sauce.



The Spicy Tuna & Cucumber roll ($7) was served as a handroll and lived up to its name. The spicy sauce was incredibly spicy (much too spicy in my opinion), but the chunks of tuna were large and the cucumber pieces were of good size and crunch. I personally think this would be better served as a sushi roll in order to incorporate some rice and seaweed to balance the superspice of the sauce.



Our group also ordered a variety of the Yum Bowls. A & I split the Lemongrass Vegetable Tofu Stir-fry ($9) which has a pretty self-explanatory name. Could have been a little heavier on the lemongrass flavor, but otherwise a satisfying mix of vegetables (which we can never get enough of..) and firm tofu pieces with a good saucy coating. The other note about lemongrass is that this bowl had large pieces of it incorporated in, which we weren't sure whether we were supposed to eat. Felt a little like a horse... but they were actually kind of good.

Another bowl ordered was the Peppered Beef with Broccoli and Beans ($9). In this case, the beans were green beans, and this meal also had a good mix of veggies and meat- lots of green peppers and onion (I actually want to try to make this at home...)



The last bowl was a Garlic & Holy Basil Egg Noodle Lo Mein ($9). This bowl was mostly noodles, probably needed something else to offset the carb overload, but the noodles had a good texture, chewy but not gummy. Not sure what designates basil as holy but... it wasn't really memorable.



Too full for dessert (plus our hostess had made the most amazing Black Forest cake EVER) but we all agreed that they should sell dessert bao buns. Seriously, apple pie filling in a bun? Cherry pie filling in a bun? Pecan pie filling in a bun? The options are endless.

At the end of the meal, our friend jokingly informed our waiter that "This House of Yum is NOT Yum!" which elicited a horrified gasp. We were quick to tell him that it was quite the opposite. Our check was "served" to us on an adorable little $ sign plate. Prices were great, which was another plus. Overall, a superb dining experience. Hopefully we can visit the city again soon!

Two Eat Nashville: Pancake Edition

You may be thinking that we haven't published a thing about Philadelphia so far this month... perhaps we should change the name of our blog to "Traveling Twins" or something. After a weekend in DC and a weekend in Maryland, we hopped on a plane and headed to Nashville, TN for a long weekend self-imposed spring break. Our best friends from home now live in Tennessee, so after a few long months without them, we were more than ready to check out their new city. I could go on for quite some time about the loveliness of the entire weekend, but I will spare you and stick to the food-- well, some of the food. I could probably also write an entire separate post on the food that our host and hostess prepared for us throughout the weekend (Southern deliciousness and the best picnic lunch you could imagine) but pictures could not be taken due to the continuous hand-to-mouth motions every time we sat down to eat.

Our friends planned our weekend to maximize our fun and our explorations of the city. Having never been to Nashville, they wanted to let us in on an authentic taste. Of course, part of this involves classic Nashville eateries. Perhaps one of the most well known- the Pancake Pantry. J and I love pancakes and make them often, so this in combination with the potential for a run-in with a certain country star had us good and ready. We set out on Friday morning- which may have otherwise been a quiet morning at the PP (I love a good acronym) particularly because of the slight drizzle. However, with the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament going on in Nashville, we met a bit of a line (mostly wearing Kentucky get-ups) upon our arrival. Apparently a line is quite a common occurrence here, as the PP is not only a famous tourist spot but also very popular with the locals. Always a good sign- you know the food is good if locals will wait in line for it!



The wait took about half an hour, but was made infinitely better by the free self-serve coffee cart. Cream and sugar? No problem. Seriously, any restaurant that requires waiting should offer free drinks.



The restaurant is one big open square, mostly dotted with tables for four, with booths lining two walls. It has a bit of a Cracker Barrel feel to it, very open with friendly servers and down home decorations. The menu consists of over twenty variations of pancake (surprise!) ranging from fruit flavors, crepe-style pancakes, and both sweet and savory options. They also serve waffles, French toast, eggs, and other varieties of classic breakfast dishes. Lunch dishes (think salads, soups, and burgers) are also available, but I don't even remember seeing those items on the menu- we were there for the pancakes.

After some debate (it's hard to decide!) and lots of mouth watering, we gave our orders to our adorable waitress who I can only describe as a perfect replica of Amelia Bedelia, although about forty years older. J decided on the Smokey Mountain Buckwheat cakes- a "half" order. All of the pancakes come five to an order, but you can also get any of them in a smaller serving of three. Usually not the type to cut down from a normal serving size, we were hesitant to do this, but were glad we did- they were big! The buckwheat pancakes had a wonderful nutty flavor, but weren't heavy like whole wheat products can sometimes be. They went well with a smear of butter and a drizzle of syrup- apparently homemade. The house maple was great- not overly thick and sweet but on the thinner side. The buckwheats also went great with honey, which was our alternative syrup option.



Our lovely hostess chose the Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes-- you can never go wrong with the classic, right? They were fluffy and literally, the best "regular" plain pancakes I have ever tasted. I swear, I don't understand- I know a good pancake from a bad pancake, but never thought there was a separate "heavenly" category. Both the flavor and the texture are unbeatable. I'm afraid there is some secret, very unhealthy ingredient... but a secret that I am fine with never knowing. The lightness of the cakes make them veritable sponges for syrup, just as they should be.



I ordered the Water Ground Cornmeal Pancakes- I grew up begging my dad to make corn pancakes every Sunday morning and am a cornbread connoisseur. These pancakes were a small bit of corn-y perfection- quite dense with a large grain that allowed for extra corn flavor in every almost-crunchy bite. They were somewhat steamed like tamales, and both melted and soaked up my pat of butter simultaneously. They went perfectly with the honey- after a small taste of maple, I never went back.



The three of us weren't very adventurous in our pancake choices (I mean, we could have had Apricot-Lemon Delights, or "Chocolate Sin"!) but I think we had a good taste of what the PP has to offer. Three completely different grains used to make three perfect stacks of cakes... I think the locals have definitely found and supported the real deal. And honestly, if (or rather, when) I go back, I will make the same choice- the sign of a very good meal.

Spaetzle revisited

After visiting an authentic German eatery (documented here) in January, our grandpa seemed somewhat embarrassed that we didn’t know what spaetzle (pronunciation: SHPET-sla) was. Since we seemed particularly delighted by it (who wouldn’t like buttery, crispy noodles?), he divulged the fact that since he grew up in a REAL German household (as his parents migrated from Germany), he was well versed in the making and eating of spaetzle, and even owned a spaetzle-making device. If you’re interested in making the dish, you don’t necessarily need one of these (a colander and a spatula seem to be the next best replacements) but we were excited to try it “the real way.”

An available weekend happened upon us (we’ve been crazy busy with both work and traveling for the past six forevers), and we jumped on the chance to spend some time with our grandparents and master the art of spaetzle-making. As our grandpa pointed out, you can’t “just eat noodles,” and he recommended we pair the spaetzle with a roast of beef and braised red cabbage. Like the Super Grandpa that he is, he had all of the necessary ingredients on hand when we arrived- and had even prepared the meat a day ahead of time so we could focus on our real project.

Our first mission was to start the cabbage- it takes at least an hour to cook down to the right consistency, and it seems as if additional time is beneficial. To start, we chopped an onion (in thin rings), a green apple (our supervisor disapproved of the chunks that J cut it into, insisting that all of the ingredients must be cut into the same shape) and two cloves of garlic. These must be browned in bacon fat prior to the addition of the main ingredient. You could cook down a couple pieces of bacon, but apparently our grandparent’s household keeps a tub of bacon fat on hand- two thumbs up from us.



After four or five minutes of browning, we began to add the cabbage, which had been cut in half, cored, and thinly sliced. It was a monster cabbage, so we first added just a half to prevent cabbage overflow. After a few minutes, the cabbage began to cook down, and we added a half-cup of water to help the process along. Eventually about ¾ of the head of cabbage made it into the pot, along with ¾ of a cup of apple cider vinegar, a heaping tablespoon of German Dijon mustard, some large grain salt and a few twists from the pepper mill. As soon as it all comes to a boil, the active prep is over- just bring the heat down, plop the lid on, and enjoy the cabbage-y, vinegar smells that permeate your house. Just kidding, it didn’t smell as bad as I expected, and the final product was well worth it. It simmered away on the stove for about two hours before the rest of dinner was ready, and cooked down to an almost disappointingly small amount (still enough to feed eight…).



On to the spaetzle making! We printed a recipe we found online, which was then fairly modified by the professional. The recipe is extremely simple, with only four ingredients. We started with eight cups of flour (yeah, we made a lot of noodles) and one teaspoon of salt. After combining these dry ingredients, J formed a well in the middle of the flour heap and cracked three eggs into it. And here is where some controversy began- our dad thinks that we should have followed the recipe we found, which called for six eggs. However, our grandpa remembers making a large batch as a kid with just one egg, so we decided to compromise with three. We whisked the eggs (atop the flour) and began pouring water into the hole while simultaneously beginning the combination process. The recipe called for 3 ¾ cups of water, but we decided to take it slow and add it little by little to ensure that we would end up with the proper dough consistency.



After mixing and mixing and mixing some more, we finally arrived at our final dough product: very thick and heavy, more so than pancake batter but less so than bread dough. A large pot of water was boiling away, waiting for the first batch of spaetzle to be cooked. Step One: load the dough into the spaetzle machine, which comically resembles a huge garlic press. Two: squeeze the dough through, into the pot of water.



Step Three: Recruit another pair of hands to cut off the resulting strands of noodles into different lengths (we had three different noodle cutters, all using their own spaetzle length discretion). Four: curiously watch the noodles roll around the bottom of the pot and slowly rise to the top (it takes just a minute or two). Five: when all of the noodles have risen, scoop them out with a strainer, making sure to let most of the water drip off. Transfer to a giant bowl, and repeat. About ten times. Like we said, a lot of noodles.



The noodles are kind of sticky, so it’s definitely best to serve them immediately. We loaded our plates with spaetzle and red cabbage, and covered the noodles with chunks of beef and gravy. It looked great: authentic German food that WE had just made! As we sat down to eat, the great spaetzle debate continued. We loved the chewy texture of the noodles- some of them had stuck together in the pot to form “chunks”- we apparently inherited a love of anything dough-like from our mom, so the three of us were in dough-y heaven. Our grandpa seemed to be a bit disappointed, and told us at least fourteen times throughout the night that when we next attempted the dish, we should add more water to achieve a thinner consistency, and therefore a smaller noodle. However, the general consensus was that, while it may not have been perfect, it was delicious. The noodles themselves don’t have a lot of flavor, but easily soaked up the meatiness of the gravy and was a perfect textural accompaniment to the tender meat. The red cabbage was also a huge hit- it was extremely soft with an acidic bite from the vinegar that was cut down a bit by the sweetness of the apple. Vegetable perfection, well appreciated for both its delicious delightfulness and its health benefits.

We had a fun time cooking with our gramps (although he’s very picky about our cooking techniques) and learning how to make a dish that was enjoyed by our family for many generations. It’s a fun process, and makes a great meal for a large group- cheap, quick, and satisfactory to most palates. We want to experiment with it more in the future- maybe to increase the health factor a bit (some internet browsing showed some recipes adding shredded veggies into the dough, or mixing the noodles into a pesto sauce) or to change the overall texture- pan-frying them to a crisp in a little butter would more closely replicate what we had at Brauhaus Schmitz. Our grandpa promised to leave us the machine in his will, but we would love any extra excuse to come visit, so for now, we’re leaving it with him.

Two Eat DC

This past weekend we took a quick trip down to our nation's capital to visit a college friend. Food wasn't exactly the focus of the trip, but of course we wanted to explore the restaurant scene in another city. Our friend suggested a place near her place of work, so we checked it out for a late lunch after an appetite-inducing Greyhound ride.

The concept of the place, called Founding Farmers, is very unique- essentially focused on fresh, seasonal ingredients grown with an emphasis on flavor. They don't care so much about where the food is coming from location-wise (apparently they buy carbon offsets to take care of this), but more of a concentration of "knowing where your food comes from and how it was made." The building is also LEED certified and "eco-friendly." The inside is very open, with large rustic wooden tables and simple shelving stocked with jars of vegetables. However, located at 19th and Pennsylvania Avenue (close vicinity to Mr. Prez), the concept of a warm, inviting farmhouse seems a little out of place. The area is chock full of tall, mirrored glass, flashy office buildings (think World Bank), so I'm a little confused about why they chose this area, but that's not really important.



When we arrived a little after 2 PM, the place was full of customers, but without seeming loud or crowded. We were told there was a 30 minute wait, but only ended up waiting about 5 minutes- just enough time to snap some pics of the interior. We were seated at a tall table with stools- big enough for 6, which gave us plenty of room for all of the impending food. Our waitress was absolutely phenomenal- perfect mix of informative, friendly, and humorous without being overbearing.

We each started off the meal with an "appetizer." A got her fall-back favorite, cornbread ($5). Though we aren't huge fans of corn itself, we are fans of bread, and cornbread is no exception. Baked and served in a cast iron skillet, the bread was piping hot, crumbly and full of whole kernel corn. On the drier side, the texture was grainy, with a slightly browned "skin" on top. The flavor was naturally sweet, and the dish of creamy white butter sitting in a pool of honey served as simplistic, yet complementary accompaniments.



I ordered the fried green tomatoes ($7), another one of our personal fave's. We have had these at a variety of (mostly southern) eateries, but these hands down win the "Best of Show" award. Four thick slices of firm, not-soggy-at-all, unripened fruit evenly battered in cornmeal and fried to crispy perfection... the only downside to this appetizer was the fact that we couldn't finish it. The tomatoes were served with a creamy goat cheese spread (A thought it was a little on the goaty side) as well as a well seasoned guac-ish spread with big chunks of avocado and a "secret ingredient"- sardines.



We also got a big bowl of the "Popcorn of the Day" ($2)- fresh air-popped corn (we were really on a roll with the corn here) with the Chef's Choice of seasonings. We were treated to Old Bay & Sea Salt popcorn- not overly salty or greasy, and certainly an interesting and unique item on the menu. A and I often reminisce about airpopped corn from our childhood, and this hit the spot. Again, the bowl was much too large for us to finish, quite sadly.



Because it was lunchtime, we all ordered either sandwiches or salads, so we can't attest to the "entrees" portion of the menu. A ordered the Roasted Vegetable and Avocado sandwich ($12), served on a rye-sourdough thin sliced bread which was unfortunately overly crusty and/or toasted- she claimed it was hard and stabbed the inside of her mouth (she even complained about this the next day...) but was still totally delicious. The bread was layered with a goat cheese-avocado spread, as well as a mix of roasted peppers and eggplant and fresh, crisp lettuce, tomato and cucumber. It was accompanied by housemade potato chips- thick cut and crunchy, but a little plain (though how much can one expect from potato chips?).



I ordered the Roasted Chicken Salad ($13), which I was told upon ordering was actually chicken salad on a salad. I like chicken salad, so this was totally fine by me. The bed of lettuce consisted of large pieces of Bibb which I actually had to use a knife with- I couldn't just shove the giant thing in my mouth like I wanted to. The dressing on the greens was very vinegary which I love, but it was a little heavy handed making the sharp acidity of the vinegar a tad overbearing. The chicken salad was terrific- shreds of rotisserie chicken in a creamy, not too heavy binder filled with almonds and golden raisins. There were also some tomatoes, avocado chunks and golden beets (so good...) that all tasted really fresh and flavorful. The salad was served with a thick slice of grilled bread- a good hearty French misted with olive oil, with a good crust to soft middle ratio. Overall, very pleased.



Our friend ordered the grilled cheese served with tomato soup and a side of french fries ($10). Again, the restaurant is really focusing on simple and "down home"- we were a table of happy eaters.



Definitely too full for dessert, but the menu looked amazing- doughnut holes anyone? They also have a wide variety of coffee, tea, and housemade sodas, as well as a fully stocked bar that focused on "organic" labels if you're into the cocktail scene. A & I have already decided we don't want to go back... we NEED to go back. If you live in DC, don't walk but RUN to this restaurant- great food, great atmosphere, great mission, great service, and totally affordable- 5 stars in all the categories that matter to us!