FARMiCiA

A & I have been documenting our fresh and local produce from our CSA share, which has been well complemented by fresh baked bread from Metropolitan Bakery. If you combine these things with the restaurant scene, you might find yourself at FARMiCiA, a restaurant in Old City that focuses on simple dishes utilizing local, organic ingredients. Additionally, this restaurant is the brainchild of the owners of Metropolitan.

Because A was in the Poconos for the long weekend, my boyfriend replaced her as my dining date. Thankfully, he enjoys healthy food as much as we do, so I knew he would appreciate my restaurant choice. A warm summery weekend evening was perfect for the half-hour stroll through Center City to 3rd & Market. Sadly, we don't find ourselves in the more historical area of the city very often- it's really so pretty! However, most of the good food in the area is a little out of the realm of our bank account (Amada, Union Trust, etc).

FARMiCiA has a very open layout, with huge glass windows open to sidewalk seating. Our waitress had the personality of a rock, but there were no problems with the service. A big basket of Metropolitan bread circulates around the room- our choices included an herbed foccacia, a thinly sliced wheaty-grainy bread, and a bread packed with thick slices of olives. For the indecisive types *raises hand* you can try any or all of the types. The bread is also served with a creamy scoop of herbed butter.

We started out the meal with the antipasto ($11)- a good plate to share, and on the lighter side- perfect for warm weather. I liked that the restaurant put it's own touch on the different components- it wasn't your typical meat-and-cheese-fest. Without a doubt, the highlight of the dish was the marinated mushrooms- earthy, vinegary, a smoky flavor from the grill, with a really satisfying dense, meaty texture. The hardboiled egg was also good, but seemed a little dry compared to the ones that come out of my own kitchen. The salty white sardines were great on pieces of buttered wheat bread. Although the menu claims that the olives in this dish are grilled, A) how does one grill an olive? and B) these seemed like plain olives to me. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious olives- a mix of different purples and greens. The plate also included two items from my "not-so-favorite-foods" list- sundried tomatoes and capers- but I dutifully tried them out and found the capers to be a good complement to a bit of egg. A small tuft of microgreens- also good for making mini open-faced sandwiches- rounded out the dish.



I thought my date might go for the cheese plate or the calamari, but he opted for the Tuscan Grains salad ($8.5). A mix of spelt and chopped orange and red peppers comprised the majority of the dish, though it was served with a thin layer of baby arugula and topped with more microgreens. Big squares of soft ricotta salata gave a subtle salty flavor to complement the super sweet, crunchy peppers and hearty grains. The spelt was actually a new grain to both of us- as a variety of wheat, it was a little on the nutty side and gave the salad a little more bulk. Everything was lightly coated in a citrusy vinaigrette- the dish was something I'd love to recreate for a summer picnic. My boyfriend kept commenting on how healthy it was, but yet it was still super tasty- personally my favorite kind of food.



Although I'd love to check out something on the vegetarian portion of the menu ("Mega Dose of Vegetables and Grains" sounds RIGHT up my alley) the sundried cherries in the description of the duck dish ($22) snagged my full attention. The duck breast was perfectly cooked, with a crispy skin covered in the sweet and sour glaze complete with fat dried cherries. The sourness of the cherries and the more complex flavor of the duck was incredible. The meat was served with a pile of sauteed sugar snap peas- so sweet and super crunchy, with a hint of sage-y herb flavor. The other star of the dish was the grain mixture- a "native grain pilaf" that included wild rice, giant whole white corn kernels (also known as hominy) and more spelt. Because it took grains from all the major categories (rice, wheat, corn), it really made such an amazing mix of flavors and textures- so simple yet SO good. Although the serving sizes here may not be huge, they leave nothing to be desired.



My boyfriend has a slight obsession with lamb, so he chose the Pan Roasted Lamb Tenderloin ($22.5). Sliced into good-sized chunks, the cooked-to-order meat was incredibly juicy and flavorful. It was done up in a minty dressing- an unoriginal taste pairing for lamb, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! The asparagus was more of an original addition- peeled and ever-so-slightly steamed, maintaining a major crunch factor and an amazingly light flavor. I've been hoping for freshly cut asparagus in our CSA box, because I've heard that most people have no idea what asparagus is supposed to taste like- let's just say I see myself growing asparagus in a future garden. Everything was served over soft white beans that had soaked up some of the minty flavor from the sauce. As I'm not the biggest fan of lamb, I was a little surprised to find myself asking for multiple pieces in trade for some of my delicious cherry duck. My mouth is watering just typing about it.



We had plans to walk around the corner for some ice cream at Franklin Fountain, so we declined our waitress's offer of the dessert menu. I have no doubt that the options on that menu are just as fresh and delicious as the other items we had the opportunity to taste. Although I'm not sure that this restaurant would fit the bill for just any hungry Joe Schmo looking for dinner, we absolutely loved FARMiCiA- the concept, the atmosphere, and of course, the food. The name is a play on the idea that food can actually provide everything a body needs to be healthy- FARMiCiA executed this point of view perfectly- and in a tasty and interesting way, to boot.

FARMiCiA
15 S. 3rd Street

CSA Week 2

After some reader comments about "measly vegetables" in our last weeks CSA half-share, A & I are pleased to say that this weeks share was a little more exciting.

In this weeks box we received the following:


Front: one bunch Hakurei turnips, two bunches scallions (matured to more of a "spring onion"), one bag purple broccoli, one bag watercress; Back: one head red leaf lettuce, one bunch kale

This box had THREE new products that we've never had- turnips, purple broccoli, and watercress. When I was unpacking the box, I actually opened the bag of watercress, forgot what had been on the list, decided it was parsley by appearance, ate a piece and found it to be spicy, like an intense arugula. Additionally, the red leaf lettuce was covered in mud- I had to break it apart, wash and dry each leaf, and store the whole bunch in a plastic grocery bag. Unpacking a CSA box is like a little mini-adventure.

When the folks at LFFC send the handy list of what we're getting, they also suggest uses for some of the items, which provides another source of inspiration. One of the suggestions for using the cress was as an accompaniment to egg salad. A and I have never made egg salad, but we do have a source of incredibly delicious farm fresh eggs- I've mentioned them before. Making egg salad seems easy enough, so we opted for egg salad sandwiches with cress on toasted wheaty bread. The bread is something we used to eat growing up- it's packed full of bits of seed and grains, including cornmeal. Though Dad used to buy it at Sam's Club, Trader Joe's also sells it and it is amazing. A made the egg salad with celery, Dijon mustard, chopped spring onions, and a Greek yogurt/mayonnaise mixture. The eggs are so rich as they are, they don't need much mayonnaise- we think Greek yogurt makes a protein-rich, creamy substitute. With a handful of spicy watercress and a bit of crisp to the bread, the egg salad was DEEE-licious. We also made up a side salad using some of the red leaf, dried cherries, a little blue cheese and some sunflower seeds. A perfectly delightful Sunday dinner.



A few months ago we had a really good broccoli salad at a friends place- A and I don't typically like raw broccoli (A associates it with a puking incident when she was much younger), but the mix of crunchy broccoli with other flavors and a touch of mayonnaise (a common theme in this post...) had us going back for seconds. The purple broccoli in our share gave us a good excuse to try to recreate this dish. Purple broccoli comes in a much smaller head than regular green broccoli- we got about 6 of them and it still didn't seem to add up to a normal broccoli head. Additionally, the tiny tips of the broccoli are a little bigger on the purple variety. However, the taste is exactly the same; I thought it was a bit milder, but this may be attributable to its freshness.

To make the base of the broccoli salad you will need:


one head broccoli (or the equivalent)
two scallions
3 pieces of bacon
~1/8 purple onion (one thickish slice)
1 tomato or several smaller tomatoes
handful sunflower seeds
handful of raisins

The first step is to cook the bacon- I did this while I began assembling the rest of the ingredients. Chop up the broccoli into small pieces. A & I enjoy eating broccoli stems, so I added those to bulk up the meagerness of the heads. Chop the green onion, the tomato, and the purple onion. Add everything in a bowl, throw in the seeds and raisins, and crumble your bacon on top (once its super crispy and cooled). Because our broccoli came with so many leaves, I used the leftover bacon grease to saute some of them to add to a salad for tomorrow's lunch. We really like utilizing all parts of our vegetables!



The "sauce" component of the salad is super easy. Mix together: 1 T sugar, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 3 T mayonnaise, and 3 T lowfat sour cream. Again, we like to supplement the mayonnaise with something a little healthier. We do use mayonnaise made from canola oil, which is much better than "real" mayonnaise, but adding yogurt or sour cream makes it a little lighter and less greasy. I mixed everything together with tongs and popped it in the fridge to cool for a bit.





I served this up with a big baked sweet potato for each of us- A likes hers with hot sauce, a little sour cream, green onions (these things are SO versatile!) and some grated cheddar. I prefer mine sweet with goat cheddar, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Either way, the starchy sweet potato was the perfect addition to a big pile of broccoli salad. The salad would also go well over a grain or with some grilled chicken.

A plans to make braised kale and turnips tomorrow, which should use up the last of the produce from this week's box. We're really enjoying how the items are inspiring us to not only try new vegetables, but also new recipes. Hope we've inspired you as well!

City Tap House

This past week was a bit on the stressful side as both A & I had our preliminary/comprehensive exams for our respective programs. Good news is we both passed- making us official PhD candidates! Although we do have some bigger dining-based celebration plans for some point in the future, we really just wanted a low-key dinner at the end of the week. Very recently opened on Penn's campus, City Tap House has been getting a decent amount of press. Located in the Radian complex near 40th and Walnut, the restaurant takes up a large amount of indoor and outdoor space on the second level. Although it is managed by the same group that runs Public House and Field House (two very bar-type environments that aren't known for their food), someone got smart and hired head chef Al Paris who seems to have a decent amount of credentials (we're almost unsure of what he is doing at a place like this...). A had actually stopped by City Tap House about a week and a half ago as part of her boyfriend's graduation festivities, and deemed it blog-worthy. Good location and a not-too-fancy environment sealed the deal.

I was immediately impressed with the space, and I think it is the strong point for this restaurant. A huge indoor area, very tall ceilings, lots of woodwork, yet well lit and open to an enormous outdoor patio complete with a grassy lawn area- all on the second floor overlooking Walnut Street and the residential area of Penn's campus. Though A had made reservations, the hostess seemed a little on the frazzled side and we still had to wait a few minutes, which seemed the norm for groups without reservations as well. 7 PM on a Friday and lots of empty space- it's good to know that, at least at this point, there's not much of a wait- unlike the next door Bobby's Burger Palace which still has a long-ish line. We were seated near the open kitchen, with a good view of the entire place, as well as some overheard banter between a few of the chefs.

The menu is relatively standard: apps, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, main course meals, as well as a "Daily Supper" special Monday through Saturday. The price points seemed a little off, with appetizers, meal-sized salads and sandwich/fry combinations all hitting the same price range. As A had already checked out the food selection, she knew that the plates seemed a little uninspired and not worth the extra $$s. Additionally, we saw some of the pizzas coming out of the kitchen, and although these are cooked in a traditional brick oven, they really looked unappetizing. The crust was extremely thin, dry, and cracker-like with a measly amount of toppings- not our kind of pizza.

With all of these factors in mind, we opted for the cheese plate as our appetizer ($12). We like cheese, and this is a good way for chefs to show a little creativity. Additionally, A's previous visit gave her the opportunity to eat something extremely memorable- a goat cheese "crouton" that is typically served on the beet salad. She really wanted to eat this again me to try this, so we asked our quirky but hard-working waiter if we could add a crouton to the cheese plate. I'm not gonna lie- it was the highlight of the plate. Served on a thick wooden block, the cheese plate comes with three cheeses- Cabrales (a Spanish blue), Gruyere (a sweet mild and firm cheese from Switzerland), and Morbier (a semi-soft French cheese with a distinct black layer of tasteless ash- thanks Wikipedia). While all of these cheeses were good in their own right, the super creamy ball of goat cheese encased in a thin layer of crispy-fried Panko definitely won the blue ribbon. In fact, Al Paris stopped by our table and personally asked us how we liked it. He ended up going off about the woman who made this particular cheese- something about her carrying it in a sack on her back around California when he used to work in Napa Valley. He seems a little kooky, but it gave the dining experience a special element. The cheese plate also came with some raisin-y bread, a few pieces of pear and grapes, a couple spicy walnuts, and a meager dab of quince paste. Good accompaniments for the cheese, but the chefs didn't seem to try to pair them specifically. The quince was delicious- extremely sweet with a thick texture that was easy to smear on a blob of cheese. I just wish there had been more! A little more creativity with this would have been nice, but the cheese selection (plus our own addition) was solid. Even better, they didn't even charge us extra for the crouton!



Left: raisin bread and Morbier; Middle: Fruit, GIANT goat cheese blob, slices of Gruyere, hiding nuts; Right: Quince and Cabrales

For our main dishes, we opted to order a sandwich and a salad and split them. A had already had the beet salad, and the only other one that really stood out to us was the Organic Pulled Chicken ($10). The serving sizes for the salads are enormous- definitely worth their price. This particular salad started with a huge heap of spring greens, with pulled roasted chicken around the edges, toasted pecans, thick bits of crispy pancetta, generous chunks of blue cheese, golden raisins, and finely chopped green apple, all covered with a "lemon-thyme" vinaigrette. We thought the conglomeration of ingredients made for a tasty and fresh salad, and we're always looking for salad-making inspiration. The pancetta was an upgrade on bits of bacon, and along with the blue cheese, gave a salty aspect that was perfectly complemented by the sweet and sour apple and the smoky chicken. A said it reminded her of Thanksgiving- the pulled chicken was a little reminiscent of turkey leftovers. I wasn't a huge fan of the dressing- it mostly gave the salad an oily coating without much of a flavor punch, but the salad ingredients didn't really need much. A touch more vinegar would have evened everything out.





On the "Craftwich" portion of the menu, the Red Brisket Reuben ($9) also stood out. It was served open faced on a thin-sliced yet dense piece of New York-style rye bread, and came with a really-more-meat-than-necessary sized pile of brisket. Covered in a gooey layer of melted Gruyere, and with a side of unmemorable fries, I was definitely glad we were splitting this dish. The brisket was so-so, though with Percy Street BBQ and Famous 4th Street Deli on our brisket taste-o-meter, it had a lot to live up to. We both agreed that it was plenty savory for the sandwich. The thick cut of the meat made for good sized chunks in every bite. The meat was also mixed with some pickled red cabbage and came with a side of Russian dressing, giving it a very deli-style twist which we very much enjoyed. Another hearty entree- we didn't come close to finishing it.



We were planning on walking home and didn't want to lug food babies with us, so we passed on dessert. I did see a nice bread-pudding type dish come out of the kitchen, which might be worth saving room for on a future visit (A says the donuts and chocolate cake are also good). Although we didn't venture into the real "meal" section of the menu, we definitely made good choices in terms of getting a good taste of the kitchen for a very good price. If you live on/near campus, we would definitely recommend checking the place out- the environment makes it a great spot for a leisurely weekend lunch or a get-together for a larger group of friends- definitely want to enjoy a summer evening out on that patio!

City Tap House
3925 Walnut Street

Our First CSA Share

This past week was quite exciting as it marked the delivery of our first box of CSA veggies. We signed up for the CSA several months ago (we blogged about it here, so have been somewhat anxiously awaiting the start of the "season." Lancaster Farm Fresh Coop has been great about sending us updates about the progress of the farms and even including pictures of adorable baby lettuces that would eventually be ours!

Our pickup location is conveniently less than two blocks away at Metropolitan Bakery, a really great bakery that we frequent far too.. infrequently (it's kind of pricey and we don't buy that many baked goods on a regular basis). I suppose I was a bit too anxious about my first veggie box, as I went to the bakery prior to heading to work (around 8 AM). Unfortunately, the CSA director had not given us explicit directions on what time we could pick up our shares, and only told us that Metro opened at 7:30AM-- I assumed they would be there right at opening! Not the case... thankfully one of the employees was extremely nice and apologetic and took my name and number to let me know when they did arrive. Whew! I just wanted my vegetables! However, Metro is open until 7 PM giving me plenty of time to pick it up after work.



Now, on to the goods! In our first box we received:
1 bag of mushrooms (of the white button variety- a bit of a surprise as we were told we would get radishes, not mushrooms?)
1 bunch of scallions
1 head of romaine (flashy troutsback- more on this later)
1 bag baby lettuce mix (1 lb)
1 package mixed microgreens

All of these goods are certified organic and come from a variety of farms in the area. Upon signing up for the CSA, we knew the weekly load would be seasonal- and that the early boxes would be quite light and mostly spring lettuces. We also had a good idea of what we were getting (they send a list two days prior to pickup), so we were already making plans for what to do with them. And, I suppose this won't come as much of a surprise- we settled on a salad. In order to maximize the use of the vegetables in a single meal, and provide some protein and carbs, I purchased four additional items (is this going to be money saving? I'm not sure...). A loaf of wheaty sourdough bread (from Metro), some soft herb-y goat cheese, 10 ounces of sirloin steak, and a lemon equals dinner.

I chose to use the romaine as a base for the salad- it appeared to be needing consumption first. One downside to organic vegetables is that they really can't sit for long. The romaine looked very strange to me when I first saw it- the leaves were speckled with a dark red color, almost making it look like it was going bad! However, I quickly Googled "flashy troutsback" and was relieved to see that my lettuce was perfectly fine. It's so much more interesting than normal romaine, with the red color almost bleeding into the green as you chop it up. I tossed the greens, along with diced scallions, with a very light dressing I made with the juice from the lemon, a finely chopped clove of garlic, and about 1 tablespoon of good olive oil. Very simple, very refreshing.





I marinated the beef in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic for a few hours before throwing it onto the grill pan. Just a minute or two per side- it was a fairly thin piece of meat and I wanted it to remain about medium-rare. I simultaneously was sauteing the mushrooms (sliced) in a bit of butter. Cut some bread, smear it with the goat cheese, slice the meat.. the meal came together in less than 15 minutes. I piled the mushrooms and sliced meat onto the lettuce and sprinkled the microgreens on top of all of it.



The salad made a fantastic meal. The vegetables were all extremely fresh (especially the romaine!), which I suppose they should be since they were grown locally. The sauteed mushrooms and the steak made it hearty enough for a big meal. The microgreens, while small, actually contributed quite a bit- they provided a different texture and a very peppery flavor to each bite. And of course, the benefit of picking our share up at Metro is that we have no excuse not to pick up a loaf of bread. It was definitely a great addition- I'm looking forward to trying each of the many varieties of bread offered there throughout the next several months.



While this meal used up the majority of the box, we still had some scallions, some microgreens, and the bag of baby lettuces. We have since made a ridiculous amount of salads (for lunches and dinners) with the baby lettuce and still have half a bag to go. Never underestimate a pound of lettuce. Our veggies won't last us until the next box arrives, but they made a great addition to our week's eats, and I had a fun time coming up with a meal to incorporate most of them. I'm already anticipating the arrival of our next share, and am excited that I get to do this for the next 27 weeks!

TMG

I know we are constantly raving about the huge number of great restaurants in Philly, but it's something that we are still amazed at after six years here! The variety of good places to eat are scattered across the city- from Northern Liberties to West Philly, and living in the middle of it all allows most of these places to be very accessible. However, it has also prevented us from taking advantage of some of the restaurants that are just under our noses, right around Rittenhouse Square. For example, J has never been to Barclay Prime- which we could probably throw a stone at (not that we would!). Another nearby restaurant that she has never visited is Twenty Manning, literally less than two blocks from our place. A slight confession: the only reason I've been to both of these restaurants is for "special occasions" with the boyfriend! My walk to and from school has me passing Twenty Manning twice a day, and I often admired its sophistication as I walked by. On my visit with the bf, we had a decent meal- the food had a heavy Asian influence, and we enjoyed dishes such as potstickers and green curry, in a dimly lit, "romantic" atmosphere. It was good, but not particularly noteworthy (when reminding him of our visit, he had a hard time remembering it.. not a good sign), particularly considering the prices. When J considered a meal there, I gently dissuaded her.

A month or so ago, the restaurant closed for remodeling, and piqued my curiosity- what would they change? Would it make me want a return visit? There was a bit of a buzz on Philly food blogs, speculating about the changes. The restaurant has been in existence for quite some time, and was definitely being outshone by many other places popping up all over town. While it still had a steady clientele as far as I could see, it wasn't what I considered a dining destination. Major props to the owner, Audrey Claire Taichman (yes, she also owns Audrey Claire) for deciding to change this. This decision was apparently based on her desire to make Twenty Manning more of a neighborhood joint, with classic foods and lower prices. J and I liked the sounds of this- an affordable, "new" restaurant just steps from our house, with a chef and an owner who both have a reputation for good food. Slowly the restaurant morphed into a bright, shiny new American-style "grill"-- complete with an interior and exterior color change and the addition of the word to its name. Now known as Twenty Manning Grill (or TMG!!), the paper in the windows finally came down and they opened for business once again.

J and I really wanted a look at the menu before we hit it up, but the restaurant seemed to be somewhat secretive about it. It wasn't published on any food blogs that we read, nor was it posted to the TMG website or in the window of the restaurant. While walking home one day, I almost stepped on a copy lying on the ground, and took about 10 seconds to pick it up and scan it (quite conspicuously). It gave me a general feel for prices (reasonable), and combined with my glances at plates of sidewalk diners' food, I deemed it worth a visit.

We arrived for our reservation about ten minutes early, and the hostess was fine with seating us right away. The sidewalk dining seemed very popular, with less diners inside. The restaurant has huge window which open out onto the street, giving indoor seating an outdoor feel as well. It's a small-ish place, but they fit a LOT of tables in. If you go, prepare to listen to the entire conversation of your neighbors. It's still a bit dark however, even with the open windows and white paint (more reflective than the former black). Our waiter was fantastic, very cheery and quick to go along with our random jokes, as well as efficient and attentive.

He started us off with a small bread "bag"- literally a tiny paper bag with two small rolls. I swear he called them "salted rye" but upon consumption, J refused to believe the "salt" existed. They were definitely rye bread, but with only a slight rye flavor, very dense and chewy with good crust. Good bread is much appreciated, and TMG did not disappoint. Accompanying the bread was a pat of butter with a few rosemary leaves scattered on top, along with two tiny glass bowls, one with two grape tomatoes and one with coarse grain salt. The additions to our "freebies" were small but delicious- rolling the tomatoes in the salt offered a great first bite of the meal. Random? Totally. Delicious? Definitely. I suppose we may be easy to please. I also wanted to take the paper bag and the little glass bowls home. Unfortunately, this did not happen.



While the restaurants new logo proclaims the offering of "Fish, Fowl, Beef, (and) Pork", we somehow managed to stick to only one of these categories- the seafood. We started with the Crab Cakes ($9.50). (Note: I usually have an online menu to remind me about prices and dishes, but I'm having to go solely based on memory here. Hopefully I'm still accurate!) Two small cakes were topped with a creamy tartar sauce, and served with an apple slaw. Perfect to split between the two of us, the cakes were filled with crab and very little filler, and the sauce provided a good tangy flavor. The apple slaw was "eh"- matchstick sized slices of green apple paired with similar slivers of yellow bell pepper were tossed in a very light, almost imperceptible dressing. I think the idea was great- keeping the dish as light as possible, but the flavors were so hard to grasp with such a thin cut of the salad components.



As a main dish, J ordered the Tuna Burger ($13). They also have a beef burger, turkey burger, and veggie burger, all of which are very affordable and come with a huge pile of fries. J substituted the wedge fries for the normal shoestring- for an additional $1 surcharge. We prefer thick steak-style fries to thin, crispy fries, and when we saw the wedge potatoes as a side option, were quick to make the substitution. The tuna burger had an interesting composition- cooked to order (as rare as possible), and then given a rough chop and tossed with a mayonnaise based dressing before being encompassed by a round, airy bun. This made it easier to eat (taking a bite off of a big slab of tuna could be awkward), and also provided for a more interesting texture. The tuna was delicious- however, the fresh fish flavor was somewhat muffled by the bun, which was a little on the dry side. J solved this problem by eating the sandwich open-faced. However, when she was snapping pictures of the sandwich, she got two snide comments from TMG employees. One server walked by and said "Are you going to put those pictures on Facebook?" Um, no. That would be stupid. Since the lighting wasn't great, and more than one shot was necessary, it allowed time for a bus-girl to notice the picture-taking, stop, and annoyingly hover while making confused/shocked faces. "WHAT is she taking a picture of?" she practically shouted. I could only explain that we write a food blog. She seemed satisfied with the answer, but left us feeling quite exposed and awkward. We have NEVER had comments from waitstaff about our picture-taking at any of the other restaurants we've blogged about. So thank you, TMG, for being the first. However, the delightfulness of our meals kept us chugging along happily. The fries that we substituted as a side were really good, soft and warm with only a slight crisp shell. A huge pool of ketchup was certainly utilized.



Note: I know this is fuzzy- the rude comments stressed me out- but an inside view is necessary.

Along with their normal menu offerings, TMG has a daily special. i took advantage of the Friday special- the Lobster Roll. I have had only a few run-ins with lobster in my life (sadly), but have always enjoyed it immensely. The daily special ($19) was well worth the slightly higher price. Large chunks of lobster were coated in a light mayonnaise dressing, and tossed with slivers of crunchy veggies- carrots and the like. Together, this was arrayed on top of an extremely soft long roll. At first I thought it looked like a soft pretzel, but it was definitely bread. It was really the perfect way to transport the lobster into my mouth, this time without overwhelming the seafood flavor at all (perhaps because it was already open-faced?) The roll was served with a pickle, which if I had known, I wouldn't have ordered another on the side. Yes, TMG has "A Good Pickle" as a side option ($0.50!). These pickles were super soft and reminded us of Jewish delis. Our waiter insisted that they should be called "A Great Pickle" but we think we'll stick with "good." We appreciated the subtle humor though.



The dessert options looked fantastic, but we were a bit too full to partake. Not only do they offer a "Half-Baked Tollhouse Cookie" (Um, hello! We practically grew up on homemade chocolate chip cookies using the Tollhouse recipe, plus we enjoy our baked goods undercooked so.. this sounds like our personal heaven), but they also offer pints of homemade ice cream, complete with "two plastic spoons and Rittenhouse Square." Again, what a cute idea, and actual personality shining through right on the menu. At the end of the meal, we automatically and unanimously decided we MUST come back. I think it would be a super fun date spot (albeit a bit less romantic than Twenty Manning pre-makeover), and there are so many menu items I'd still like to try (including those desserts!) Thanks to the proprietors for choosing to create an affordable neighborhood spot that we will likely add as a regular choice to our restaurant rotation.