All I want for Xmas is...the Incredible Hulk

I know, I know, a little different then my traditional blog posts. Honestly though, the most entertaining one I've posted. This is our curious friend, Derek, deciding to drink a deconstructed incredible hulk, car bomb style. What is the incredible hulk, you may ask? It is hennessy and hypnotiq mixed together. The brown cognac and neon blue hypno somehow mix to a terrifying green color.

Derek, thanks for the show. At least you did not end up on the bathroom floor of the restaurant with your pants around your ankles.

MERRY XMAS EVERYONE!

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone has a wonderful and gluttonous Holiday season.

Also, check out my sister-in-law's blog; great food recommendations and recipes....

http://scrumptiouscarrotjuice.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope you enjoy some time with the family and away from the office. An Auburn upset in the Iron Bowl on Friday and a Eagles win on Sunday would be nice too!

Bad Guys Win....

Well, the bad guys won. Honestly, that hurts more than the fact that our Phils lost. Apparently 9 years without a title was too long for those elitist and fair-weather Yanks supporters. Steinbreiner finally bought his title. His team, outside of Jeter, has all the feel and emotion of a hit man. It’s a team only a band-wagoner could love. Luckily, NYC is a perfect fit.

I feel sorry for those of you that work in Jersey or NYC and have to deal with the new Yankees people. I don’t call them fans because they don’t understand what that even means. You know, the ones that think Joba Chamberlain was a character from Star Wars; the ones that have watched 6 games all year; the ones that sell out the Garden when the Rangers or Knicks win, but can’t get more than 5000 in it during the tough times. Frankly, that’s the point: the NYC fans are not supporting the Yankees, they are supporting winning. A convenient, albeit meaningless, sports fan existence.

So the bad guys won, but I’m grateful I’m not one of them. I will take our home-grown team, one with real grit and character, and pray that those soft, obnoxiously paid pin-stripers fall on their faces. Of course, if they do, the band-wagoners will be onto something else. Like I said, a convenient, albeit meaningless, sports fan existence

Phils-Yanks

Well, here we are. A chance to repeat against the over-hyped Yankees and their obnoxious, elitist fan base. Wednesday could be the start of a series that makes this Phillies team a legitimate dynasty. I will tell you one thing, this team will not back down and hand the title to the Yankees, which most of the pundits have already done. They can say all the want about Rodriguez, C.C., and Jeter. If I had to go to battle with one of these teams, it would be the Phils. They are all heart, and about as clutch as you can get.

Prediction- Phils in Six...which would be great to see them win it in NYC. GO PHILLIES!

Back, to Back, to Back Champs

It was an up and down season for the Phillies, but when all is said and done, they will be playing in the post-season for the third straight year. The NLDS starts next week, and depending on how they close out, they could end up with the top seed in the NL.

Post-season baseball (especially with the Phils in it), coupled with college and pro football, make October the best sports month of the year.

So far, so good for the Eagles

The Defense looked surprisingly strong, specials teams was good, and the offense took advantage of the turnovers. Unlike some Andy Reid-coached squads of the past, they opened up strong against the Panthers. Also loved the fact that they scored so many touchdowns once they were in the red zone.

Hopefully Donovan can recover quickly from his broken ribs. In the meantime, we'll get a chance to see what Kevin Kolb looks like when he actually gets first-team practice reps.

Busy times..

Been busy getting married and buying a house, but with playoff baseball, pro football, and college football season around the corner, I'll get back at this blogging thing soon!

Keep reading and checking out the ads!

Nice job Philly!

The Phillies now have 5 position players and their entire outfield in the All-Star game. The fans, meaning us, voted in Shane Victorino and Charlie just added Jayson Werth to the roster after Carlita Beltran went down with another injury. The last team to have its entire starting outfield in the All-Star game was the 1995 Cleveland Indians. Hopefully the pitching comes around and we get to see another post-season run(and Roy Halladay is wearing a Phils uniform shortly).

Vote for Victorino

You have two days left to vote for Phillies Center Fielder Shane Victorino for the all-star game. You can vote up to 500 times. Get it done ladies and gentlemen.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/fv/ballot.html

Overdue update

Well, it’s officially summer. Hot, muggy, and the Phils are playing horrible baseball. They have little to no pitching right now, two shaky closers, our short stop looks like Chris Coste at the plate, and our best RBI producers are struggling with the injury bug. But look on the bright side, the Sixers took a 19 year-old point guard in the draft that averaged more turnovers (3.9) than assists (3.8) his only year in college. Who’s ready to go in with me on season tickets????????????

More Eagles talk

I know we are still several months away from the season, but there is a good article on ESPN about the Eagles off-season moves I wanted to post on here for everyone to read.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast/0-10-118/Eagles--offense-should-soar-with-new-additions.html

Vote for Ibanez

Following up on my recent comments about Raul Ibanez, I would like to remind everyone to log onto MLB.com and vote for him as an all-star. As of May 18, Ibanez was fifth in the league in batting average, second in HR’s, and second in RBI. No other player in either league is in the top five in all three of those categories. Yet he is currently 5th in all-star voting for NL outfielders.

You can vote up to 25 times under any one email address. Get it done ladies and gentlemen.

A few thoughts...

I love that Asante Samuel predicted a Super Bowl win. Similar to the J-Roll prediction for the Phillies, I hope it lights a fire under some of those guys and we are having an early February parade in 2010.

Also, I now feel comfortable saying I told you so. Raul Ibanez is a serious upgrade over Pat Burrell. The point is, this guy is consistent. While he may not keep up this kind of Home Run and RBI production, I doubt we will see any significant drop off. The man is a professional hitter, with protection around him in the lineup. I expect 25-30 HR’s, and 120+ RBI. Now, if we only had some starting pitching....

For the record...

I loathe rain. I think a week straight of thunderstorms and general gray conditions bring me down more than: (1) Andy's playcalling; (2) Billy King's ability to destroy the Sixers years after his departure as GM; (3) My rec league basketball teams continued mediocrity.

Draft Thoughts

I’m still trying to figure out who to congratulate regarding the Eagles successful draft. I think it’s the members of the organization who tied up Andy in a broom closet. That is the only explanation for the birds moving up in the first round to take a wide receiver, and following it with a stud running back in the second round.

The Eagles moved up from 21 to 19 in order to take Jeremy Maclin, Missouri’s first Team All-America Wide Receiver. For those who have not seen him play, he has some of Desean’s explosiveness, but is a lot stronger and more likely to break some tackles. He was a touchdown machine in college, and will continue to do the same, both in the return game and as a wideout.

I was still nervous because I thought this draft hinged on getting a solid running back and this draft really fell off after the first 4 running backs. The Eagles clearly need someone behind Brian Westbrook (insert joke here) given his inability to make it through 16 games. The birds got lucky that Lesean McCoy, a first round talent, slipped to them at 52. As Todd McShay of ESPN stated, this was the best value in the draft. While I am prone to exaggeration, I mean this when I say it: this made the draft for the Eagles. He will, barring injuries, become a pro bowl caliber running back within a few years.

The Eagles stockpiled 6 5th round draft choices, and then moved two of them to get Ellis Hobbs, a starting cornerback from New England on the last year of his contract. I’m not sure if this means the end of Sheldon Brown as an Eagle, but it certainly gives them 4 quality cornerbacks. In addition, Hobbs lead the AFC in kickoff return average last year.

After trades, the birds did not draft anyone in the 3rd or 4th Rounds. Additionally, the Eagles only drafted to 3 5th round products, trading away the others for future picks (in addition to getting Hobbs). The first 5th round choice was Cornelius Ingram, a Tight End from Florida who missed his senior season due to injuries. While not the blocker the eagles need, he has the ability to separate from Linebackers in the NFL.

The second 5th Rounder was Victor Macho Harris. I’ll struggle to say anything nice because of my Hokie hatred, but I’ll try. He was a high school all-america athlete who developed into a very good cornerback/safety hybrid at Virginia Tech. He will make this team, which is all you can ask of a 5th round draft choice.

The last 5th round choice they kept was used on the left tackle from Oregon, whose name I will never be able to pronounce. The Eagles also took another offensive lineman and a linebacker out of Maryland in the 7th round. I’m not sure any of these guys will be impact players in the NFL, but might be valuable depth guys. It’s really a crapshoot at that point.

Overall, one of the best drafts by the eagles in terms of skilled position players. They came out of it with pro-bowl left tackle (Jason Peters), another explosive and NFL-ready wide receiver (Maclin), a NFL ready heir apparent to Westbrook (McCoy), and a starting cornerback (Hobbs). If anyone else turns into a player, that’s gravy.

Eagles acquire pro bowl left tackle, Jason Peters

Multiple sources, including Keith Brown, have confirmed that the Eagles have stolen, I mean obtained, Jason Peters, from the Buffalo Bills. The sources indicate that Philly gave up the 28th pick in this years draft, a 4th round pick in either this years draft or next years draft, plus a late round pick in this year's draft. The Eagles still have the 21st pick in this years draft.

Jason Peters, a 27-year old undrafted, former tight end from Arkansas, has blossomed into one of the best left tackles in football. This trade stems from the Bills unwillingness to re-negotiate with Peters, who is due just under $4 million this year and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2010. Given what the Eagles gave up in the trade, it is likely they will re-negotiate his contract.

The trade will not be official until Peters has undergone an physical and the Eagles have negotiated with Peters.

one of a kind food experience at Kanella

Last night I had the opportunity to join a few friends, bloggers and real foodies at Kanella for a mostly "off the menu dinner". Per special request, Chef Konstantinos provided us a memorable and delicious meal, highlighted by two lambs heads, wood pigeon and partridge. We also had some menu dishes, including grilled melt in your mouth sausage, lamb salad, goat stew, and pork loin chop. The beans, other starches and sauces/broths were tasty as it gets. All of it was fantastic and I would highly recommend heading over to 10th and Spruce to check out this Cyprus born chef's creations (and it's a byob).

Phils starters making you nervous yet?

The starting rotation has not looked very good so far this year. Against one of the worst long ball teams in Major League Baseball last year, the trio of Myers, Blanton and Moyer gave up a combined 5 home runs in the first two innings of games. Not pretty, not at all. To make it worse, missing out on free agent Derek Lowe came back to bite the Phils in the first game of the season. He had October stuff on Sunday night when he shut down the Phillies.

Fortunately, baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Hopefully this is another slow start, not a sign of things to come.

Eagles First Round Running Back Options

Given the eagles lack of free agency spending despite a ton of cap room (see my prior article), I believe the draft plays an even bigger role than usual in both the Eagles future and the relationship they have with the fan base. If the Eagles keep both first round picks, I will guarantee a running back with one of them. If I am wrong, I will announce my new NFL team on this blog the following Monday.

I think all four potential first round running backs this year will be solid players in the NFL. The top two backs on most draft boards are Chris “Beanie” Wells and Knowshon Moreno. Chris Wells of Ohio State was a star from grade school on (see Desean Jackson), and was dominant when healthy. He has some injury problems and I am not sold on his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. I would note that while the Eagles interviewed him at the combine, they did not bring him in for a separate workout.

Knowshon Moreno is almost the complete package, sans home run hitters speed. I believe that his lateral quickness and “jukeability”, however, make up for the lack of straight-line speed. As a fan of the SEC, I did get to watch a lot of Moreno and he reminds me of Auburn’s Carnell Williams. Injuries aside, that is a very good thing.

Donald Brown (pictured top left), who consistently produced for an average to below-average Connecticut team, really increased his stock at the NFL combine and his pro day. In fact, of the four (4) potential first round backs, he had the best 40 yard dash time. In addition, all reports are that he has good character and is a tireless worker. These factors mean more to the Eagles than most teams. If he went to BYU, you might as well be selling his jersey already.

Last is LeSean McCoy, who was a machine last year at Pittsburgh. I watched him single-handedly will them to at least a few victories. He does have some explosiveness and ability to make defenders miss. The scouts seemed to be concerned about his size and durability in the NFL. To my eyes, he looks like a nice inside runner. I have seen several comparisons to Warrick Dunn, who, despite his diminutive size, excelled in short yardage situations.

Unfortunately, I doubt the first two backs are in play for the birds. Barring a trade for Jason Peters, no one can convince me Andy Reid will be able to restrain himself from drafting an offensive tackle with the first pick. I believe waiting until pick 28 for a running back takes Moreno and Wells off the board. While I like McCoy a little more, I think the Eagles go with Donald Brown. We’ll see what Banner, Heckert and Reid decide to do. Just in case they decide Lorenzo Booker is the second option, any suggestions on my new team?

Changes keep coming...

As you can see, we have added a lot of news and website links to this site. If you have any ideas or recommendations to make the page even better, let us know.

March Madness

For my money, there is nothing better in sports than the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament. I normally block off those afternoons on my work calendar sometime around Christmas. The sheer volume of games guarantees buzzer beaters, upsets, and intrigue. Plus, very rarely is there an excuse to leave the office at 12:00 on a Thursday afternoon. Now, if I can only focus on work the next three days instead of filling out brackets....

Take a deep breath Eagles fans...

Losing Brian Dawkins, the X-man himself, hurts. I am of the opinion, however, that the pain is not from the effect of his departure on the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles. The pain stems from the fact that he was the face of the defense and a team leader for the past 12 years. I have images burned into my head of "Dawk" flying through the air like a pro wrestler, and annihilating both Michael Vick and Alge Crumpler in the 2004 NFL Championship game. On game day, every single player said that Dawk went from a first-class human being to someone who looked like he escaped from the insane asylum. Don’t we only wish Donovan played with that kind of intensity and fervor?

Let us be honest, though--Brian Dawkins is not the same player he used to be. He has lost a step, maybe two. With the speed the Eagles have brought to the linebacker position, along with Quentin Mikell’s emergence as a potential Pro Bowl safety, Dawk’s main contribution was his locker room presence, not his on-the-field impact. Letting him go was a business decision, and in a vacuum, I do not fault the Eagles for this move.

It also looks like the Birds will have two new offensive tackles going into next season. Runyan and Tra Thomas, two pillars on this offensive line, will be either moving onto new teams or giving their aching backs and knees a rest. Given the importance of this position, it is a scary thought to have two new tackles protecting Donovan from the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Chris Canty and Andre Carter twice a season each. However, unlike the skilled positions, I believe Andy Reid and staff are solid evaluators of linemen, especially offensive linemen. I trust that they know whether the Andrews brothers can handle playing tackle in the NFC East, whether Herreman's can move outside, or whether they need to use a first-round pick for either position. Getting younger at the tackle was a business decision, and in a vacuum, I do not fault the eagles on this move.

The bigger picture, however, is that the window for a championship with McNabb and Westbrook is coming to a close. What the Birds do with their remaining $100 billion under the cap (okay, it’s only $44 million) will determine whether my tone gets more and more hostile as the season approaches. I suggest we see what happens with the rest of free agency, the draft, and potential trades before jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge.

It's bargain time on stocks and fancy restaurants....

With the economy in the tank, even the nicest restaurants are only half-booked. To entice customers, we are seeing more and more discounts and price fix menus. The Michelin three-star worthy Lacroix is now offering a $35 price fix menu, with 50% bottles of wine, on Sunday and Monday. From all I have heard, this is a steal. The editor-in-chief and I will be hitting it up soon, very soon.

Beer week cometh.....

Despite my staggering inability these days to consume more than a few beers without feeling horrible, and with the editor-in-chief’s two-year beer hiatus, I am still excited about Beer Week. If nothing else, it is another excuse to get together with friends and catch-up. This year, it runs from March 6-15. I will highlight a few events, focused on Rogue, makers of the tastiest beers in the world. For the full list go to http://www.phillybeerweek.org/:

Friday, March 6:
-Rogue Beer Tasting at Grace Tavern, 4:00 PM
-Michael Jackson (beer expert, not creepy entertainer) Tribute at Prohibition Taproom at 5:00
-Philly Beer Week Opening Tap at Comcast Center at 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 7:
-Philly Craft Beer Festival down at the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal, Noon
-Beer, Cheese and Chocolate Tasting at Grace Tavern, 6:00 PM
Sunday, March 8:
-Extreme Beer and Extreme Wii Sports at The Institute at 2:00 PM
-Beer week chili cook-off at The Khyber at 2:00 PM
-Brewers Plate at Penn Museum at 4:30 PM
Monday, March 9:
-Rogue Tasting at Irish Pol at 5:00 PM
-Tutored Whiskey Tasting at Monk’s at 6:00 PM
-Meet the Brewers of Yards, Stoudts and Peak Organic at James at 6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 11:
-Rogue Steal the Pint at TIME at 5:00 PM
Friday, March 13:
-Rogue Tasting at Abbaye
Sunday, March 15:
-Philly Real Ale Invitational at Yards Brewing Company at 1:00 PM
-Zythos America (Belgian Beer Festival) at Penn Museum at 4:00 PM

My Personal Philadelphia Restaurant Rankings

Unlike Craig Laban, I only try restaurants once or twice in the course of a few years (outside of consistently delicious and affordable Mustard Greens and Ava). Despite that limitation, I have compiled a list of my twenty (20) favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. I still have a lot of places to try, so there will be some notables left off this list. They would include Lacroix, Le Bec Fin/Le Bar Lyonnais, Buddakan, Melograno, Gayle, James, Apamate, Fountain, Marigold Kitchen, or any new Jose Garces Restaurant. If you don’t agree with this list, I don’t really care, it’s my blog. But comment anyway and let me know what I am missing out on. I will try and update this every few months. If the restaurant you suggested stinks, I will hunt you down and demand money from you. If, however, you do not like my suggestions, it is not my fault, you simply have bad taste.

1. Vetri- Best meal I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Thank you Marc Vetri.
2. Audrey Claire- The flatbreads are delicious; also one of the best cuts of pork I have tasted.
3. Bistro 7- Small and loud BYO, but the food is tasty as hell.
4. Tinto- Not quite the atmosphere of Amada, but I found Garces menu to be a little bit bolder (and better) at his second venue
5. Osteria- Marc Vetri’s 2nd restaurant in the city; A little bigger and less formal, but still a treat 6. Amada- Great date spot, although the Flamingo dancers were axed due to complaints from the upstairs neighbors about the noise; Jose Garces is a magician with flavor pairings, but my editor-in-chief and I found the desserts to be lacking (note: most dessert comments will be authored from my choco-holic editor-in-chief/fiance)
7. Little Fish- Similar to Bistro 7 in its environment, but the seafood is phenomenally prepared
8. Good Dog- Take prime sirloin, stuff it with roquefort cheese, serve it with a mix of traditional and sweet potato fries with spicy aioli, and you’ve got the best burger plate in the city. Plus, ½ can’s of beer on Wednesdays
9. Mustard Greens- Consistently good, with light but flavorful sauces, and the tastiest steamed dumplings in the city. Also, the nicest management in town.
10. Xochitl- Not your grandparents "Mexican" restaurant, and I mean that in a very good way. Plus the Margarita’s are delicious
11. Barclay Prime- The kobe beef sliders are such perfect bites of meat and cheese that you will start to dream about them
12. Brandywine Prime- Head down into Southern Chester County, check out Longwood Gardens, and swing by this 4 star worthy steakhouse and bar. Last I checked, they had Rogue on draft.
13. Nectar- Mainline’s answer to the Stephen Starr restaurant atmosphere; the food is also good enough to match the ambience
14. Snackbar- Chef McDonald did himself well here, serving up simple foods with a twist. Looking forward to stopping by his new spot (Pub + Kitchen) to see what is in store.
15. Raw- Exceptional sushi in another Stephen Starr-like environment
16. Lolita- Another "South American" flavored restaurant (this one a BYO), the food is incredibly well-prepared, but does not quite reach Xochitl’s "wow" factor
17. Pumpkin- This South Street BYO might not blow your mind, but you will walk away relatively happy to exchange your hard earned dollars for Chef Maroney’s cuisine
18. Shiao Lan Kung- A Chinatown landmark; The salt baked shrimp are so simple, yet so delectable. I am setting the Over/Under on how many I can eat at 32 (roughly 4 plates-worth).
19. Ava- This excellent Italian BYO, tucked off of South Street, has some of the best homemade pastas in town*
20. Ansill- I think culinary originality sparks Chef David Ansill and his restaurant. Some of his menu requires you to trust his judgment and, believe me, you are in fine hands.

Just missing out: Fuji Mountain, Mercato, Mama Palmas, Le Castagne, Sang Kee

*Although I have little to no journalistic integrity, I will try and start now: this blogger’s sister, a soon to be graduate of Culinary school and first-rate cook, is the sous chef at Ava

Phils: Time for some Clearwater talk

The Phils have all reported to Clearwater for spring training and--for the first time in 28 years, as defending World Series Champions. That has a great ring too it, Get it? Ring?...Okay, that was just awful.

I’ve had dozens of conversations about the new faces and some ones no longer here. I think the biggest two discussion points are the swap of Burrell for Ibanez and the fact that the Phillies failed to bring in a proven pitcher for the 3rd or 4th spot in the rotation.

I believe the signing of Raul Ibanez is an upgrade in left field. Take a moment and look at the following numbers: .294 and 24; .294 and 18; .304 and 16; .280 and 20; .289 and 33; .291 and 21; .293 and 23. Those are Ibanez’s batting average and HR’s for the past 7 seasons. I think we all know how consistent Burrell was at being inconsistent. How about this stat for comparison: in Burrell’s 4535 at bats, he has 1273 strikeouts; Ibanez, with over 250 more career at bats, has nearly 500 less strikeouts. All these numbers are strengthened by the fact that Ibanez had a flat out bad Seattle team around him. Other than Ichiro, no one else worried an opposing pitcher. The bottom line is that Ibanez will see more pitches in his wheelhouse here than he has seen in years. Not to mention the differences between cavernous Safeco field and the incredibly hitter friendly Citizens Bank Park. In addition to the numbers, all reports suggest that Ibanez is a tireless worker who takes a very professional approach to the game. That is another welcome change and can only help the younger players, especially the likes of Jason Werth and Ryan Howard.

My enthusiasm for bringing in Ibanez is tempered by the fact that the Phillies failed to reel in a player like Derek Lowe, who is a stone cold winner. Instead, they bring in Chan Ho Park, who at this point in his career would barely get in the pitching rotation on a co-ed softball team. Hamels and Myers are clearly set at the 1 and 2 spots in the rotation, but after that, who knows how much longer Moyer can rely solely on pin-point placement of his 80 MPH fastball? While Joe Blanton had a nice post-season, he is a guy who loves Krispy Kreme as much as Ryan Howard and struggles with his consistency. After that, the options are a slew of young guys. Kyle Kenrick, at least at this point, does not have the look of a full-season starting pitcher. However, Richard Dubee stated on Monday that he sees Kenrick re-claiming the 5th spot. My guess is that’s more about building Kenrick’s confidence than Dubee actually believing it. J.A. Happ looked great last season in limited appearances, but again, the jury is out on whether he can consistently get major league hitters out once they get to know him. Last, but certainly not least, is the 21-year old Carlos Carrasco. From all accounts, he is the real deal, but there appears to be a hesitation in bringing him up. I believe we will see him starting by the second half of the season.

The fact that my only real concern is over the 5 spot (well, maybe 4 too) in the pitching rotation shows what a phenomenal job this organization has done through the draft and free agency. So get your tickets, grab a beer and a dog (hopefully on Dollar Dog Night), and enjoy watching your defending champs play the summer pastime. Ahh, summer.

Hard Times? Ways to save at restaurants...

No doubt about it, the economy stinks worse than Andy Reid’s draft day performances. It effects almost everything we do; some things more than others. If you are making a list of priorities, paying mortgage/rent is way up at the top. Something that might be a little further down the list: enjoying a date night. It’s that night were you head out with your significant other or friends to enjoy a nice meal, and not sweat the cooking and cleaning detail. Only problem: Where the heck is that money coming from right now? I thought I’d compile a short list of recommendations for making these nights are affordable as possible. Here goes:
-Alcohol can sometimes double bills. Instead of a bottle of wine, have a glass each and make sure to ask the waiter to keep your water filled. That way you won’t get after the glass of wine too fast.
-If you find the previous suggestion insulting (I’ll guess that’s about 75% of you), go early, sit at the bar, and catch the tail-end of happy hour prices. Most places have happy hour until 7 PM. There is no reason not to take advantage of the discounted drinks, appetizer and sometime entree prices
-On a side note, I would heavily recommend checking out the recession specials list on foobooz, which I have a link to below
-Use restaurant.com. It’s a fantastic resource for coupons to restaurants in your area. It generally offers $10 gift certificates for $3, and $25 gift certificates for $10. On top of that, you can get promo codes for restaurant.com from other coupon websites (coupons.com, retailmenot.com, ebates, etc.) for even better deals.
-Eat more slowly. It’s proven that your body takes several minutes to account for what’s eaten and to let you know whether you are full or not. Aside from enjoying your food more this way, it should help you realize you probably need less food than you consume.
-We live in a country where everything is over-portioned. Realize that, skip the appetizers, and stick with just an entree.
-If you order your own appetizers, share an entree. Even if there is a $2-3 upcharge for sharing an entree, you will still be saving $
So, pay the bills, then go out and enjoy a nice (and affordable) night out.

A bitter winter for philly sports fans....

Well, its been a rough week along the eastern seaboard. Snow, snow, and more snow. It doesn't help that in Pittsburgh they are celebrating their 6th NFL championship, while Philadelphians get to pretend that the Phils World Series win will carry sports joy through the winter (pitchers and catchers report in 8 days!). Sixers? Flyers? Probably not up for the task.
Yes, the Phillies were the first championship that most under 30's can remember in the city of brotherly love, and it was an amazing run, but simply put: this is a football town. For Philadelphians, there is no other local fan base to commiserate with. In New York/New Jersey, the Giants won last year (and those stinkin Devils have what feels like 30 Stanley Cups). In Baltimore, the defense carried them to a title in 2000. We could try and lean on the shoulder of Redskins fans, but a true one is hard to find. The Redskins fan base, aside from the dedicated few, are simply non-existent.
So, Iggles fans will grumble through the off-season, trying to decide if they can deal with another season of McNabb's inaccurate arm and strange personality; or another season of Andy Reid's insistence on a offensive system not build for: (A) the players he has drafted; (B) the roughest and toughest conference in the NFL; or (C) playoff football.
After mulling all that over, somehow, the concerns vanish as the shore season winds down. That's the one defining character of this obssessed fan base: undying loyalty and love to their city and its teams, especially its birds.