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.