Revolution House: Yelp Elite Event Review

I first started Yelping (aka posting reviews on Yelp) a few months ago. After just a few reviews, I started receiving compliments on my reviews and eventually, the community manager for Philadelphia contacted me and invited me to apply to become a Yelp Elite. Essentially, you are highlighted as someone who contributes regularly (yay for recognition!), but as an added bonus? You get invites to special Yelp Elite Events (YEE!). Free food? Free drinks? Great times? Count me in!

Situated directly outside the 2nd street station of Market Frankford Line, Revolution House offers two floors of service. The lower level has a few tables, a bar, and the wood-fired oven seen below. The upper level has even more tables, another bar, and an outdoor patio area with heated lamps! A great way to scope out the craziness that comes out in Old City on the weekends.

Our hosts at Revolution House closed down normal service on a Thursday night to treat us to some drinks and treats. They did a wonderful job, working with the extraordinary Philadelphia Yelp team! The place was not too packed, which may be a testament to the space, but it was definitely bumpin'. More importantly, the food and booze was aplenty! It never took more than a minute to get different  varieties of craft beers, cocktails, and wine. Seriously - do you see that table reserved just for wine? Revolution House was ballin'.

The GF and I chose to indulge in cocktails of the seasonal variety - literally.

Fall: This house-made sangria was smooth, fruity, and extremely easy to drink. 

Spring: This vodka-based cocktail had St. Germain and grapefruit juice - sparkly and refreshing. 

Summer: With house-infused pineapple vodka, Meyers rum, and orange juice, this cocktail was a bit creamy, bright, and definitely got the juices pumping.

Winter: This hot apple cider was mixed with spiced rum - it was devilishly inviting, warm, and a GF-approved favorite of the cocktail quartet.

But Revolution House is not only about great drinks - it is also all about food and service. There were two entire buffet-style stations, in addition to the multitude of servers coming around to tables and to guests milling about. We were lucky enough to have scored a table thanks to other Yelp Elite friends. The servers and the rest of the staff were amazing - carrying gargantuan trays of dishes ready to be savored - that picture below? It's an entire baked salmon being carried upstairs.

Simple, yet tasty flat bread crisps? Fresh quinoa salad? Speck? A variety of pizzas baked fresh from the oven? Yes please!

Grilled chicken in a pita? Juicy cheese steak in a pita? Bring it on!

Massive flintstone-sized short ribs? Cheesy lasagna cupcakes with light beet-ricotta 'icing'? Seafood stew with depth? Crab-filled canoli? I'm in heaven!

Fresh cucumber slices with crab meat? Crispy tater tots that are creamy within? More pizza with a deliciously charred crust?  I think I'm getting full!

Dessert? Yes please, exclaimed the GF!

The chocolate ganache was a seriously chocolate-laden circle of goodness. House-made whipped cream - who doesn't love that?

Bread pudding? The GF made me get up to get it from across the room - and it was worth the 5-calorie burn. Sweet, succulent, and creamy. But wait - there was more than meets the eye!

Not pictured here, but trust me on this - there was tiramisu encircled with lady fingers, which had to have been drenched in some sort of rum. I saw eyes roll back in delight when this was devoured. I'm not even a big dessert guy and I scarfed down my good share.

Overall, Revolution House offered great service throughout the night, a dizzying array of tasty dishes, delicious cocktails, and a multitude of craft beers and wines. We've been here to Revolution House before this Yelp Elite Event and we'll definitely be back!

And if it isn't clear by now - post reviews on Yelp! I'm pretty sure most people check Yelp before going out, so why not benefit from it too!



www.revolutionhouse.com

Fresh Direct: Thanksgiving Review ($50 off First Delivery Coupon!)

First off, here's a Fresh Direct $50 Off Coupon!

Last year, the GF and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together. It was just the two of us - intimate with no frills, other than a massive amount of food of course. Everything was made pretty much from scratch and took about 8 hours to cook, from start to finish.

So when the GF's brother and cousin decided to come visit us from Michigan this Thanksgiving ... what did we decide to do? Get our Thanksgiving dinner semi-catered of course! While they may have thought they weren't worth the effort - we were just hoping to spend more time with them rather than spend extra time in the kitchen (suuuure ... we'll go with that).

On a separate note - for those of you who don't know about Fresh Direct, you're missing out! Delivered groceries that you can order online are the best. This is especially the case when you're smack dab in the middle of Center City with the nearest Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Super Fresh over 10 blocks away - nobody wants to be lugging 8+ bags of groceries. Moreover, it's actually cheaper and easier to shop for deals. And for first time users - Fresh Direct is currently offering $50 off each of your first two orders - feel free to comment on this post with your e-mail address to obtain these codes.

In any case, for Thanksgiving, Fresh Direct was offering Thanksgiving meals that were semi-cooked, packed, and ready to be put in the oven on Thanksgiving day. For the four of us, I opted to get the small Thanksgiving dinner, which consisted of a Turkey (12 to 14 lbs), Cranberry Sauce, 8 Soft Rolls, Turkey Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Baked Macaroni & Gruyere Cheese, Brown Sugar-Glazed Roasted Vegetables, Maple-Roasted Yams with Marshmallows, Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing, and a Pumpkin Pie. All for $159.99 - not too bad! We made some additional sides that are listed below, including extra stuffing (Stove Top variety wut wut) and mashed potatoes (I'm a glutton in case you haven't noticed).

We started off the meal by popping a bottle of one of the GF's favorite wines - one that we were introduced to at Marc Vetri's Amis. True - it's got more of a dessert type flair - but nothing wrong with a little bubbly to start off the evening. The GF prefers dessert over the rest of the meal anyway.

Elio Perrone Bigaro 2010 

This is an Italian Rose which is intense with "notes of ripe raspberry,peaches, and rose petals." It is slightly sweet and sparkling. An effervescent ending to any meal - but in our case an apertif to be paired with the cheese plate we had laid out.

Brillat Savarin, Wisconsin White and Yellow Sharp Cheddar
Garces Trading Company Truffle Honey & Garlic Dulce de Leche 

Luckily I've turned the GF on to all sorts of cheese - stinky, funky, creamy - you name it. Unfortunately, the GF's brother and cousin are newcomers so we stuck with both varieties of sharp cheddar - also sourced from Fresh Direct. They were great and were a nice way to start the meal. The white cheddar paired especially well with both of the GTC accompaniments. The Billat Savarin is one of my favorite cheeses - a triple creme brie. It's relatively difficult to find and pricey, but luckily the Downtown Cheese Shop in Reading Terminal Market had it in stock! Perfectly creamy and reminiscent of a rich cream cheese - it's to die for.

But we're not here for cheese are we? On to the turkey!

 
Fresh Direct Thanksgiving Turkey
 

These birds came pre-cooked and just needed a few more hours in the oven. Fresh Direct clearly laid out the instructions in terms of keeping foil over the entire bird for the first hour and then for an additional amount of time over just the legs (dark meat takes longer to cook). I created a seasoning spice of my own volition and rubbed it on the bird (cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, olive oil). I like to think it created a slightly spicier and crispier bird.

 

Fresh Direct Turkey Gravy

What more can I say - you put it in a small pot, heat it up - and dress your turkey and mashed potatoes. Definitely got the job done.

Fresh Direct Par-Baked Rolls and Baguette 

Another great thing about Fresh Direct is their par-baked goods. You keep them in the freezer, but when you want to have 'fresh' bread right out of the oven, you stick it in for about 20-30 minutes and it comes out perfect. That fresh-baked smell that everyone craves from just-made bread? It's there. I usually add some sea salt and brush on olive oil to make the bread nice and golden. It just makes it.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
 

Creamy with sour notes from the artichoke - this worked well with the bread and crackers.

Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing
 

The GF thought this was a bit dry - but I thought it was hearty and delicious. Didn't really notice the sausage - was definitely more cornbread. A little more moisture couldn't have hurt this dish.

Stovetop Stuffing 

Who can say no to a little Stove Top? Brings back those childhood memories.

Fresh Direct Mashed Potatoes

These were perfectly creamy. Benefited from a bit more self-seasoning.

Mashed Potatoes made from scratch by the GF
 

These had a better texture with the occasional lumpy starch nugget. Just as delicious as Fresh Direct's iteration (no bias here!). The next day, I added in roasted garlic and truffle oil to make it even more decadent.

Mac & Gruyere Cheese

One of the highlights of my Thanksgiving meal. Despite the focus of just Gruyere - it was surprisingly not one note. It was creamy and well seasoned. I added some olive oil on top of the bread crumbs to get it even more toasted - it had a delicious crunch.

Roasted Vegetables
 

Squash, brussel sprouts, carrots, and garlic - a delicious melange of roasted vegetables that were practically creamy.

Ba Tampte Half-Sour Pickles

A nice foil to the heaviness of the meal - these crunchy half-sours hit the spot.

Del Monte Corn

Corn from a can - got a problem with that? Golden nuggets of sweetness.

Roasted Asparagus

Nothing beats some roasted asparagus straight out of the oven - seasoned lightly with salt and pepper - simple, delicious, fresh.

Sweet Potatoes & Marshmallows

 

These were perfectly creamy and the sweetness was highlighted by the melted marshmallows. Indulgence right here.

Pumpkin Pie (not pictured)

This was pretty good - nice and creamy. It wasn't as spicy as I normally like my pumpkin pie mixture and the crust was a bit dry in my opinion. But overall - it got the job done - especially topped with Cool Whip. 

Ambrosia Salad

Now what is this concoction? Apparently it's popular in the GF's household and families across America - it contained sour cream (you read that right!), Maraschino cherries, coconut flakes, and pineapple chunks. Even Emeril has his own recipe ... I wasn't the biggest fan - but the GF, her cousin, and brother definitely had more than their share.

Overall, Fresh Direct came through for our Thanksgiving meal. It was relatively painless and resulted in us being in the kitchen for only about 2 hours total. The meal itself was quite good as well and  worth the price point. Definitely wish we hadn't made extra mashed potatoes or stuffing - but heck - it's Thanksgiving, which is all about stuffing ourselves silly and having leftovers for the next few weeks.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Underdogs Review

When I heard about this 'haute' dog joint near work, I knew I had to check it out. Since then, I've been back three times. So when the GF's brother and cousin came to visit from Michigan, where did we decide to go on our first night? Underdogs of course!

If you're heading south on 17th street, look to your right and a bit down, and you'll see the 'under'ground steps to Underdogs. Almost makes you feel like you're in the know. There's an ATM right outside - and for good reason. Unfortunately, Underdogs is a cash only joint - surprising, as orders can easily total over $20 if you go with a friend. Apparently they do BYOB after 5PM though, so there is some satisfaction there – for others perhaps.

In any case, on to the onslaught of haute dogs! 

Chihuaha ($4.50 / $7.75 with small soda and fries) 

Chorizo sausage with sautéed onions, chipotle mayo and queso blanco

This dog had a slight bit of heat to it - the chorizo definitely came through. This was nicely balanced by the queso blanco cheese topping the dog as well as the chipotle mayo, which added a nice creaminess to the dog. Definitely one of my favorites. The "buns" that these dogs come on are pretty hefty - more of a roll. Once you get through about three of these - you feel that wear and tear on your jaw - but it's totally worth it. There are no soggy buns here.

Chicago Style ($3.75 / $7.00 with small soda and fries)
Yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, sport peppers, dill pickle spear and celery salt

If the Chihuaha dog was more savory - this was definitely more fresh and even sweet. The fresh tomato slices and dill pickle definitely brought Chicago to light - cool, fresh, and bright. The sport pepper added a spicy kick and was nicely accentuated by the celery salt and chopped onions. No ketchup needed or wanted here!

The Michigan ($3.75 / $7.00 with small soda and fries) 
Beef chili, cheddar, chopped onions and mustard

The Michigan dog was ordered by both the GF and her brother. I sampled a few bites of her dog (not the first time this has happened!) and declared it a hit. The chili was of the creamy variety and it had a small kick to it. The chopped onions were a nice foil to all that savoriness. The hot dog itself was plump and juicy. A solid dog.

You can see the fries to the right - and let me tell you - they do not disappoint. They are not necessarily the most crispy of fries, but are well seasoned (a tad over-seasoned with salt) and delicious. An order of small fries or a combo nets you one of there different dipping sauces - I typically go with the garlic aioli or the chipotle mayo - perfect complements to greasy, delicious fries. If you order a side order of large fries - be prepared for a massive dose of fries and two complimentary complements to your fries.

My only other gripe (the first being the fact that Underdogs is cash only) is that the sodas that accompany any combo are not only ridiculously small - they are filled with 75% ice. Knowing this - on this visit, I clearly asked for no ice in my soda (it was also freezing outside). Lo and behold however, ice packed my cup. It was not a big enough deal to ask for another soda, so I took a sip of it. One sip and it was done (ok ok, maybe two sips).

Other than this pet peeve of mine (really? who needs that much ice?), Underdogs is a great place to go for a quick, tasty bite in the Rittenhouse area. If you're closer to South Street however - I hear Hot Diggity is great as well. I'll need to do a taste test between the two haute dog joints one of these days. In the meantime, Underdogs gets it done for me.





www.underdogsphilly.com 

Rex Style Pizza & Restaurant Review

Nestled between Drexel University's Center City Campus and the Love park area is a small pizzeria by the name of Rex Style Pizza & Restaurant. Craving a simple slice of pizza (or three) after work, I decided to take a chance on this nearby pizzeria, even if I felt like I was cheating on Jake's.

Entering the establishment, I noticed it was quiet, clean, and had a homey feel. Definitely someplace I could definitely see myself coming for a quick bite with some friends before going out. Unfortunately, this pizzeria does not have a display with the types of slices that are readily available. On second thought, that could be a good thing since oftentimes, you see cold, old, and dreary slices sitting in those displays. After asking the lady at the counter - I found out that they do indeed sell pizzas by the slice (phew!).

I ordered a regular cheese slice and being the glutton that I am and in my never-ending quest for a decent Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia, I ordered a cheese steak. My order was under $10 however, so the lady informed me that she needed to add a $0.50 surcharge. Feeling nickel and dime'd - I decided to go overboard and get an additional small order of fries (so glad I did!.

Philly Beef Steak ($6.50) 

This was a hefty sized cheese steak and it looked like it had a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the meat was a tad on the dry side and was not well seasoned. The onions were nicely grilled, but the provolone cheese was clearly lacking in this steak sandwich. Philly ... why do you disappoint me so?

Cheese Slice ($2.50)

A bit on the pricey side for a simple cheese slice. This pizza slice had a nice thin crust - however, the dough was not sufficiently seasoned. There was an extremely minimal amount of mozzarella on top which didn't have a necessarily fresh taste and there was definitely a dearth of sauce underneath the thin layer of cheese. Disappointing to say the least. 


French Fries ($1.99)

Rex for the win! These fries completely redeemed this pizza joint. The small order was plentiful and more importantly the fries were so crispy and light. The innards were perfectly creamy. Thankfully, they were not overly salted (if at all).

Overall, Rex Style Pizza was disappointing - however the fries are perfect. For $2 and its relatively close proximity - I'll be back with the GF for many orders. Remember to bring cash if your order is under $10! FYI - they do have an ATM inside.

Rex Style Pizza & Restaurant
1526 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 557-9555 
www.rexstylepizza.com  

Jake's Sandwich Board Review

After giving the GF's brother and cousin a cold, blistering tour of Philadelphia's historical sites, we had to stop for a cheese steak. Would we go to Jim's? Pat's? Geno's? No thanks. I knew if there was any place that could redeem Philadelphia by providing a decent Philly's Best type cheese steak - it would be Jake's Sandwich Board.

When you enter - be prepared for the gauntlet of different types of sandwiches. Jake's doesn't pigeon-hole itself as a cheese steak only type of joint - in fact the 50/50 (half bacon, half pork) is one of the monster creations that this place houses. While the three of us all got cheese steaks, we were drooling over the other options as well. To make up for our lack of sandwich diversity, we ordered fries, potato pancakes, and chocolate-covered bacon as well.

Jake ($8.50)
Fried onions, provolone cheese

Jake's cheese steak is a solid iteration of Philadelphia's iconic sandwich, but alas - it is still no Philly's Best. The meat is plentiful however, which is appreciated. I prefer grilled onions that aren't diced up. The sesame seeded hoagie roll does add an unexpected toasty element, but apparently you can order them unseeded as well if that's your pleasure. Overall though, the sandwich was a bit dry. Jake's does carry Siracha hot sauce table-side though if you need that extra kick.

French Fries ($1.50)

Jake's fries were nicely fried and crisp - perfectly done. The innards were deliciously creamy. A bonus? They were not overly salted! It's also sold at a great price point as well for what I considered a healthy amount of fries.

Potato Pancakes ($4)

While the fries were great - the clear star of this show were the potato pancakes. As you can see - they were seasoned very well - some chives even? In any case - they were amazing!!! These potato pancakes were actually flattened, mini hash browns - I was thinking that they would be like latkes. I'm glad I was wrong. I would seriously come back just for these bad boys. True story: I talked these potato pancakes up the rest of the day - I must have brought them up at least five times. They came with a spicy chipotle mayo-type sauce that was a simply perfect complement to these perfectly fried potatoes.


Chocolate-covered bacon ($2)

At first I thought they had mistakingly left out this part of our order. Apparently though, these are made ahead of time and are put in the fridge/freezer. When we were done with our meal, we received these nicely wrapped packages. Which opened up to reveal these ...

Two thick-cut slabs of bacon - covered in chocolate. This 'treat' was more unique than tasty. In fact, only the GF's cousin finished these. In my estimation, the bacon was too chewy - I was hoping and expecting more of a crisp crunch. I definitely got the whole salty-sweet dessert thing (which I love), however texturally, this was not a hit. It's not a good thing when you need to unclench your jaw after trying to eat this dessert.


Cherry Soda ($1.50)

They have a variety of sodas here - including unique ones such as cherry. Bonus? They offer free refills! The cherry soda was definitely a hit.

And if you haven't heard about the Jake's Sandwich Board challenge on the Food Network, you may want to check it out yourself!

If you can down 3 pounds of sandwich, an entire box of Tasty Cakes, 4 Philly soft pretzels, 24 peanut chews, and a cherry champ soda in under 45 minutes - you can earn your place on the wall.In fact, if you fail - you still earn a spot on the wall - as a failure!

Last tidbit - apparently you can order all the sandwiches in a bowl without the bread, in a salad, or on a haystack of fries. Genius. 


Overall, Jake's hits the spot on so many levels (did I mention the potato pancakes?). While the cheese steak still isn't the best I've ever had, it gets the job done for the most part. I can't wait to come back for the Mensch, which contains slow-roasted brisket. And yes - for some more potato pancakes!



http://www.jakessandwichboard.com/