Cosi: Downtown Review

If you've walked around the streets of Philly, it's likely that you've run into one of Cosi's many outposts. Years ago when I was in college in Chicago (think a decade or so), I stopped by Cosi to try their s'mores - basically a set up where you can make your own s'mores on a table-side fire pit. Apparently they still have that and have branched out to pizzas, sandwiches, and salads.

So for a recent work-day lunch, the GF and I met up at the Cosi on 17th and Market, replete with its own roaring pizza oven! This outpost has two levels with plenty of seating for the work crowd.

Signature Salad ($7.99)
Mixed greens tossed with red grapes, pears, pistachios, dried cranberries, gorgonzola and tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.
 

The GF went with one of their fresh salads. This one had a nice funk from the blue cheese. The pears and red grapes were refreshing, while the dried cranberries offered some tang. The pistachios provided that necessary textural element. The GF opted for light balsamic rather than the sherry vinaigrette, which allowed the vinegary tang of the balsamic to brighten up the dish.The accompanying bread was nicely grilled and satisfying.

Steakhouse Gorgonzola Melt ($7.99)
Tender beef medallions, Gorgonzola, caramelized red onions & bleu cheese spread.

Of course, I did not opt for a salad. I went with the steakhouse gorgonzola melt, which was surprisingly good. While the beef was closer to medium-well, it still had a nicely tender and juicy.

The caramelized onions added heft to the dish, with the funky gorgonzola and blue cheese spread adding coma-induing salty creaminess. Perfect for returning to work.

The sandwich came with Cosi branded kettle chips, which were not at all salty, nor were they greasy.

Chicken Margherita Flatbread Pizza ($13.99)
Grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato 
 

I mentioned a pizza oven earlier in this post. So naturally, I had to try Cosi's pizza as well. Rather than go for the individual portion ($7.69), I went for the 'shareable' portion, of which the GF had one piece (I ate most of the rest and took the rest home for dinner if you really need to know - I am an admitted glutton). You get the choice of regular or thin crust on Cosi's flatbread pizzas.

This is not the best 'artisanal' flatbread pizza I've had, but for what is essentially a chain, this gets the job done. After the bread is baked in the oven, juicy chunks of chicken were spread atop cheesy mozzarella and tart tomato sauce. Then the pizza gets put through a salamander grill to get it toasted and melted. Fresh basil was then liberally distributed all over this monstrosity. This was a lot of above-average pizza for the price. Really surprising.

Overall, Cosi gets the job done for a work-day lunch. The prices are on par with anything you'll find in Center City. They offer salads, sandwiches, and pizza. Pretty standard fare for lunch, but they elevated it to a level that's above what you typically find.

 
www.getcosi.com

Honeygrow Review

Interested in a place that offers healthy eating sourced from local produce? Quick eats? In the city? Stir fry and salads? Look no further - Honeygrow has arrived in Center City!

They offer an innovative and modern method of ordering.

Using the touch-screen, add or remove ingredients to make your own creation or choose one of their recommended dishes! 

They even go the extra mile by offering spouts for hoisin and siracha sauce - right by the self-serve soda fountain! Heck, they've even got Penn Dutch Birch beer on offer.

Cobb Salad ($10 with the bolded additions)

Romaine lettuce, Mesclun mix, spinach, egg, crispy bacon, apples, grape tomatoes, avocado, grilled free range chicken, crumbled blue cheese, edamame, chickpeas, almonds, white balsamic vinaigrette

This salad was fresh, well dressed, and had a good mix of ingredients. The GF opted for a healthier version of a traditional Cobb - which meant the removal of the blue cheese, egg, and bacon. So ... essentially, this was a regular salad with the addition of edamame, chickpeas, and almonds. 

Still - each bite offered vibrant flavors and this was surprisingly filling for what 

I normally consider to be rabbit food. 

With that in mind - I opted for some stir fry.

Sesame Garlic Stir Fry ($9.75)
Snap peas, naturally raised beef, bell peppers, egg noodles, onions, carrots, scallion, sesame garlic sauce

This pre-designed dish was a nice punch of sesame and garlic, which coated the crunch of the carrots and onions. The snap peas and bell peppers offered juicy and fresh bites which were mixed with perfectly al dente egg noodles. The naturally raised beef were juicy nuggets that added a bit of heft to the melange of veggies. Very nice.

Overall, I would highly recommend stopping by Honeygrow if you're looking for a quick and fresh bite. There are a variety of toppings that can be added to any and everything. They've also got smoothies that are made to order. Definitely a nice addition to Center City.

www.honeygrow.com 

Eat a Pita Review

Recently, I met up with the GF and her co-worker for a Friday work-day lunch. Since I was able to work from home that day, I met them close to where they work, in Midtown Village. Reminiscing about the schawarma options in NYC, I was excited to head to Eat a Pita.

The design of this place is really clean, open, and fresh. Pretty perfect if you ask me. It's right next to Jake's Sandwich Board - so it took everything I had not to stop over and get their delicious potato pancakes!

But back to Eat a Pita! Their motto is 'pick a protein, pick your produce, pick a pour.' Makes sense and they sure do have a lot of options. They also have a bunch of pre-designed sandwiches. The GF and her co-worker previously had the portabella panini and a Reuben respectively. More importantly, they really enjoyed them. This time around, we all went with some relatively healthy options (perhaps to our downfall).

The Gobbler ($9)

Turkey breast, cranberry mustard, brie, spinach 

The GF had the turkey gobbler, which attempted to evoke Thanksgiving. It gave it the good ol' college try - fresh turkey breast, a tangy cranberry mustard, with some creamy brie. The spinach and cucumbers offered refreshing bites to the panini. Yet - despite all this, the sandwich was really dry and was not our cup of tea.

Lamb Shawarma ($11)

Yogurt, cucumber salad

 

I went with a lamb schawarma. Unfortunately, this was nothing like the ones off of the 'street meat' carts in NYC. The lamb was dry and even tasted ground up. The yogurt sauce was the real disappointment - it tasted extremely sweet and did not have the creamy tang that embodies a proper cucumber yogurt sauce. There was some slight heat to the dish, but muted overall. The fresh cucumbers and romaine lettuce were a nice touch. The wheat pita (my choice) certainly added to the healthy vibe of the overall meal. Still - healthy or not, this was just dry and too sweet.

Vegeterian Chili ($5; $2 add-on with sandwich)

 

The saving grace (thought not exactly Messianic or saving for that matter)? The vegetarian chili was actually really good. It had a bit of kick at the end which I enjoyed. Little orzo-like pasta and beans helped to make this a hearty side. I really have to come back for the Reuben and the chili.

Farro Salad ($5; $2 add-on with sandwich)

The GF opted for a cold farro salad as a side. Again with the sweet. This tasted as though it was drenched in maple syrup. The golden raisins didn't help matters. This was more of a grainy, syrupy dessert. Not our favorite either.

I really wanted to like Eat a Pita, but unfortunately, they missed the mark on my first trip. Hopefully, the second time will be the charm (as I won't try for a third if they miss the mark again). They're in a prime location and have the capability to deliver really good food (even the healthy choices) - I just couldn't get over how sweet some of those sauces and dishes were. They do offer Level Up, which is a way to pay using your smart phone. The service is connected to your credit card and gives you store credit. In fact, at Eat a Pita, for every $50 you spend - you get a $5 credit. In fact, if you use this link - you'll get $5 instantly! Not too shabby!

 

www.eatapitaphilly.com

McCann's Instant Irish Oatmeal Review

It's a work day. You'd rather hit the snooze a few more times than wake up and 

make a proper breakfast. But that's OK! You get to work and 

you know there's something waiting for you at your desk.

McCann's is well known for being a leader in steel cut oatmeal. The texture is clearly superior over the rolled oats variety (i.e. Quaker). Whole grain oats - these are high quality and pack enough fiber to get the job done! But who has time to cook down oatmeal. 

The fix? Instant oatmeal from McCann's. 

Having tried both the regular oatmeal that needs to be cooked down and the Instant variety, I can easily say they are quite similar. But the McCann's Instant Oatmeal has the added bonus of taking literally seconds to prepare. Be sure to pick up a variety pack - and if you purchase it on Amazon - you get quite a discount for six 10-pack boxes!

The variety pack offers maple and brown sugar - a bit too sweet for my taste, but tastes very homey and it's sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.

The GF's favorite is the apples and cinnamon - it tastes exactly like an apple pie!

But my favorite? Regular - slightly salted, but true to the taste of the steel cut oats.

If you've ever had Quaker oatmeal, you know that instant oatmeal can become soggy the minute the hot water hits the bowl. Not so with McCann's Instant Oatmeal! It literally takes seconds - once the hot water hits, the oatmeal retains its beautiful texture and is simply delicious. 

Not a bad way to start the work day!

Bridget Foy's Review

If you haven't tried Dining In yet - you're missing out. While Seamless and GrubHub do offer free delivery for most of their restaurants, Dining In offers better choices. Unlike the aforementioned online delivery services, Dining In is a service that picks up takeout from restaurants and brings it to you. A third-party provider if you will.

On a recent night, the GF and I saw a deal for free delivery from Bridget Foy's on South Street. So we decided to check it out - minus the crazy crowds and drunken demeanor that's prevalent down there (not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that!).

Head House Market Burger ($13)
Herb mayo, swiss, mushrooms, fried egg
 

The burger arrived a bit of a mess, but what do you expect when you're talking about a fried egg and delivery. It's not yet on par with Smokin' Betty's Betty Burger, which is my favorite burger in Philly (probably due to the addition of avocados and pork belly on top of the fried egg). Still, this was a monster of a burger and luckily, I was able to reconstruct it.

The burger was cooked a bit more than the requested medium, so perhaps I should have asked for medium-rare and it would have arrived medium. While the patty itself could have been seasoned a bit more, the cheese, mushrooms, and fried egg helped to make it luxurious and coma-inducing (a good thing here). The accompanying fries were delicious and well-seasoned, though slightly limp.

Turkey Burger ($12)
Cranberry relish, basil mayo, gruyere, alfalfa sprouts

 

The GF opted for the turkey burger and you could smell the health coming off the burger as soon as I opened the box. The alfalfa sprouts were a nice dose of freshness. More importantly, the turkey burger was moist. The cranberry relish was the tangy foil to the heft of the basil mayo and gruyere, the dash of necessary naughty to the nice - in my opinion anyway.

Short Rib Fries ($9)

Of course, I couldn't help but order the short rib fries when I saw it on the menu. I asked for the short rib and cheese curds to be put on the side so I wouldn't receive a resultant soggy mess by the time the meal was delivered.

Dining In and Bridget Foy's did a great job in accommodating my request. The mozzarella curds were fresh and unsalted. However, the rich, savory short ribs made up for that - they had a great depth to them. The fries were fresh cut and well seasoned as well.

Together, the dish was highly reminiscent of a poutine - that oft-acclaimed dish from our neighbors to the North. You've got some crunch from the fries, richness from the short ribs, and fresh clean flavors from the curds. Delicious.

Overall, if you're ever on South Street or you feel like ordering in through Dining In, consider ordering the burger and better yet, the short rib fries at Bridget Foy's.




www.bridgetfoys.com

13th Street Pizza Review

This time I around, I decided to try 13th Street Pizza, ordered through Seamless. Like a pro, I checked Yelp before I ordered. But like a novice, I decided to disregard the poor 3-star rating and comments excoriating the delivery service (always late and the pizza was described as 'only for when you're drunk'). In addition, there was a $2 delivery fee, which I decided was fine. Why? The menu proclaimed that they offered Chicago-style deep dish pies. Reminiscing about Giordano's in Chicago, I knew I had to try it out.

I called to have the pizza delivered about 2-3 hours later, thinking that would be enough time. Especially since we're talking about Friday, during lunch. Unfortunately, the problems started when they called to let me know they were backed up and were going to be 15 minutes late. That's totally fine, especially since they were kind enough to let me know. Yet lo and behold, the pizza came an hour later. On top of that, the delivery guy was pretty awkward and it took a few minutes before I was actually handed the pizza. Interesting since no money changed hands since I paid online. Not exactly stellar service.

18" Pepperoni and Sausage Focaccia Round Pizza ($17)

Chicago-style deep dish

This was not a Chicago-style deep dish pizza. While it was indeed thick, it was doughy and flavorless. The moistness of a focaccia was not evident here either. The cheese was processed, to be sure, and the toppings were pretty standard. Oh yes - and the fact that it was an hour late rendered the pizza lukewarm at best.

Cheezy Bread ($5)

The middle portions of the bread that were inundated with cheddar and mozzarella were nice, especially with oregano sprinkled on top. However, the majority of the outer border was way too doughy. It felt as though I was eating unseasoned yeast. The marinara was pretty standard, with an overt sweetness.

13th Street Gourmet 'Famous' Garlic Knots ($5) 

Again, I'll immediately order anything that says 'famous.' I don't know if these are indeed famous, since I've had better in NYC, but for Philly, it was a decent iteration. The garlic, parsley, and olive oil nicely dressed these knots. They had an inherent butteriness that I enjoyed.

Overall, I don't think I'll be ordering from 13th Street Pizza anytime soon. I should have listened to my inner Yelp Elite and trusted the reviews. But the enticing menu beckoned to my inner glutton. Alas, foiled by one of the seven deadly sins. Doh.

www.13thstreetpizza.com

Little Fish Review

For Valentine's Day, the GF decided to turn the tables on me and take me out for a nice dinner. When it comes to food, I usually do all the planning, but I've got to say - she knocked it out of the park. Let me present to you - my new favorite restaurant in Philadelphia - Little Fish BYOB.

Recently and newly ranked #24 on Philly Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants in Philadelphia, I'm frankly surprised it isn't ranked higher. Having dined at many of the other restaurants on the list, the ranking seems to be due to a lack of publicity surrounding this BYO in Bella Vista. Frankly though, the lack of pretension and fanfare is part of the charm of Little Fish.

Forgetting all the drama that has recently enveloped Fish, original chef Mike Stollenwerk sold Little Fish to his chef de cuisine, Chadd Jenkins back in September 2011. And without a doubt, Chef Jenkins was able to offer some of the most creative and fresh seafood dishes I've had since I last visited Le Bernadin back in 2009.

Little Fish is an intimate 22-seat establishment with handwritten menus that change on a nightly basis. It's all based on what's seasonal and available. The GF scored us a table that afforded us a great view of the chefs at work.

Bread Service

We started off with a nice white bread, which tasted fresh but was served cold. It was accompanied by a garlicky chimichurri, with notes of oregano, vinegar, and parsley. A nice change of pace from butter, and perfectly suited for the seafood that was to come.

Kampachi ($16)
Greek yogurt, grapefruit, jicama, cashew

The kampachi was characteristically meaty and toothsome. But the dish was augmented by the great salty and lime flavors imparted onto the fish. The cashew and jicama added great texture, while the mint and grapefruit balanced the smokiness of the dish. The greek yogurt helped to tie everything together.

Scallop ($17)
Almond, blood orange, fennel, chili
 

The GF enjoyed the scallop, which was one of the lightest dishes of the night. The fennel was grilled, imparting a smokiness to the herb. The blood orange added sweet tang to the dish, while the almond added necessary texture.

Octopus ($16)
Cabbage, kohlrabi, bacon, rye

This was easily my favorite dish of the night, and one of my favorite preparations in recent memory. The cephalopod had a beautiful grilled char, but the higlight? The inner meat was luxuriously silky. If you've ever seen Jiro Dream of Sushi, a documentary chronicling the most famous 3 Michelin star sushi restaurant in the world, you know that Jiro has his apprentices massage their octopus for 45 minutes to get a luxurious texture. I wouldn't be surprised if the star of this dish received similar treatment. It was that good.

The candied bacon added a nice savory and sweet counterpoint to the char of the octopus. The kohlrabi and cabbage added fresh elements to what is a surprisingly hefty dish. The croutons and rye added texture as well. A must order if it's on the menu and you've never had octopus.

Cobia ($32)
Grits, edamame, maitake, smoked tomato
  

This was the GF's first time trying cobia and knowing that she loved halibut, I recommended that she go with this. Prototypically meaty and clean - the cobia did not disappoint. The smoked tomatoes added tang to the dish, while the meaty maitake mushrooms added more depth and grilled flavor. The grits were nice and not overpowered with butter and the edamame was a change of pace texturally, adding clean notes.

Big Eye Tuna ($34)
Fregola, kale, oxtail, persimmon, caramlized onion
  

My big eye tuna, one of two types of Ahi, was delicious and prepared medium rare. It was perfectly meaty, with a smokiness on the outside. Sweet and savory oxtail was intermingled with silky fregola pasta, while the pop of persimmon added bright notes.

But the true star of this dish? The caramelized onions, which I realized was presented in a puree. Deep and savory, the GF and I could not get enough. I would easily buy a pint of this and drink it with some cheese and toast points.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake ($8)
Sesame ice cream, pineapple caramel

The only 'meh' of the evening was the dessert. They had two offerings for the night, the pineapple upside down cake and a panna cotta. We opted for the former and unfortunately, the cake itself was very dry and dense. I did appreciate the sesame ice cream which seemed to have a kick at the end - ginger, perhaps? The caramel was a nice touch - certainly infused with the essence of pineapple. But in the end, we should have said no mas.

Disregarding the dessert, the GF and I thoroughly had a wonderful meal at Little Fish. Creative and fresh - Chef Jenkins is certainly holding his own. Service was exceptionally friendly and helpful. The pacing of the meal was perfect for a Valentine's Day dinner. FYI - Little Fish offers a 5-course tasting on Sunday nights for only $33. There are two seatings - one at 5:30PM and the other at 8PM. Make sure to reserve in advance though - the word on the street is that these tables are booked for weeks! No surprise here, that's for sure.



www.littlefishbyob.com