Best Bites of 2014

2014 was a good food year for me. Trips to Chicago, Paris, and London helped to highlight how good food transcends any one region. In no particular order, from street eats to fine dining - here are my favorite bites from 2014. Feel free to check the links for more descriptions and pics! Happy New Year everyone - and here's to an even better 2015!

Mac Mart Truck

Heart Attack Mac 

Technically I had this at the 2013 Chinatown Night Market, but had my first Mac Mart Truck experience in 2014. There are delectable offerings across the board, but the true star is the heart attack mac. Can't go wrong with caramelized onions, bacon, and Parmesan panko!

Vetri Ristorante  

Sweet Onion Crepe with Truffle Fondue

It's hard to pick from some of my all-time favorites at Vetri - the spinach gnocchi with brown butter is definitely a winner. But the sweet onion crepe we had this year but so rich and savory, complemented nicely by the truffle fondue.

 
Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter is always great but the sweet onion crepe was even better than the last time for me. 

Han Dynasty

Dry Pot Chicken

There are a variety of dishes on offer at Han Dynasty - I have yet to disappointed with any. But  new revelation for 2014 was the dry pot chicken. Crispy, juicy, and spicy - do try this!

 Dim Sum Garden

Pan-Fried Beef Potato Cake

We all know that Dim Sum Garden is known for their soup dumpling aka XLB, which are amazing. But these beef potato pancakes are latkes are steroids - gluttonous, yet crispy, and satisfying, I could eat a half dozen of these easy. 

Laurel 

Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi

No surprise that Top Chef winner Nicholas Elmi is making a foray onto my 2014 list. The salty, crispy pancetta provided a nice textural contrast to the creamy, pillowy ricotta gnocchi. An additional layer of flavor was provided by the sourdough bread crumbs. A must order!

Amis

Spinach Lasagna

All the small plates and dishes at Amis are amazing. But after ordering a gauntlet of dishes, I didn't think to order this lasagna. The kitchen put me on notice appropriately by sending out this complimentary dish. It was like eating a large crispy cheese raviolo infused with delicate spinach flavors. Definitely a must order.

Tot Cart

Loaded Tater Tots 

 

Enjoying one of the food truck events at the Oval this past summer, I was finally able to try the Tot Truck. This mini food truck was able to crank out perfectly fried and crispy tots, loaded with some great beer cheese sauce. Crispy bits of bacon imparted savory saltiness, with the sour cream providing a cool, creamy element to each bite.

L'Arperge (Post to Come!)

Gazpacho de Tomates

It's no wonder that Chef Alain Passard consistently maintains 3 stars at his L'Arpege. The majority of the dishes focused on vegetables, with a particular emphasis on the "simple" tomato. This tomato gazpacho is oft-lauded - the cool acidity of the tomato tempered nicely by the chilled sorbet of whole grain mustard. Complex, despite the fact that there can't be more than a few ingredients used here. Incredible.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Post to Come!)

Famous Mashed Potatoes

  

We had the grand tasting at the 2 star St. Germain location and with our final entrees, we were served the famed mashed potatoes (1:1 butter to starch ratio!). These came topped with black truffles, and were decadent and velvety. We enjoyed them so much the kitchen sent out a whole pot of the mashed potatoes for seconds!

L'as Du Fallafel 

Special Falafel Sandwich

 

 You don't need to spend all your euros at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. Do check out L'As du Fallafel, which many proclaim to be the best falafel in the world. Amidst the crispy falafel, this sandwich was creamy with the eggplant and tahini, with a nice crunch provided by the slaw and cucumbers.

Khanom Krok at Borough Market (Post to Come!)
Sweet Coconut Pancakes

In London, we had to stop by Borough Market and were not disappointed. Despite trying scotch eggs and pies with mushy peas, the best bite easily went to Khanom Krok's coconut pancakes. Griddled to order, these coconut nuggets were crisp underneath with creamy pools of coconut milk studded with black sesame, white sesame, or corn. I'd fly across the pond just to have these again.

Tayyabs (Post to Come!)

Chicken Tikka Masala

Anyone in the know about food understands that chicken tikka masala is London's dish and that curry country is centered around Whitechapel. The lamb chops here were great, but the chicken tikka was one of the best I've ever had - moist, huge pieces of boneless chicken were amidst a plentiful bounty of onions and potatoes. But really, it's all about the spice mix which definitely elevated your senses. 

The Ledbury (Post to Come!)
 Hampshire Buffalo Milk Curd

Located in Notting Hill, the Ledbury was a joy - the food was great, the service was even better. One of our favorite dishes was a bonus course from the Chef - a Hampshire bufffalo milk curd with a broth of wild mushrooms and Parmesan. This was accompanied by black truffle toast, which was buttery, moist, heady, and crisp. Wow.
 

Izakaya

Beef Short Rib 

Short ribs are pretty standard. But when it's done perfectly, you can't help but smile. Izakaya is located in a casino. While it is the Borgata - again, it's in a casino. That didn't stop Chef Michael Schulson's staff from executing an incredibly tender and well-braised dish. The kabocha helped to offset the savory depth of the sauce and the richness of the beef.

IndeBlue

Crispy Spinach Chaat

There's nothing but praise for IndeBlue, which came onto the Midtown Village scene in 2013. I don't know what took me so long to check it out. While the butter chicken was amazing, this complimentary dish of spinach chaat was exemplary. The spinach was coated in a light chickpea batter, which rendered the greens incredibly crispy. The bite of the onion and shallots, tempered by the sweet yogurt and tamarind sauce helped to brighten each bite.

Dandelion

Crab Risotto 

This complimentary dish from the Dandelion shows that sometimes it's better to let the kitchen decide what you should eat. The creamy, succulent crab risotto showcased fresh crab stock, with grains were just al dente. The surprising star here was not the jumbo lump crab, but the Fresno chilies, which provided a nice kick to your tongue.

Alinea

Watermelon

  

And why don't we end 2014 with a palate cleanser, from one of my best experiences of the year. Dinner at Alinea is an introduction into what food has become in the past decade - modernist cuisine and the like. However, this can only be pulled off well by a few chefs and Grant Achatz is definitely one of them. Sure the black truffle explosion and the hot potato were amazing, but this watermelon dish blew my mind. Injecting a cube of watermelon with the flavors of strawberry? The accents of sudachi and avocado dust? Blew my mind.

And with that, I hope you all enjoyed what Belly of the Pig had to offer in 2014 and look forward to providing much more in 2015. Feel free to follow me on Instagram to get some instant foodporn gratification. Thanks to everyone for your support!

Beiler's Bakery Review [2]

This is for a series of posts for Reading Terminal Market including: The Rib Stand, Hatville Deli, By George! Pizza, Pasta & Cheesesteaks, Olympic Gyro, Iovine Brothers Produce, DiNic's Pork and Beef, Meltkraft, and Wursthaus Schmitz.     

Beiler's Bakery has made great strides this year, in the form of a donut shop add-on. Who can say no to handmade donuts, glazed and topped with a variety of options? This is especially the case when you've got a GF who brings home treats after work - allowing me to indulge, as per usual.

Red Velvet Donut

The red velvet donut was a moist, cake-like confection. It had a nice sugary glaze that was coated all around. 

Blueberry Fritter

But the blueberry fritter did it for me. This will keep you up for a few hours due to the amount of sugar overload, but it's crisp and studded with fresh blueberries - baked candy at its best. 

So if you're in RTM, don't hesitate to head over to Beiler's Bakery to grab some goodies - if you want to try your hand at a maple-bacon donut, they've got those too! 

http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/view/2

Han Dynasty Review [3]

Previous posts for Han Dynasty include: [1] and [2].

One of the most celebrated Sichuan / Schezuan restaurants in Philly is Han Dynasty. Owner Han Chiang was able to parlay his success into several other outposts throughout the city and fairly recently, even in NYC (I believe the count is up to 8?). Still, that doesn't mean the location in Old City is forgotten. 

In fact, this past year, they moved across the street to a renovated location which is modernized and more grandiose - in tune with Han's interests (not a bad thing!). 

So when my mother and sister were in town, the GF and I decided to take them to this Old City hotspot to enjoy some lunch. 

Dan Dan Noodles [$7.95]
 

We started with the requisite dan dan noodles, which showcased noodles that retained the sauce quite well. The sauce was a mix of pork and chili tempered by peanut. The crispy nuggets of pork were nice bursts of salt and flavor.

Spicy Crispy Cucumber [$6.95]
 

My mom seemed uninterested and unimpressed by the fact that I was excited for the spicy crispy cucumbers. But after one bite, she was genuinely surprised. In fact, she kept trying to guess the recipe. The spiciness hits you in the back of your throat, but you can't help but go back for more bites of the cool, crisp cucumber. 

Dumplings in Chili Oil [$6.95]
 

The dumplings were flat and wide, with little nuggets of pork within. Studded with sesame seeds which offered texture, the chili oil bath wasn't overpowering.

Garlic Sauce Style Pork [$11.95]
Ginger, garlic, bamboo, bell peppers  

The GF's favorite is the garlic sauce pork and this dish offered juicy bits of pork, bamboo, and ginger, which were accented by the garlic sauce. 

Dry Pot Style Chicken [$15.95]
Bamboo shoots, bell peppers, Sichuan peppercorns
 

I love the three cup chicken and the pork belly dishes here, but I decided to branch out for some dry pot chicken. This may be my new favorite dish. Like crispy bits of popcorn chicken, this was incredibly crisp, juicy, and almost delicate. Apparently there's no batter used - it's just triple flash-fried. A must order. Just watch out for the whole bits of peppercorn! 

So if you're looking for a great meal with Sichuan/Schezuan flair, Han Dynasty still has you covered. Just in a sleeker package. 

http://www.handynasty.net/

Barbuzzo Review

This is part of a series of posts related to Chef Marcie Turney including: Verde, Lolita, the Midtown Village Festival, Jamonera, Little Nonna's, and Barbuzzo.

For one of first dates, I took the GF to Barbuzzo. At the time, I was a fairly new transplant from NYC, but I heard that Chef Marcie Turney was doing great things on 13th Street. Having eaten here more than a few times now, it's clear why Barbuzzo is the heart of the Turney-Safran empire.

So on a recent date night, the GF and I returned to Barbuzzo - I asked for Chef's counter seating on Opentable, but alas, we were relegated to the cramped 2 tops - the one downfall of Barbuzzo. With most tables you'll practically be on top of other diners - a problem when you order like I do.

Sheep's Milk Ricotta [$10]
EVOO, vin cotto, herbs, sea salt, grilled french country bread
  

A la Andrew Carmellini's Locanda Verde, the sheep's milk ricotta here is just as good. With almost a burrata-like texture, the ricotta was creamy and topped with olive oil. The dash of subtly sweet, acidic vin cotto with some sea salt was just right. The accompanying char-grilled country bread was the perfect vessel for the ricotta.

Roasted Beet Salad [$9]
Young goat cheese, grapefruit, tuscan kale, pistachio pesto, sherry vinegar
  

The ubiquitous roasted beet salad was punched up with pistachio pesto and the addition of sherry vinegar, which helped to perk up the kale. The grapefruit provided brightness against the subtle sweetness of the gorgeous beats and the tang of the goat cheese. Glad the GF pushed for this.

Roasted Bone Marrow [$10]
Crostini, persillade, celery-parsley salad, lemon

The GF was aghast, but she knew deep down this would be a given. The marrow was roasted nicely, with the persillade providing garlicky herbaceousness to complement the acidity of the pickled red onions - perfect to provide that countervailing element to the God's butter. The celery-parsley salad added some freshness as well.

Braised Short Rib [$17]
Parsnip puree, roasted grapes, celery heart salad 

The short ribs were pull-apart tender, with the rich savoriness balanced by the subtly sweet parsnip puree and the roasted grapes. The celery heart salad made a reappearance, providing some texture and freshness. 

Parsnip Ravioli [$14]
Pecorino, thyme, pine nuts
  

The GF was in heaven with the parsnip pasta. Not overly sweet, the parsnip innards were complemented by the brown butter and salty pecorino, which helped to balance the salty and sweet elements to the dish. Perfectly formed pasta had nice bite, with additional texture provided by the addition of the pine nuts.

Butternut Arancini [$9]
Crispy butternut squash risotto balls, sage pesto, grana padano, smoked blue tractor farm honey
 

We also went with the Italian rice croquettes, which were nicely crispy, filled with al dente risotto. The sweetness of the butternut squash was accentuated by the honey. This was all balanced by the salty Italian cheese and the savory sage pesto.

Uovo [$16]
Brussel sprout leaves, guanciale, secret white sauce, parmesan, fior di latte, truffled farm egg
  

Barbuzzo was also the first restaurant the GF had an egg on a pizza and fell in love (possibly with me as well). While there may have been a bit too much crust on this particular rendition, there was decent leoparding and the ingredients within made up for it. The truffled farm egg brought forth heady scents and flavors that didn't overpower. This melded nicely with salty guanciale, mozzarella, and the creamy white sauce. The brussel sprout leaves helped to add savory herbaceousness to each bite.

The accompanying chili oil and dried oregano helped me make good headway with the abundant crust on this pizza.

Salted Caramel Budino [$8]
Dark chocolate crust, vanilla bean caramel, sea salt
 

And all meals at Barbuzzo should end appropriately - with a salted caramel budino. This is pure genius, highlighting why salt and sweet are perfect juxtapositions in a dessert. The richness of the vanilla bean caramel is heightened by the crystals of sea salt, with the duality in textures represented by the crusty dark chocolate and the quenelle of light creme fraiche. 

Service is great as well - our server William was particularly on point. I do have to point out that oftentimes it's the diners that are in the wrong. A table directly to our right was despicable - crude jokes complemented by knocking back three rounds of drinks within 10 minutes apparently equates to leaving a piss poor tip at the end. This was all while having their server cancel food orders right before they were about to come out. At Barbuzzo, you'll receive great service and amazing food. Lesson of the day: enjoy the food, but don't be an ass!

www.barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo

Capogiro Gelato Review

If you want to step up your ice cream game and head into gelato territory, there's no place better in Philly than Capogiro. It's no wonder their name is a reference to being dizzy - they've got a wide range of options that will make you swoon.

Their creations are beautifully displayed, with whole fruits studded on top of the handcrafted gelato. I'm prepared for a velvety flavor explosion every time.

Small Gelato [$4.75] 
Apple Cider with Clove, Crimson Grape

The GF opted for a small pairing of apple cider along with crimson grape. The graininess of the apple was apparent - showcasing just how natural and handcrafted these creations are. The crimson grape was tart, sweet, and lightly effervescent.

Small Gelato [$4.75] 
Bourbon Butterscotch, Avocado

My favorite is the avocado - weird, but it works! Creamy, it coats the tongue and is lightly herbaceous. As soon as I saw bourbon butterscotch, I was sold. The subtle sweetness of the bourbon accenting the understated caramel flavors.

So if you're either in the Rittenhouse or Midtown Village areas, don't hesitate to stop by one of the Capogiro outposts - it's a bit pricey, but the crafty creations are worth it!

www.capogirogelato.com

Gaslight Review

Despite his early exit on Top Chef, Chef Jason Cichonski was able to open up The Gaslight earlier this year on the back of his television fame and cooking chops at Ela. Housed in the heart of Old City, the idea seemed great - elevated takes on pub grub in a neighborhood that could use some unpretentious refinement (wanted or not).

Despite this, early reviews seemed negative (recent ones don't appear to be different). With so many other options in the city, it took awhile for me to check Gaslight out. But we were in the area catching up with friends, so decided to stop by.

On a weekday night around 8PM, it was practically empty. There were only a few servers on staff, which didn't give us the highest hopes for what was to come.

Gently with a Chainsaw [$11]
Bourbon, demerera, Angostura bitters

Despite the names that seemed to mimic that of Franklin Mortgage (and a good majority of speakeasy-type bars these days), the drinks we had were good. This bourbon-based tipple had a subtle sweetness was heightened by the demerera, with the bitters providing pronounced citrus.

Storm in a Teacup [$12]
Pimm's No. 1, ginger, lemon, cucumber, mint 
  

The GF will drink anything with Pimm's - this had nice a ginger essence and wasn't overly sweet.

Possibly with Dynamite [$12]
Rye, Aperol, Punt E Mes, chocolate bitters 

I also had this take on the Manhattan, which was smooth and had dark chocolate undertones. 

Truffle Tremor Burger Special [$17]
Veal bacon, Truffle Tremor goat cheese
 

The kitchen had a special burger that night, which featured Truffle Tremor, which I love. Who doesn't enjoy tangy goat cheese blended with Italian black truffles? The burger itself was juicy, though came closer to medium and not the requested medium rare. The few slabs of veal bacon were fine, but not particularly interesting. The sesame-seeded bun was the right vessel for the burger, housing all of the innards well. The accompanying fries were well-seasoned.

Hand Pulled Pasta [$17]
Blue crab, sweet corn, pancetta, tomato

The GF went with the hand-pulled pasta as we were curious about the strength of the Chef's pasta game (most in the know about Top Chef have heard of those now-ubiquitous scallop noodles). There was good chew from these particular noodles, which were well-seasoned with the sweet corn and the acidity of the tomato to balance out the bits of pancetta. But where was the blue crab? The essence might have been in some of the brothy sauce, but there were no bits of crab to be found. 

My experience at Gaslight was muted, though there were some decent bites. But as a whole, it's definitely not Top Chef worthy - even at an elevated pub level. It's good to hear that Gaslight is overhauling their menu and Chef Cichonski is moving forward with renewed focus. Because based on my visit a few months back, there are better options in Philly for pub fare.

http://www.thegaslightphilly.com/