New Delhi Restaurant Review

Recently, one of our friends told us that in a single week, she had ordered takeout three times from New Delhi restaurant. Sounded like my kind of addiction so I had to check New Delhi out! They're on GrubHub, but they also have their own online delivery platform as well! Pro Tip: Sign up for their mailing list and they often send out a 15% off coupon code when you order directly! 

Vegetable Samosa [$3]
Vegetable turnovers, green peas, potatoes

Had to start off with some samosa - there are two per order and surprisingly held up to delivery. Crisply fried, there was a smooth melange of potatoes and green peas within. A trio of chutneys were on offer including a sweet tamarind, herbaceous mint, and an onion chutney with some bite.

Paneer Pakora [$5.75]
Cottage cheese fritters, cumin seed, Oriental spices  

For me, paneer in general is a bit underseasoned for my liking. But I couldn't help but order the dish anyway - because fried cheese amirite? Unfortunately, the crispness of the samosas didn't extend to this batter, which was more of a spongy, underseasoned bite that was barely helped by the chutneys that accompanied the samosas. I'd skip these. 

Paneer Masal Biryani [$11.50]
Rice, cheese cubes, nuts, raisins 

On the other hand, the paneer featured in the masala biryana was spectacular as it soaked up the masala. The texture from the peanuts and the sweetness from the raisins brought it over the top. You can order your desired heat level from an entire spectrum of spice - we went with medium-plus and that had a perfect amount of kick that left you wanting some of the raita (whipped yogurt) on the side.

Chicken Tikka Masala [$11.25]
Chicken, onions, peppers, tomato and butter sauce

New Delhi offered a great rendition of chicken tikka, which the GF had to have. She ordered it at a medium spice level and it was still on the spicier side than the chicken tikka's she's used to. 

Regardless, the sauce was velvety and delicious on top of the accompanying basmati rice. Keep in mind the chicken features both white and dark for those of you that are particular about such things.

Garlic Naan [$3.50]

You've got to have some naan to sop up all of the tomato-butter sauce, right? The garlic permeated throughout the gluttonous bread - the perfect vessel to your Indian on! 

Keema Naan [$3.95]
Minced meat 
  

The Keema naan offered a different flavor profile, with the minced meat coming through to offer some nice savoriness to each bite.

So if you're aching for Indian food, New Delhi has definitely got you covered. It's now on my roster as one of the top Indian restaurants for takeout or delivery.

The Tubby Olive Review

One of my favorite spots to shop for infused olive oil is The Tubby Olive, located in Reading Terminal Market. This shop had a varied lineup from mild to robust olive oils and vinegars. 

From the main entrance of RTM, head to the back of the Market. It's the easternmost point for those of you that aren't directionally challenged!

As with most gourmet olive oil shops that offer their oils on tap, you're able to taste and try the different products to see what speaks to you. I appreciated that each of the oils and vinegars had descriptions describing both taste and intensity. 

The Tubby Olive also has a variety of truffle oils for those that want to impart a bit of heady mushroom flavor. 

On this particular trip, the GF and I picked up a couple of sweet balsamic vinegars as well as herbaceous rosemary-infused olive oils. At less than $17 per 375 ml bottle, this was a pretty good deal! 

The Tubby Olive also offers a frequent buyer card - buy 10 and get the 11th free! So really, there's no reason you shouldn't check them out for yourself or as a gift for a friend! 

Talula's Garden Review

A few months back, I was thinking of places to go for the GF and my anniversary. After passing on the usual suspects, I couldn't believe that we still had not been to Talula's Garden. This was quickly remedied with a reservation at the enduring (and endearing!) Washington Square West hotspot. 

Enchanting and endearing indeed. How gorgeous is the outdoor seating? Pennsylvania native Aimee Olexy gave life to Talula's first iteration in the form of a 12-person BYOB tasting in Chester County with Talula's Garden. Reservations were booked for up to 12 months and at one point, Talula's Table was called the "toughest table in America." 

Ultimately though, Olexy's prior working experience with Stephen Starr led her to open up Talula's Garden with the venerable restaurateur in 2011. 

The Artist [$11]
Prosecco, grapefruit, St. Germain 
 

The GF started off the night with a light sparkler. Grapefruit definitely complements effervescence well whether it's a paloma or this subtly sweet tipple.  

The Treehugger [$14]
Bourbon, maple and black walnut bitters

Black walnut bitters seem to be all the rage these days with the city's mixologists. And with good reason - I enjoyed what was essentially Talula's take on a maple manhattan - sweet with substantive body from the bourbon.

Amuse Bouche

We were presented with a nice amuse of goat's milk cheese and raspberry jam atop a crisp flatbread. Tangy and sweet, there was nothing wrong with this! 

Bread Service

One of the best bites of the night wasn't anything we had even ordered. The house-baked brioche was buttery and warm. It was topped with a pat of maple cayenne butter, which brought a nice spicy kick on the finish - right to the back of the throat! I savored each bite slowly and it took all I had not to ask for another! 

Fresh Baked Ligurian 'Foccacia di Recco' [$16]
Fennel jam, whipped ricotta, juicy blistered grapes, buffalo taleggio, truffle honey

A must order in my mind is the Ligurian Foccacia di Recco, which often makes an appearance on Talula's seasonal menu. We enjoyed one topped with fennel jam, whipped ricotta, and buffalo taleggio. Basically think of a crispy, buttery, and cheesy tart, with the truffle honey complementing the sweet blistered grapes nicely. 

Brown Butter Glazed Potato Gnocchi [$16]
Slow-roasted pulled capon, local mushrooms, dandelion-sage pistou

The gnocchi were well-made, with the fattened capon adding richness to the broth and each bite. The pistou added a nice balance to each bite with fresh basil and garlic notes. A shave of parm imparted a last hit of salt that brought out all of the individual flavors. 

Maryland Crab & Bow Ties [$16]
Parmesan-meyer lemon-parsnip nage, brussels, bacon bits, tarragon hazelnut vinaigrette 

The acidity of the lemon parsnip broth complemented the sweet crab well, with the bacon bits providing some salt and the brussel leaves supporting each bite with some backbone. The bow-ties were well-made and perfectly al dente. 

Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout [$28]
Griddled russet potato cake, bacon, broccoli, pickled cipollini onion, horseradish creme
 

The GF's crisply fried trout was nicely seasoned. I loved the acidity of the pickled onions and there was nothing wrong with the latke - crisp, onion-laden, and with nice heft to balance out the lightness of the fish and veggies. 

Berkshire Pork Belly [$29]
Pan-roasted local orchard apples, five spice apple butter, pickled radish, fresh ginger salad
 

My pork belly was a stunner. Unctuous and fatty, there was nothing unabashed about this dish. The ginger salad and pickled radish provided a nice countervailing acidity to the heft of the pork, with the roasted apples and five spice apple butter adding sweetness that always complement pork so well.  

Buttery Georgia Grits [$8]
Nora Mills white corn grits, caramel sea salt compound butter 

While this dish could have used a touch more salt, the white corn grits had great texture and was surprisingly subtly sweet from the caramel compound butter. 

Sweet & Spicy Sugar Beets [$8]
Honey cardamom vinaigrette, mint, pickled pepper and cumin yogurt
 

On the other hand, the sweet and spicy sugar beets were a winner in my book. Sweet, light, with great texture studded throughout each bite, these were addictively delicious. 

Kentucky 'Pecan Pie' Ice Cream Sundae [$11]
Bourbon-pecan ice cream, gooey pie crust, bourbon sauce

At this point, we were stuffed and had plenty of leftovers. But you have to get dessert, right? While the pie crust wasn't as gooey as I thought it would be, the bourbon-pecan ice cream was the stuff dreams are made of! 

Salted Caramel Chocolates

The kitchen also graciously sent out some chocolate sea-salt caramels to end our meal - always an appreciated gesture typical of any Starr Restaurant production.

Talula's is definitely a beacon of gustatory delights. In fact, days later, I was thinking about a few of those dishes. The brioche, the foccacia tart, and the pork belly? Unreal. Highly recommend Talula's for a proper date night - I know I'll be back soon! 

Jim's Steaks Review

If you live in Philly, it's more than likely you've been asked that age-old question. "Where's the best Philly cheese steak?" Brushing aside any distaste one might have for immediately associating Philly with cheese steaks, if you don't answer Pat's or Geno's, you're off to a great start. And while there are plenty of mom and pop shops offering great cheese steaks, if you settle on either Jim's, John's Roast Pork, or Ishkabibble's, you're a winner in my book! 

Jim and Millie starting serving their sandwiches out of their West Philly row home in the 1930's. From there, the business was sold to Bill Proetto in the 70's and settled at the current South Street institution. The cheese steaks are so popular that business has now expanded to Northeast Philly and Springfield, PA as well. 

Lines regularly go out the door, but even so, the wait is usually less than 10 minutes. Efficiency they have down pat. 

Cheesesteak [$8.60], 'wit, whiz, and mushrooms [$0.75]

For a proper cheese steak, you start with great bread. Amoroso's is a standout - the bread is crusty, pliant, and a great vessel for the nicely seasoned and chopped steak. The GF got hers 'wit onions (you can get them grilled, raw, or both), creamy Whiz, and plenty of roasted mushrooms. Made for a juicy and messy bite. 

Cheesesteak [$8.60], 'wit, whiz, and American cheese [$1]

I love going cheesy so I had them make mine with both creamy American and a healthy dollop of Cheese Whiz. It may look messy, but the roll does a great job of containing this beast of a feast. 

You'll leave the shop smelling like grilled onions and steak for days, but you'll have a belly full of a cheese steak that does Philly proud.