Philly Classic Cook Off presented by Budweiser

On August 23rd, Budweiser is presenting the inaugural Philly Classic Cook Off, in coordination with Philadelphia Magazine. Think plenty of ice-cold Bud, live music, and most importantly, Philly's favorite dishes re-invented by some of your favorite restaurants. And guess who's judging? This guy! Along with Philly Food Girl & Philly Grub! 

From 5:30PM - 8PM on the 23rd, the Philly Classic Cook Off will be at the Piazza at Schmidt's (1001 N. 2nd Street). Six restaurants will battle it out live in front of guests to compete to see who can put their best twist on a Philly classic! Two winners will be crowned in the form of a Judge's & People's choice. Competitors include Milkboy, Molly Malloy's, the Union Tap, Mad Rex, Revolution Taco, and Slice! Be sure to grab tix as they're going fast! Pro-tip: Use code BELLYOFTHEPIG to get 20% off your tickets! 

Philly Classic Cook Off

Piazza at Schmidt's 

1001 N. 2nd Street

August 23rd, 5:30PM - 8PM

2017 C-CAP Ignite Benefit

This past Monday, I stopped by the Cira Centre to attend the annual Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) benefit. C-CAP is a non-profit dedicated to working with culinary high school vocational students throughout the Philadelphia region. Whether it's job training, scholarships, career or college advising, the program helps to ensure that these students thrive in the industry. 

Renowned Chef Marcus Samuelsson is a Board Co-Chair. And did you know that Maison 208 chef Sylva Senat is a C-CAP alum and board member? Yes, the same chef who did Philly proud with his run on Top Chef. Coincidentally, Senat met Samuelsson while volunteering at a C-CAP event back in the day. Chef Senat notes that this was a particular turning point in his career when he was leaving Aquavit and was introduced by Samuelsson to his next adventure at Jean Georges.  Along that vein, it was great seeing the C-CAP students prepping dishes with the Chefs at each and every station. 

Clockwise from Top Right: Zeppoli's Tuna & Bean Salad | Jezabel Studio's Pincho de Escalivada con Pinones | JG Domestic's Green Eggs & Ham | Walnut Street Cafe's Butternut Squash Soup

 In addition to wine, cider, and cocktails being poured for guests at the Cira Centre, benefit attendees were treated to a flurry of tastes. Walnut Street Cafe's butternut squash soup offered a mouthful of fall, replete with some texture from the pumpkin seeds. JG Domestic's green eggs and ham had a bright acidity from the lime that had me going back for more. 

Clockwise from Top Right: Drexel Food & Hospitality Management's Fall Harvest Pork & Smoked Squash Stew | Essen Bakery's Tunisian Tuna Sandwich on Housemade Challah | Distrito's Shrimp Ceviche | Osteria's Chicken Liver Pate Della Nonna | Maison 208's Island Taro Lollipops

Speaking of seconds, it's no surprise that Chef Senat's lollipops were a crowd favorite. Served with a truffle emulsion at Maison 208, here, the crisp curry potato croquettes were balanced with taro. Osteria's chicken liver pate was a deliciously hefty bite, with a nice sweetness from the conserva on top. Certainly was nice to have Distrito's shrimp ceviche at the next station - light, bright, and acidic.  

Clockwise from Top Right: Creme Brolee's Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese, Sweet Potato, and Creme Brulees | Frosted Fox's Dessert Station | Evergreen Cheese

For dessert, Creme Brolee (not misspelled!) offered up a trio. In addition to creme brulee in its expected form, they also had a sweet potato as well as a unique caramelized onion and blue cheese iteration. All bruleed to order by the C-CAP students! A gorgeous display of desserts from Frosted Fox & cheese from Evergreen helped close out the night. 

R2L's Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, Candied Cranberries, & Speculoos Cookie Butter

I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight R2L's great pumpkin spice cheesecake - a pure punch of fall flavor beyond your typical PSL. Supported by the speculoos cookie, the tang of the candied cranberries were a nice contrast to the bite. 

So be on the look out for next year's benefit. C-CAP supports the next generation of Chefs and industry professionals that you'll likely be looking to in the years to come.  

2nd Annual Philadelphia Restaurant Festival Review

This past Thursday was Philly's 2nd Annual Restaurant Festival. Sponsored by Cadillac, Modelo Especial, & Upcoing Events, local restaurants and vendors were brought together to provide bites and drinks for everyone to enjoy. 

The festival was held in the Academy of Natural Sciences, which is the ideal venue to enjoy art and science exhibits with a cocktail in one hand and a slider in another. Considering the summer heat though, the AC definitely could have been turned up more with the amount of folks that showed up for the event! 

Bank and Bourbon kept things cool with ahi tuna and jalapeno, which had a bit of heat that was tempered by yogurt. Aqimero had Mexican street corn and pork ribs, while Lucky Strike provided Sloppy Joe sliders. And who can say no to a slice or two of Santucci's tomato pies! 

Chickies and Pete's had crab cheese fries by the handful and Milk Boy Philly offered up moist roast pork sliders. And no one left without their sweet tooth satisfied when there's Insomnia Cookies, Dave & Busters' Brookie (brownie + cookies!) ice cream bowls, and treats by Hilary Banks on hand. 

Philly Wine Week 2017: Opening Corks

In their fourth year since the inaugural 2014 Philly Wine Week, founders Kate Moroney (Vintage) and Bill Ecceston (Panorama) have expanded their reach, with over 60 participating restaurants this year. Eight days of vino events suited to satiate any wine enthusiast include tapas and sparkling wine at Jamonera, blind tastings & pours of large format bottles at the Rittenhouse, and of course, the Opening Corks party. This year, it was held at the Academy of Natural Sciences and amidst the dinosaurs and butterflies, wine and small bites were enjoyed! 

For three hours, wine connoisseurs and novices alike indulged in hundreds of premium wines. There were 27 New & Old World vendors, including Rioja Wines and local Penns Wood & Chaddsford Wineries. The GF and I were particularly enamored by the German selections from Skurnik Wines. In fact, PLCB barriers aside, we'll definitely be procuring a case of their off-dry M-C Riesling.

Cheese, charcuterie, and small bites were offered to pair with the stellar wines. We enjoyed the salmon creme fraiche blinis and balsamic deviled eggs from South Philly Taproom & American Sardine Bar. Tria offered up their stalwart pistachio and ricotta bruschetta, with lavender honey. As always, the cheese from Birch Run Hills and the Farm at Doe Run were exceptional, with Whole Foods providing artisanal cheese and salumi as well. 

Even if you missed out on Opening Corks, I'd recommend checking out what Philly Wine Week has in store for you! There's no need to be intimidated - the majority, if not all, of the events are tailored for any caliber of wine drinker. 

2016 Rittenhouse Row Preview Party

One of my favorite annual Philly foodie events has to be the Rittenhouse Row Festival. This year, it'll be on Saturday, May 21st so mark it on your calendars. It's a great way to enjoy the urban sprawl that is Walnut Street, from Broad Street down to Rittenhouse Square. As a precursor to the festivities, Rittenhouse Row hosts a Preview Party, showcasing many of the offerings from a number of participating restaurants. 

For $75 pp, you're privy to a massive spread of food and drink. There's also a silent auction benefiting the non-profit organization that is Rittenhouse Row. Gift cards, dinners, parties, and services - a wide breadth of exciting options to tempt your wallet. 

Libations were liberally flowing, with sponsors including Blue Moon and Don Julio Tequila, among others. A cocktail competition provided further incentive for the participating restaurants to showcase their talents. Some of my favorites included Bar Bombon's florally-adorned tequila tipple as well as Coda's take on a mojito, with Don Julio subbing in for the rum. The latter had a spicy kick from the jalapeno! 

Clockwise from Top Right: Food from Marathon Grill, Parc, Crow and the Pitcher, Alma de Cuba, Devon Seafood Grill, Parc again!

The GF and I started off with some gorgeous cheeses from Parc, snappy shrimp from Devon, and a hearty grilled vegetable and quinoa salad from Marathon. My favorites had to be the chicken rillette from Crow and the Pitcher as well as the wonderfully seasoned ceviche from Alma de Cuba. 

Clockwise from Top Right: Food from Davio's, D'Angelo's, Ocean Prime, Cavanaugh's, and Dandelion.

From the more substantial bites, my favorites had to be the ethereal gnocchi bolognese from Davio's (I really need to stop by sometime!), the wonderful surf and turf of braised short rib and scallop from Ocean Prime, and the always delectable roast beef and horseradish sandwich from the Dandelion.

Clockwise from Top Right: Desserts from Termini Brothers, Ben and Jerry's, trio of offerings from Midtown Continental, and Waffles & Wedges.

Not to be outdone, there were plenty of satisfying sweets. Philly stalwart Termini Brothers offered their always-outstanding cannoli. Midtown Continental had a great spread at their station, including mini chocolate caramels, macarons, and peanut butter mousse cones. As a final bite, Ben & Jerry's provided a generous scoop of mint ice cream, topped with Oreos, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.

If you missed out on the Preview Party, mark your calendars for next year. In the meantime, be sure to check out the actual Rittenhouse Row Festival on May 21st. Keep your fingers crossed for some springtime sun as well! 

FTC Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this event. Regardless, my opinions are unbiased and therefore, mine alone. 

2015 Forbes Under 30 Summit Food Festival

The Forbes Under 30 Summit highlights some of the world's top entrepreneurs and innovators. One of this year's featured speakers is Elizabeth Holmes, the CEO of the novel lab company, Theranos. She founded it at the age of 19 and Theranos is poised to dramatically change how labwork is performed. Talk about game changers! From the food perspective, Forbes announced 2015's class of 30 under 30, which includes the founder of Caviar [Jason Wang], Chef de Cuisine at Publican [Cosmo Goss], and John Lasater from famed Hattie B's, among others. The summit also features several culinary speakers including chefs Kelvin Fernandez and Aditi Malhotra, both of whom competed at this year's food festival, along with Chef Lasater. 

The food festival was held at the Kimmel Center, on the first night of the conference. It was a great way for young entrepreneurs from the health, media, tech, and entertainment industries to socialize and mingle, all while enjoying top notch food from some of the nation's most promising young chefs.

Left to Right: Jason Pfeifer, Joseph "JJ" Johnson, Kelvin Fernandez, John Lasater, Jesse Schenker, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Aditi Malhotra, Christopher Coombs, Jeff Mahin.

Shortly after the start of the event, the Kimmel Center lobby became crowded with the Summit attendees. Luckily, I was able to get in early to talk to some of the chefs and sample their creative bites.

Chef Jeff Mahin | Summer House Santa Monica

Sacchetto Negro | Shellfish consomme, uni, citrus, chive, chili, squid ink, olive oil 

Chef Mahin offered up a spoonful that successfully embodied the ocean. Nicely al dente squid ink pasta was immersed in a shellfish broth that had great depth. The heat from the chili was unexpected and lingered, but the sweetness of the uni came through.

Chef Jesse Schenker | The Gander and Recette 

"BEC" Bacon, Egg, & Cheese | Sherry caramel pork belly, circulated chicken egg, buffalo taleggio, biscuit crumble, black pepper, chives

2014's Food Festival winner, Chef Jesse Schenker, brought forth a mix of modern and comfort in the form of a deconstructed bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Sherry caramel pork belly ate liked pulled pork with an unctuous richness. The circulated chicken egg and buffalo taleggio providing some additional substance to each bite. The crispy bite of the tiny biscuit provided great texture. 

Chef Christopher Coombs | Boston Urban Hospitality 

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup | Duck confit, four cheese grilled cheese

Chef Coombs showcased an engaging personality. Even better than his showmanship was his take on classic comfort food. A nice melange of muenster, cheddar, fontina, and Monterey Jack was sandwiched with duck confit between crisp, buttery bread. The bright acidity of the tomato soup provided the perfect countervailing element to each bite of grilled cheese. 

Chef Joseph "JJ" Johnson | The Cecil

Goat Dumpling | Peanut piri piri, micro cilantro

Harlem's undergone quite the transformation and Chef JJ is a perfect example of the progressive push. Known for his oxtail dumplings, the chef brought forth goat tonight. Not at all tough in texture, the goat was tender and moist within the delicate dumpling. The lingering heat was a nice element, with the micro cilantro adding some fresh celery-like notes.

Chef Kelvin Fernandez | La Marina

Crispy Arepa | Steak, lime-scented sour cream, creamy guacamole, pico de gallo, Cotija

Kelvin Fernandez may best be known as one of the few chefs to "Beat Bobby Flay," with his tasty take on arepas. But it's his innovative takes on Latin flavors that truly brings him center-stage. The crisp sweetness from the corn-based arepa was a tasty, textural delight. A hearty portion of moist shredded steak sat atop, along with well-seasoned guacamole. Levity came in the form of line-scented sour cream. I may have come back for another, or three. 

Chef Jason Pfeifer | Maialino

Broccoli-Parmesan soup, chicken liver Reuben sandwich

Chef Pfeifer's broccoli-parmesan soup may have looked simple, but it belied a surprising burst of flavor. The fresh broccoli was a nice complement to the sharp hit of salty Parm. This was paired with a crisp bite of a not-too-intense chicken liver sandwich.

Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli | Glass & Vine, Eating House 

Huitlacoche Hush Puppies | Crema fresca, Cotija, smoked ancho

One of the more interesting (and tasty!) bites of the night belonged to Chef Rapicavoli. The huitlacoche was nicely displayed in a crisp hush puppy, with a moist, earthy, creaminess within. This was accented by wonderful smoked ancho and a bracingly intense lime crema. What a burst of flavor!

Chef John Lasater | Hattie B's

Nashville Hot Chicken | Chicken roulade, pimento cheese grits, collard greens

Straight from famed Hattie B's, Chef Lasater's hot chicken was definitely another favorite. The juicy chicken roulade was encased by perfectly crispy chicken skin. But it's the addictive heat that's the star here. The intense mix of cayenne, chili, and paprika could not be denied and stealthily crept up on me! Even as a Korean who loves a good spicy stew, I was surprised at the beads of sweat that started to form. It wasn't enough to stop me from getting another though, especially when you've got some great collards and wonderfully textured pimento cheese grits to complement all that spice.

Chef Lasater agreed that hot chicken has really taken off over the past five years and noted that while there are plenty of other great joints (Prince's obviously comes to mind), Hattie B's is distinct in their devotion to scratch sides. In a nod to Kevin Sbraga, Lasater mentioned that he was hoping to steal away to try the Top Chef's iteration over at Fat Ham! 

Chef Aditi Malhotra | Tache Chocolate

A graduate of Glion Institute in Switzerland, pastry chef Aditi Malhotra is the CEO-founder of Tache Chocolate in NYC. She had numerous sinful, yet beautifully crafted delights on offer.

French Caramel Kiss | Apple Pie Truffles | Dark Grignotines | Beer Caramel |

Moroccan 5 Spice | Spiced Chai | Coconut & Watermelon

All were great, but some of my favorites included the kiss-shaped caramel, the apple pie truffle, and the coconut-watermelon! 

There were two awards to be given out at the end of the night. The Summit attendees used an app to vote for their favorite dish. This year's People's Choice Award went to Chef Coombs and his wonderful grilled cheese and tomato soup. Forbes Editor Randall Lane and Taylor & Isaac Hanson (yes, those Hansons!) delivered the judgment for the Judge's Choice Award, which went to Chef JJ and his creative goat dumpling! Congrats to Chef JJ and Coombs on their respective wins, and to all the Chefs for providing creative tastes for some of the world's most innovative minds.

Special thanks to Skai Blue Media and Forbes for the invitation!

2014 Best of Philly Bash Review

Courtesy of Yelp and Philly Magazine, I was provided with two tickets to this year's Best of Philly Bash. Complimentary drinks and tastes from some of the city's best restaurants? Set at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Phillies? You know I'll be there!

General Admission - $90 pp [6:30 - 9PM]

VIP - $150 pp [5 to 9PM]

Needless to say, there were a variety of sponsors on hand for an event of this magnitude. This included Mercedes-Benz, which offered comfortable lounge seating for VIPs who tired of alcohol and food. So anyone not me.

Despite the rain, you couldn't help but admire the fact that the stands weren't filled with fans - and not just because the Phillies did so poorly this season.

The Philly Phanatic was still on hand, dancing with guests and Ciroc girls alike, to the cover-band tunes of Speaker City.

Yellowtail was offering their wines, but there was also plenty of open bars throughout the stadium, offering Crown Royal, Ciroc-spiced snow cones, and fresh lemonade mixers.

Firefly
 

Firefly Moonshine was a big hit as well, offering several cocktails and shots to sample.

Bloody Mary

Jerry's Bar

Best City Brunch, 2014

  

Jerry's bar offered a standard, yet effective take on the Bloody Mary, complete with cocktail shrimp and cornichons.

Tuna Cornette 

Alma de Cuba

Best Girls Night Out, 2010

But really, it's all about the food for me. And while I'm a fan of Alma de Cuba, the tuna cornettes were a bit limp, though had decent seasoning. A sad nod to Thomas Keller's cornettes perhaps?

Ahi Tartare on Endive / Salmon with Yuzu

CoZara / Zama

Best Replacement for the Wall at the Palm, 2011  

The sister restaurants offered light fare, with the salmon being one of the GF's favorites.

Tuna with Black Sesame Cracker

Sbraga

 Best General Manager, 2014

The most refined dish was definitely from Sbraga - tuna was fresh and well seasoned, and the black sesame cracker offered nice texture. 

Mortadella, Cornichon, Frisee

Brahaus Schmitz

   Best Potato Pancakes, 2014

While Brahaus Schmitz won for best potato pancakes, they brought forth a mortadella salad, which had mustard seeds to make each bite pop. Still - I love me some latkes ... womp womp.

 Panzanella Salad with Summer Vegetables

Alla Spina

 Best Late-Night Happy Hour, 2013

Alla Spina offered a refreshing take on this classic Italian salad, replete with summer veggies and crisp house-made croutons.

 Naengmyun 

Cheu Noodle Bar

 Best Wings, 2014

Cheu Noodle Bar offered up what seemed to be a take on Korean neng myun - refreshing and light, with bits of tame kimchi to offer up some spice.

Thai Lettuce Wrap

Hip City Veg

Best Salad, 2012

 

Hip City Veg brought forth an even lighter bite, that was still substantial - wouldn't expect anything less.

Corn Sformatto

Garces Trading Company

Best Deep Dish Pizza, 2013 

  

GTC's corn sformatto was almost flan-like in consistency, with the sweet flavors of corn accented by the acidity of the tomato - really nice.

Ratatouille Soup, Goat's Milk Panna Cotta

Pub and Kitchen

 Best Gourmet Burger, 2014

Pub and Kitchen's ratatouille soup offered deep flavors, lightened up by the milk panna cotta beneath.

 Ceviche de Camarones

Distrito

 Best Mod Mexican Restaurant, 2010

Distrito's take on shrimp ceviche was fresh and had some bite to it.

Pan-Seared Pierogies, Brown Butter, Creme Fraiche

Aramark Pierogie Station

Surprisingly, Aramark was on hand and while they seemed to be missing the bacon lardons, the brown butter pierogie was on point - creamy and delicious. 

Iced Coffee

La Colombe

Best Liquid Breakfast, 1997

Despite not being a coffee drinker, La Colombe served as a great pick-me-up.

Pretzels and Dips

Philly Pretzel Factory

Best Soft Pretzel, 2008

Philly Pretzel factory was on hand to provide you with all your carbo-loading needs, replete with an abundance of different dips, including my favorite spicy - oh so spicy - mustard!

Pizza

Slice

Best Pizza, 2007 

The weakest offering of the night (if you can call it that) was from Slice - the pizza was cold and inedible - tasted like it was from 2007 - sorry, had to go there.

Tomato Pie

Santucci's

 

On the other hand, Santucci's tomato pie was divine. Despite being delivered from their restaurant, the pizza was hot and crusty, with the tang of the tomatoes providing a great foil for the thin layer of mozzarella beneath. I'm not going to lie - I might have had 3 of these.

 Meatball

Gennaro's Tomato Pie

Best New York Style Pizza, 2013 

Gernnaro's offered a moist meatball, topped with pecorino.

 Samosa, Chickpeas, Tamarind Chutney & Drums of Heaven

IndeBlue

 Best New Indian Restaurant, 2009

IndeBlue was definitely a favorite, offering a duo of their drums of heaven specialty and samosas. Well-spiced!

Shrimp Roll

Luke's Lobster

 Best Seafood on the Cheap, 2013

  

Luke's Lobster was a crowd favorite as well - the shrimp rolls were so buttery and the servers were machines, churning them out quickly, despite having one of the longest lines of the event.

Tasso, Granny Smith, Cheese, Crostini

Plenty Cafe

Best Ham Sandwich, 2014

Who can say no to tasso? The apple provided a nice balance for the cured ham.

Brisket Sausage Taco

Citron + Rose

Best Cocktail Suburbs, 2013

 

Citron + Rose's brisket sausage taco was creamy and rich.

Truffle Chicken Boudin, English Pea Puree, Sherry Vinegar 

Le Cheri

Best French Restaurant, 2014

   

Le Cheri showcased some technique with their offering - clean and light. 

Stone Fruit Parfait, Mascarpone, Almond

Matyson

Best Tasting Menu, 2014  

Moving on to the desserts of the night, Matyson had a stone fruit parfait, which was light, creamy, and sweet.

Fromage Blanc Raspberry Swirl

Shake Shack

   Best Milkshake, 2013

Shake Shack was on hand to offer up their rapsberry swirl custard - not overly sweet.

Ciroc was dishing out shades. Perhaps for the night's finale?

Bellies full and drinks imbibed, fireworks lit up the night as the event came to a close. So for 2015, if you're looking to get a taste of Philly's restaurant scene, what better way than to attend Philly Mag's Best of Philly Bash.

2014 Best of Philly Bash

Citizen's Bank Park

1 Citizens Bank Way 

Philadelphia, PA 19148

http://www.phillymag.com/bestofphilly/