Hickory Lane American Bistro Review

Despite having lived in the area for the past four years, the GF and I haven't explored the North Fairmount area as much as I'd like. And after having recently visited Hickory Lane for a double date with Geo's Table (the Hickory Lane burger was ridiculously good!), I knew a return trip was in order! So when my folks were in town, we stopped by to enjoy brunch al fresco. 

Eggs Benedict [$12]

My dad went with a classic, cooked perfectly. The poached eggs oozed yolk all over the thick-cut Canadian bacon and toasted English muffin, with the acidic richness of the hollandaise bringing it over the top. Breakfast potatoes were spot on - hearty, well-seasoned, and interspersed with onions and peppers. 

Pork Belly Benedict [$13]

I'm only realizing this now, but why the heck would you not get the pork belly benedict when it's only a dollar more. Huge, hefty hunks were well crisped and yielded tender, unctuous pork within. Instead of English muffin, the poached eggs were atop brioche, which added a buttery richness to each bite, cut somewhat by the pickled red onion. Easily one of my favorite brunch dishes in the city. 

California Grilled Chicken Club [$15]

Smoked bacon, avocado salsa, honey dijon, greens, Heirloom tomato, Le Bus bread

My mom's tastes are simpler, but her grilled chicken club wasn't any less delicious. Juicy chicken had a good crisp and the avocado salsa and honey dijon worked really well to create a flavorful bite. She tends to eat healthy (how are we related?), so that just meant I got extra bacon with my meal. Accompanying fries were spot on - crisp, slightly greasy, and delicious.

Tex Mex Plato [$12]

Chilaquiles, spicy sausage, cilantro, salsa rojo, poached eggs, chipotle hollandaise, queso fresco

The kitchen's headed up by Chef Frank Martinez, who clearly executes New American well. The GF was able to enjoy some of his Latin American background with this perfect chilaquiles. The fried tortilla still had texture, but soaked up plenty of the salsa rojo, with bits of spicy sausage and queso studded throughout. And once the poached egg and hollandaise was dripping down the chilaquiles, I was completely sold. Hickory Lane has the perfect hangover cure. 

Stone Ground Bacon Grits [$7]

Likely mounted with an entire stick of butter, these cheddar grits were amazingly rich. And topped with crisp bacon, even the belly of this pig was satiated with the amount of bacon and pork consumed on this day.

So if you're looking for another brunch spot and definitely if you're in the Fairmount area, I'd head over to Hickory Lane. And in case you're interested in walking off the meal, it's right next to Eastern State Penitentiary! 

El Rey Review

This is for a series of posts for Stephen Starr restaurants including:
Alma de Cuba, Barclay Prime, Butcher and Singer, Continental Midtown & Martini Bar, The Dandelion, El Rey, El Vez, Jones, Parc, Pizzeria Stella, Route 6 [1], Route 6 [2], & Square Burger.

One of our favorite places to get Mexican food in Philly is Stephen Starr's El Vez. So it's no surprise that El Vez's sister restaurant, El Rey, offers similar tastes executed in prototypical Starr fashion, along with a speakeasy in the form of the Ranstead Room out back.

The GF and I stopped by for their lunch special, which features chips and salsa as well as appetizer and an entree for less than $10! Pretty much a steal, especially in the business district. So let's get on with it - and apologies for the cell phone pics!

Comida Corrida "Fast Lunch" [$9.99 pp]

Freshly fried chips came with salsa verde and roja with some kick. Nothing wrong with this! 

Nachos  
Chorizo, chihuaha cheese, black beans, pickled jalapeno, habanero-mint salsa
  

The nacho app was a veritable melange of smoky, spicy chorizo, hearty black peans, and some more of those fresh tortilla chips. There was plenty of Mexican cheese with some pickled japalenos and habanero-mint salsa to provide acid and kick to each bite. 

Esquites 
Warm corn salad, habanero butter
  

The Mexican street corn salad was nice. The sweet corn had some bite to it, while the habanero butter provided some spice, which was tempered by the fresh tomatoes.

Enchiladas Mineras
Red salsa, chicken, potato, carrots, lettuce, cream, queso fresco
 

The GF's enchiladas were great with moist chunks of chicken interspersed throughout a creamy and hearty mix of potato, carrots, and cheese. There was some nice smokiness from the red sauce as well.

Carne y Huevos 
Grilled steak, potatoes, peppers, sunny-side up egg, asada salsa 
  

On this particular day, there was a steak and eggs special so I went with that. It came with 6 corn tortillas and a perfectly seared and well-seasoned medium-rare steak. The fried egg on top added some richness, while the accompanying potatoes were nicely crisp. The asada salsa tied everything together. 

So if you're looking for a lunch-time deal or some Mexican fare to tie you over with drinks during Happy Hour, I'd check out El Rey. It's essentially a more casual version of the always hopping El Vez.

Steel Cactus Review

This is for a 2015 trip to Pittsburgh including: 

The Commoner, Hotel Monaco, Meat & Potatoes, Primanti Brothers, Steel Cactus, and Waffles Incaffeinated.

Before a night at Mario's in Southside, we decided to get together with a group of friends to grab some Mexican fare.

With another location in Shadyside, the Southside outpost of Steel Cactus opened up less than a year ago.

Paloma [$8]

Sauza Blue Silver 100% Agave tequila, grapefruit soda 

I started off with one of my favorites - the paloma. Unfortunately, either the grapefruit soda was on its last leg of effervescence or it was simply grapefruit juice. That made for one sad drink. I didn't have the heart to send it back because the size of our party kept increasing so we had to move tables three times (completely our fault!).

Mexican Mule [$9]

Hornitos reposado tequila, ginger beer, muddled limes 

The GF's tipple was better, with a nice Mexican take on the omnipresent mule. This was subtly sweet, with a bit of herbaceousness and spicy kick from the ginger. Nice.

Dip Trio [$11]

Pineapple salsa, queso dip, traditional guacamole

We started with the dip trio, which featured a choice of salsa (we went with pineapple), guacamole, and queso. The salsa was light, sweet, tomato forward, and had a hint of spice from the jalapeno. The queso was luscious with the essence of Dos Equis Amber added in. The traditional guacamole was light, with the addition of cucumber.

Pulled Chicken Tacos [$10.99]

Spanish rice, beans

The GF went with the pulled chicken tacos, which were moist and came with your choice of flour or corn tortillas. She went gringo style, which means it was topped with lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese. Mexican style is the other option, which features cilantro, onion, and grated cheese. The accompanying Spanish rice had some kick. The black beans were tender and came with melted cheese on top.

Pork Belly Tacos [$12.75]

Tequila BBQ, spicy red cabbage slaw, radish sticks 

   

My pork belly tacos weren't up to snuff unfortunately. I enjoyed the tequila glaze which cut through some of the heft of the pork, but the belly was tough and only slightly thicker than thin-sliced bacon. The spicy red cabbage slaw was nice though.

 

Our server was lovely, but our order was messed up multiple times. It's possible it was a kitchen error and not the server. Overall, I've had better Mexican, though admittedly I'm not sure what level of Mexican fare is actually available in the Steel City.

Lucha Cartel Review

The GF's parents stopped by this past October for a visit and after walking around the Old City area for a spell, we stopped by Lucha Cartel for some lunch.

This particular location has had some high turnover rates over the past few years, but with nearby National Mechanics taking over, perhaps Lucha Cartel will have better luck. 

The decor is eclectically Mexican with Dia de los Muertos masks and luchador masks all around.

As a sister restaurant, they seem to use the same glassware as National Mechanics. 

To satiate your spice needs, they've got several varieties of hot sauce on offer, including El Yucateco. 

Guacamole [$9]
 

We started off with the guac, which was creamy and had some queso fresco tossed on top. Still, it lacked flavor - I could not taste the lime or salt at all. A huge disc of fried tortilla was on top to offer some differing textures from the fresh-made chips.

Lucha Nachos [$10] + Chicken [$4]
Chips, jalapenos, monterey jack, chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema

The GF went with the chicken nachos. This was hefty and easily fed all of us. Fresh tortilla chips provided the foundation for cheese, jalapenos, pico de gallo, and guac. Not bad if you're looking for an app to share with some drinks.

Chorizo Burger [$11]
Chorizo, angus beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, queso frito, avocado, pickle, fries
  

I went with the chorizo burger, which surprisingly wasn't overly greasy. There was a nice hit of salt from the queso and creaminess from the avocado. Still, the burger could have been juicier and I felt like something was missing. The accompanying fries were decent, but could have been crispier.

Overall, there are better Mexican offerings in the city - whether you're looking for in South Philly, Fairmount, or in Midtown Village. But if you're in Old City and you're craving some margs, nachos, and guac, Lucha Cartel has got you covered.

Jose Pistola's Review

A while back, a few of us stopped by Jose Pistola's for some drinks and tacos. It's located near the Avenue of the Arts area and has several floors and dim lighting. Noting that there was quite a bit of pork belly on the menu, I didn't exactly restrain myself. So, I ordered every darn item that contained my favorite ingredient. But first, let's start with a drink. And I do apologize for the dimly-lit phone pics!

Pear Mojito [$8.50] [$7.73]

I was on a mojito kick at the time and while I appreciated that this wasn't overly sweet, the mint essence was particularly weak and the drink as a whole tasted a bit watered down. While the menu listed this at $8.50, I was charged a bit less - HH prices perhaps?

Short Rib Nachos [$13]
Mexican cheese blend, crema, tomato, refried pinto beans, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, onion 
 

We started off with some short rib nachos to share - a bed of crispy homemade nachos, with a hefty portion of short ribs, pickled onions, jalapenos, cotija, and crema on top. Nice.

Tortilla Soup [$6]
Pasilla chicken broth, pulled chicken, avocado, crema, queso fresco

The GF was feeling some tortilla soup, which was surprisingly served table side. It featured a dark pasilla chicken broth with great depth. Texture came in the form of crunchy tortilla strips, with moist pulled chicken accented by the pasilla. The creaminess of the avocado and crema helped to provide even more richness to each bite.

Pork Belly Sopes [$8]
Beans, crema, cilantro, onion, salsa borracha 
 

I did promise pork belly so here's the first dish. I'm typically not a sopes fan because I find them a bit dry. The thick fried masa discs were surprisingly moist, but still a bit heavy and needed more acid to brighten them up. The thick slabs of pork belly were nice and gluttonous though. While the pickled onions, the drunken salsa, radish, and ciltanro helped to provide some balance, the dish ate a bit on the leaden side. 

Pork Belly Tamale [$6]
Tomatillo sauce
  

As a special, the pork belly tamale was on offer. So I got that too. The masa was a bit thick here as well - so much so that I could barely detect the pork belly from the masa! The tomatillo sauce helped to provide some brightness to each bite along with the pickled red onions. 

Pork Belly Tacos [$9]
Beans, crema, cilantro, onion, salsa borracha 
 

On the other hand, the pork belly tacos redeemed Jose Pistola's. Crisp, thick slabs of pork belly melted in your mouth and were balanced by the sharpness of the radish and the brightness of that drunken salsa and cilantro. Now this is how pork belly should be served!

Overall, Jose Pistola's is a decent bet near the theater district - service was especially good. Do try the pork belly tacos and get the short rib nachos. If you've got a hankering for soup, don't hesitate to try the tortilla soup.

Animo Juice: Philly Review

If you're working in Center City and looking for some good lunch grub, Animo will certainly fit the bill.

Juices, salads, and burritos are on offer here and there's enough seating in this clean and quaint space. 

The burritos are good, but I say the best bet to get an even heftier fill is to go down the path of a burrito bowl.

Pork Fajita Burrito Bowl ($9.50)
Pork, rice, beans, roasted veggies, guacamole, cheese

Animo was out of steak, so I went with the pork fajita. The pork had good flavor and was well seasoned. Hearty beans had bite and were not mushy at all, with the fresh grilled peppers and caramelized onions adding richness to each bite. The creamy guacamole had a nice acidity from the lime. They must have forgot to add cheese on mine unfortunately. Blue corn chips were a nice accompaniment.

Chicken Haight & Ashbury Bowl ($10)
Chicken, rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese 
  

The GF went with the chicken bowl, which had a nice melange of moist protein and a similar mix of beans and rice. In place of roasted veggies, her order had sour cream and she actually did receive cheese. A nice creamy mix for each bite.

So if you're looking for good eats during your workday in Center City, Animo is a good bet. 

 http://www.animojuice.com/ 

La Calaca Feliz Review

Having moved to the Fairmount area, one of the places I was excited to finally try was La Calaca Feliz. Chef-owner Tim Spinner's debut restaurant was well-deserved after years of cooking alongside Iron Chef Jose Garces at El Vez (coincidentally one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Center City). It received three bells from Craig La Ban to boot! And so on a bright sunny day, the GF and I stopped by for some proper Mexican fare.

The space was larger than initially expected, with a great outdoor space in the back - perfect for lively parties. If it's nice enough, do get a space outside for a somewhat al fresco experience. 

Chiquita Margarita [$12]
Skinny margarita, espolon blanco, fresh lime juice, cointreau
  

As expected, go with the margaritas here - even the GF's skinny version was good. Not overly sweet or tart, the mellow flavors were accentuated by the cointreau.

Stagger Lee [$9]

Bourbon, honey, pineapple, jalapeno

I was on a bourbon kick, so went with the Stagger Lee - as weak as the rapper unfortunately - almost to the point of tasting like water. The jalapeno added some spicy freshness, but I felt like the tipple could have used some lime. Stick with the margs!

Guacamole Traditional [$9.95]
Avocado, tomato, jalapeno, onion 

The traditional guac was fresh and had nice hints of jalapeno and lime. Nothing as spectacular as El Vez, but certainly a decent iteration. It was served with house-made chips and a pat of salsa, which was unfortunately a bit bland and tempered.

Pulpo a la Parilla [$9.95]
Octopus, achiote, crispy chocoyotes

On the other hand, the octopus was great. The char from the grill was evident and lent itself nicely to the pulpo. The well-seasoned crust surrounded the tender pulpo. The crispy gnocchi offered similar textural contrasts and the radish and cilantro helped to provide some freshness to each bite.

Asparagus Tlayuda [$10.95] with Fried Egg [+ $1]
Asparagus, truffle, poblano, jalapeno, requeson, queso mixto, manchego bechamel

The Mexican 'pizzette' provided some traditional flavors of truffle, asparagus, topped with a fried egg. The bechamel helped to add some creaminess to each bite of the crispy tortilla.

Chorizo Tacos [$10.95]
Mexican sausage, baby potato, onion, cilantro, salsa verde

At this point, the manager, Zach, stopped by with some complimentary chorizo tacos. When showcased as the primary protein, I typically find chorizo to be overly greasy. But these were delicious, with the baby potatoes soaking up the grease and spice. The condiments helped to provide some acidity and herbaceousness.

Carnitas Tacos [$10.95]
Pulled pork, salsa roja, onions, cilantro, avocado

The GF went with the carnitas, which were moist and pure pork flavor. The fresh avocado wedges added some rich creaminess and the corn tortillas were fresh. Do get these!

Pork Belly Tacos [$11.95]
Soy chili glaze, avocado, pickled onions, cucumber 

And of course, I had to get the pork belly tacos. The vinegar-based slaw provided the perfect counterbalance for the creamy avocado and sweet, soy-based sauce glaze on the crisp bits of pork belly.

After a somewhat slow start with my drink and salsa, I'm glad the meal picked up. La Calaca Feliz is on point with its tacos and from the execution of its pulpo, I'm excited to try some of the other menu items in the future. It's clear there's a reason Tim Spinner's spot is popular with the Fairmount crowd.

www.lacalacafeliz.com