Pat's Pizza & Pasta South Street

If you've been as invested in the pizza landscape as I've been over the years (trust: many Friday & Saturday's spent ordering delivery), you've naturally seen some iteration of Pat's on the East Coast. And interestingly enough, the majority of these shops are family enterprises! The history extends back to the 1970s in Jersey, when three enterprising cousins began Pat's Pizza. As the family itself expanded, siblings and cousins became owners of separate branches, with each individual making it their own. 

South Street was graced with a Pat's a little over a year ago and it's already becoming popular with folks popping in to grab a few slices or ordering in. I recently had the opportunity to check out their menu, and it definitely features more than just pizza. 

Boneless Wings | Buffalo Chicken Calzone | Tortelloni Alfredo | Mozzarella Sticks

A standard order for me includes boneless wings (boneless to cater to the wife!). Pat's did not disappoint. I appreciated the crispness of the batter, encasing juicy morsels of fresh chicken. Loved the vinegar emanating from the mild buffalo sauce - perfect to dunk in sauce studded with chunks of blue cheese. A guilty pleasure of mine? Buffalo chicken calzones. The medium-sized calzone at Pat's will easily service 3 or more, oozing plenty of cheese and chunks of buffalo chicken. The sleeper hit at Pat's and an absolute must? The pastas. Do check out the tortelloni or the fettucine alfredo. That sauce is pure decadence, redolent with plenty of cheese and begging for you to mop it all up with bread. And yes, mozzarella sticks are solid here at Pat's ... gooey, crispy, and served with the requisite marinara. 

Pat's Special Burger

Pat's special burger is housed in a Le Bus bun, airy and light. The burger itself is char-grilled and juicy, topped with onion rings, crisp bacon, and plenty of American cheese. Tasty! 

Large Pepperoni Pizza

Circular and square slices are both available at Pat's. A crisp crust offers a vessel to house sweet marinara and cheese. Studded with plenty of pepperoni, this hit the spot. 

So if you get a chance, be sure to check out Pat's on South Street. The appetizers are on point (no freezer burn here) and in addition to wings & pizza, you'd be remiss if you didn't check out some of the pastas on the menu! 

FTC Disclaimer: Thanks to Pat's South Street for inviting us in. Regardless, my opinions are mine alone and, therefore, unbiased.

Pat's Pizza & Pasta
1410 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 790-7287
https://www.patspizzapasta.com/

Santucci's Pizza Review [2]

Until I received a menu in my mailbox, I never realized Santucci's had opened up an outpost on North Broad. Better yet, stamped on the front was a note saying they could deliver their delicious square pies right to my door. So it literally took just a day for me to place my first order to see how their pies would stand up to delivery. 

Fried Mozzarella w/ Marinara [ $7]

The GF and I are big fans of their homemade fried mozzarella sticks. Huge chunks of fresh mozzarella were expertly fried in Italian bread crumbs and held up well to delivery. The marinara wasn't overly sweet and clearly housemade as well. 

6 Garlic Parmesan Wings [$7.10]

The garlic parm wings were well-cooked - crisp and juicy. They were slathered in garlic butter and studded with plenty of salty parm. 

Chicken Fingers w/ Hand-Cut Fries [$9]

The GF and I love the fact that all of Santucci's dishes are homemade. So we knew the chicken fingers would be legit. They were juicy and well-seasoned, though unfortunately a bit limp rather than crispy due to the extra steaming in the takeout box. Similarly, the hand-cut fries were limp as well, but still tasty. The accompanying stone-ground honey mustard was killer though - I could drink it for days. 

Large "The Works" Square Pizza [$19]

Extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, onions 

But the star of the show? Perfect. Ten rectangular slices of heaven awaited us upon delivery. The crisp and lightly buttery dough was topped with plenty of cheese, toppings, and Santucci's marinara. 

So if you live in the Fairmount area, don't forget to hit up Santucci's if you've got a hankering for a proper tomato slice. Keep in mind though - cash only! 

Dolce Carini Review [2]

Dolce Carini is one of my favorite spots to order pizza. Well-seasoned crust and an abundance of homemade sauce and fresh cheese - what's not to love? So on a lazy weekend, I decided to order in and check out their Sicilian pies. 

Sicilian Pizza with Pepperoni [$18.40]

Dolce Carini's take on the Sicilian was better than most in Philly. While the crust could have been more buttery and the dough a bit more pillowy, the cheese and toppings more than made up for it. 

And that sauce is unreal - subtly sweet and clearly homemade. 

California Burger [$6.55]
Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, crispy onion rings
 

The GF was more in the mood for a burger, so left me with the entire pie to gorge on (I kid, there were a few slices leftover). Her burger was "healthy," replete with a fresh and juicy turkey burger, an abundance of mayo, lettuce, tomato, and a crispy onion ring. Not bad! 

Boneless Buffalo Wings [$13.95]
Mild, 25 pieces
  

Their boneless wings aren't on par with Lazos as they were a bit limp, but the chicken was juicy. We went with mild buffalo sauce, which ate slightly sweet. 

Fried Zucchini [$6.90] 

Do try the fried zucchini, which were fresh, well-breaded, and nicely seasoned. These were not at all greasy and came with a pat of their housemade marinara for dipping. 

Garlic Bread [$2.50]

I was also in the mood for garlic bread. Sadly, what Dolce Carini serves is more akin to garlic breadsteaks. These had too much crunch and emanated garlic seasoning more than actual garlic. 

Overall, Dolce Carini is still one of my favorites for pizza. If you're looking to branch out though, their turkey burger is decent and their fried zucchini are event better! 

Tsuki Sushi Review

It was weekday night and the GF and I weren't in the mood to cook. So we hopped on our local delivery app and decided to order up some sushi. We had not tried Tsuki yet, so figured we'd give them a try. Delivery was 15 minutes earlier than the estimated 45 minutes so that was a +1 from the start! 

Sushi Regular [$15.95]
Salad, sushi or 7 pieces of nigiri, California roll 

We decided to get a regular sushi combo, which came with salad, sushi or nigiri, and a California roll. 

Salad

The salad was fairly standard, but fresh, with crisp cucumbers, Romaine, and shredded carrots. The prototypical ginger dressing was on hand as well. 

Tuna Nigiri
 

We asked for tuna and salmon nigiri and Tsuki obliged. The rice was perfect - lightly vinegared and slightly warm despite delivery, with fresh fish on top. Nothing wrong here! 

Salmon Nigiri
 

The salmon was creamy and fatty - really hit the spot! 

California Roll
 

I typically eschew these, but the GF loves the clean flavors of the California roll. Creamy from the abundant avocado and lightly crisp from the cucumber and imitation crab, these were better than most! 

3 Roll Special [$11.95]
 

I love a sushi place that offers 3 roll specials. And at less than $4 a roll, Tsuki has got you covered at a bargain to boot! 

Yellowtail Scallion

The standard yellowtail scallion roll was decent, with plenty of meaty yellowtail, though the scallion did not come through at all. 

Spicy Tuna Roll
 

The spicy tuna roll was only slightly spicy, but there was plenty of minced tuna within. 

Sweet Potato Roll
 

We always need to order a sweet potato roll to satiate our sweet tooth (teeth?). Sadly, these weren't our favorite iteration. The sweet potato was still starchy and the texture was disappointing, without any crunch. 

Volcano Roll [$8.95]
Tempura rice, spicy tuna, special sauce

I felt the need to be extra gluttonous so ordered a specialty roll. The volcano roll was a bit soggy for having tempura rice, but when you have a roll drenched in special sauce for delivery, it's almost to be expected. If you're looking for Americanized sushi flavors, this will hit the spot. 

Overall, I'd order from Tsuki again - sticking with nigiri and standard rolls. For obvious reasons though, Tsuki cemented my theory that you can't expect good sushi unless you're dining in.

Dim Sum & Noodle Review

While walking to Wawa one night, the GF and I noticed that there was a new Asian restaurant next door. Little did we know that it was Sang Kee Noodle House's new sister restaurant! Sang Kee's a stalwart of West Philly and the owners have recently expanded into Fairmount with this new offering, which features Cantonese style food, which is less spicy and likely more associated with "Chinese food" for those with a Western palate.

Dan Dan Noodles [$5.95]
Chili peanut sauce

Had to try the dan dan noodles, because ... they're dan dan noodles. Han Dynasty these are not. Not to say that Dim Sum & Noodle's weren't satisfying, but compared to the spicy caramelized minced pork and the toothsome and chewy noodles at Han Chiang's establishment, these were not up to par. Still, there was a bit of heat from the chili peanut sauce, which is more immersed into the noodles than coating them. There were some crisp julienned cucumber slices that helped cool off any heat from each bite.

Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings [$4.95]

The pork dumplings were great and had a nice gluttonous chew along with some crisp texture from the pan frying. The pork inside was juicy and well-seasoned. 

Crispy Garlic Wings [$5.95]
 

The crispy garlic wings are a must order in my mind. A lacquered, glassy texture on the outside of the wing yielded to juicy chicken. The sweet chili sauce was a nice accompaniment. 

Shrimp Fried Rice [$9.95]

The GF loved the shrimp fried rice, which had a ton of succulent, snappy shrimp. The pineapple imparted additional sweetness to balance the savoriness of the rice. 

General Tso's Chicken [$13.95]
 

You'll find this dish on almost all Americanized Chinese food restaurant menus. Dim Sum & Noodle's iteration is the version all of these restaurants should strive for. In fact in Philly, the only one that comes even close is Square on Square. The chicken was crisp on the outside and revealed juicy white chicken breast within. The sweet and spicy sauce on the outside didn't overwhelm the chicken and the accompanying broccoli florets weren't overly blanched. 

Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly [$10.95]
Aged egg, Baby bok choy
 

Dim Sum & Noodle has a pork belly dish. I repeat. Dim Sum & Noodle has a pork belly dish. And it is stellar. Braised in sweet soy, the unctuous fatty chunks of pork belly were plentiful and had a nice crisp on the outside. A soy-marinated soft boiled egg and some baby bok choy also accompanied this dish, but it's all about that pork belly. This will always be a part of any takeout order from Dim Sum & Noodle in my mind. 

So if you're in the Fairmount area, eschew all other Chinese food restaurants and get your butts over to Dim Sum & Noodle. Make sure you order the crispy garlic wings and try some of that pork belly! 

Dim Sum & Noodle
2000 Hamilton St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.dimsumandnoodle.com/

King of Tandoor Review

Living in the Fairmount area affords a random sampling of various cuisines. Case in point - King of Tandoor. They offer a decent foray into Indian cuisine with affordable prices, though in an 80's-esque atmosphere. Regardless, it's a great place for takeout - so recently, I indulged in a few of their dishes through Eat24, which seems to be a great new way to order delivery.

Garlic Naan [$2.75]

You can't help but get some naan. King of Tandoor's garlic naan was light, with hints of garlic. It was perfect for the variety of chutneys that they provide. 

From left to right, the plum chutney was subtly sweet, with hints of spice. A great cooling element for the other two chutneys. The onion chutney provided a sharp bite, with heat that starts on the tongue which eventually moves to the back of the throat. The lime chutney has a sweet heat that was definitely my favorite. 

Vegetable Samosa [$3.50]

Samosas are another must order and these didn't disappoint. The melange of potatoes, cumin, peas, and carrots offered a hearty bite which contrasted nicely with the crispy texture of the outer shell. 

They also offer a ground lamb samosa which I didn't get to try on this visit.

Poori Bhajee [$4.25]
Fried chickpeas, light fluffy bread
  

For less than $5, you can indulge in a delicious fried chutney, nicely stewed with tomatoes and and spice.

It comes accompanied with "fluffy" bread to dip in the chickpea stew. It's  a bit greasy and actually heavier than the naan.

Motor Paneer [$10.95]
Fried homemade cheese, peas
  

Paneer is a favorite of mine. The light homemade cheese came in huge chunks amidst the stewed peas which had a nice medium heat to it. The buttery rice was simply melt-in-your-mouth and completely light.

Ultimately, King of Tandoor offers a safe bet for comforting and affordable Indian cuisine. It's great to know that the Fairmount area has a wide variety of offerings on hand and for myself, it's just steps away.

Kabuki Sushi Review

On a random weekend night, the GF and I felt checking out another Philly sushi spot for delivery. We settled upon Kabuki Sushi. 

Sushi Regular Entree [$15.95]

Seven pieces of assorted sushi, California roll, miso soup, house salad

With the sushi regular entree, we received some miso soup, which was fairly standard - briny with bits of tofu and scallion within. The house salad came with some tomatoes, Iceberg lettuce, and julienned strips of carrot, along with some of that prototypical ginger dressing. 

From left to right, we had fatty white tuna (I know it's bad for you, but I love it!), meaty yellowtail, snappy striped bass, fatty salmon, fresh tuna, and a California roll. The rice was lightly warm and had a sweet vinegary seasoning that didn't overpower the fish. Not bad for delivery! 

 

Philadelphia Roll [$5.25]

Smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado

I love a good Philly roll and this didn't disappoint. Basically bagels and lox without the cure, the fattiness of the salmon, avocado, and cream cheese obviously went well together. 

New York Roll [$12.95]

Spicy salmon, tuna crunchy, avocado roll, topped with spicy tuna, salmon, flying fish roe, scallion, wasabi sauce.  

Their specialty NY roll was a contrast in spicy salmon, which was cooled off by the creamy avocado. I appreciated the crunch of the tuna and the briny pop of masago. 

Volcano Roll [$9.95]

Tempura rice roll topped with spicy tuna, chef's sauce

The volcano roll was especially gluttonous and overdone with mayo on top of the spicy tuna. Americanized sushi exemplified. 

Sweet Potato Roll [$4.95] 

You know we had to order our standard sweet potato roll. Sadly, the sweet potato was still a bit starchy and the tempura crunch was just not there. 

Overall, the nigiri were good at Kabuki, especially for delivery. But there were a few misses as well. Still, if you're looking for takeout or delivery, I'd give them a try - the order got to our door within 30 minutes! 

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.