Not your mom's PB&J

Philadelphia is famous for the cheesesteak, but we all know a sandwich can be so much more. Philadelphia Magazine recently ran a spread on 18 of the best sandwiches that Philadelphia has to offer. With my crew by my side, we decided to venture out on our own sandwich crawl. Our destinations: Jakes Sandwich Board and Paesano's. Below is a lineup of what we consumed.

JAKES:

Village Turkey: Slow roasted turkey breast, cherry wood smoked bacon, fresh argula, black cherry spread.

Mensch: 12 hour beef brisket, horseradish sauce, fried onions, melted provolone cheese

Fire Steak: Rib-eye steak, fire sauce, friend onions, mushrooms, provolone cheese, topped with a deep fried long hot

Farmers Market: Roasted eggplant, fresh grilled veggies, topped with cheddar cheese and a balsamic glaze reduction.

Sloppy Dog: Two deep fried hot dogs, fried onions, mushrooms, roasted peppers, cheddar cheese, spicy brown mustard, topped with french fries

Paesano's

Zawzeech: Sweet Italian Sausage, Carmelized Peppers and Onions, Sharp Prov

Gustaio: Roasted lamb sausage, sun dried cherry mostarda, gorgonzola, fennel

Panella: Sicilian Chic Pea Pancake, Roasted Tomato, Fennel, Godzuki


The Gustaio and the Mensch were my two favorites. I felt like they were well balanced and didn't go over the top with ingredients. All of these sandwiches were washed down with black cherry soda and plenty of it. After feeling like absolute shit, but in a good way, we ventured over to Memphis Taproom in fishtown for the annual Octoberfest. I tried a few interesting beers, some good, some dissapointing, but it was exactly what I needed after eating all that food. Grabbed some Russian River Consecration and some tempura green beans at Varga Bar to finish off the night.

Does anybody have any ideas for other food crawls??????? Plan it and let's go

Barbuzzo with lodes, the romanian, and my peach

Twice a year the city of Philadelphia provides it's residents with the opportunity to dine at the cities finest restaurants at a discounted price. Barbuzzo, a new Mediterranean inspired gem, recently popped up on 13th street. The owners, Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney, decided that Barbuzzo would be their first non-BYOB on their 13th street restaurant strip. The restaurant boasts an Italian marble bar/counter and a wall made rustic with a light blue barn door and a bunch of raw wooden scraps. A little side note here, while standing at the bar sipping on my vodka lemonade, I noticed a peculiar fella sitting to the left of me. Chase Utley!!!! OK, back to the important stuff. Basically for $35 each diner is given 4 choices, first course, app, entree, dessert. Simple. Unlike many restaurants, barbuzzo offered a myriad of choices that let you truly experience what the restaurant has to offer. For our first course, we ordered the chicken liver and foie gras mousse, a chickpea and garlic crostini and the sheep's milk ricotta with figs and grilled bread. The foie gras was good, the chickpea was eh, but the sheep's milk ricotta was mind blowing. Fresh ricotta is nothing like the shit you buy at the grocery store. Creamy, sweet,and perfect for spreading on grilled bread. I wanted to order a glass of wine before my next course and decided on a glass of barbera ricossa. Smooth tannic finish with a hint of spice, nice. I ordered the Gnoochi dish next. Soft pillows of magic floating around in truffle butter and mushrooms. Each bite made my eyes close and wish this experience would never end. I decided I would try the pizza for my entree. Roasted Tomatoes,Coteghino Sausage, and ethereal mounds of mozzarella. I have had pizza at Osteria, and this was just as good. Crispy thin crust and just the right amount of ingredients. I typically don't care much for dessert. I am usually too stuffed or drunk to fill my stomach with sweets, but on the tip of a fellow friend, I had to try the Salted Caramel Budino. Budino basically means "pudding" in italian. A small glass jar layered with chocolate cookies, butterscotch pudding, salted caramel and finished with a light whipped cream. Absolutely f*cking amazing! Barbuzzo was a hit, and I will be sure to return.

Fall = Food

The official start of fall is only a few weeks away, and as the air turns crisp, the delicate fruits and vegetables of the summer will give way to an autumnal bounty of apples, pumpkins, root vegetables and more. Hearty greens such as Brussels sprouts, nuts that reach their ripe age this time of year and cheeses that have been aging over the summer take center stage. Many of the fresh produce available in the fall months also reaps health benefits -- fruits and vegetables with dark, rich colors, such as kale and pomegranate, are often packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. Beer gets darker, soups get heartier, hot chocolate gets boozier and nights get colder. Fall is by far the greatest time of the year. Oh, and did I mention football......

Paesanos.........

Recently, a wave of small restaurants offering creative, innovative and sexy sandwiches have emerged on the dining scene. Paesanos comes to us from Peter McAndrews, chef and owner of the fabulous BYOB Modo Mio. I was in hipsterville a few weeks ago helping my dear friend Jill Purdy clear her backyard up so she could have her annual gin party. After cutting down bamboo for 2 hours, I decided to get some lunch. I walked a few short blocks and arrived at Paesano's. My first order of business was to try the Suckling Pig sandwich. Suckling pig is paesano's dressed up version of the classic roast pork. This is the sandwich that has been generating all the buzz. I scanned the menu and decided I wanted the Gustaio instead. The description read as...Lamb Sausage, Sour Cherry Mostarda, Gorgonzola, Arugula and Fennel. Not really a sandwich. It was rolled up in a torilla shell and crisped up on the grill. Very similiar to what the turks call a Durum Kebab. Absolutely fucking amazing. Spicy lamb sausage, peppery arugula, sharp gorgonzola, crunchy fennel, all toned down by the cherry mostarda. Grabbed two Hanks black cherry sodas and my day was complete. Paesano's offers a multitude of options and I promise to blog about each and every one. One a lighter note, they offer two tasty looking vegetarian options.

Food Porn

Big Earn McCracken

Today's beer post will shine some light on our less fortunate beers. The 2 or 3 followers that I have know that I am a complete beer snob. I hate miller light, I hate bud light, I can't stand the stupid commercials and all the bullshit that sometimes can ruin a football game for me. Although, on certain occasions, I will dumb down my palette and drink crap. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to PBR. PBR comes to us from your local bowling alley, biker bar, and beer pong table. For some reason, PBR is nostalgia in a can. When I go bowling, I will drink nothing else. They could be giving away Dom Perignon and bottles of Chateau Margeux and I will still choose the white and blue can. PBR was Clint Eastwood's beer of choice in Gran Torino. His character was an ex war veteran who didn't take shit from anybody. They wouldn't have him drinking miller or bud, that would make him look like a pussy. PBR evokes toughness.

Fall in a Bottle

Lately, I have been trying to get my hands on a few beers that I have heard great things about in the beer community. The Bruery in Placentia, California brews what they call Autumn Maple. From the name, I am sure you can conjure up what this beer is all about, but it's soo much more. Patrick Rue, the owner and brewmaster of The Bruery, wanted to do a pumpkin beer, but didn't want to follow the norm. This seems to be the motto at The Bruery. They typically take classic styles and modernize them. I love innovation! Instead of using pumpkin, he took another classic fall treat, sweet potato pie and through that shit right into the brew kettle. Yams, Molasses, Maple Syrup, Vanilla and fall spices! The beer pours a deep brownish amber color with a very unique, almost caramel colored head. Tilt the glass and sniff. One of the most floral drinks I have ever smelled in my life. The first smell I picked up was the molasses and spice. Yams don't have much of a smell to begin with, but this beer really has a faint sweet potato pie smell. It's far and away the best fall beer I have ever had. At 10% alcohol, I was expecting much more kick, but that is the difference between a great brewer and a place like Iron Hill. The alcohol is present, but great brewers find a way to mask it. Think Grey Goose vs. Popov Vodka. I picked this up at Landis Market in Wayne, PA. It's a shithole, but they have great beer. Tune in next time beer cronies