Give me Zama that sushi

I was first introduced to sushi at age 11.  A once semi-picky-eater, I refused to eat any type of fish whatsoever, and I would separate the seaweed from the rice before eating my sushi.  I'm not quite sure when my affinity toward fish (and especially raw fish) developed, but over the past decade, sushi has become one of my preferred dishes.  I've eaten sushi around the world: in Israel, China, the Caribbean, in various European cities... and of course, all over the US of A. 


There are a number of sushi places that I frequent in Philadelphia, but my favorite is hands down a small restaurant in Rittenhouse called Zama.  I was first introduced to Zama in the summer of 2010 and in the past year, I think I've eaten there about half a dozen times.  I've also recommended Zama to countless friends and to my knowledge, no one has left unhappy.  


One staple of any Japanese restaurant is the edamame.  It's not hard to make (anyone can buy frozen edamame in the supermarket, steam them, and sprinkle some sea salt on) and I don't know that I've ever had edamame that's really superior to other edamame.  Zama has a cool twist on this class dish: it offers flavored salts that you can put onto your edamame.  In my career as a Zama eater, I usually order the wasabi sea salt because I like the kick that the wasabi gives the edamame.  In my most recent visit, however, my dining partner and I chose the Edamame with yuzu salt, something that I probably wouldn't have thought to order on my own.  Yuzu is a traditional Japanese citrus and the taste definitely came through in the edamame.  The pods had a nice combination of salt 'n' sour and tasted like a slightly more intense line had been squeezed onto the hot green beans.  

Yuzu sea salt edamame

After we finished our edamame, the array of sushi that we ordered arrived.  All of the sushi was fresh and delicious.  The shitake maki was just as I expected.  The shitake mushroom is a sweet and chewy mushroom, more like a gummy than other mushrooms.  I find that it's a great maki to get when you order others with lots of flavor because the mushroom tends to act as a palate cleanser.  

Shitake maki

Our second maki was a super crunchy salmon maki.  This maki was also available with tuna or yellowtail, but we chose salmon because... well... we like it the best.  The aspect of the dish that makes it "super crunchy" are the little balls that tasted like a mixture of Rice Crispy cereal and rice cakes that layered the outside of the rice.  The super crunch salmon roll was definitely super crunchy.  In fact, I thought that the crunch was genius because its texture balanced out the tenderness of the raw salmon perfectly, while its bland taste didn't distract from the salmon at all.  

Super crunchy salmon roll

Next up was the classica salmon avocado maki.  This is my absolute favorite maki that Zama offers.  I would equate it to the smoothness of butter, but it's actually completely different.  Yes, the salmon avocado roll melts in your mouth and rolls down your tongue through your throat seamlessly, but butter leaves you feeling heavy and bloated after eating it, whereas the salmon avocado roll does not.  It's perfection in a roll.  

Salmon avocado roll

Next to the salmon avocado roll sat the impressive and somewhat intimidating yellowtail jalapeno mango maki.  As a lover of jalapeno, I imagine they use large jalapenos in this maki because the pepper wasn't at all hot, which was a little bit of a disappointment as I was looking forward to having sushi with a kick.  Additionally, as a fish, yellowtail doesn't exude much flavor.  It's mild and not very fishy at all, which was great for this roll because the mango, which added a nice crunch, definitely took over.  If you aren't a fan of mango flavor, this isn't the roll for you.  But, if you're an adventurous sushi-er, I give you my blessing to go for it! 

Yellowtail jalapeno mango maki

Our final maki was the classic Philadelphia roll.  The Philadelphia roll consists of [Philadelphia] cream cheese (hence the name), cucumber, and smoked salmon.  In my opinion, cream cheese in sushi is brilliant.  The creaminess of the dairy and the thickness of the rice blend together in a beautiful way that my tongue enjoys.  Plus, in my mind (and according to the rules of Jewish food), cream cheese and smoked salmon are meant to be.  The Philadelphia roll is a must for any sushi lover, especially when eating in Philadelphia.  

Philadelphia roll

Even though we were stuffed by the end of our sushi marathon, my dinner date and I couldn't resist ordering dessert... especially once we heard that all desserts at Zama are mini and guests get three to a plate.  After a lot of deliberation we settled on the Yuzu Creme Brulee, the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding, and the Strawberry Marscapone Cream Cake.  The creme brulee was similar to a passion fruit creme brulee.  It had a custard made from yuzu and caramelized sugar on top.  The double chocolate bread pudding is as it sounds: warm, chocolatey, and brownie-like.  The final and most interesting dessert was the strawberry marscapone cream cake.  Strawberry was definitely the most prominent flavor of the small cake.  The "strawberry" was sandwiched between whipped cream on top and sponge cake on the bottom.  It had a good ratio of plain to extremely flavorful content. 

(l-r) Yuzu creme brulee, Strawberry marscapone cream cake, Double chocolate bread pudding

As always, Zama was a delight.  The service was great, the ambiance serene, and the food superb.  There are countless sushi spots throughout Philadelphia, but if you find yourself hungry in Rittenhouse, I highly recommend stopping in for a roll or two... or three or four.  


Visit Zama: 
(215) 568-1027
http://www.zamarestaurant.com/

Prego!

Despite the intended freedom that summer is supposed to give a college student, my time is being dictated by a part-time job and my senior thesis (I live, sleep, and breathe Middle English).  And after running into an old friend today who commented on my blog, I decided that I deserved a treat.  So, even if I haven't been able to blog, rest assured, readers, I have continued to eat!

My summer started off with a fantastic two-week trip to Italy.  Two high school friends and I visited Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, Palermo Sicily, and, of course, Roma.  I had extraordinary meals in every city we visited (see my mobile upload and Gelato a Day albums on Facebook), but our meal in the Jewish Ghetto of Rome was particularly special.  Not only was the food delicious, but it was Roman food with a Jewish twist.  Since we went to Nonna Betta for lunch, we couldn't eat everything that we wanted, but we figured that an appetizer and a pasta dish would be a good sampling of what the Ghetto had to offer.

Even though it was about 90 degrees outside, we were drawn to the sidewalk seating at Nonna Betta because, how cool would it have been if we had found someone we knew? In Rome?! Of course we didn't end up seeing anyone we knew after all. Right before we sat down, though, we noticed a New York Times article that proclaimed Nonna Betta's fried artichoke the best in Rome.  So, it was decided for us: our appetizer would be the fried artichoke.

According to Wikipedia, the carciofi alla guidia, aka Jewish style artichokes are a staple of Roman Jewish cuisine.  I grew up eating artichokes, but not of the fried variety.  When artichokes are served in my parents' house, they are usually steamed atop the stove for a few minutes and served warm.  We eat the artichoke by peeling off the individual petals and scraping the meat of the flower with our teeth.  Since a steamed artichoke has a pretty bland flavor, some people serve it with mayonnaise, melted butter, or a yogurt and dill blend (my personal favorite).

The Roman artichoke, however, was completely different.  The oil transforms the artichoke by a) making the whole flower edible and b) altering the taste and texture.  Unlike a normal artichoke, the Roman artichoke is totally edible -- leaves and choke included -- and like most things that are deep-fried, the Roman artichoke is delectable! The leaves taste like terra chips and the artichokey taste is overshadowed by the salt and oil, which is perfection.  Also, in contrast to the crunchiness of the leaves, the heart of the Roman artichoke is much meatier.  Perhaps our artichoke was just bigger than the ones I'm used to eating in America, but it felt like there was a lot more to the Roman heart.

Roman artichoke

My second course arrived cooking, literally.  I ordered gnocchi because I hadn't yet had it in Italy and how can you be in Italy and not eat gnocchi? I was thrilled with my gnocchi (after it cooled down and my tongue stopped swelling from the third-degree burn that it suffered).  I eat a lot of gnocchi in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but my local Italian restaurants of choice don't even come close to what Nonna Betta put in front of me.  When I say that the potato dumplings melted in my mouth, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest.  As you can see from the picture below, the tomato sauce was still boiling as the ceramic bowl was brought to my place setting.  The cubes of fresh tomato in the sauce added richness in taste and texture that I have encountered few times in America.  Finally, I have to comment on the mozzarella.  I was initially skeptical of a kosher dairy restaurant because I didn't want to experience kosher-cheese-syndrome.  In America, when you bake kosher mozzarella, it solidifies into a semi-hard (my boyfriend categorizes it as plastic) coating over the pasta and tomato sauce.  When my gnocchi came out, though, the first thing I noticed was that the cheese had the gooey mozzarella consistency that unkosher cheese has.  Yum.  Attention Miller's cheese: Find out what Nonna Betta puts in its mozzarella.

Gnocchi

Our visit to the Jewish Ghetto of Rome was spectacular.  The synagogue was beautiful, it was incredible to hear Hebrew interspersed with Italian in the streets, and as we ate, we talked about how proud and humbling it felt to be sitting in the Roman Jewish Ghetto as Jewish women in 2011.

Visit Nonna Betta -- Cucina Kosher:
+(06) 6880-6263
http://www.nonnabetta.it/il-ristorante/

Barbuzzled

In an attempt to escape the miserable March weather, a friend and I ventured to 13th Street, also known as Marcie Turney-and-Valerie Safran-land, to "visit" the Mediterranean... via food.  Barbuzzo, our restaurant of choice, had a nice atmospheric change from the gray cloudiness that was quickly becoming a Philadelphia staple.  Nonetheless, even though we were seated next to a large window, we immediately forgot about the freezing outdoors because Barbuzzo's ambiance was perfect.  The dark lighting and close seating gave off the familiar vibe of an Israeli restaurant, in which all of the tables are crammed together and everyone is basically eating off of each other's plate.  To be honest, at first I was a little taken aback by how close the tables at Barbuzzo were.  But, after only a few minutes of seating, I realized how great the close tables were for the overall feeling of the restaurant.

The menu's extensive offerings and descriptions further emphasized the vibrant Mediterranean feel of Barbuzzo.  No two things on the menu sounded similar, which made the process of ordering rather difficult; everything sounded delicious! Finally, though, we settled on four dishes to share -- it's tapas style -- and our waitress assured us that we had made good selections.

The first dish that came to us was the Goat Cheese Board.  In addition to the five cheeses, which I will discuss in a moment, the board -- literally a piece of wood with a handle -- arrived with an assortment of condiments for our cheese.  The condiments (is that even the right term to use here?) included pomegranate molasses, fig jam, Marcona almonds, quince paste, dried cherries, and pieces of baguette.  Even though we had these delicious additions to our cheese board, the main ingredient was decadent enough to enjoy by itself.  Furthermore, each type of goat cheese was so different in taste and texture that it seemed unnecessary to add even more flavors to what was already so new and unique.

Before I elaborate on the individual cheeses, I feel that I owe it to you, dear reader, to explain the method to my madness.  I. Love. Goat. Cheese. Period. It might even be one of my most favorite foods and for that reason, I give you permission to skim this section if deep cheese analysis isn't your thing.  I don't judge.  Or take offense.

Ok, so if you're still reading, you know what you're in for and I won't feel the need to hold back.  The first cheese that I tried was the Young Honey Goat Cheese from Belmont, Wisconsin, which was like the typical goat cheese with which I was familiar.  As I write and reminisce, the Young Honey Goat's light texture and sweet taste linger, leaving me yearning for more, but knowing that I can never have enough to fully satisfy myself.

The second, more interesting cheese, was the Mont Cabrer from Catalunya, Spain.  This cheese was tangy and bitter, but creamy inside a charcoal-rubbed tough exterior.  The Mont Cabrer was especially good atop a piece of baguette lined with pomegranate molasses because it absorbed some of the bitterness that a sweet-tooth like myself doesn't especially love.

Next, I tasted the Hubbarston Blue from Westfield Farms, Massachusetts.  This was a chevre-type cheese that is easily spreadable and salty.  I enjoyed it spread on a piece of apple because the crunch from the fruit enhanced the creaminess of the cheese.

After the Hubbarston Blue, I went for the Pantaleo from Sardegna, Italy.  The menu describes this cheese as a "unique aged goat cheese with a sweet, clean, floral finish." Interestingly, my perception of the Pantaleo was not at all similar to the menu's description.  Perhaps my taste buds aren't refined enough to decipher a "clean, floral finish," but I tasted saltiness from the Pantaleo.  Nonetheless, as all goat cheeses are delicious, the Pantaleo didn't let me down.

Finally, it was time for the cheese that I had been waiting for: The Verde Capra from Lombardi, Italy was staring up at me from the wooden board waiting to be devoured.  I put a little bit on my fork, lifted it to my lips and pursed them around the cheese.  Yum.  Before I could think about what was happening, my whole body was enveloped by a chewy, slightly salty, and tangy paste.  I added more to a baguette and chomped my teeth down.  Mmmmmm.  I couldn't get enough and basically ate all of the Verde Capra before my companion was able to get any, oops.  She understood and it was totally worth it.

Goat Cheese Board

Once we licked our board clean, our Roasted Heirloom Squash and Parsnip Salad arrived.  This dish included arugula, shaved grana padano (which is similar in texture and flavor to the common parmesan cheese), spiced pumpkin seeds, and was dressed with vincotto and lemon.  The salad had a nice balance of sweet and spicy, the pumpkin seeds gave it some sweetness, while the cheese added a slight kick.  The heirlooms and parsnips were roasted and soft, which gave the salad a heartiness that filled us up, but didn't leave us full and heavy.  Finally, the dressing was simple and light, but cohesive, as it tied the entire dish together.

Roasted Heirloom Squash and Parsnip Salad

Next up were our entrees: Casarecce and Grilled Bronzino.  The Casarecce is a fat, curly noodle that is filling, but bland.  The menu said that the dish was served with olive oil, wood fired hen of the woods mushrooms, arugula, preserved lemon-walnut pesto, and ricotta.  All of these ingredients were in the dish, but it was surprisingly tasteless.  For one, the temperature was a little weird.  The noodles were warm, but the ricotta-pesto-arugula-mushroom mixture was cold.  The juxtaposition between the warm and cold components were distracting and not necessarily pleasant.  Had I not be distracted by the confusing temperature, I probably would have enjoyed the dish more; all of the ingredients were clearly fresh, but the lemon-walnut pesto could have been more flavorful.  The next time I eat at Barbuzzo, I probably won't order the Casarecce again, but the Chestnut Ravioli sounds like it could fill the void...

Casarecce 

In contrast, our second entree, the Grilled Bronzino, was perfect.  The plate comes with arugula pesto, wood roasted mushrooms and artichoke farro, oven dried tomatoes, and salmoriglio.  In terms of the fish, the salmoriglio, which is an Italian condiment consisting mainly of lemon, really influenced the flavor, but the the way the fish was seared really enhanced the dish.  The other components that made the dish interesting, were the farro and the salmoriglio.  Farro was a cool ingredient because it was new to me.  After going home and researching it, I learned that farro is similar to rice, as it is the grain of a certain wheat species in whole form.  However, there is a lot of speculation about what farro actually is, though I would argue that it's similar to barley in texture and composition.  The farro also absorbs flavors interestingly.  This particular dish was served with artichokes and mushrooms, but it somehow had a coconut-y flavor that mixed with the vegetables imbedded inside of it.  Yum.  One bite of the farro and bronzino together quickly made up from anything that the Casarecce was missing.

Grilled Bronzino

Just when we thought we were stuffed, our waitress brought out the dessert menu and it was impossible to resist a peek.  The first item on the menu is the Salted Caramel Budino, which has a dark chocolate crush, vanilla bean caramel, and sea salt.  Naturally, after eyeing a dish like that, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat it.  As I've probably said already, dessert is my favorite part of any meal and I usually spend close to 15 minutes staring at dessert menus, weighing the options.  At Barbuzzo, there wasn't anything to compare the Budino to.  Sure, the other desserts sounded good, but, when chocolate, caramel, and sea salt are grouped together, it's pretty hard to make another selection.  So when our waitress handed us the menu, I skimmed the paper, looked my friend in the eyes, and knew that we were on the brain wave.  When the Budino came we instantaneously knew we had made the right decision.  This dessert was heavenly.  The texture was mousse-like and every component was a dichotomy: sweet and salty, gooey and crunchy... If you need one reason to go to Barbuzzo, this dessert is it.

Salted Caramel Budino

I don't know if I would classify Barbuzzo as "Mediterranean tapas," as it's advertised, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for an intimate meal with unique dishes.  And... you know how I feel about the cheese and dessert.

Visit Barbuzzo:
(215) 546-9300
www.barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo/

Viva la Aguaviva

Since our cruise left from Puerto Rico, we decided to sandwich the oceanic part of vacation with a few days in San Juan.  During the weekend leading up to the cruise we didn't eat anything particularly interesting, but we did scout out the area of Old San Juan and decided that we would eat our final meal of the vacation there.  So, when the cruise ended and we disembarked in San Juan for the final time, we spent the afternoon walking around Old San Juan, perusing menus in search of the perfect way to end spring break.

All of our dinner "research" was making us quite hungry and when a friendly Puerto Rican waiter approached and invited us into his restaurant for lunch, we decided it might be a good time to nash.  As we ordered, we talked to the host of the restaurant -- the same friendly guy who had attracted us into the eatery in the first place -- and learned about him, life in San Juan, and most importantly, potential dinner spots.

After lunch and another bit of exploration, we decided on Old San Juan hotspot, Aguaviva, for dinner.  As its name alludes, being inside Aguaviva (literally: live water) was like being inside water.  First of all, everything was blue. And there were octopus lamps! The whole atmosphere actually kind of reminded me of a lamaze class (or what I imagine a lamaze class would be like) because the blue lights darkened the room and emphasized a hip, yet serene atmosphere.  Plus, there was mellow music playing throughout the room.  It was clear from the get-go that Aguaviva is a highly popular and trendy eatery in San Juan.

Interior of Aguaviva 

After gazing lovingly at the octopus lights, we remembered our growling stomachs and turned to our menus.  The options seemed obvious.  We were in a Puerto Rican fish restaurant (read: ceviche central) and we had been eating salmon everyday for dinner on the cruise (read: tuna tartar was extremely appealing).  Thus, the process of ordering was quick and easy and we waited eagerly for our food to come.

While the octopus lamps continued to dominate our conversation, our waitress approached us and asked if we minded moving closer to the bar - IE to sit directly under the octopus lamps! Obviously we agreed and eagerly changed tables.  

Within moments of being re-seated, our ceviche arrived.  The dish, titled chillo y aguacate fresco, consisted of fresh read snapper and avocado, and came with plantain tostados.  The plantain tostados are similar to a cracker, but made out of plantains that are cut into thin strips and then baked.  The tostados are used as a utensil for the ceviche, which you place on top of the tostado and then bite into.  The tastes in this dish were magnificent.  The plantain tostado had relatively little flavor -- over the course of the trip we learned that green plantains are bland and sweet plantains are more like bananas -- and it absorbed the citrus of the ceviche perfectly.  In addition to the red snapper and avocado in the ceviche, the combination of tomatoes, onions, and limes added a piquant flavor and texture to the dish.  The fish was perfectly tender and the meat almost melted in our mouths.  Additionally, the avocado added a soft texture to the chewy fish and the crunchy onion-tomato salsa, all of which was consumed in the same bite as the firm plantain tostado.

Chillo y Aguacate Fresco

While we were knee deep in our ceviche, the restaurant manager approached us with a waiter carrying three drinks.  The manager explained that she was so sorry to have inconvenienced us by moving our table, that they wanted to provide us with complimentary drinks.  The beverage of choice, watermelon sangria, is Aguaviva's house speciality. Flavored sangrias seemed to be a trend throughout Puerto Rico because on our first day in San Juan we were given samples of cinnamon sangria at a bar in Old San Juan.  Aguaviva's watermelon sangria was very good though.  The base was a standard white wine sangria, but there was a subtle watermelon aftertaste that lingered in my mouth.  There was also a splash of lime somewhere, but I couldn't place whether it was more of a lemon spritz in the white wine or the acidity of the watermelon.  Regardless, when my cup was empty, I wished that there had been more.

Watermelon Sangria 

Soon after our complimentary drinks came out, so did our entrees.  We all ordered the same dish: Blackened tuna steak, which came with amarillo agnolotti truffle scented vegetables and bok choy.  I discovered bok choy while I was in China with my family a few summers ago and absolutely fell in love.  It is such a good staple vegetable to have on a plate because its leafy texture cleanses the palate nicely.  My tuna was perfectly medium-rare and the crunchier-spicy outside complimented the perfectly cooked inside of the fish.  A sweet sauce, which was a hybrid of barbeque sauce and eel sauce was drizzled over the fish.  Additionally, and most surprisingly, the tuna itself was cold.  This created an interesting temperature dichotomy because the truffles, which were underneath the tuna, were warm.  So, when I took a bite of tuna-truffle goodness, I was greeted with a fusion of warm/cold-spicy/sweet-chewy/meaty heaven.

Blackened Tuna Steak

Aguaviva was a spectacular way to end spring break.  If you ever find yourself in San Juan, I highly recommend you check out this transcendent dining spot.

Visit Aguaviva:
(787) 722-0665
http://www.oofrestaurants.com/

St. Martin: A Tropica(naca)l Island

I spent my spring break cruising around the Caribbean.  Our final destination was St. Martin/Sint Maarten, a half-French, half- Dutch island located in the northeast Caribbean.  Since it was our last stop -- we had already been to five beaches -- and we only had about five hours on the island, it was pretty easy to decide that we wanted to spend our time on the French side doing French things (like eating good food and "shopping" for $150 bathing suits).

St. Martin's commercial area isn't humongous, but there was enough to do and look at that we were preoccupied for the entire day.  Around noon, after seeing multiple kinds of miniature shoes, we got hungry for lunch and started evaluating the surrounding restaurants' menus and ambiance.  After much deliberation, we settled on Le Tropicana, a quaint eatery next to the harbor.  The maitre 'd immediately took a liking to us -- I mean, who can blame him? -- and promised the "best table in the house" (or, out of the house, as we learned when we were seated next to the water) and a fabulous lunch.

The menu was great.  There was a lot to choose from and all of the dishes had unique personalities and ingredients.  We decided to share an appetizer salad and frites, and then to each get her own entree.  We wanted a cheesy salad, since we were going to take advantage of the fresh seafood in our main dishes, and decided on a warm goat cheese salad.  The salad was scrumptious! The goat cheese was warm and it was covered in a crunchy sesame seed coating.  In addition to the goat cheese, the salad featured lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and -- SURPRISE! -- a hard-boiled egg.  I'm not usually the biggest fan of eggs in salads.  Eggs are given a bad rep, especially by children, and when they are incorporated in an unexpected dish, like a salad, the egg really needs to be earned.  If it isn't earned, the egg falls short of all expectations and sits, blandly in the salad, absorbing the color from every other vegetable and/or fruit that it touches.  In this situation, however, the the coupling of the goat cheese, egg, and veggies was perfect.  The crunch of the cucumber, the squirt of the tomato, and the softness of the cheese, were all brought together by the egg's simple texture and taste.  I would even go so far to say that had the egg not been part of the salad, I would have felt like there was something missing.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Next came our entrees.  I ordered the marinated fresh salmon with lime and basil.  It was a carpaccio/tartar type dish, which means that the salmon is thinly sliced and spread over the entire plate. Carpaccio dishes are usually served as appetizers, but I had been craving the lime marinade that I associate with ceviche, and I thought the carpaccio might satisfy my craving.  Boy, was I right! Not only did this dish resemble Alma de Cuba's salmon in their Rainbow Ceviche (if you don't remember what that tastes like, now would be a good time to review), but Le Tropicana's salmon was so fresh that the thinness of the fish made the dish even more delicious.  The texture also gave the dish a light and airy feeling, which left me full, but not stuffed.  In terms of the taste, it was everything that the menu description said it would be.  Prominent basil and lime flavoring tied the fish together, but the fishiness of fresh salmon was certainly the star of the show.

Salmon Carpaccio

Our side dish, the epitome of French food, added some salty goodness to our otherwise healthy meal.  It was spectacular.  In fact, I think I can sum up the frites, literally French Fries, in five words: Salty, hot, fresh, oily, heaven. Yup, that sounds about right.

French Fries

I said this before, but the thing that made this food so great was that we left feeling light.  Having been on a cruise for five days leading up to this epic meal, the airiness of the food was a nice contrast to the dense, heavy mass-produced goods available on the ship.  We knew that we couldn't order dessert at Le Tropicana because we had passed a bakery filled with macarons that we wanted to eat! But before we left Le Tropicana, our beloved maitre 'd indulged us with complimentary shots of Banana Rum, which tasted like chocolate covered bananas.

Banana Rum

Le Tropicana was without a doubt the best meal I had on the cruise.  If (and when) I return to St. Martin, I will be sure to dine there again and I hope that you do too! 

Visit Le Tropicana: 

+(590) 590-877-907 

One bird, two bird, Blackbird, blue bird

Kosher vegan pizzeria? Named Blackbird? I bet you're really confused.  It's okay, I was too.  But, as I'm sure you remember from my Dock Street post, when it comes to pizza, I can't say no.  Therefore, when a friend mentioned he was having a reunion at Blackbird, I decided to crash the party and see what vegan pizza was all about.

My spur of the moment decision to go to Blackbird didn't leave much time for menu research, a prelude to most meals I eat out, but I also couldn't go into the restaurant blind.  Thankfully, my iPhone saved the day and I was able to skim Blackbird's menu on the drive to the restaurant.  As I read about Blackbird's unconventional approaches to pizza-making, I was thrilled that I had decided to indulge my impulsive side. The pizzas sounded amazing and unlike anything I had ever heard of before.  While some featured vegan cheese and seitan meats, most of the pizzas separated themselves from the stereotypical marinara/mozzarella duo and formed new identities with ingredients like garlic butter, fennel, and barbeque sauce.

The anticipation of what Blackbird's pizza would taste like had me salivating as the cab pulled up to the restaurant.  The ready-made pizza selection wasn't spectacular--I wished that there had been more pizzas available--but it was still good.  I ended up ordering a slice of Nacho Pizza, which was comprised of avocado, caramelized onions, jalapeno peppers, and cheddar style daiya cheese.  I was definitely not disappointed by my pizza, though it was different than I had expected.  I kind of wanted the pizza to taste "vegan" and to have mysterious elements that separated it from regular pizza.  Instead, the nacho pizza kind of tasted like a regular slice of pizza, with unusual ingredients.  Regardless of the un-vegan tastes, the pizza actually tasted like nachos! It was very cheesy and the jalapenos gave it a spicy kick.  Surprisingly, the pizza was quite doughy and soft.  The only un-nacho-like thing about the pizza though, was the thickness and moistness of the crust.  Had it been thin crust pizza, it might have felt more like a pile of nachos than a piece of bread with nacho ingredients on top of it.

Nacho Pizza

Regardless, the Nacho Pizza was good and I would likely return to Blackbird to try something else.  Maybe next time I'll be a bit more adventurous and go for the South Philly (seitan sausage, broccoli rabe, fennel, eggplant, red sauce, and daiya cheese).

Visit Blackbird Pizzeria:
(215) 625-6660
http://www.blackbirdpizzeria.com/

El Rey of Sun

As a way to celebrate the 67 degree February Friday, a friend and I ventured down Chestnut Street to Stephen Starr's Mexican restaurant, El Rey.  Like all of Starr's restaurants, El Rey has a distinct personality.  When I walked through El Rey's threshold, I instantly felt like I left Philadelphia and entered a Mexican bar.  Upon entering El Rey, one stands at the end of a very long hallway.  Booths line both sides of the eatery and tables-for-four divide the room into two runways.  To the right are rounded windows with orange lamps that sit on their ledges.  The general lighting in the restaurant is dim -- which was a shame, since the sun outside was powerful and bright -- so the windows function more as decorations than as a mechanism to light the room.  Opposite the windows, Mexican movie posters plastered to the walls, create a reflection of the dome shape of the windows.  Many brightly colored lamps hang from the ceiling, giving off a disco-ball effect.  El Rey feels lively and energetic, while maintaing an intimate feeling as well.

After browsing the menu and lunch special -- two courses for $9.95! -- we decided that in honor of the sun, we shouldn't skimp.  We started off our meal with guacamole and tortilla chips and were pleasantly surprised when the waitress brought out a huge bowl of guac and another of chips.  The guacamole's consistency was up to par with my Starr expectations: the perfect balance of creaminess and chunkiness.  The actual taste was very good, but not over the top as I like my guacamole to come with many flavors (lime, cayenne pepper, salt, etc...) and this guacamole was more of a simple rendition.  What set these avocados apart from any other guacamole that I have ever tasted was the cotija cheese that was sprinkled on top of our dish.  Cotija cheese, as I later found out, is a hard cow's milk cheese that originates in Mexico.  Cotija has the consistency of parmesan, but it tastes more like feta.  It wasn't overly bold, but it did add a little something extra that made El Rey's guacamole special.

The tortilla chips are a whole other story.  These chips were nothing like the Tostitos that I'm used to eating with guacamole and salsa; they had the consistency of Chinese crispy noodles and were thick and crunchy.  They were also subtly salted and proved to be the perfect complement to the otherwise blandish guacamole.

Guacamole and Tortilla Chips

Next it was time for our entrees.  I ordered the fish tacos, which were served on three small soft tortillas, on top of which were slices of halibut, onions, and a cilantro mayonnaise.  The tacos were delicious; the fish fried to perfection and the flavors creating the perfect balance of salty and savory.  The fish also had a sweet aftertaste to it, which added a third dimension to the dish.

Fish Tacos

Our lunch was quite hearty and I was actually unable to finish my fish.  The best part of the meal though, was learning that El Rey has a delightful happy hour with $1 tacos and $4 margaritas Monday - Friday from 5:00-6:30.  I'll see you there. 

Visit at El Rey: 

(215) 563-3330
www.elreyrestaurant.com

Meet Me in Cuba

Everyone has their favorite celebrity restaurant and mine is Stephen Starr's Alma de Cuba in Center City, Philadelphia.  My obsession with Alma extends from its white awning on Walnut Street to the after-dinner mints that sit by the maitre de's podium.  So, when my parents invited me to join them for a concert at the Kimmel Center, I couldn't resist suggesting that we indulge at the close-by Alma beforehand.

For anyone who hasn't been to Alma before, it can be identified by the white awning in front of the restaurant (not to be confused with the similar Le Bec Fin awning that is a block away).  I like Alma because it's a nice restaurant that doesn't take itself too seriously.  The waiters wear black pants and white jackets, which gives off the impression of serious, but modern dining.  For this meal, we were seated on the second floor at a table in the main dining room.  I personally prefer to sit on the first floor because the booths are more comfortable and I like the atmosphere of sitting near the bar.  However, it's always nice to be in a quieter area and the second floor is certainly more conducive to having conversation.

Our meal started with the famous Alma de Cuba bread, which is made with yucca flour. The waiters serve two rolls -- which are more like little dough balls of deliciousness -- at a time.  The bread's soft composition makes devouring it heavenly and the sweetness of this fare, coupled with the tanginess of the chimichurri dipping sauce that it's served with, marks the beginning of a tasty adventure.

Yucca Flour Bread and Chimichurri Dipping Sauce

After we finished our (first serving of) bread, the first course arrived at the table.  This course consisted of three appetizers: ceviche, an arugula salad, and vegetable empanadas.  Ceviche, a popular dish in Central and South America, is raw fish marinated in citrus juices and spiced with chili peppers.  We ordered the Rainbow ceviche, which is a combination of tuna, salmon, and black bass, marinated in a soy and lime sauce and served with jalapenos and sweet potatoes.  I always order the Rainbow ceviche at Alma de Cuba because of its bright flavors and bright colored fish (hence the "Rainbow" title) that jump out with every bite.  The soy and lime marinade, coupled with the jalapeno, sweet potato, and fresh fish mesh into a sweet-tart flavor leaves me yearning for more.  

Rainbow Ceviche

While we were enjoying our ceviche, we also had a salad and empanadas to consume.  The salad, also known as Ensalada de Tierra Verde, consists of baby arugula, roasted mushroom escabeche, and goat cheese croquettas.  I'm not usually a fan of mushrooms, but the vibrant flavors of the arugula and the goat cheese are so prominent that I couldn't taste any bit of mushroom in the salad.  A lover of all things dairy, the goat cheese was my favorite part of the salad.  The croquettas, which are small balls of goat cheese, create an explosion of smooth creaminess that engorges the plentiful leafiness of the arugula.  

Ensalada de Tierra Verde

The final part of our appetizer course was the serving of vegetable empanadas.  Despite being my least favorite appetizer of the night, the empanadas were still quite tasty.  The spinach was definitely the most prominent flavor and it overshadowed the artichoke esabeche and the manchego, but the empanadas were still enjoyed by everyone (by brother, who was not at this dinner, is totally obsessed with them and out of respect for him, it was necessary that we order them).  The trickiest part to eating the empanadas was figuring out how to share two with three people! 

Empanada de Verde

Finally, our entrees arrived.  My family is big on sharing food, so whenever we go to fun restaurants with exotic fare, we order a few dishes per course and share everything.  This can be a win-win situation (when everything is delicious) or a win-lose situation (when there is one dish that you like more than everything else); there really is no lose-lose situation, but the food is generally at least good.  Tonight, our family-style ways were definitely a win-win and I enjoyed all of the entrees that we ordered.  

First up was the Grilled Bronzino.  Bronzino is a European seabass, which I find more flavorful and unusual than Chilean seabass (a Starr favorite).  The Bronzino came to us as a filet and without a head (my preference), but with a tail.  The dish is served with grilled garbanzo bean stew and tempura lemons.  I know what you're thinking: What the hell is a tempura lemon?! It's a circular slice of lemon that has been deep fried in deliciousness.  I was a little skeptical of eating the lemon because I a) had never eaten a cooked lemon before and b) was not sure how I would react to the burst of sourness.  Despite my ambivalence though, I forked my lemon sliver and stuck it in my mouth.  It basically tasted like a chip -- minus the crunch, plus the sourness -- and the tempura's blandness made the acrid lemon more mild.  

Grilled Bronzino

Our second entree was the Creamy Coconut Quinoa (I'm a sucker for alliterated names), which was very creamy, very coconut-y, and definitely not your typical quinoa.  Unlike the quinoa that you might expect, Alma's CCQ arrives in a round patty with layers.  The first layer is the aged balsamic vinaigrette, which lines the bottom of the plate; the second layer is the quinoa itself, which is quinoa cooked in coconut milk and mixed with sweet corn powder and edamame.  The top layer is a chayote squash salad, which adds some lightness to the otherwise dense dish.  If you're not a coconut lover, this quinoa definitely isn't for you, as the coconut is probably the most potent flavor in the dish.  Being a coconut lover, myself, I quite enjoyed the heartiness of the CCQ.  

Creamy Coconut Quinoa

In addition to our entrees, we ordered two sides: one sweet and one salty.  The sweet was a plate of plantains.  I like bananas and I'd never had plantains before, but the combination of fried plantain, creme, and gremolata, was the perfect comfort food.  I would even go out on a limb and say that the sweet plantains were my second -- don't worry, I'm not cheating on my ceviche -- favorite part of the meal.  

Sweet Plantains

The salty side was an order of spinach, which was flavorful and filled with garlic.  A nice, yet simple addition to any meal. 

Ajillo Spinach

Finally, it was time for dessert, hands down my favorite part of every meal.  I usually spend more time looking at the dessert menu than I do looking at any other piece of restaurant literature.  Given the extensive options available at Alma and their recent dessert-menu change, it took me an extra long time to decide how I wanted to end my night (of eating).  After much deliberation, discussion, and a few orders that I took back, I confidently ordered the Chocolate Tower, one of Alma's signature desserts.  As its name suggests, the Chocolate Tower is literally, a chocolate tower.  You get the plate, on top of which is a lake of chocolate crumbles and chocolate syrup.  Then there are alternating layers of passion fruit (surprise of the night, I know), milk chocolate, and dark chocolate mousse.  The Tower is topped with a layer of bitter ganache and an arch of solid white chocolate.  A scoop of caramelized white chocolate ice cream sits next to the tower and caramel rum sauce drips over the entire structure.  The nice thing about the Chocolate Tower is that it isn't overwhelming; sure, you taste a lot of chocolate, but the passion fruit mousse adds a nice element of fruitiness to the palate, diversifying the Chocolate Tower from any other stack of mousse.

Chocolate Tower

As with any healthy relationship, each time Alma and I reunite we grow more fond of one another.  If only we could see each other bi-weekly instead of bi-annualy.  Oh well, a girl can dream...

Visit Alma de Cuba: 

(215) 988-1799 

http://www.almadecubarestaurant.com/

What's up, Doc(k)?

If there's one thing I'm a sucker for, it's good pizza and good beer.  So after hearing great things about Dock Street Brewery, I had no choice but to venture west of Penn and see what all the fuss was about.  After walking eight blocks in the bitter cold, it was a warm relief to walk into the large brick building that houses Dock Street.  

We entered the restaurant and seated ourselves at a booth along the far wall.  For a Wednesday night, the place was pretty crowded.  All of the tables near where we chose to sit were filled and everyone seemed to be enjoying their beer and food, and having great conversations with their parties.  A low-volume soundtrack played throughout the entire brewery, which, paired with the conversations of other patrons, made for a relaxing and comfortable ambiance.  The most noticeable aspect of Dock Street's room is the huge glass wall that separates the southwest side of the restaurant from the actual brewery where beer is made.  For me, this was the coolest part of the whole experience.

After commenting on the huge cauldrons that stood on the other side of the glass wall, we looked at our menus and talked about what to eat.  Just minutes before we left for dinner, a friend recommended that we order the Four Cheese pizza because its caramelized onions made it extra delicious! Always eager to take advise from friends, we ordered the Four Cheese and Vegetarian -- without mushrooms -- pizzas and the Dock Street Battered Fish & Chips with the trio fries (a savory combination of shredded white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and leeks).

The pizzas were delicious.  The crust, clearly handmade, had the perfect balance of crunchy and soft consistency.  I was partial to the vegetarian pizza because I generally prefer sauce to sauceless and subsequently ate three slices, but, the Four Cheese was quite delicious as well and the caramelized onions certainly added to the party -- thank you friend! -- and I couldn't resist a second piece, despite my stuffed stomach.  The fish and chips was also very good.  The Pollack tasted fresh and there was a good ratio of fish to breading (a frequent eater of fish and chips, I've learned that attaining this ratio is not always guaranteed).  To my disappointment, though, there were only two pieces of fish, which made the platter perfect for sharing, but not ideal for my stomach, which craved a second piece!

Vegetarian Pizza (without mushrooms)

In addition to our entrees, we couldn't resist ordering the house special beer, also known as the Prince Myshkin (which has an astounding 8% alcohol content!).  I typically don't love stout beers, but our waiter, also named Jesse, urged us to get it because he said it was delicious.  Our glasses of the Prince Myshkin were relatively small, most likely because of the high alcohol content, and the deep brown liquid was served inside goblets.  The beer's description read that it was made with a combination of cocoa and chocolate, which is definitely how the beer tasted and it added a nice sweet element to our otherwise salty palates.

All in all, Dock Street was a huge success.  I certainly did not feel like I exhausted the menu during this first visit and am sure to be back; the in-house brewed beers and reasonable prices only add to the reasons to visit.  Best of all, no reservation required!

Dock Street:
(215) 726-2337
http://www.dockstreetbeer.com/

An Introduction

The Chinese philosopher, Confucius, once said, "The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live." 

My name is Becca and I like my meat medium-rare.  Even though I avoid shellfish and only eat kosher meat, I'm an open-minded eater and love trying new food.  It's no surprise that I have developed a fondness for fine dining -- my parents made a point of introducing exotic fare into my life from an early age and, years later, my affinity toward food has blossomed into a coupling of cooking and being cooked for.  


I've named my blog "Food de Journal" (playing off of the French "de jour," which means "day") because I hope to use it as a way to log my adventures with food (though unfortunately I can't afford to dine fancily daily... yet).  Stay tuned as I wine, dine, and write.