There were some sourpusses in the office though. People who said “what’s the big deal? They’re just bagels.” But a good bagel is not so easy to find in Philly! There’s South Street, with their recent Best of Philly win, and there’s some place north of Rittenhouse which is pretty mediocre. That’s all that comes to mind. Except for…

The Philadelphia Bagel Co.
The place is in a strip mall at the intersection of Washington Ave. and Delaware. You’ve probably seen it a million times but never stopped in. Next time you’re driving by in the morning do yourself a favor and check it out. Not only do they supply Whole Foods and most of the better hotels in the city, it also has a really nice selection of bagels, their own cream cheese blends, bagel pizzas and even my favorite, the bialy!

Their best feature though is their genuinely friendly and helpful attitude. If you ask for a bialy with cream cheese you may have a concerned bagelier (that belongs in the dictionary, btw) asking you if you’d like the top half placed upside-down, so the garlicky-oniony goodness doesn’t all fall off. There may also be a “hon” or “sweetie” thrown in for good measure if you’re a lady, and I can practically guarantee some heartfelt good wishes for the rest of your day. You canNOT walk out of there without feeling like you made a new friend. Plus they have salt bagels, which I love. And pumpkin cream cheese!

You can find an in-depth discussion of Philly’s bagel scene on Chowhound if you want. I’ll admit I have yet to check out South Street, so I’ll update this post when I do. But apparently I’m not the only one who thinks that Philly suffers from a lack of bagel options. Consider this piece from a bit on phoodie.info

As a Jewish boy raised on really good bagels growing up in D.C. of all places (not exactly a deli/baglery hotbed), I’ve been shocked since moving here twenty years ago Philly doesn’t have good bagels. Just about the only exception I’ve found is the bagel maker on Delaware Ave. in the strip mall where American Applicances used to be. There bagels are definitely the real deal, hot out of the oven after being wonderfully boiled. Good commitment to the basics with some allowance made for those weirdos who like things other than sesame or poppy seeds on their bagels. Don’t know the name, it might just go by “Bagels”…

That place is, without a doubt, Philadelphia Bagel Co.
1100 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19147-5513
(215) 336-7211

12 miles by bike doesn’t seem all that tough at first glance. But when you put that 12 miles through center city Philly and add in an 80 degree day and make the last few miles uphill while lost and well…it still doesn’t seem as desperate as we felt by the end of that ride. The chafing, sunburn and sore butts melted away after a few minutes and a couple of beers at Tom and Peggy Baker’s Earth, Bread and Brewery. Pics in the extended!

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the market at Headhouse Square. Read on to find out why and see some of our finds!

[flickr matt.ohara 72157602463285811]

The market is in the open air mall just north of Lombard on 2nd Street (go to the end of South Street and take a left) and only open Saturdays. They’ve extended their season until December 23rd, so you still have time to go pick up some of these wonderful finds.

First is Betty’s Tasty Buttons (official site). Fudge is very near and dear to my heart because my mother makes the very best peanut butter fudge on the planet, and most likely the universe. She doesn’t make lavender-honey flavor though, or any of the other little button-shaped bits of flavor that you can find at Betty’s Buttons. It’s a locally made product and deserves support for that alone; good thing it’s also delicious and in a cute little package. (Fudge sauces also available for Sunday Sundaes) ((Disclosure: my friend Angie works there))

Next up is S&C Pickles (AKA PhillyFresh Pickles) (official site). I love pickles as much as the next guy but damn, there’s something different about these jawhnz (yeah that’s right, I spell it with a Z, to keep it fresh). They have a spicy version that I’m afraid to try because of the warnings I’ve gotten from friends. Everybody that I turn on to these pickles is just blown away by whatever the super-secret secret is in this secret recipe. And you can also get them in Whole Foods so there’s no excuse not to try these bad mofos. I always have a jar in the house. (Picture to follow when I can find a jar that actually has some pickles left in it)

Los Taquitos de Puebla’s main place is on 9th Street just south of Washington. I found this site online. It’s all in Spanish. Phillyfoodguys.com has a review of some of the taquerias in South Philly. The have an outpost during the Italian Market Festival, where I first tasted their tacos al pastor, and they also have one open at Headhouse Square. I eat three a week. It’s pork roasting on an open spit below some fresh pineapple. The outside bits get nice and crisp while the inside pieces are moist and tender. There’s a lady making fresh tortillas to order (using hand tortilla-press no less) and calling out “tacos! quesedillas!” I order three to go, with both red and green salsas. Don’t forget to grab some Mexican coca-cola before you ring up!

Finally, my find of the year. It’s actually my buddy Scott’s. He told me it’s amazing stuff, and I trusted him. I’m so glad I did. Wanna know what it is? It’s Griggstown Quail Farm’s chicken pot pie. I want to always have one in my freezer. I want to share them with everybody. I want to know I can always get my hands on one. Good thing they’re right over the border in New Jersey. I’m so serious right now. In fact, I think I’m going to eat one tonight.

Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
1030 N. 2nd Street # 601 (Northern Liberties Walk)

215. 629.0999

Elizabeth Ruthie Hinton passed down a valuable gift to the women of her family in her vintage cake and pie recipes. I have always had a weakness for a good cupcake. And since baking sweets does not come easily for me, I thank the lord for the women of Brown Betty Dessert Boutique!

[flickr matt.ohara 72157601599630284]
My first visit to Brown Betty was on their one year anniversary. I’m not sure why I was on the guest list, but the invitation said there would be pastries and champagne, so I brought my friend Harmony and we started sampling all the goods. At first we were only interested in the generous pours of bubbly, but once i had my first bite of vanilla sourcream cupcake, I knew it was a million times better than any cupcake i have ever had. You can order vanilla, almond, lemon, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate red velvet, coconut, and carrot. My favorite is vanilla. They are not stuffed or sprinkled or fancy, but they are for real, and they are huge! You can order on line at www.brownbettydesserts.com. If you’re in need of more than a dozen of these perfect treats call two days ahead for special orders. The store front in Northern Liberties Walk is closed on Mondays.

On a daily basis I am also lucky enough to walk past Naked Chocolate Cafe . These cupcakes are nothing to sneeze at. Quickly becoming one of their signature sweets, the bakers spread pistachio icing on vanilla cupcakes and stuff mammoth keylime cupckaes with lime curd. Excellent idea! It seems like they have new flavor every week.

An honorable mention must go to Flying Monkey Patisserie located in the Reading Terminal Market . It seems by the time I get there most of the cupcakes have vanished. But, I managed to select two, and then let them melt in the back seat of the car. My picks were a dark chocolate cupcake with lavender buttercream icing, and a poundcake covered in cream cheese, with a pinapple wedge. Next time, I hope I am lucky to try the peanut butter jelly dot on top…pound cake stuffed with strawberry preserves covered in peanut butter buttercream. Their website’s cupcake map can help you along with your decision and if you still can’t decide they offer the cupcake fleet.

Matt surprised me with the most darling accessory, an individual cupcake holder from Grocery on 13th and Chestnut.

[flickr matt.ohara 72157601551768424]

Day One:
I had been chatting with my drink-slinging friend Katie at Chick’s Wine Bar about a Chinatown tour a few weeks back. She made me stick to my word, and thank goodness! She guided us to Four Rivers and Nan Zhou Hand-Drawn Noodles.

Four Rivers
936 Race St
215-629-8385

Crystal Wontons in Hot Oil
These were really nice. A white, soft, slippery cloud wrapped around a nice morsel of meat. I could have eaten a dozen of these easily. That is, if I wasn’t having the Sweet Ham afterwards.

House Special Sweet Ham
WOW. This is a big piece of meat. Check out the link above to see more opinions. It’s sweet and fatty, yes, but it also has a very delicate flavor and perfect tender quality that must come from a braising technique. Katie speculated that it’s braised in soy sauce, which would explain why it looked more like dark meat than pork normally does. This is a larger dish, meant to be shared and not for anybody on a diet. Definitely a standout for the week and something I’ll be going back for once I complete my tour.

I must return here for the Jellyfish with Thousand-Year Eggs…

Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House
927 Race Street
215-923-1550

That’s right, a hand-drawn noodle house. I came here once when I first visited Philly but haven’t been back since. WHY?! I HAVE NO IDEA! This place is spectacular. Not only are the noodles fresher than fresh (they’re made while you wait after all) but the gigantor bowls of soup are all of 4 or 5 dollars! This is a fantastic spot for lunch when in Center City! I’m going for lunch next week.

Spicy Beef Tendon
This is an interesting preparation and not at all what we expected. It’s thinly shaved and covered in spicy red pepper flake. Kind of like an asian jerky. Scrumptiously spicy!

Seafood Soup with Fishballs, Clams and Shrimp
I’m not going to bother with adjectives here. It’s great, great soup. The guy grabs a big handful of dough and stretches it, smacks it down on the counter, twists it and repeats. While he’s doing this the other ingredients are simmering in the pot. When he finishes and tosses the fresh noodles in the broth they start cooking. They’re so fresh that it takes all of the 15 feet from the kitchen to your table for them to cook. Gah! Getting hungry…

Day Two:

Just me and Karen today. We didn’t have a guide so we decided to take some recommendations from eGullet.

Shiao Lan Kung
930 Race Street
928-0282

Crispy Dumplings
These much-heralded dumplings are in a crispy half-moon shape. I didn’t flip over these the way I thouht I would but admittedly I did not have the ginger-scallion sauce that you are supposed to get from David’s Mail Lai Wah across the street. You can buy the sauce for ¢25 and smuggle it in for use with these dumplings. There’s always next time.

Crispy Pork Intestines
These I got as a recommendation from my friend David. I did not like them. !!! Ah well, you can’t have a perfect record I suppose.

Szechuan Tasty House
902 Arch Street
215-925-2839

Golden Coins
Hoo boy. This was the killer of the day. Imagine this: japanese eggplant stuffed with pork and deep-fried in a tempura-like batter. What could possibly be wrong with that? And if the dish comes out piping-hot with a spicy dipping sauce you might as well just throw in the towel. You’ve lost. Szechuan Tasty House has won again. I don’t swear on this blog but God Damn. That Shit’s Tasty.

Day Three:
Today it was me and my buddy Patrick, David and Rachel, and some of their friends (Karen was working). We trusted David with this one and had a killer meal in a nearly empty restaurant. I’ll just highlight my favorites of the 6 or so dishes we had:

Chung King Garden
915 Arch Street
215-627-3792

Allium Dumplings
These were honestly my favorite dumplings of the week. There was a delicate flavor component that I can’t pin down. Make sure to eat them BEFORE something like:

Chung King Cold Noodles (Sichuan Pepper)
Ohmahgoodness! I love me some cold noodle dishes and I couldn’t stop eating these. The Sichuan Peppercorns just get your mouth tingling and make you want more and more. Very interesting mouthfeel.

Whole Fish in Black Bean Sauce
Boh! I’m so glad David went for this one! This fish just melts in the mouth. I’ve never had fish so tender. Then again I haven’t had a lot of steamed whole fish. The black bean sauce was a bit spicy but it more than anything just complemented the delicate fish. We brought a couple of beers to help wash down all the spicy! Who brought the spicy? Chung King Garden brought the spicy!

Number Eight
I’m only highlighting this one so I can recommend NOT getting it. Unless you like hot pots filled with intestines and kidney and other unidentifiable stuff. There is no english word for it. We tried it, like the gutsy foodies we are, but this one takes some Herculean Fortitude. And I was all out of Herculean Fortitude that night.

So where does the 0.5 in 5.5 restaurants come from? Rachel suggested that we retire to her favorite bubble tea house.

Lakeside Chinese Deli (phillyfoodguys)
207 North 9th Street
215-925-3288

Patrick and I both love almond, and to our mutual surprise, there was almond bubble tea. Delicious! Check the link above to see Phillyfoodguys’ review of the rest of their fare.

and finally:

David’s Mai Lai Wah
1001 Race Street
215-627-2610

I’ve got to go back here. I did get the sauce though (too late for the dumplings) and it’s as crazily good as described! Apparently they have some salt and pepper squid that I have to try…

So at the end of the first week of my Chinatown escapades I couldn’t be happier. This is not the Chinese food that we grow up with in America, this is the Chinese food that challenges your expectations and your palate. It’s amazingly affordable and there are many surprises as well. I’ll leave this first post with a game that was recently introduced to me: the fortune cookie game. I’m sure you can figure out how it works.