This Week in Philly

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 29, 2013 in Philly | 0 comments

Craig Leban crucifies The Saint James in Ardmore. The joint venture from Michael Schulson of Sampan and Rob Wasserman of Rouge is off to a very shaky start.  Link.

Yelpers pull out the hate for Goat Hollow in Mount Airy. It’s the first week, people! What ever happened to giving a restaurant a chance to work out the kinks? Link

Alla Spina in Fairmount gets a nod from Food and Wine Magazine for it’s awesome chicken wings: “ The wings—dressed in a buttery sauce made with grated Parmesan cheese, fresh oregano and fresh lemon juice—are available on Sundays and during major sporting events.” Link

Can’t wait until Philly Beer Week? There are two major beer events coming to Philly in February and March. Via Eater Phillly.

Will wine and spirit sales go private? Will the PLCB be disbanded?  There is some talk that the fight against the PLCB is gaining some traction again. Via Grub Street.

Old Philly Bitters

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 21, 2013 in News | 0 comments

Classic Bitters Advertisement

One of the best results of the Pre-Prohibition cocktail trend was the re-discovery of bitters. It’s great to see some of the classic bitters being embraced again, and to a new generation of new and awesome bitters, too. Sriracha bitters, anyone?  However, many MANY of the old school bitters have been lost to history. The Art of Drink has some fantastic 19th Century advertisements for Bitters. Anyone interested in recreating Philly’s very own contribution to the cocktail,  National Bitters circa 1867?

Via Art of Drink

A Philly Winemaker in New Zealand

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 16, 2013 in News | 0 comments

Burlington County Times has a great article featuring Philly’s own Danny Brennan. The article recounts his path from Philly bartender to becoming a bad-ass winemaker in New Zealand.  There is a great shout out for the  Wine School of Philadelphia in the beginning of the article (Danny was a student).  Link

Jet Bot, Jet Girl

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 9, 2013 in Philly | 1 comment

When I met Jill Weber, she was an archaeologist with a taste for wines from impossible places. Her palate followed her work: into the ancient vineyards of Syria and Turkey, through the ancient mariner routes toward Lebanon and Greece.

I met her when she was taking classes at the Wine School of Philadelphia. She talked of opening a wine bar, someplace where she could pour these strange and quixotic bottles. I thought she may go bankrupt pursing such a dream. I smiled politely and urged her to consider wines from Italy, France, and California. Soon after, she graduated from the certification program, and went on her way.

She recently returned to the Wine School as a bona fide restaurateur  In the interim years, Philly has embraced Jill’s vision of wine and cocktails at Jet Wine Bar. That success allowed her to open Rex 1516, her take on posh southern cuisine. Not long ago, Rex 1516 was named Philly’s 51st top restaurant and a huge hit with Philly’s taste makers (Philly Mag’s Jason Sheehan and FooBooz write it up an average of twice a month).

She came to the Wine School to compete in the Sommelier Smackdown, battling the defending champion Zach Morris (the sommelier, not the fictional tv character). Armed with a collection of obscure and delightful bottles, she beat poor ol’ Zachary.

“She beat me pretty bad” he said with a rueful grin the next morning.

Better luck next time, old boy. Probably should have told you that Jill has a knack for beating the odds.

American Meat

Posted by Mike Madaio on Sep 1, 2012 in Philly | 0 comments

I have recently, for the most part, given up beef. I’m not a vegetarian – far from it. I’m not fighting for some political cause. It’s just that, more and more, when I crave red meat, I want bison. Grilled steak? Bison sirloin. Burger night? Bison burger. Tacos? Bison skirt steak. Bolognese? Ground bison. Braised short ribs? Braised bison!

My love for bison has blossomed because it features most of the best qualities of beef, without that lead weight developing in my stomach afterwards. Bison is hearty and rich, and pairs well with big red wines (try something from the Rhone), yet it is much leaner, which means that, after I eat bison, I actually feel good!

The hardcore beef lovers among you, of course, will sneer, and say that leanness = blandness. Bison, however, has enough gamy flavor that it mostly makes up for the missing fat. If you love yourself a big, fatty porterhouse, of course, bison may let you down. Compared to a filet, a burger, or even a New York strip, however, bison stands tall.

In addition, bison is a truly local meat; these tasty hulks (which are often confused with, but not actually buffalo) are the only bovines native to North America. When cows were imported to this continent in the 1600s, there were an estimated 40-60 million bison roaming the plains. During the Gold Rushes of the 1800s, however, bison were killed off in huge numbers, almost going extinct. Today, small farmers, such as Backyard Bison in Coopersburg, PA – about an hour north of Philly – are bringing bison back. (There are approximately 500K in North America today.)

Backyard Bison, which is run by a friendly gentleman named Rod who’s always quick to suggest a recipe with your purchase, offers up a plethora of bison cuts including burgers, steaks, ribs, roasts, sausages, jerky and more. Though you can drive up to the farm in Coopersburg on Saturdays (10:30-3:30), Rod is also a regular attendee to the farmers markets in Phoenixville (Saturdays 9am-1pm), Havertown (Wednesdays 3-7pm) and Emmaus (Sundays 10am-2pm). I heartily recommend the sirloin steaks, ground bison for burgers, and short ribs come fall and winter braising time.

Commercial bison can also be found regularly at Wegmans and at many Whole Foods locations.