Saturday w/ Sarah: Ansill’s Menu @ Ladder 15
March 4, 2010
This past weekend, Dre & I went on a mission to the bookstore for Dalai Llama wisdom, food rules via Michael Pollan, & hopefully a continued subscription to Cook’s Illustrated. He headed off to work at 3 and I ventured across Broad is pursuit of a long-overdue Saturday w/ Sarah.
I’m glad I recalled that David Ansill (of Pif & Ansill restaurant notoriety) had revamped the menu* at the relatively new Ladder 15 – 1528 Sansom Street. Our waitress was great and beyond adorable, so I took her recommendation on the Pear Complex from their (also newly revamped) cocktail menu. DELICIOUS! We started off the meal with the Curried Lamb Empanadas. The three rich, crispy, & dense pockets were savory and perfectly paired with an Apple Chutney & Mango Yogurt.
Curried Lamb Empanadas w/ Apple Chutney & Mango Yogurt
Ahh, the new buzz menu item around Phily – the Ladder 15 Burger! This burger is on a new level of decadence. Eff a kobe burger… a sizzling bone full of marrow & truffle sauce are where it’s at! For those that can’t handle it, they have a classic burger, too. Both are paired with perfectly crisp fries & parmesan mayo dipping sauce… with caviar on top?!?!
Burger 15 - Prime Sirloin, Braised Short Rib, Red Wine Mushrooms, Grilled Red Onion, Bone Marrow, & Truffle Sauce on Metropolitan Bakery Brioche**
Ansill’s self-titled restaurant (that unfortunatley closed last Summer) had a buzz menu item of its own – Korean Tacos! I never had the opportunity to try them, so it was exciting to have a second chance. The order came with (2) soft tacos – a Pork Belly one & a Braised Short Rib one. They were of a richness beyond my imagination with a fatty Korean BBQ marinade, kim chi, scallion, & sesame seeds. I WILL be back for these again soon… and to try whatever flaming dish I envied as it was delivered to another table.
Ansill's Korean Tacos - (1) Pork Belly & (1) Braised Short Rib
The highlight of the experience was not one, but two visits to our table by Chef Ansill. He made a welcome point to show Sarah his vision on topping off the Burger 15 and popped over again to see how we were enjoying everything. Now that’s a chef I can surely respect & support!
*Check out Ansill’s full new Ladder 15 menu HERE!
**Thanks to Metropolitan Bakery for their Twitter shoutout of my Burger 15 pic on Flickr!
Restaurant Rewind: Hawai’ian “‘Ono Grinds” Flashback
February 3, 2010
‘Ono = Hawai’ian for “delicious”
Grinds = Hawai’ian for “food”
Every January I have the pleasure of visiting my Mama in Waikiki, Hawai’i. She lives right in the thick of things and only 2 blocks from the beach. What more could you ask for?!? I just returned last week from my 3rd annual visit, but was on a tight budget for this trip. I spent my days kicking back at the beach or by the pool while Mama cooked me up yummy seafood-focused dinners each night. I, of course, had pineapple every day and made my usual snorkel trip to Sharks Cove on the North Shore.
SNORK!
During my first 2 visits, I had the pleasure of exploring the cuisine of this tropical paradise. unfortunately, couldn’t escape Philly as Ono Cheesesteaks in right on the main strip of Waikiki. They may ship in Amaroso Rolls, but the sandwich as a whole was utter blasphemy! OH NO, is right! I made sure to stick to the amazing seafood Oahu has to offer.
The North Shore is scattered with shrimp ponds and shrimp trucks where you can enjoy the freshest variety of these crustaceans.We decided to stop at Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp Truck (which is actually quite popular on Yelp!).
Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp Truck on the North Shore
For a tourist rate of $8, we enjoyed plates of Spicy Garlic Shrimp complete with White Rice, Green Salad, & Pineapple Wedge. Things get a bit messy as you enjoy hand-peeling your saucy shrimp at tented picnic tables, so all the trucks make sure to offer a handwash station.
Spicy Garlic Shrimp Plate
On one of my many lazy days relaxing on Waikiki Beach, I decided to pop into Beard Papa for my first taste of their famous Cream Puffs. Not only are they just splendidly delicious, they fill it fresh with your choice of cream flavor. I went with their Classic Vanilla in an Eclair Puff, however they offer Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, Green Tea, & Earl Grey. They also make sammies on their puffs, but who wants they when you can have dessert? And, why have I never heard of these amazing cream puffs before and why isn’t there a franchise in Philly?? I hear there’s one in NYC. Could it be true? So many questions…
Beard Papa Eclair Puff w/ Vanilla Creme
Of course, no trip to Hawai’i is complete without a super sushi indulgence. My first visit, I had a blast pulling all sorts of varieties off a conveyor belt at Genki Sushi. Last year, however, we tried somewhere new and thank goodness! Unfortunately, the name of the restaurant eludes me (Mom?). I was treated to the best (and forever my favorite) ahi tuna dish I could ever imagine – a fresh hunk of Ahi, wrapped in Arugula, Tempura-battered & flash fried in a delicious sea of Wasabi-Soy Butter. Heaven.
Ahi Tuna & Arugula Tempura w/ Wasabi-Soy Butter
Hawai’i, I love you. See you next January (or hopefully sooner)!
Restaurant Rewind: Swift Half for Game Day
October 26, 2009
I took a momentary hiatus from blogging as my priorities shifted a bit over the last month or so. Tonight’s priority, however – watching the Eagles on the couch with Lexi. Less than two minutes into the game tonight, DeSean Jackson ran 67yds for a touchdown. At the risk of sounding cliche, it made me think maybe it’s time for me to get back in “the game.” I luckily had an easy return with a blog post already drafted about a perfect September day enjoying my utmost priorities! GO EAGLES!
It was about time for Dre to meet the parents, so we planned a sunny Sunday afternoon to watch the Eagles game in Philly. We met at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, knowing Dad was interested in seeing the new hip spot in the city. Food and drink is an important part of family time so we snagged an outdoor table at Swift Half with a perfect view of the Piazza’s jumbotron tv . After a round of beers and conversation, my sister Kerry joined us just in time to place our lunch order. Dre matched Kerry’s request of a B.E.L.T, stacked accordingly with an over-medium fried egg. I went with their Traditional Burger, served medium-rare with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Colston Bassett Stilton. Their fresh, shoestring cut Idaho fries paired with the sandwiches may now be in my top ranking in the city, just under Misconduct’s.
B.E.L.T. - Swift Half
Traditional Burger with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Colston Bassett Stilton
Dad doesn’t front when it comes to his love of Scrapple, retelling stories of making homemade batches at Penn State. Swift Half managed to serve it in a most appetizing way for a non-fan like me – battered, fried triangles paired with a Maple Ketchup & Potato Hash. Mary Ann, the biggest Eagles’ fan I know, went with an epitomous game day snack of Potato Skins with Applewood Bacon crumbles, Melted Cheddar, & an Herb-Mayo dipping sauce. We all shared the Fudge Board for dessert highlighting Bacon Fudge, Vanilla Fudge, & Pistachio Fudge.
Despite an embarrassing loss by the Eagles, it ended up being a fantastic Sunday afternoon relaxing, laughing, & eating with the most important people in my life. We even enjoyed seconds with Swift Half’s tender and tasty Buffalo Shrimp, which were eaten too fast for me to snap a pic! And no lie, now less than 2 minutes to halftime and there goes DeSean Jackson with another touchdown. All these great memories of food, family, & football – I think I’m officially back in the game.
Scrapple, Potato Hash, & Maple Ketchup - Swift Half
Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins - Swift Half
Bacon Fudge, Vanilla Fudge, & Pistachio Fudge - Swift Half
Weekend Update: Asian Edition – Part 3
August 4, 2009
Friday was my sister’s 27th Bday so we celebrated with a Korean BBQ dinner at the new Miga in Center City. I’ll spare you stories of the horrendous service and just skip to the fun parts! Starting with the Japanese River Crab Photo Bomb a la Greg:
Japanese River Crab Photo Bomb
More photos of the teensy-weensy Japanese River Crab & festivities after the jump…
Weekend Update: Asian Edition – Part 1
August 4, 2009
Without intention, I had the pleasure of enjoying a weekend full of Asian cuisine.
The Weekend: Asian Edition began with a perfect lunch at Raw, a Japanese restaurant in the heart of the Gayborhood at 12th & Sansom. I enjoyed the amazing company of my business partners/great friends (& a little one that kept extra big smiles on our faces). Raw is certainly a great deal for lunch with their Bento Boxes running around $14. I opted for the Tuna Bento, featuring:
(8) piece Spicy Tuna Roll ~ (2) pieces of Tuna Sushi ~ (2) Cucumber-Avocado Rolls
(2) Crab-Cucumber Rolls ~ (2) Shrimp Shumai
Green Salad w/ Carrot-Ginger Dressing ~ Vegetable Tempura ~ White Rice
Raw's Tuna Bento
Seems like alot, but that’s not all!
Restaurant Rewind: P.Y.T.
July 28, 2009
Friday night, I scooped the man from work & we headed to PYT, TommyUp’s newly-launched burger & shake bar at the Piazza at Schmidt’s. My patronage is the least I can offer to someone who has provided me with some epic party memories over the last 5 years! A storm was astir, so we sat ourselves at the strategically-placed yellow tables protected by the tunnel entrance-ways. We placed our order with the anticipated hipster waitress, adorable in her leopard dress, platinum bangs, & bright smile. 20 minutes later, magic arrived… complete with a stunning boom of thunder!
PYT Cheeseburger - med-well w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, fried egg, bacon, & mayo on a potato roll
Restaurant Rewind: Bistrot la Minette
July 11, 2009
Rewind to May 16th, the proud day I got to see my big sis, Kerry, graduate with her Masters in Education from St. Joe’s University….
Mealtime in my family is a priority. We plan our days, vacations, celebrations, weekends, & social activities around what & where we’ll be eating. So when the conversation started on a lunch spot for after Ker’s graduation, it was time to try something new in the the gastro-city of Philadelphia. I accepted that challenge and went on a quest to find the right spot. Of course, with the onset of Spring weather, outdoor seating was definitely a must. Long story short, my process of elimination led me to what is now my new favorite restaurant in Philly!
Happy Graduation, Kerry!
Erin
