Restaurant Rewind: Swift Half for Game Day

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

B.E.L.T. - Swift Half

Burger from 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

Scrapple, Potato Hash, & Maple Ketchup - Swift Half

Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins - Swift Half

Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins - Swift Half

Bacon Fudge, Vanilla Fudge, & Pistachio Fudge - Swift Half

Bacon Fudge, Vanilla Fudge, & Pistachio Fudge - Swift Half

Check out Swift Half’s Website and Twitter. Yum!

Quickie: Lazaro’s Veggie Stromboli

Took a quick break from my speed blogging to order some delivery from Lazaro’s Pizza with Lex. We’ve popped in for slices & ordered delivery from the pizza shop on 18th & South since we moved to Grad Hospital/Point Breeze 3 years ago. Their in a close 2nd to my favorite Philly pizza (next to Lorenzo’s) and def my favorite cheesesteak. Tonight, we enjoyed their medium Vegetable Stromboli with a shared dozen of Hot Wings & our usual 2-liter of Sprite.

Lazaros Veggie Stromboli w/ Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms, Peppers, Brocolli, Sauce, & Mozzarella

Lazaro's Veggie Stromboli w/ Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms, Peppers, Brocolli, Sauce, & Mozzarella

Weekend Update: Asian Edition – Part 3

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

Japanese River Crab Photo Bomb

More photos of the teensy-weensy Japanese River Crab & festivities after the jump…

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Weekend Update: Asian Edition – Part 2

Thursday, I made a visit to my favorite (bc it’s close & I’m lazy) Vietnamese supermarket, aptly named Asia Market. Philly’s Washington Ave is lined with your choice of Asian markets, shops, & restaurants directly perpendicular to the famous Italian Market. I was certainly excited on this visit as now that I have a BlackBerry (aka my Frankenberry), I can look up all the crazy products encountered on my Asia Market excursions! This time was a quick trip for familiar dinner items for Friday night & some kitchen staples: Shallots, Fresh Ginger, Snow Peas, baby Bok Choy, Japanese Eggplant, & some chopsticks.

I had “plans” for a Friday night at home, cooking dinner & enjoying some TV/relaxation. A quick Google search for “chicken bok choy recipe” brought me to Food & Wine’s Ginger-Sesame Chicken w/ Mushrooms & Bok Choy, and thank goodness I had some fungi in the fridge! I always interpret recipes into my own taste, so I omitted the red peppers, prepared the baby bok choy on the side, & added my own splashes & dashes to the sauce. This recipe will def stay in my back pocket, especially for the brown sauce! I finished the meal with some white rice & good laughs via The Love Guru.

Ginger-Sesame Chicken w/ Mushrooms

Ginger-Sesame Chicken w/ Mushrooms

Baby Bok Choy

Baby Bok Choy

Weekend Update: Asian Edition – Part 1

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

Raws Tuna Bento

Raw's Tuna Bento

Seems like alot, but that’s not all!

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Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Ground Turkey & Rice Stuffing from my Grilled Stuffed Peppers, jazzed up w/ Sriracha

Last Lonely Whole Grain Tortilla

Dollop(s) of Daisy

Lots o’ Shredded Romaine

Coulda used some Fresh Salsa or Chopped Tomatoes… but otherise, LEFTOVER LIGHTING!!

Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Leftover Lightning! Turkey Taco!

Restaurant Rewind: P.Y.T.

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 w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, fried egg, bacon, & mayo on a potato roll

PYT Cheeseburger - med-well w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, fried egg, bacon, & mayo on a potato roll

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