Amis - A Mark Vetri joint

Happy Birthday To Me! I recently celebrated a birthday (June 1st in case anyone wants to make a note for next year) and was sad to see that for yet another year the anniversary of my birth has yet to be marked by a federal holiday. Oh well. There's always next year.

Even if the nation isn't celebrating the day of my birth, my wonderful husband is. Ever since a birthday debacle a few years ago (he thought my birthday was in a completely different month) he's been a birthday present giving, special dinner buying, happy birthday singing champ. And I have to admit, I love the attention. I also love that it's an excuse to take me out to dinner and not even look at the prices on the menu. Last year he took me to Chifa and we had the 9 course tasting menu. I was in heaven. This year he took me to Mark Vetri's newest gem, Amis, and I'm happy to announce that once again the hubby delivered a winner...oh, and Mark Vetri did a good job too.

In case you aren't familiar with his work, Mark Vetri is the proud owner of his namesake restaurant, Vetri. It is a nationally recognized Italian restaurant which many claim to be, simply, the best Italian food outside of, well, Italy. It is also, unfortunately, almost prohibitively expensive. So recently when he opened Amis, a restaurant that specializes in Roman style grub, and word got out that the prices were surprisingly fair, I couldn't wait to go.

We started our meal with cocktails (of course). The hubby had the Peroni e Lamponi and he thought it was, for lack of a better term, interesting. Basically they mixed Pimms (a favorite of his) with a Peroni beer and then threw in some muddled fruit to boot. I tasted it and deemed it refreshing and not overly sweet. I'm not sure I would order it again but I'm glad we tried it. I had the Amis Punch because I pretty much always order something if it has the restaurants name in the title. It contained aperol, vodka and lemon, and it too was refreshing, but in a more tart, lemonade sort of way. I really liked it and probably would in fact order it again.

Now for the main event...the food! We decided to share a bunch of plates and we each took turns picking out dishes.

We began with the snails alla romana. I love snails. Really, I adore them. Bibou makes an amazing snail dish that up until I had this Amis version, had been the only other outside-of-the-box preparation of snails I've ever had (you know, as opposed to the basic snails and garlic in a crock). The snails were in a less garlicky and more herb infused sauce, and I thought it worked wonderfully. I can't put my finger on the exact herbs but I remember thinking tarragon while I was eating it. Of course, I could be wrong. But whatever the ingredients, the dish hit the spot.

Next we had the sweet breads. I almost always order sweet breads when they're on the menu and most of the time I'm pleased. This time my husband actually said, "my mind has just been blown". They were the most delicious sweet breads I've ever had...EVER. They were coated in an almond dust and fried to perfection. Then they were served alongside a fennel marmalade that was such an amazing accompaniment it makes you wonder why every single restaurant is not making this dish. The sweet marmalade, the anise flavor of the fennel and the slight hint of organ meat flavor you get from the sweet breads could not have paired better. Perfection. Honestly. Perfection.

It being an Italian restaurant and all, we had to have a pasta course. This dish was the only thing we had all night that really did remind me of Rome. We had the bucatini alla matriciana with pork jowl, chili flake and pecorino. The richness of the sauce and the nutty, buttery flavor of the cheese took me right back to a sidewalk restaurant near the Vatican. The sauce was great, however...and I HATE to say this...the pasta was overcooked. Now, it must be said that it wasn't mush, but if a dish is going to take me all the way back to Italy ***picture of me at said place in Rome below*** they have to cook the pasta properly. The $14 we spent on the dish seemed a bit much as well. But honestly, I would probably give it another try. I'm sure it was just a misstep.

For the last course we decided to have the dish that we never got a chance to have when we were in a seaside town on the Mediterranean (bad time management and too many Peroni's). We ordered the mixed seafood grill. I like to think that had we gotten this dish in that small town outside of Rome it would have tasted this good. This was an example of simple flavors done right. It featured scallops, squid, shrimp, skate and swordfish. They were all grilled and then bathed in the lightest and most delicate lemon sauce, and it really did let the seafood sing. Every piece I had was delightful except for an overcooked piece of swordfish that I unfortunately saved for last. Lucky for me I had a piece of bread left and used it to sop up the last of that delightful sauce, and in doing so, ended my meal on an great note.

A lot of people have remarked about the portion size and although I did wish we had a bit more of things I have to say that it was pretty in line with the quality of food and the price. They did offer quite a wide selection of food that ran the price gambit and they also offered a house red and white in a carafe at a reasonable price (they got two points for that). I agree that they could make a few tweaks to the price or size but I don't think it's a reason to avoid the place entirely.

When all was said and done I had a lovely meal and a wonderful birthday outing. Amis was supposed to focus on Roman cuisine, and although I can't remember eating much food like that while I was actually IN Rome, I wish I had. Overall the dishes were amazing, the atmosphere was nice. The sweetbreads were nothing short of mind-blowing. And perhaps I'll have to come up with an excuse to go back. I'm pretty sure the dog's birthday is coming up.

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The Best Part of Waking Up - Grab some breakfast at Morning Glory Diner

I don't often write about breakfast places. The hubby and I go out to breakfast on the weekends, and that's about it. Nick loves Penrose Diner in south Philly, so we go there quite a bit, but we also try to hit up a new breakfast spot once a week (hangovers allowing). Most are good, but nothing to write home about. A lot of the time a good plate of eggs and scrapple at Penrose (Nick's breakfast of choice) beats out a heaping plate of some crazy brunch concoction any day of the week.

But sometimes you're looking for a little more out of your breakfast experience. I often have a hankerin' for quiche, and unfortunately lately I've had two pretty poorly executed ones in a row and am beginning to feel like the GoldieLocks of egg dishes. A quiche I had at Old City Cheese Shop was too runny (I mean, I like soft quiche but the crust on the bottom was completely raw), and the fact that it was $13 didn't help either. Then a quiche I had at Ida Mae's Bruncherie was so overcooked that it ripped the moisture right out of my mouth (which is a shame because they do have some decent dishes there...beans and toast are good and the Soda Farl is excellent). So this morning when the hubby and I went to breakfast at the Morning Glory Diner I shied away from the frittatas and ordered a scramble instead. This scramble was so perfectly executed that I think I'm going to throw caution to the wind and order the frittata next time we visit. I'm confident they can deliver on it.

We heard about Morning Glory Diner on the Travel Channel's show, Best Food Ever. If there is a show out there about travel or food you can be sure it's being recorded on our DVR. So not to be left in the dark we headed out there this morning for some grub.

We arrived earlier than usual this morning (around 10:30-ish) and it was a good thing because by the time we were seated the waiting area (which is a cute little garden) was packed. The service was friendly and prompt and we ordered quickly. I had the "veggie scramble" special and Nick ordered their claim to fame (or at least what the Travel Channel thinks is their claim to fame) the "monkey french toast".

My scramble was ridiculously good. The eggs were cooked to perfection, the veggies were pre-cooked nicely so they didn't water-down the dish, and even the often overlooked potatoes were seasoned to perfection. My scramble had a myriad of different veggies in it...red onion, tomato, kale, unidentifiable yet yummy greens, and it was topped with a thin layer of brie (they had me at brie). It also came with a biscuit (a little dry but ok) and a slice of watermelon, which ended up being a welcome and light flavor at the end of the meal. Two thumbs up from me.

The hubby's french toast was good as well. He gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 5, and considering Nick really doesn't like sweet breakfasts all that much, it's a good star rating. The french toast was thick cut and filled with caramelized bananas and mangos. Then it was topped with a caramel sauce and served with a side of whipped cream. A bit rich for my blood but he gobbled it up.

The only thing I had a beef with was the coffee. I personally don't drink coffee (those who know me realize I'm hyper enough as is...you don't want to add caffeine to that mix...trust me), but the hubby appreciates a good cup 'o joe. He commented on the fact that the coffee was, in fact, a step up from typical diner brew, but when the check came we realized that two cups ran him $5. Maybe it's just me but any place that calls themselves a diner and specializes in breakfast should really be giving out free refills. But that's just my two cents.

When it's all said and done it looks like we will certainly be back. I simply MUST try one of their many frittata options (this morning the special was one with kalamata olives, broccoli rabe, cheese and pasta baked in!). I caught a glimpse of a few as they came out of the kitchen and they look wonderful. And perhaps Nick will order two eggs with scrapple and see how they compare to his beloved Penrose.

So head out tomorrow morning and give this glorious place a try. They are cash only and did seem to fill up around 11. If you're a late riser no worries. Take the paper with you and enjoy your wait in their garden. And please, if you try the frittata, let me know how it was!

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Tartes - The names says it all

I have a list of restaurants that Nick and I have recently visited but have yet to write about. Sometimes I'm just lacking inspiration. Sometimes I'm torn about how I should word my review. And sometimes I'm just plain lazy. But then there are the times where I simply forget about an establishment. It's not that I didn't like it or that I've never been back. The problem lies in the fact that I go back...A LOT...like 2 to 3 times a week. When you frequent a place that much it becomes part of the landscape and you almost start to take it for granted. The other day when I was visiting Tartes bakery for the hubby's weekly (if not more) tart fix I realized that it was time for me to spread the word about this little gem of a bakery.

We live about 500 feet away from Tartes, and needless to say, I walk by it multiple times a day. Housed in just about the smallest, not to mention cutest (it's freakin' pink for goodness sake) little building I've ever seen, this small wonder cranks out some amazingly big flavor. They sell cookies and cakes...brownies and lemon bars...small and big bites alike. But the reason we go, and will keep going, is right there in the name. We go for the tarts.

I bought miniature imported French tart tins. I watched video after video about how to make the perfect pie crust. I slaved week after week to make the perfect tart and when I finally made something that was amazing, it still didn't hold a candle to those we buy from Tartes. I don't know how they do it but the crust is honestly, perfect. And the fillings! Oh, the fillings! They change them from time to time, but one of my favorites is the pear-pistachio. The fruit is amazing, the glaze is lovely, the pistachio is pistachio-rific. I love it. And the creme brulee tart is to die for!

This week we bought a lemon tart as well as a coconut creme one. Look at these pictures and tell me they aren't delicious looking works of art. And for around $5 a pop you can try a new one every week (or a few new ones every week...trust me...once you start it's hard to stop).

They are cash only and you order through a walk-up window (like I said...the place is miniature). In nice weather they do put a table and chairs outside as well. They are closed Sunday and Monday and I forgot to jot down the exact hours but I'm pretty sure they're noon to 7, and I think they open around 11am on Saturday.

So next time you have to bring dessert to a dinner party, or you just want to treat yourself (come on...you deserve it), stop by this teeny, tiny little pink building. Trust me, you can't miss it...and you'll be happy you went.

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Soup's On - A Delicious Surprise at South Philadelphia Taproom

The hubby and I, much like many other Philadelphia sports fans, are watching, with fingers crossed to see if the Flyers will make it to the Stanley Cup. So far, so good. After Saturday's win they're up 3 games to 1 over the Canadiens and a win tonight could put them into the cup.

When a Philadelphia team is this close to something big, Nick and I can't simply watch the games at home. One by one, game by game, we've been heading out to different bars and looking for exciting fans, exciting beers and of course, exciting food.

This Saturday we ventured down to the South Philadelphia Taproom in search of all these things. We really liked the atmosphere, the beer selection was good and the game was playing for a bar full of fans. But the thing that makes this bar blog-worthy is something you wouldn't expect...soup.

Nick and I never order something like grilled cheese when we're out (I mean, it's cheese and bread right?), but when we caught a whiff of the tomato soup that comes with it we couldn't resist. This soup deserves a cult following. I didn't take a picture because honestly, I didn't think it would be that good. They call it their "tomato lager soup", and I must know what's in it. It was creamy, but had chunks of tomato and small ribbons of green onion running through it. It was mild but all of the sudden hits you with the perfect amount of heat (I think hot sauce and the hubby thinks it's just Cayenne pepper...chef, if you read this, I would LOVE to know what adds the heat). Honestly, it's some of the best soup I've ever had. We sat there on a muggy day when you would never think to order soup, and sopped every last bit of it up with the grilled cheese.

You must try this soup. Even if soup is the last thing you think you want on a warm spring day, order it anyway. The grilled cheese is the perfect vehicle for transferring that amazing flavor into your mouth without having to hover over a steaming hot bowl. South Philadelphia Taproom has rewritten the rules about soup, and I would like to thank them for it.

P.S. We also had the Southern Fried Chicken wings with collard greens and they too were very good. The wings were crispy and fried perfectly. They could have used a bit more zing in my opinion, but the collards were right-on. I would recommend this dish as well.

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Tonight

Looking for a good deal on drinks tonight? You're in luck! Old City is hosting their weekly Old City Social AND the Flyers are playing game 3 of the playoffs at 7pm. Both will offer not only good deals, but good reason to get out there and enjoy a drink or two. Check out my links on the left banner to the Old City Social page for info, as well as The Daily Boozer page for a list of bars that are offering drink specials during the game. Cheers!

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Distrito "That's a healthy amount of food"

The hubby and I, for reasons unbeknown to either of us, hardly ever venture out to University City. There's nothing actually keeping us from going. Thanks to the blue line we can get there from Old City in just a few minutes. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure...it's a shame. University City has it's own pulse. It's own feel. It's own identity, just like many other Philadelphia neighborhoods. So a week or so ago when we were trying to decide where to go on our weekly "Friday date night" we decided to venture across the river and see what we were missing.

We set our sights on Distrito. Another of Jose Garces' winning restaurants, Distrito calls itself "modern Mexican". I call it delicious.

The restaurant itself is broken up into two parts. The main dining room and the Cantina. Always happy to eat in a bar setting the hubby and I chose to have a seat in the oh so festive and cutely decorated Cantina.

The Cantina has it's own menu which is mainly comprised of "street food" type dishes and they are VERY reasonably priced. Tacos start at $6, black beans and rice are only $3 and a can of Tecate can be yours for the low, low price of $2. That's right. We drank quite a lot of Tecate that evening. You can also order from the "main" menu while seated in the Cantina...and order we did. When the waiter came by to take our order the hubby rattled off a list of 6 items. When I asked the waiter if that was too much food he cleverly responded by simply saying, "That's a healthy amount of food". Thanks Mr. Waiter. We feel less piggy and more "healthy" now.

We started with the Octopus Ceviche (Pulpo). It was served in a martini glass and was accompanied by lime, chile and micro cilantro. It also came with delicious little fried chips that added a texture contrast which always seems to be needed in a ceviche. Perfect execution. Deliciously fresh octopus. No complaints so far!

Next we ordered the tongue tacos (Lengue). Pardon the pun, but they were melt in your mouth tender. I've had some chewy tongue in the past but this was tender, tender, tender...not to mention flavorful. The sauce was perfect. Just enough acid and not too much spice. I would make the trip back for these tacos alone. Outstanding.

Our third course was the Crab enchiladas (Enchilada De Cangrejo). They came with roasted corn and a salsa verde. I personally chose this dish as a "must try" in my mind and was, unfortunately, let down. Technically there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the dish, however, it really fell flat. The flavor was just not there and honestly, if I wasn't told that there was crab inside I never would have known. But one misstep out of 6 ain't bad.

After the crab we had a little interlude and munched on some sweet plantains in a queso fresco sauce (Platano Y Crema). Plantains are one of those "super" foods. They can be sweet. They can be savory. And they can be both at the same time, just as they were in this dish. I'm a huge fan of plantains and I was glad to see them treated so well by the chefs. Another winning dish and something I'm glad we didn't skip over on the menu.

Our next dish was the, drum-roll, Pork belly Verde. I'm sure by now you all know that if pork belly is on the menu my husband will ALWAYS order it. This time was no exception. It was cooked to perfection and garnished with pepita (roasted pumpkin seeds...which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) and a verde sauce. The thing that really impressed me about this dish was actually the lack of sauce. When you think Mexican food you think big, bold flavors. But pork belly has such amazing flavor all by it's lonesome that sometimes you just want to let it sing.

Our final dish was a short rib flat bread, that they called a "mission style quesadilla". It was served with a crema, mixed cheese blend, poblano and the ubiquitous shredded radish and micro cilantro that they seemed to use in everything (seriously...I think it was in or on at least 4 out of our 6 dishes...and although it really did add a lovely flavor and texture, after a while we felt like Jose owns stock in a radish and micro cilantro farm). I ordered it as a filler of sorts but it really turned out to be one of those perfect "bar foods". Crispy, creamy, salty, cheesy & meaty. It was executed well, and although nothing truly mind-blowing, it's exactly the type of thing you crave when you're drinking beer. I would order it again if I went back for happy hour and was looking for some perfect finger food.

So there you have it. A "healthy" amount of food and an even healthier amount of beer, tequila and margaritas to match. We sat and grazed on truly delicious food and paid an average of $7 per dish. The hubby and I will certainly return. Of the 6 dishes we tired only 1 fell flat, 5 were delicious and of those 5, 2 were what I would call amazing. Numbers like that don't lie.

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TO splurge or NOT to splurge...That is the question.

If the question is TO splurge or NOT to splurge I can promise you my husband's answer is a definite NOT. Ok. That's not completely true. He can be exceedingly generous and he really does enjoy the finer things in life. He just seems to go through phases. One week he'll come home with a very lovely, albeit very expensive bouquet of flowers and declare that we're hitting the town that night. The next week he'll ask if I really needed to buy ALL that toilet paper. I mean, what are we doing with it all? Flushing it down the toilet or something?

And thank goodness for that! Honestly. I'm so happy he has a sound financial system (which I would know nothing about because I haven't looked at our bank statement since our wedding). I always say that if it weren't for him I'd be hitchhiking around the country and living in a cardboard box...but of course eating black truffles that I shaved using my handy dandy imported Italian truffle shaver!

I certainly try to save money whenever and wherever I can, but I also have two soft spots...travel and cuisine. I always start planning our next vacation before our plane from our present vacation even touches down and I reach for that shiny French kitchen gadget or ornately packaged Italian fungus like most women reach for Manolo Blahnik shoes.

So when it comes to food, what should you splurge on and what should you leave on the shelf? Here are two food items I've recently splurged on. One was a winner. The other a huge waste of $15 (that I might as well have just flushed down the toilet). **spoiler alert - Black Truffle Oil scam!**

Splurge #1: "worthy splurge"...Saffron

I'm sure you have heard that saffron is the harvested from a saffron crocus thread. Which means that it takes A LOT of flowers to get a usable amount of saffron. That also means that saffron is pricey, pricey, pricey. Even some of the lowest quality saffron costs around $1,000 per pound. For that price you would think it would do more than just flavor your rice. But you would be amazed at how a little bit of it goes a long way. I bought this small package (0.4g) of Spanish Saffron at a local grocery store for $6.00, and it will get me through about 4 or 5 dishes, depending on their size. It's an amazing spice.

And the flavor!?! I use it to flavor SO many dishes. From fish stews to rice dishes. I put it in chicken stock before I add it to sauces. I use it to cook fingerling potatoes. The list is endless. It adds the most earthy flavor and floral aroma. I love it. Of course it's to be used sparingly, but it's worth the price. Every penny.

Splurge #2: "scam splurge"...Black Truffle Oil

I personally love truffles. They are earthy, aromatic and completely unlike anything else on earth. Have you ever seen one of those travel shows where they demonstrate how pigs sniff for truffles? It's adorable!! Those pigs are not only cute, but they're also money making machines. These ugly looking fungi cost about $500 per pound and......WAIT!....stop the presses....while researching the price of black truffles I just read that most truffle oil doesn't even contain truffle! Apparently the vast majority of truffle oil in the US is olive (or grapeseed in my case) oil flavored with something called Dithiapentane.

No wonder my truffle oil sucks. It doesn't even have truffles in it! Now that I read the label they keep saying, "infused with black truffle AROMA". Ha! I knew this was a waste of $15 the moment I first cooked with it. I would place a crock of truffled-mac-and-cheese in front of Nick and say, "what's the secret ingredient" and he would say, "cheese?". I would even drizzle copious amounts over mild vegetable and all he could say was, "why did you put all of this oil on the veggies?". It was practically flavorless (in our opinion). Now I know why.

So long story short, this small (8 oz) bottle of truffle oil is not a good splurge by a long shot. Not only does it not add ANY discernible flavor to my cooking (and trust me, I've tried it a million different ways) but it's not even infused with freakin' truffle!

Here you have it. Two very pricey items. Two very different flavors. Two very different results. One is worth every penny, and the other might as well be infused with old pennies...perhaps it would even make it more flavorful.

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