Wing Bowl is this Friday. The boys will all be in town. Puddles in from New York, Coach from Baltimore, MinuteMan from DC, Johnny from Jersey, and the rest of us from Philly. Can't wait.
Monday, January 31, 2011
New PrimeTime
PrimeTime has gone multi media. Too bad they spelt his name incorrectly. You'll remember that it is one word, Capital P, Capital T.
2 more down, 3 to go.
Bone Marrow, PrimeTime and I ordered the Gyro platter from Olympic Gyro. "Thoroughly enjoyed", "Happy with that", "would come back" were the comments. Good crispy fries although T-Bone thought they were just "potatoey". What would you expect from a meat and potatoes guy. PrimeTime thought yogurt was a little bland. T-Bone had the Buffalo chicken gyro. His comments "Hearty chicken", "very good sauce and good value for $8.50". T-Bone impressed that they had fountain Fanta Birch Beer. Overall score 3.7*. Good enough to currently hold tenth place on the list.
We also hit Nane's Kitchen which is an Indian and Pakistani Restaurant. We thought this was an interesting combination at it seems these two countries would be happy to nuke each other. We ordered Chicken kebabs and lamb kebabs but instead of coming on skewers we received "cups of meat". The server expecting a bigger order gave JS an eye roll which immediately affected their score downwards. T-Bone thought that a highlighter may have spilled on the chicken, and PrimeTime thought it was radio active again due to the funny yellow / green color left on the container with the chicken. PrimeTime reported that the hot sauce was only fair. I thought the meat tender until getting a big glob of fat, thus reducing my score by 0.5. Overall score was 2.0625.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Big Day at the Market
With just 5 eating days left we needed to put a good dent in the remaining places. Overall another disappointing day. The main dishes were Chinese with the first place being the Golden Bowl. Both PrimeTime and I had the Mongolian Beef. He enjoyed his more than I did mine. He thought it had good weight with a decent sauce. He added the spicy sauce which he described as "awesome". He scored it a 2.75*. I on the other hand thought the weight was mostly rice (which was good) rather than beef. I suppose this was fortunate as it tasted like a very cheap cut of beef with little flavor. I did take a risk and try the pineapple Fanta which turned out to be the best part of the meal. I scored it 1.5*
T-Bone went back to Generals Tso's Chicken and thought it was a poor showing. He thought that he could have cooked it better himself. His score 1.75*
Bone Marrow ordered the Chicken with Peanuts. He thought it hefty and tasty but a little light on the chicken. Didn't help that his fountain soda was flat. He scored it a 2.25.
We then went to Shanghai Gourmet Restaurant which was better. We ordered a platter of Chicken Dumplings which came with 8 dumplings. They were pretty good but were after all just Chicken Dumplings. All was fine until Bone Marrow came across a foreign body. He was then done. I also ordered the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce. 5 large shrimp for $6.95 wasn't bad. The flavor was good but overall just an average meal. Overall it scored 2.375*.
Both Bone Marrow and T-Bone did a little catch up too. Bone Marrow hit the dreaded Frank's A-Lot and thought he would go safe with the hot dog and corn bread. The corn bread was still good but the hot dog tasted like sawdust. The score still remains a 0.5*.
T-Bone went to Coastal Cave, didn't want raw food (which had scored them so well before) and went for the crab cake. His first hint that this meal was going down hill was when the microwaved it. He cut into it and it was all filling, he did find a dot of crab and put it aside. He scored it a 0.25. One of the lowest scores.
But the worst was to come. We thought we would end the day with a fruit smoothie from the Vegetarian Snack Bar. Of course we didn't really think that it would be made with Soy Milk. It was not to our dairy tastes at all. This was the first place that scored a zero from all of us.
The end is in sight.
T-Bone went back to Generals Tso's Chicken and thought it was a poor showing. He thought that he could have cooked it better himself. His score 1.75*
Bone Marrow ordered the Chicken with Peanuts. He thought it hefty and tasty but a little light on the chicken. Didn't help that his fountain soda was flat. He scored it a 2.25.
We then went to Shanghai Gourmet Restaurant which was better. We ordered a platter of Chicken Dumplings which came with 8 dumplings. They were pretty good but were after all just Chicken Dumplings. All was fine until Bone Marrow came across a foreign body. He was then done. I also ordered the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce. 5 large shrimp for $6.95 wasn't bad. The flavor was good but overall just an average meal. Overall it scored 2.375*.
Both Bone Marrow and T-Bone did a little catch up too. Bone Marrow hit the dreaded Frank's A-Lot and thought he would go safe with the hot dog and corn bread. The corn bread was still good but the hot dog tasted like sawdust. The score still remains a 0.5*.
T-Bone went to Coastal Cave, didn't want raw food (which had scored them so well before) and went for the crab cake. His first hint that this meal was going down hill was when the microwaved it. He cut into it and it was all filling, he did find a dot of crab and put it aside. He scored it a 0.25. One of the lowest scores.
But the worst was to come. We thought we would end the day with a fruit smoothie from the Vegetarian Snack Bar. Of course we didn't really think that it would be made with Soy Milk. It was not to our dairy tastes at all. This was the first place that scored a zero from all of us.
The end is in sight.
Crepes
T-Bone finally got to Profi's Creperie at Reading Terminal. He had the same as PrimeTime, the Chicken Tomato Pesto Crepe. His comments follow:
"That did nothing for me,", "It was like...what was it...I'm speechless". At $10 this is an expensive appetizer for lunch. The service was lacking. The servers spent 5 minutes talking to a somebody that wasn't a customer. Very disrespectful. Score 2. Overall score revised from 2.4* to 2.3125*.
Of course it didn't help T-Bones mood when I ate the fantastic Cheesesteak from Carmen's. Remember to order the seeded role and the banana peppers. Simply Awesome.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The 10 Worst Burger Ideas
T-Bone and I were talking about what our next challenge should be after Reading terminal and he suggested Burgers. These are some we are unlikley to do, courtesy of Zagat.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Seafood
We had a seafood day at Reading Terminal the other day. T-Bone wasn't with us that day but Footnote was. The three seafood places were Pearl's Oyster House, Wan's Seafood and Coastal Cave. The comments were:
Pearls - Not much good came out of this visit. Bone Marrow described it as a "Tourist Trap", Footnote as "waste of calories". The snapper soup was thin, too salty and too little snapper. The fried shrimp, fried oysters and crab cakes were described as "tasteless". The crab cakes had too much filling. Fries were also tasteless. T-Bone did a catch up meal of Clam Chowder which had good taste, but needed more claims, and less potato. The overall score of 1.9375*.
Wan's - Fried Shrimp platter. Good quantity with above average taste. Footnote described them as "Yummy in my tummy". If fried seafood is what you want this is the place in to to get it. Scores 2.75* all round.
Coastal Cave - We had the Raw Platter. 3 Oysters, 3 Clams and 3 Shrimp (Boiled). I thought it was very good quality. Oysters were freshly sucked (in front of us) and were as good as anywhere else. PrimeTime was impressed by the freshness. Bone Marrow on the other hand had a hard time and couldn't complete the clam and didn't try the oyster. He had to spit the clam out. He could get beyond the "hard foreign body". He thought the shrimp tasteless. He did decide that the only way for him to each raw seafood was in a 4 star restaurant, being three sheets to the wind, with 2 drinks in front of him after finishing 1 bottle of wine. We believe that Bone Marrow may have texture issues. Bone Marrow's scores did not count. BA and JS both scored it a 3.25 for freshness and quality.
Pearls - Not much good came out of this visit. Bone Marrow described it as a "Tourist Trap", Footnote as "waste of calories". The snapper soup was thin, too salty and too little snapper. The fried shrimp, fried oysters and crab cakes were described as "tasteless". The crab cakes had too much filling. Fries were also tasteless. T-Bone did a catch up meal of Clam Chowder which had good taste, but needed more claims, and less potato. The overall score of 1.9375*.
Wan's - Fried Shrimp platter. Good quantity with above average taste. Footnote described them as "Yummy in my tummy". If fried seafood is what you want this is the place in to to get it. Scores 2.75* all round.
Coastal Cave - We had the Raw Platter. 3 Oysters, 3 Clams and 3 Shrimp (Boiled). I thought it was very good quality. Oysters were freshly sucked (in front of us) and were as good as anywhere else. PrimeTime was impressed by the freshness. Bone Marrow on the other hand had a hard time and couldn't complete the clam and didn't try the oyster. He had to spit the clam out. He could get beyond the "hard foreign body". He thought the shrimp tasteless. He did decide that the only way for him to each raw seafood was in a 4 star restaurant, being three sheets to the wind, with 2 drinks in front of him after finishing 1 bottle of wine. We believe that Bone Marrow may have texture issues. Bone Marrow's scores did not count. BA and JS both scored it a 3.25 for freshness and quality.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Game of Things
We went to a friends house last night for dinner and to play a new game called "The Game of Things". The Hasbro description is:
"You won’t believe the hilarious, creative, outrageous and unforgettable THINGS your friends will say during this provocative party game! Draw a topic card and read it out loud. “THINGS a chimp thinks about when he sees you at the zoo.” Then the other players write down their own responses: “You think I’m weird looking?” “What are you looking at?” or perhaps “Are you my mommy?” Then try to figure out who said what! Remember, you can write anything that comes to mind… so be as fun as you want! It’s humor in a box! This outrageous party game includes 300 hilarious topic cards that provoke even more hilarious responses!"
Now we played with 10 people, 5 couples, all very good friends and it was hilarious. I suppose you could play it "G" rated but we certainly didn't. Ours was the unrated version. Some of the questions were had were:
Things you shouldn't pay for?
Things you shouldn't do on your honeymoon?
Things you shouldn't name a children's book?
Things that make you seem like?
Things you don't like to be called?
Think of the funniest answers that you probably wouldn't expect to say or hear, and they (any many others) were said. My head was hurting so much from laughing.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Shoe Laces
I broke a shoe lace the other morning, had no spares, tied it together to get through the morning and would go looking at lunch. My first stop was Sherman Brothers Shoes. I saw my brand of shoe in the store window and felt hopeful. I went in, was immediately helped and asked for a new set of laces. The salesman asked what brand I needed them for, I point down, he pulled out a box and handed me a set of Cordo Hyde black waxed laces. I went for cash (see PrimeTime you never know when you might need cash), pulled it out, and the salesman said not to worry, that I could have them for free.
Now after some research the laces are only $1.25 to $1.50 but the very offer was generous and really made an impression. His only request was when I was ready for new shoes, I consider them. I will, and you should too. The laces are great too. The wax apparently keeps them tied tight.
Sherman Brothers is located at 1520 Sansom St, Philadelphia PA 19102. Their website is:
Sherman Brothers
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pittsburgh
Just back from a overnight trip to Pittsburgh. They are very excited about their Steelers. Some may not know that Pittsburgh is the only city in the USA that all its major sports teams have the same team colors, Gold and Black.
Over the years I have had some interesting meals in Pittsburgh (deep fried hoagie anyone). This time the food was pretty good, It started with a steak for dinner at Springfield Grill in the North Hills. Nothing too exciting about that but it came with a cayenne bleu sauce. Think of a very creamy buffalo hot sauce. It was tremendous.
Had a night cap at the hotel bar. I tried Bone Marrow's question of what are you know for , except I asked what local beers they had. The response was a Victory Hop Devil and Yuengling Lager. Come on Pittsburgh it is great that you have won 6 SuperBowls, and have a chance for a seventh but keep your hands of the beer from across the state. I asked what else and was offered an Iron City Lite or a Penn Pilsner. I opted for the Penn. Nothing special there. A decent easy drinking beer, with very little head when poured. It wasn't overly cold which wasn't really the beers fault I suppose. I wouldn't seek it out but wouldn't refuse it either if offered. Penn Pilsner.
For breakfast headed to Primanti Brothers in the Strip District. The is the original location. It appeared to be the kind of place that the waitress are surly and the locals give you that stare that you aren't really welcome. As it turned out the waitress were ok, not welcoming but not rude either, and the locals couldn't have cared one way or the other. Now I'm sure it would have been better for lunch or dinner and I will go back for those meals too. I had the breakfast special which I thought would be a sandwich but was two fried eggs, ham steak, tomato, coleslaw, french fries and toast. So I made my own sandwich. The bread was thick and delicious. The eggs were fried (my favorite kind) and the ham steak great. I really view the ham steak as under appreciated. Funnily enough coleslaw for breakfast isn't bad. All up a place that I would visit again. It is open 24 hours and only takes cash which is always good to know. The art work is truly Pittsburgh with local sports legends and other celebrities painted on the walls. Primanti Bros.
If you want more see Man vs Food on the Travel channel when Adam visits The'Burg.
Over the years I have had some interesting meals in Pittsburgh (deep fried hoagie anyone). This time the food was pretty good, It started with a steak for dinner at Springfield Grill in the North Hills. Nothing too exciting about that but it came with a cayenne bleu sauce. Think of a very creamy buffalo hot sauce. It was tremendous.
Had a night cap at the hotel bar. I tried Bone Marrow's question of what are you know for , except I asked what local beers they had. The response was a Victory Hop Devil and Yuengling Lager. Come on Pittsburgh it is great that you have won 6 SuperBowls, and have a chance for a seventh but keep your hands of the beer from across the state. I asked what else and was offered an Iron City Lite or a Penn Pilsner. I opted for the Penn. Nothing special there. A decent easy drinking beer, with very little head when poured. It wasn't overly cold which wasn't really the beers fault I suppose. I wouldn't seek it out but wouldn't refuse it either if offered. Penn Pilsner.
For breakfast headed to Primanti Brothers in the Strip District. The is the original location. It appeared to be the kind of place that the waitress are surly and the locals give you that stare that you aren't really welcome. As it turned out the waitress were ok, not welcoming but not rude either, and the locals couldn't have cared one way or the other. Now I'm sure it would have been better for lunch or dinner and I will go back for those meals too. I had the breakfast special which I thought would be a sandwich but was two fried eggs, ham steak, tomato, coleslaw, french fries and toast. So I made my own sandwich. The bread was thick and delicious. The eggs were fried (my favorite kind) and the ham steak great. I really view the ham steak as under appreciated. Funnily enough coleslaw for breakfast isn't bad. All up a place that I would visit again. It is open 24 hours and only takes cash which is always good to know. The art work is truly Pittsburgh with local sports legends and other celebrities painted on the walls. Primanti Bros.
If you want more see Man vs Food on the Travel channel when Adam visits The'Burg.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Rounding the curve.
With about a dozen places to go we hit Reading terminal again. T-Bone was not with us. I had to catch up and try the Down Home Diner. I went to the take out window which was friendly and very quick. The choice was easy. The menu had the "Best Philly Cheeseteak". Unfortunately it wasn't even the best in market (See Carmen's). It was sloppy and not particularly not flavorful. The best part was the hot peppers, and they were only average. The steak was piping hot which was good. Score 2*
PrimeTime and Bone Marrow went to Profi’s Crêperie - Bone Marrow was a little taken back by the French man's attitude. Apparently when asked if you want cheese you must answer immediately Although taken aback he did seem to respect the audacity. Bone Marrow had the Roasted Garlic Cesear Chicken Crepe. The roasted garlic was good. The crepe was fuller than expected but still not filling. He was left wanting more. Score 2.75*. PrimeTime on the other hand took a personal afront to the French attitude. He ordered the Chicken Tomato Pesto. It was flavorful with good pesto. It was light, but that is what a crepe is supposed to be. A little light on the cheese. Doesn't fill you up and wouldn't go back for a main meal but might try it for dessert. Score 2.5*
As we were still wanting more food we went to By George Pizza, Pasta & Cheesesteaks! - Bone Marrow and I had the Sausage Pizza which was very good. It had hearty slices of sausage, not crumbled which is what all good sauage pizza should have. It had great crust. Good sauce and cooked in a brick oven. Score 3.5*. PrimeTime had the chicken, roasted peppers and mozzarella balls. A meal in itself. Huge chunks of chicken, flavorful peppers. Ate like a full meal rather than just a slice of Pizza.
As a side note the Down Home diner wasn't the only place advertising the best "something". Jonathon's Gourmet Grocery boasted the best carrot cake in the world. It was okay. I am happy to report that my wife baked a carrot cake that was easily better (in my opinion). Isn't great to live with the world's best chef.
As a side note the Down Home diner wasn't the only place advertising the best "something". Jonathon's Gourmet Grocery boasted the best carrot cake in the world. It was okay. I am happy to report that my wife baked a carrot cake that was easily better (in my opinion). Isn't great to live with the world's best chef.
Yards IPA
We had friends over for dinner the other night and they brought a mixed 6 pack of some very interesting beers. My favorite was the Yards IPA. Yards IPA. A great taste, color and mix of hops. Not too hoppy in my opinion. Apparently 7% APV which is large. Very enjoyable.
The other beers were very good too:
Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA. APV 7% Latitude 48 IPA
St Martins Triple. APV 9% St Martin's Triple
Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale APV 5%- Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale
I know that is only 4. There were 2 St Martin's and 2 Yards.
Deal on Flights to Oz
Any interest in visiting Australia? Here is a deal from Qantas which I saw in the newspaper recently. Less than $900 (plus whatever mystery taxes, charges and fees I suppose) from LA and less than $1,100 from New York to Sydney. If you have the time and the money it is a fantastic place to visit. The people are great too.
Aussie Flight Deal
Thursday, January 13, 2011
T-BONE
Perhaps all is not well with T-Bone's employment. I think he is slowly selling himself off. At this rate he is worth a couple of grand. A bargain.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Giants Fans
As you know my beloved Eagles lost in the playoffs. Of course all the obnoxious New York Giants fans (this does not include PrimeTime) decided they could raise their ugly heads today and gloat. What is there to gloat about. The Eagles have beaten them 6 times in a row, including the greatest comeback in the NFL by scoring 28 points in 7 minutes, but they decided today was the best time to rub it in. I called one out about being a Giants fan and he told me that he was a Jets fan.
I hate obnoxious Giants Fans (again not you PrimeTime).
I hate obnoxious Giants Fans (again not you PrimeTime).
Pod
I went out to lunch with some work colleagues last week to a restaurant called Pod. This is a Stephen Starr owned establishment in University City. I have been to probably half a dozen different Starr restaurants and never had a bad meal.
Today was no exception. In fact it might be the best meal I have ever had at his restaurants. We had a lot of food, all of it excellent. The meal consisted of chicken pot stickers, crab spring rolls, tempura rock shrimp, crispy chicken wings, shrimp pad thai, spicy tuna sushi, California rolls, avocado rolls, vegetable tempura (didn't try this), a noodle soup with dumplings and a couple of different rices, one of which was a crab fried rice. Everything I tried was great but I especially enjoyed the crab fried rice, crab spring rolls and noodle soup with dumplings.
The website is below:
Pod Restaurant
Today was no exception. In fact it might be the best meal I have ever had at his restaurants. We had a lot of food, all of it excellent. The meal consisted of chicken pot stickers, crab spring rolls, tempura rock shrimp, crispy chicken wings, shrimp pad thai, spicy tuna sushi, California rolls, avocado rolls, vegetable tempura (didn't try this), a noodle soup with dumplings and a couple of different rices, one of which was a crab fried rice. Everything I tried was great but I especially enjoyed the crab fried rice, crab spring rolls and noodle soup with dumplings.
The website is below:
Pod Restaurant
Sunday, January 9, 2011
18 to go
As of Friday morning we had 18 food places to try before our Reading Terminal eating challenge is over. Snow on Friday morning stopped us from getting breakfast but we wandered over for lunch. We decided to hit 4 places with the key component being Mezze Mediterranean Foods. We also decided to try Downtown Cheese, Tootsie's Salad Express and Blue Mountain Wines.
We had walked past Mezze earlier and had a our hearts set on the Salami, Prosciutto and Mozzarella sandwich. Fortunately we were there early enough and they were available and they looked great. What a surprise when we unwrapped them to find that the fillings were on the surface and not stuffed. We were really disappointed. As T-Bone said "Such High hopes, but unrealized potential". On the plus side the bread was the best on any sandwich we have had and the fillings (what little we got) was very favorable. PrimeTime was reminded of his P90X experience, "a real kick in the nuts". We scored Mezze as a 2, 2 and 2.5*, primarily as we feel it could have been so much more and we felt taken. Also leaving hungry is never good. Bone Marrow had the Chicken Caprese describing it as "excellent taste" but again "no substance". The overall score was 2.25*
Tootsie's was an add on. Any place that is a salad bar charged by weight makes me nervous. A good salad for me is 3 olives in a martini, or a wedge of iceberg lettuce covered in blue cheese dressing, and bacon. We had spied earlier that it wasn't just salad but had chicken wings, chicken tenders, mac and various other hot foods. The wings looked a little suspect so grabbed we 2 chicken tenders and a large spoonful of mac. The tenders we above average. Large and moist. The mac probably came out of a box. The tenders we scored a 3 and the mac 1.5.
Downtown Cheese is different from all the other establishments. This is truly a cheese monger, and is more determined by our choices. We had 4 cheeses, an English Stilton, a Canadian Cheddar, a Wisconsin Pepper Jack and 2 1/2 year old Parmesan. The server was very helpful, he let us try the cheeses and guided as in our choices. The Cheddar scored a 3 and was described as sharp. The Parmesan was scored a 4 and was delicious. The Pepper Jack was spicy but PrimeTime would have enjoyed more peppers. It was scored a 3. The Stilton was creamy, delicious and the best of the four. All up Downtown Cheese scored a 3.5*. We also decided to rank them, and the were as follows:
Bone Marrow - Stilton, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Parmesan
T-Bone - Stilton, Cheddar, Pepper Jack,, Parmesan
PrimeTime - Stilton, Parmesan, Cheddar, Pepper Jack
Cast Iron - Stilton, Parmesan, Pepper Jack, Cheddar.
The final place was Blue Mountain Wine. PrimeTime, T-Bone and I had the Cabernet, and Bone Marrow had the Pinot Grigio. The Pinot had a very funny pink color but Bone Marrow liked it. The Cabernet was liked by PrimeTime and T-Bone but below average for me. To be honest it was exactly what I expected. Too bad they weren't sharing their Shiraz by the glass, as it had recently won an award.
We had walked past Mezze earlier and had a our hearts set on the Salami, Prosciutto and Mozzarella sandwich. Fortunately we were there early enough and they were available and they looked great. What a surprise when we unwrapped them to find that the fillings were on the surface and not stuffed. We were really disappointed. As T-Bone said "Such High hopes, but unrealized potential". On the plus side the bread was the best on any sandwich we have had and the fillings (what little we got) was very favorable. PrimeTime was reminded of his P90X experience, "a real kick in the nuts". We scored Mezze as a 2, 2 and 2.5*, primarily as we feel it could have been so much more and we felt taken. Also leaving hungry is never good. Bone Marrow had the Chicken Caprese describing it as "excellent taste" but again "no substance". The overall score was 2.25*
Tootsie's was an add on. Any place that is a salad bar charged by weight makes me nervous. A good salad for me is 3 olives in a martini, or a wedge of iceberg lettuce covered in blue cheese dressing, and bacon. We had spied earlier that it wasn't just salad but had chicken wings, chicken tenders, mac and various other hot foods. The wings looked a little suspect so grabbed we 2 chicken tenders and a large spoonful of mac. The tenders we above average. Large and moist. The mac probably came out of a box. The tenders we scored a 3 and the mac 1.5.
Downtown Cheese is different from all the other establishments. This is truly a cheese monger, and is more determined by our choices. We had 4 cheeses, an English Stilton, a Canadian Cheddar, a Wisconsin Pepper Jack and 2 1/2 year old Parmesan. The server was very helpful, he let us try the cheeses and guided as in our choices. The Cheddar scored a 3 and was described as sharp. The Parmesan was scored a 4 and was delicious. The Pepper Jack was spicy but PrimeTime would have enjoyed more peppers. It was scored a 3. The Stilton was creamy, delicious and the best of the four. All up Downtown Cheese scored a 3.5*. We also decided to rank them, and the were as follows:
Bone Marrow - Stilton, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Parmesan
T-Bone - Stilton, Cheddar, Pepper Jack,, Parmesan
PrimeTime - Stilton, Parmesan, Cheddar, Pepper Jack
Cast Iron - Stilton, Parmesan, Pepper Jack, Cheddar.
The final place was Blue Mountain Wine. PrimeTime, T-Bone and I had the Cabernet, and Bone Marrow had the Pinot Grigio. The Pinot had a very funny pink color but Bone Marrow liked it. The Cabernet was liked by PrimeTime and T-Bone but below average for me. To be honest it was exactly what I expected. Too bad they weren't sharing their Shiraz by the glass, as it had recently won an award.
Up coming events
After sitting through a very disappointing Eagles loss which ended our season, it is time to look at some upcoming events. The most important will be Wing Bowl in less than a month and then pitchers and catchers reporting on February 14.
Go Phils.
Go Phils.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Light Sabers
Bone Marrow's son (aka. Dewy Oxburger) spotted Yoda's picture while Bone Marrow was reading through the blog and he thought that was the coolest thing ever! For some reason the 9 year old Dewy Oxburger felt Cast Iron would probably enjoy the following lightsaber battle.
Awards Night
After a lot of deliberation and in a very non democratic manner here is The Annual Food Sports and More Awards. The winners were chosen by me and I'm sure will draw some complaints, but anyway, the winners are:
FANTASY FOOTBALL
League Champ - T-Bone
Runner Up - ManU
Regular Season Winner - Cast Iron
Playoff Teams - Cast Iron, Puddles, Steel, T-Bone, Bone Marrow, ManU
Super Integrity Bowl Winner (Teams not in Playoffs Week 15) - Coach
Giants Suck Bowl Winner (Teams No Longer in Playoffs Week 16) - Cast Iron
*Miracle at the New Meadowlands Winner (All Teams Week 17) - Cast Iron
Best Trade - PrimeTime (Miles Austin for Stephen Jackson & Greg Jennings)
Best Free Agent Pickup - ManU (Michael Vick)
Most Improved Draft - Bone Marrow - (From Drafting 6 Kickers in 2009 to only 2 in 2010)
Rookie of the Year - ManU (League Runner Up)
Comeback Player of the Year - T-Bone 6 & 9 to League Champion
Pick Em Winner - Cast Iron (Most correct in picking game winners)
*Rent - a - Center Award (most Trades in a Season) - PrimeTime (At least one trade every week)
Worst Performance - PrimeTime
Worst Draft - TBD but lead candidate Johnny
*Three Strikes Award (3 Losing seasons in a row) - MinuteMan
NON FANTASY FOOTBALL AWARDS
2010 Wing Bowl Attendees - PrimeTime, T-Bone, Bone Marrow, Cast Iron. Johnny
2010 Company Softball - T-Bone, Bone Marrow, Cast Iron, PrimeTime
2010 Tecate Softball Player of the Tournament - Primetime
2010 Home Run Tournament Leader - T-Bone
2010 Softball Manager of the Year - Bone Marrow
2010 Fantasy Baseball Players - Cast Iron, Puddles, T-Bone, Bone Marrow, PrimeTime, Minute Man , Johnny, Coach,
2010 Fantasy Baseball World Series Champion - PrimeTime
2010 Fantasy Baseball World Series Runner Up - Johnny
2010 Fantasy Baseball Regular Season Winner - Cast Iron
Company Scavenger Hunt Winners - T-Bone & Cast Iron
*New Awards
Total Awards for 2010
Cast Iron - 10
ManU - 4
Puddles - 2
MinuteMan - 2
Johnny - 4
Steel - 1
T-Bone - 8
PrimeTime - 8
Coach - 2
Bone Marrow - 6
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A Hard Earned Thirst
Plus the corny ads that go with it.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Nicknames revisited
A question a rose today if T-Bone's nickname was sticking. Remember like George Costanza he chose his own nickname. Straight faced, perhaps a little offended, he stated to the room, "No, it's solid". I think he is worried the he may become KoKo.
PrimeTime also asked about the spelling of his nickname. Straight faced T-Bone (or is it KoKo) replied "One Word, Capital T, Capital P."
Three Sandwich day
PrimeTime has fallen a few restaurants behind on our Reading Terminal eating challenge so today I decided to take him along for a catch up day. Boy did he catch up. We went to three hot sandwich places for a fantastic lunch. Here are the comments:
Carmens
Carmens
PrimeTime & I went back for a cheesesteak with hot banana peppers on a seeded roll. The best cheesesteak so far. The peppers were just the right flavor not too hot to overwelm the sandwich. They also provided plenty of crunch. PrimeTime described the sandwich as dense even though it was on a smaller roll.The service continued to be slow but the sandwich was worth the wait. Primetime scored 4.5*. I revised my score to 4.5. New score of 4.25 from 3.5. Point to note President Obama apparently ate there on his visit to Philadelphia (at least that is what the photo of him will lead you to believe). I'm guessing the Coach will never eat there.
DiNics (see previous post on December 10, 2010) December 10 DiNics Post
PrimeTime and I went back and had roast pork sandwich. As good a previous. Best provolone on sandwich so far. PrimeTime scored it a 4.5*. The overall score continues to be 4.5*
Spataro ’s Cheesesteaks
Original comments - Cheesesteaks were surprising good. No line and very quick service. Good size roll, which didn't fall apart. The steak was juicy (maybe a little too juicy), the cheese melt in well. T-Bone thought the peppers were very good.
Today's comments - PrimeTime and I went back. The service was still exceptional and the cheesesteak with provolone, onions and ketchup hadn't changed but compared to Carmens it was inferior. In retrospect it is a slightly above average cheesesteak. It continued to be a "little sloppy" with "medicore bread". PrimeTime scored it 3*. BA revised score to 3.5* from 4*. Overall score drops from 4* to 3.5*. Still a good score but no longer on the elite level.
Today's comments - PrimeTime and I went back. The service was still exceptional and the cheesesteak with provolone, onions and ketchup hadn't changed but compared to Carmens it was inferior. In retrospect it is a slightly above average cheesesteak. It continued to be a "little sloppy" with "medicore bread". PrimeTime scored it 3*. BA revised score to 3.5* from 4*. Overall score drops from 4* to 3.5*. Still a good score but no longer on the elite level.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Two new beers
I tried the next beer from the beer exchange. This one was the Otter Creek Alpine Black IPA from Middlebury Vermont.
Otter Creek Brewing
It was black in color which is always a warning signal for me, and although not as hoppy as the Maximus was still hoppy. It had a faint taste of a stout, no head when poured, and overall a decent beer but not something that I would be buying everyday.
I also had the chance to try a Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale from Idaho Springs, Colorado . It had a sweet taste and isn't overly strong in flavor or alcohol content. The website says that it is only 4.5% ABV. I liked it to try but again unlikely to buy a case, but wouldn't refuse it if offered to me either.
Tommy Knocker
Otter Creek Brewing
It was black in color which is always a warning signal for me, and although not as hoppy as the Maximus was still hoppy. It had a faint taste of a stout, no head when poured, and overall a decent beer but not something that I would be buying everyday.
I also had the chance to try a Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale from Idaho Springs, Colorado . It had a sweet taste and isn't overly strong in flavor or alcohol content. The website says that it is only 4.5% ABV. I liked it to try but again unlikely to buy a case, but wouldn't refuse it if offered to me either.
Tommy Knocker
Back to Reading Terminal
A mixed bag a the Terminal today. We decided to go Asian. After the very disappointing Peking Duck experience it was time to get back to this cuisine. The choice today was the Little Thai Market. There is always a very long line so we got there early. No wait to order, and lots of potential good choices. This was also Bone Marrow's first time trying Thai word so Primetime took him under his wing. The general comments were, big expectations, but spotty results. T-Bone had the Pork Loin, but the long wait, funny smell, and tingle on tongue, coupled with it not being pleasing to the eye saw it receive a score of only 2 asterisks. Bone Marrow and Primetime both went for the Pad Thai with the comments "Wouldn't do it again" and "Too sweet for Pad Thai", with respective scores of 2.25 asterisks and 2.5. I ordered the Red Chicken Curry and for a change had the best meal. It was extremely flavorful, great juices, and a very hearty portion. I would have this again. Score 4 asterisks.
We needed to try another place and started looking for dessert. We took a flyer on Kamal’s Middle Eastern Specialties, and it was a hit. They had a vast array of pastries available with a very engaging young man at the counter. He explained each to us and helped in our selection. T-Bone and Bone Marrow ordered the nut roll.The pastry was flaky and delicious. Bone Marrow described it as - "Killer Sweet", but "one and done", scoring it a 3.5. T-Bone described it as a "little Sticky on the Mouth" with a score of 3.5. I had the Cashew Roll and really enjoyed it. The pastry was flaky, it appears to be prepared at home, and had no greasy after taste Score 3. Primetime had the Baklava scoring it 4.
We have to average about 3 restaurants a week to finish this challenge by Wing Bowl. Not quite a layup but not a desperation shot either. It will be done.
We needed to try another place and started looking for dessert. We took a flyer on Kamal’s Middle Eastern Specialties, and it was a hit. They had a vast array of pastries available with a very engaging young man at the counter. He explained each to us and helped in our selection. T-Bone and Bone Marrow ordered the nut roll.The pastry was flaky and delicious. Bone Marrow described it as - "Killer Sweet", but "one and done", scoring it a 3.5. T-Bone described it as a "little Sticky on the Mouth" with a score of 3.5. I had the Cashew Roll and really enjoyed it. The pastry was flaky, it appears to be prepared at home, and had no greasy after taste Score 3. Primetime had the Baklava scoring it 4.
We have to average about 3 restaurants a week to finish this challenge by Wing Bowl. Not quite a layup but not a desperation shot either. It will be done.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Beverage Report
Commentary on the beers from our beer exchange:
From Bone Marrow:
Enjoyed several Winter Storms (Cat 5) this weekend. Tasty amber beer but couldn't make a night out of them. I enjoyed them with some home made mozzarella sticks.
From Farm Building
Just had the Flying Fish Grand Cru Winter Reserve- I'll admit that I am skeptical on the brewery itself (nothing ever quite struck me) and having had too much of their their Dubbel one session (although Victory's Golden Monkey Trippel was worst day after feeling I've ever had, including worse day of bad company results)
But this.....
Excellent. Goes very well w/ truffled fontina, manchego and brie. Would buy a case.
From Cast Iron:
Tried the Maximus IPA by Lagunitas (purchased by Farm). Not what I expected. A strong aroma (making me think it was to be much darker) but a golden amber when poured. In fact a beautiful color. Good head and a tasty beer. Very hoppy. As described on the label "Hops, Malt, Hops, Hops, Yeast, Hops, Water and Hops. From their website:
Maximus
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