Choplin Puts Her Spin on SoWe

SoWe is a gastropub in the Graduate Hospital/South of South area that we have been to a few times since its opening in April 2012 but never wrote about. Good thing since SoWe recently underwent some changes, the most notable being new Executive Chef Jennifer Choplin.

We stopped by when the redesigned and expanded menu debuted in early April. SoWe remains a good place to check out for a laid-back, above average bite to eat, especially if you live in the area like us. We were glad to see a longer and well-pieced together menu. Here's our take on the few items we've had so far.

Small Plates:

Loaded Bacon Tots

The bacon tots jumped out as a new appetizer we had to try. More dense than your typical tot, these came with chili, jack cheese and jalapenos. Think of this dish as tots in a spicy red meat sauce. We also ordered the spicy chickpea fritters. Between the two, go with the tots.

The buffalo shrimp appetizer survived from the old SoWe menu and we can vouch from earlier visits that it is a good starter and/or small main dish if you aren't famished.

Burger:

Kristy's SoWe burger was solid, no complaints  there. Has anyone else noticed how difficult the burger craze had made it to stand out against comparable restaurants? That's a good thing overall, we guess, but makes us tough critics. The SoWe version comes with a half-pound angus burger, fried peppers and onions, sharp cheddar, naturally smoked applewood bacon and horseradish mayo on brioche. It's a safe option but we'd more enthusiastically recommend...

Fried Chicken:

My fried chicken came as a healthy portion of a breast and leg. A side of bourbon-based tangy barbecue sauce was an excellent addition and Choplin's mashed potatoes were licked clean off the plate. The fried chicken won't win any awards and is a expensive at $17, but it's good enough to cure a craving.

SoWe Fried Chicken

Side rant: In the last few months, I've tried a lot of fried chicken and concluded that you just can't beat Federal Donuts. The more I eat, the more I respect Federal Donuts. 

Resurrection (where SoWe's Chef Choplin learned much of her trade) comes close, although I'm still stinging over them giving me a leg and thigh last time, no breast. Come on! If you offer $15 fried chicken shouldn't a breast be required? I think so. Thank you SoWe for agreeing. 

Also, don't get the fried chicken at Devil's Alley. Not good at all. 



And More...

You can also order a stack of 3, 6 or 9 sliders at SoWe, which is a cool way to try a variety of available sandwiches (burger, pork belly, meatball, veggie reuben, etc.). The rotating draft beer and bottle selection is is rich enough to sample some great new brews.

delightful Pot de Creme

Dessert took our meal to an entirely new level. SoWe's pot de creme that night delivered a smooth and creamy chocolate custard with whipped cream, raspberries and a chocolate cookie. It was superb and just one of several delectable-sounding items on SoWe's creative dessert menu. (Red Velvet Krimpets? Carrot Cake Waffle Sundae? hello!)

We love to see all these new places popping up in our neighborhood and SoWe was a great addition. Follow Jennifer on Twitter or Instagram to find out what's cooking and especially to see her awesome photos straight from the kitchen! Warning: they are guaranteed to make you hungry.

Shank's Chicken Cutlet Italiano: The Halladay of Sandwiches?

In 2010, WIP host Glen Macnow named the Chicken Cutlet Italiano at Shank's Pier 40 the best hot sandwich in Philly.

Three years later is today's version still like Roy Halladay in his prime or more like the aging 36-year-old pitcher losing his reign? That's what we wanted to answer on a recent visit to Shank's.

Some background in case you're not familiar with Macnow's famous food hunts. Each year, the radio host picks a category, like hot sandwiches, and embarks on an exhaustive search across the Greater Philadelphia region, trying as many as 50 different places to find the best. The contest makes for great radio as Macnow reports on where he's been and callers debate their favorites.

Past winners have included Rossi's Bar & Grill (burgers), Fat Jack's (ribs), Tacconelli's (pizza), John's Roast Pork (cheesesteaks) and Paesano's (hoagies).

Macnow is a good beacon for what the average person looks for in sandwiches. He's not a self-professed culinary connoisseur or food snob. Like me, he just wants to good sandwich.

Chicken Cutlet Italiano

All this made me think Shank's Chicken Cutlet Italiano would be perfect-game Halladay. Instead, what we got was Doc giving up nine runs to the hapless Marlins, on the verge of career-threatening shoulder surgery. Frankly, it's a sandwich that is past its prime or in need of some fixing.

Bite after bite I kept waiting for sandwich perfection, but the Italiano couldn't find the strike zone. The broccoli rabe was bland and looked old, not fresh. Even more disheartening was nonexistent flavor from the sharp provolone.

An awesome disappointment.

The potential for a great sandwich is found in the seeded roll from Sarcone's (which costs an extra 50 cents) and the crispy fried cutlet. Maybe some red sauce would do the trick?

Shank's cheesesteak, on the other hand, was like this season's Kyle Kendrick, a pleasant surprise that helped allay the disappointment of the cutlet. We don't write about cheesesteaks on the blog often, so you can check out a guest post on the best cheesesteaks in Philly or my quick post on Ray's (my hometown favorite) for more on cheesesteak options.

Cheesesteak wiz wit on seeded roll

Straight up bag of french fries

The hearty bag of thin cut french fries also hit the spot. We recommend the cheesesteak with fries if you're looking for a bite to eat, especially on the way home from any of the mega stores on Columbus Blvd.

Housed in a little shack next to the Pier 40 storage units, Shank's has parking, picnic benches, a view of the water (the Delaware but hey, it's still water) AND a bathroom.

Side note: We're not completely up to speed on the history of Shank's, but as far as we can tell the current owners bought the naming rights from Shank's & Evelyn's who actually created the famous Chicken Cutlet Italiano. It's possible the original owners were more involved in the Pier 40 location in 2010. Either way, Shank's still markets Macnow's award and the current rendition does not live up to the hype. Feel free to shed some light on this in the comments and we can update the post accordingly. 

Shank's at Pier 40 on Columbus Blvd

For a Special Occasion: The Fountain at The Four Seasons

The trend among Philadelphia restaurant openings today leans heavily toward gourmet pizza shops, food trucks and high-quality-yet-affordable eateries where jeans are always acceptable. Jacket-required, $$$$ restaurants may be on the way out, but recent experience tells us that there is still a time and place for the white tablecloth.

Case In Point

A few weeks ago we took our sister- and new brother-in-law to The Fountain at The Four Seasons as their wedding present. When it comes to family, spending time together over an outstanding meal beats out stainless steel cookware and fluffy towels any day. 

Sauteed jumbo sea scallop

We will disclose upfront that a good friend of ours is a veteran server at The Fountain so he'd been begging us to come for a long time. He provided generous pours of wine and ensured our service was A+ but we paid full price for our meal.

Also keep in mind that chef William DiStefano's five-course weekend tasting menu at The Fountain is $100 per person, plus $60 each for wine pairings, so we're talking about a big night out. 

This was an exquisite meal paired perfectly with wines that we would probably never have otherwise and service that really does make you feel like a million bucks. For the right and rare occasion, it's worth considering.

Headed to London for Chowzter's International Food Awards

We are continually honored to know that people read our posts and thrilled to have met so many others through this blogging experience who are just as passionate about Philly and its good eats as we are. It’s why we write a Philadelphia food blog in the first place.

www.chowzter.com

When we launched 22nd & Philly, however, we would have laughed at the idea that one day we'd have the chance to travel overseas and meet bloggers from all around the world.

Well, laugh no more since we’re off to London this week after being invited to a big awards party honoring the tastiest food items from around the world. The event is hosted by a new website and mobile app called Chowzter. We'll get to meet bloggers from Milan, Edinburgh, Ho Chi Minh, Paris, Mumbai, New York, Brussels, Seoul, Mexico City and more. Keep an eye out for tweets from across the pond all weekend (#ChowzterAwards) and photos when we get back.

If you know anyone in London, pass on the word or have them get in touch with us. Hosted by British comedian, Alexander Armstrong, the Chowzter awards are Sunday, April 28th at the Village Underground, London, EC2A 3PQ. Tickets are £25. Food will include dishes from London's best street food vendors, Big Apple Hot Dogs, Pizza Pilgrims, The Rib Man and Yum Bun, plus drinks of course.

So, what is Chowtzer?

Pizza Brain in Fishtown for Food & Fun

We are very excited about all the new pizza places opening in Philly. Our last pizza post was on Bufad at 13th and Spring Garden. Today, the infamous Pizza Brain!

Pizza Brain is two things: a great local shop for slices and full pies of straight up good pizza AND and home to the world’s largest collection of pizza memorabilia (as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records).

Forbes Waggensense

The red and white pies have a slew of funny names and creative toppings. We went with one classic, the Forbes Waggensense with mozzarella, fontina, grana padano, fresh basil and smoked pepperoni, and one inventive pie, the Queenie Delouche with fontina, goat cheese, mozzarella, shiitake mushroom, portabella mushroom, garlic, and fresh rosemary. These pies are BIG (16 in.) so two was plenty of food for four people.

The Forbes was unpretentiously awesome. Thin crust, fresh red sauce, tasty pepperoni and delicious basil. I'm originally from a NJ town close to New York and prefer the thin crust NY-style pizza. This was one of the first pizzas I've had in Philly that reminded me of that.