Who doesn't love cupcakes? Even Bradd ate one this weekend, and he's "not a dessert guy." But those cupcakes were from Magnolia's in NYC, which I have recently learned is total cupcake heaven.
More proof: even though many restaurants had to shut down due to the U.S. economic downturn, business in specialty cupcake shops is supposedly booming.
According to TLC, here are the 10 most popular flavors of cupcakes. I was a little surprised, although I am not sure if there was any methodology to this picking this list. For 9 months out of the year, I would bet most people would pick a vanilla cupcake over pumpkin. You can find out more on why this is the order of preference in their post.
10. Vanilla (what Bradd would pick)
9. Pumpkin
8. Banana
7. Coffee
6. Chocolate (really? 6th??)
5. Lemon
4. Peanut Butter
3. Carrot Cake (my personal fav when in the mood for "something different")
2. Red Velvet
1. Chocolate AND Vanilla (ohhhh ok, didn't know this was an option)
Oooooo now I'm hungry.
October 20, 2009
October 18, 2009
Meme not for me
Bradd said it best to me this weekend. Sometimes one bad (really bad) thing about your service can make you completely forget what you even ate.
And now our review of Meme.
I don't remember what I ate. Granted it was a little while ago but I just looked at the menu online and *think* I had the scallops but I'm still not sure. Anyway let me rewind and be my normal positive self first... I love the style of little restaurants like Meme that sit on a neighborhood corner, have tiny tables close together, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows so you can feel like you're a part of the hustle of Philadelphia, and outdoor tables. It's why we'd been anxious to hit up Meme, and I still really want try Audrey Claire. Only thing holding me back from both was that we are not super huge fans of these tiny 5 "small plates", 5 "large plates" menus. I often think about going to Audrey Claire but then look at the menu online and am not sure what I would eat. Sure once I got there, I'd get inspired. Anyway....
It was a Friday night about 6:30. We walk up to Meme, seeing ONE table occupied by four old ladies (on giant chair pads, it was too funny), and figure no problem, plenty of room for us. So we walk in and innocently ask for a table for two when the host (it was a guy but didn't get a name) proceeds to huff, puff, look around, sigh and respond with, "well, if you can be done by 8, I guess I can seat you."
Excuuuuuuuuse me? Dude. There is NO ONE IN YOUR RESTAURANT save for some little ol' ladies already almost finished with their really expensive early bird special! Sorry to be SUCH an inconvenience for you, but just freakin' sit us down. We eat fast, I promise.
We sat at the table and debated walking out for a while, but then just stayed. Again, not sure what I ate but I do know it was two "small plates" because none of the "large plates" looked very appetizing. And I remember that the bill was way more expensive than it really should have been considering how much we actually ate.
A little wine helped the situation, but it didn't mask the fact that every time our waitress came over, I had a straight view into her white shirt to see her lovely undergarments. (Ladies, please take note. Space often forms between the buttons of our button-down shirts, through which innocent people, especially those sitting at eye-level to your boobs such as restaurant patrons, can see straight through to your bra. The solution is called a camisole. They have every color at H&M for like $7.)
Bradd immediately jumped on Twitter to explain our dissatisfaction with the host's attitude, in 140 characters or less. To date, we have not recommended it to anyone, actually citing the price more than the way we were treated. I think the food is probably pretty good, but for people like us you can get just as good a taste, in bigger portions, for cheaper prices, at many other Philly restaurants.
We took the high road, didn't complain about a thing, signed the overly-expensive bill and left. But at least we were out long before 8pm. Oh and by then? The place was still half empty.
And now our review of Meme.
I don't remember what I ate. Granted it was a little while ago but I just looked at the menu online and *think* I had the scallops but I'm still not sure. Anyway let me rewind and be my normal positive self first... I love the style of little restaurants like Meme that sit on a neighborhood corner, have tiny tables close together, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows so you can feel like you're a part of the hustle of Philadelphia, and outdoor tables. It's why we'd been anxious to hit up Meme, and I still really want try Audrey Claire. Only thing holding me back from both was that we are not super huge fans of these tiny 5 "small plates", 5 "large plates" menus. I often think about going to Audrey Claire but then look at the menu online and am not sure what I would eat. Sure once I got there, I'd get inspired. Anyway....
It was a Friday night about 6:30. We walk up to Meme, seeing ONE table occupied by four old ladies (on giant chair pads, it was too funny), and figure no problem, plenty of room for us. So we walk in and innocently ask for a table for two when the host (it was a guy but didn't get a name) proceeds to huff, puff, look around, sigh and respond with, "well, if you can be done by 8, I guess I can seat you."
Excuuuuuuuuse me? Dude. There is NO ONE IN YOUR RESTAURANT save for some little ol' ladies already almost finished with their really expensive early bird special! Sorry to be SUCH an inconvenience for you, but just freakin' sit us down. We eat fast, I promise.
We sat at the table and debated walking out for a while, but then just stayed. Again, not sure what I ate but I do know it was two "small plates" because none of the "large plates" looked very appetizing. And I remember that the bill was way more expensive than it really should have been considering how much we actually ate.
A little wine helped the situation, but it didn't mask the fact that every time our waitress came over, I had a straight view into her white shirt to see her lovely undergarments. (Ladies, please take note. Space often forms between the buttons of our button-down shirts, through which innocent people, especially those sitting at eye-level to your boobs such as restaurant patrons, can see straight through to your bra. The solution is called a camisole. They have every color at H&M for like $7.)
Bradd immediately jumped on Twitter to explain our dissatisfaction with the host's attitude, in 140 characters or less. To date, we have not recommended it to anyone, actually citing the price more than the way we were treated. I think the food is probably pretty good, but for people like us you can get just as good a taste, in bigger portions, for cheaper prices, at many other Philly restaurants.
We took the high road, didn't complain about a thing, signed the overly-expensive bill and left. But at least we were out long before 8pm. Oh and by then? The place was still half empty.
October 13, 2009
Novita Bistro
A few weeks ago we had our first BBQ/party at our house. It wasn't really a housewarming, but almost everyone showed up with wine. Needless to say, we now have A LOT of wine.
Aaaaaand... the season of BYOBs is now here. Thanks, friends :-)
Last weekend we grabbed to bottles of red - one identifiable and one that I had no idea what it was, but the label was pretty and "Fall-ish" and checked out Novita Bistro with another couple. Cute little spot on 16th and South, with room for only about 40 people. I'd recommend a reservation. We got there at 7:15 and had no problem, but by 8:00 it was packed.
Novita describes itself as "Mediterranean influenced" - which is kind of vague to me, but then later on the website it talked about the chef being Moroccan born. I don't know much about Moroccan food, but as a marketing/PR person I think the restaurant could be a little better defined... or maybe they like the mystique, who knows.
Anyway food was good! I figured I should go with something that sounded "authentic" so I had Merguez, homemade Moroccan lamb sausage and shrimp brochette marinated in charmoula served with couscous and vegetables. Shrimp was great, sausage was good but a little dry and spicier than I expected, but tasted good mixed in with the couscous. It came with some red sauce that was definitely too spicy for me.
Bradd's cornish game hen was tasty and friend's Moroccan Tagine (braised chicken) was really good. Came in a funky looking bowl thing too. I like when food is "fun" like that.
Scallops I had for an appetizer were ok, maybe a little overcooked. I still find myself craving the scallops at Pub & Kitchen whenever I see them on a menu... and they came with little mushroom pieces on them. P.S. Have I ever mentioned that I HATE mushrooms? Well, not remembering what the menu said, I ate half of them and didn't find out til later they were mushrooms. Shut up. I still hate mushrooms.
Think my favorite thing was our waiter. I never got his name, but he was a happy-go-lucky little guy, maybe late 30's. Really helpful and friendly, especially when helping us decide whether to open the pinot noir or the "unknown" bottle of wine. Always go for the unknown, cause if you drink it second you probably won't be able to taste it anyway! And gave me a great look of pity re: the mushrooms.
Overall cute place, good for date night or a couples night. You definitely save money by bringing your own wine, but Novita still isn't pricy anyway. Not sure I'd go back anytime soon, unless they rotate the menu, but I would recommend it to others for a cozy BYOB night out.
Aaaaaand... the season of BYOBs is now here. Thanks, friends :-)
Last weekend we grabbed to bottles of red - one identifiable and one that I had no idea what it was, but the label was pretty and "Fall-ish" and checked out Novita Bistro with another couple. Cute little spot on 16th and South, with room for only about 40 people. I'd recommend a reservation. We got there at 7:15 and had no problem, but by 8:00 it was packed.
Novita describes itself as "Mediterranean influenced" - which is kind of vague to me, but then later on the website it talked about the chef being Moroccan born. I don't know much about Moroccan food, but as a marketing/PR person I think the restaurant could be a little better defined... or maybe they like the mystique, who knows.
Anyway food was good! I figured I should go with something that sounded "authentic" so I had Merguez, homemade Moroccan lamb sausage and shrimp brochette marinated in charmoula served with couscous and vegetables. Shrimp was great, sausage was good but a little dry and spicier than I expected, but tasted good mixed in with the couscous. It came with some red sauce that was definitely too spicy for me.
Bradd's cornish game hen was tasty and friend's Moroccan Tagine (braised chicken) was really good. Came in a funky looking bowl thing too. I like when food is "fun" like that.
Scallops I had for an appetizer were ok, maybe a little overcooked. I still find myself craving the scallops at Pub & Kitchen whenever I see them on a menu... and they came with little mushroom pieces on them. P.S. Have I ever mentioned that I HATE mushrooms? Well, not remembering what the menu said, I ate half of them and didn't find out til later they were mushrooms. Shut up. I still hate mushrooms.
Think my favorite thing was our waiter. I never got his name, but he was a happy-go-lucky little guy, maybe late 30's. Really helpful and friendly, especially when helping us decide whether to open the pinot noir or the "unknown" bottle of wine. Always go for the unknown, cause if you drink it second you probably won't be able to taste it anyway! And gave me a great look of pity re: the mushrooms.
Overall cute place, good for date night or a couples night. You definitely save money by bringing your own wine, but Novita still isn't pricy anyway. Not sure I'd go back anytime soon, unless they rotate the menu, but I would recommend it to others for a cozy BYOB night out.
October 12, 2009
Village Whiskey
If you live in Philly and enjoy food you by now are well aware of Jose Garces. We have been to Distrito, Tinto and Amada so when we heard about Village Whiskey we were anxious to try.
We went on a Saturday during prime hours and were able to get a table in about 15 minutes. We noticed there is outside seating, but since it was cold no one was out there. They should put heaters outside (we would have sat outside). The outside seating is a nice addition to that section of Sansom Street and we would expect it to be popular in the summer. By the way anyone else notice that the 20th block of Sansom is picking up (noble, melograno, helium, etc).
We knew going that it was not a standard Jose Garces places, but we liked the concept even though I hate whiskey. The whiskey list was extensive so I suspect whiskey lovers would enjoy. It didnt seem like the hostess was interested in having you wait at the bar while waiting so not sure if it is a place you can stop in for a drink. But, you can definitely get a table and enjoy some beers or whiskey. Nice beer list.
The food was excellent. We had homemade cheese puffs to start. Hard to explain, but basically fluffy pieces of dough with cheese on top. very good. There are also several kinds of pickled items on the menu. We had pickled tomatoes. Very good as well. served with bread and cream cheese and a nice starter item.
I had looked at the menu a few week's ago and noticed short rib and cheddar fries. That's what I ordered. It was basically short rib, fries, cheese and gravy. A heart attack waiting to happen! It was delicious. Certainly much better than what you would get at a bar and for $12 not overly expensive.
Kristy had the burger. I'd put it in the my top five list of burgers. Perfectly made and the roll was good too. modestly priced (cheaper than rouge). I would pick the burger over the short rib and fries.
Next time I would get the pulled pork and get the short rib and fries as a side (as it should be ordered). I also want to try the tater tots.
Verdict. A very good place. Several steps above a normal bar, but nothing too fancy. If you want some good food, good drink and a nice atmosphere I would recommend Village Whiskey.
If you want a Jose Garces meal stick with Tinto, Amada, etc.
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