Archive for February, 2006

RECIPE #6

Monday, February 27th, 2006

broccoli with zesty gorgonzola


Penne with Broccoli and Gorgonzola

Once again, we modified a great recipe from one of those Whole Foods flyers. The gorgonzola really spruced up an otherwise boring pasta-and-vegetables dish. We served it with a Caesar salad with homemade croutons, and some delicious bruscetta (see below).

1 lb Penne Rigate pasta (we used ziti)
2 cups fresh cut broccoli flowerets
1/2 cup chicken broth (we used vegetable)
1/2 cup heavy cream (we used light cream and it was a little watery)
4 oz gorgonzola crumbles (We just used a hunk)
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley and cherry tomato halves for garnish (we skipped this)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. While pasta is cooking, steam broccoli until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain broccoli and rinse under cold water. In a large sauté pan, bring broth and cream to a simmer, then stir in gorgonzola. Allow to thicken, then add drained pasta, steamed broccoli and lemon zest. Gently stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and cherry tomatoes.

Bruscetta

1 large tomato, diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
Couple of tsp. of olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil, dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste

Toss ingredients together in a bowl. Serve on top of crusty bread. Top with parmesan or fresh mozzerella if desired.

Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

VESUVIO

Monday, February 20th, 2006

vesuvio

Messy had read about this vegetarian and vegan friendly Italian restaurant in a free magazine at the gym, so we decided to go one Friday night. We walked in and were greeted by a cheery maitre d' who asked if we had a reservation. We didn't, but it was no problem. He also asked to take our coats. We weren't used to this request and chose to take our coats to our table. He then asked our preference of menus: vegetarian/vegan or regular and we chose one of each. We were lead upstairs to a large dining room which was outfitted with a gas fireplace and disco/party lights which were not in use (it looks like one can rent out that room for parties).

We were seated in a cozy table next to the fireplace. There was a cute family with young children seated next to us. They happily gobbled down their food (they have a kids menu with about six different choices) and excitedly yapped about going to Starbucks for dessert afterwards. We opted to order off the grown up's menu which was presented in a nice silver metal binder. We were told that they were just about to overhaul the menu due to the success of the veggie/vegan options on the current menu, but when we went back last week that change had not yet taken place.

The service was outstanding. Our server and two assistants were attentive while giving us enough time to enjoy our meal. However, they did mess up our bread which came with straight balsamic instead of olive oil with a splash of balsamic infusion. We thought they must have realized their mistake because they gave us an extra serving of bread, which we had not asked for, with the right balance of oil and vinegar. But when we went back for a second time, we got two servings of bread as well, so maybe it was just a fluke. Also, the second time we were there, our server accidentally gave a non-vegan meal to our vegan friend, but she noticed her mistake before any harm was done.

We had a vegetarian antipasto which came with fried mozzarella balls in marinara sauce, ricotta cheese ravioli in a mushroom cream sauce with peas, diced honeydew and canteloupe and strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. All very good.

Picky had the lobster ravioli carbonara with wild mushrooms, peas, prosciutto, parmasean, lump crabmeat in a cream sauce. There were more than enough ravioli to fill him up, no worries about skimping on the good stuff. For our second visit, he tried the penne a la vodka, a very simple favorite of Picky's right up there with gnocchi a la vodka (just about anything slathered in creamy vodka sauce will do actually). It was in just as heaping a serving as expected from our first visit, but he did not fail to gobble it all up along with an ample dose of freshly shredded parm. Along with the parm our server brought out, we were also given a small dish of hot pepper flakes (like the ones that you put on pizza), but nobody touched those.

Messy had a hard time deciding among all of the vegetarian options. She settled on a "chicken" penne dish with spinach, artichokes, mushrooms, garlic in an alfredo sauce. The portion was big enough for a family of four and it was very tasty. For our second visit, she tried the vegetarian chicken parmesan which was also yummy although not as plentiful as the penne.

The only disappointing part of our meal was dessert. The tiramisu was small for its $7 pricetag and something about it just tasted… off. The dessert also came with some strawberries, raspberries and bluberries sprinkled on the side. The next time we visited, our dessert was also kind of weird: a brownie baked in a muffin tin. Maybe the family next to us knew about the not-so-hot desserts when they excitedly headed to Starbucks instead.

On our way out, it was about time for the neighborhoodies to come out to the bar downstairs. It was packed with South Philly hipsters starting off their night. We were just passing through, but it looked like a pretty cool area with pool tables and the Violent Femmes pumping through the speakers.

Messy ****
Picky ***1/2

The final word: Great faux meat options in a classy setting.

Vesuvio Restaurant
736 South 8th St @ Fitzwater
(215) 922-8380
Tue – Thu: 5pm-10pm
Fri – Sat: 5pm-11pm
Sun: 10am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Posted in Italian, Italian Market, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Monday, February 13th, 2006

friday saturday sunday

Thanks to some really awesome friends, we were able to taste the delights of Friday Saturday Sunday. We were saving our gift certificate for the perfect night. Then, one night, we suddenly decided to go on a whim. We called around 5:45 and were offered two choices for our reservation: 6:30 or 9:30. We were hungry, so we chose the former. We were seated immediately when we arrived. The host rememberd Picky's name from when he made the reservation 45 minutes earlier.

Messy had an organic red wine, which she picked by virtue of its name, which contained the word ladybug. Picky had a bottle of Newcastle. All of the bottles of wine here are sold at only $10 over cost. The Newcastle (and the rest of their drinks) were moderately priced as well. (The Newcastle cost $4.50).

We began our meal with the Five Leaf Salad with honey, walnut oil, goat cheese and whole walnuts. We asked to share it and our server later brought out two already prepared plates, which minimized our normal sharing messiness. We also had a yummy half loaf of sourdough bread and a small crock of butter which was neither cold nor warm, and easy to spread.

The menu is filled with simple, classic selections like Chicken Dijon and Herb Grilled Double Thick Pork Chop. Messy ordered the eggplant roulade, which was the only vegetarian option on the menu. It was filled with creamy ricotta, delicious sauteed spinach and mozzarella. It came with two slices of grileld garlic bread on the side.

Picky ordered the rack of lamb with butter whipped potatoes and greens. The portion wasn't as large as the one he ordered at Valanni, but it was tasty nonetheless.

We ordered two desserts. First up was a chocolate molten cake which came out with a large dollop of heavy rich whipped cream and a handful of fresh raspberries. We also had an incredibly rich chocolate chip cheesecake with berry coulis. Both the desserts were very large and we would have been better off just splitting one.

We had incredible service the entire time, with a very attentive server who did not rush us at all.

The total bill came to $87, pretty expensive by our normal standards, but well worth it.

Messy ****1/2
Picky ****

The final word: Fancified classic American fare in a pleasant, non-pretentious environment.

Friday Saturday Sunday
261 S. 21st St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 546-4232

Posted in American, Center City West | 2 Comments »

LA FOURNO

Monday, February 6th, 2006

la fourno

We went to La Fourno on a particularly cold night, and we were immediately warmed up by a brick oven hard at work. Our friendly hostess lead us past a large counter with tons of pizzas into the rear portion of the dining room which was very cozy — intimate, even! — with barely any lighting aside from candlelight bouncing off of the exposed brick walls.

The first thing we noticed about the menu was the lobster ravioli special, listed as "It don't get better than this." We took them at their word and didn't order any of it. We did, however, order an appetizer off the special menu: the farinatta bread, which was a hard (not quite biscotti-textured) chickpea flour bread. It came with roasted red peppers and sharp Italian cheese. We both pronounced it "interesting" but not excellent. We also got a basic salad with each of our meals, which comes with only the choice of oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Picky ordered the chicken valdostana which was stuffed with yummy delights, including prosciutto. Messy had the gnocchi gorgonzola, which came in a humongous portion. Messy unwisely ate all of it, save for a few bites by Picky, and suffered from severe agita afterwards. It was tasty, but Messy isn't the biggest fan of gnocchi, although she is a huge fan of gorgonzola (Picky loves gnocchi!).

Our meal was supplemented by a gift certificate from 12th St Gym when Messy re-joined for a year using Picky as a referral – they give out dinner for two vouchers with each referral. But you won't need to worry about cost too much, everything is reasonably priced. Our entrees combined were under $30.

Messy ****
Picky ****

The final word: Cozy, yummy Italian food in the middle of a bustling South Street block.

La Fourno
636 South St
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 627-9000
Mon – Thur: 11.30am – 10pm
Fri – Sat: 11.30am – 11pm
Sun: 12.30pm – 10pm

Posted in Italian, Pizza, South St | 1 Comment »