Keith Wallace, President and Founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, invited us to head over to their Grand Opening Gala celebrating the opening of their new Rittenhouse Square HQ. We, of course, said yes. Rubbing elbows with wine lovers of Philly: yes please!
Along another wall was a trio of the sweet stuff. There was a Riesling and a couple others, one that was so incredibly sweet, even Messy couldn't take it. We can't remember all of the wines at this point — honestly, we have no idea how people can go to wine tastings, sip hundreds of wines and remember all of the subtle differences down the line. We're gonna have to talk to our good buddy David Snyder who used to teach at The Wine School.
Here's Keith, black blazer, toting three or four bottles of wine around the room. He was holding court and pouring out glasses all along the way. We didn't get a chance to say hi, introduce ourselves and say thanks for the invite, but we think we'll be by again at some point for a class (they're pretty affordable and you get to drink wine!). And remember, they have beer classes as well.
The lines stretched the length of the entire back room as people were talking to the patient folks behind the bar. They answered all kinds of questions thrown at them. They guided us through some wines we might like after prodding about what we've had before. Messy learned that she likes bright, high acid wines, while Picky prefers wines that are dry and assertive. We didn't find one particular wine that really jumped out that evening, but we're sure they would've been more successful in a less hectic setting.
Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine in being drunk. French proverb
The wine was poured…
And poured…
We had an excellent time and walked into the night with a nice buzz going. Thank you Keith and crew for a fun time!
The Wine School of Philadelphia
127 S 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Mike Geno paints food—with oil, on wood. He started off by painting bacon (something he was familiar with after being a meatman) and after a clash with Madame Fromage, cheese. His cheese oils are being prepped for a show in Seattle, but not before a small showing at his Kensington studio.
Above is Mike talking to two friends about their favorite paintings.
Here's Mike's workspace. He paints where that loaf of challah hangs.
In this kitchen was a spread of many cheeses, all of which were painted at some point. It was great to see the cheese one after the other even though I was familiar with many of them. His heavy brushstrokes combine well with the textured cheeses he chose to interpret on wood. Bloomy rinds, thick blues, crumblers all get the treatment.
Here's Mike with former cheesemakers Debbie and Fred of Amazing acres Goat Dairy (they're retiring). They bought a painting of their beloved Sea Smoke. I absolutely loved that chève. Similar to Humboldt Fog for those who've had the broader reaching cheese.
I had a wonderful afternoon with cheese loving new friends. Give a holler at Mike if you'd like to see them for yourself and make a purchase!
At some point during a party at Marisa's [@] house, Tenaya, aka Madame Fromage [@] and David aka PhilaFoodie [@] finally met. It was a food-loving match which should have happened earlier, but the numerous parties who know both of them didn't know they didn't know each other. They got talking to wine and cheese within seconds and a few months later they threw a party Chez Fromage. A cheese, wine, beer and preserves tasting. Providing the beer pairings was Ryan of In Search of Beer [@] and his wife-to-be, LeeAnne. Marisa brought several jars of delicious jams and chutneys to try with everything and we brought some treats along for dessert and an appetite for all the goodies. Above is a shot of the kitchen island which was piled full with sample glasses, beers and some white wines ready for an onslaught.
Tucked in the corner of the kitchen were les fromages coming to temperature. We had been looking forward to this evening for a few weeks and seeing everything laid out was absolutely tantalizing. The following will be a lot of photos of cheese. We didn't get to all the wines, but Picky may have had all the brews. Some details were most definitely cloudy after a solid four hours of feasting. We're going to have to rely on the collective knowledge for a full account of the evening—they'll be linked to in the future.
The cheese. Mme. Fromage brought out two hunks of cheese to warm up our palates. There was a Camambert: Moses Sleeper, from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. According to Mme. Fromage, this is an award-winning Camembert-style cheese with a bloomy surface, made from a small heard of Ayrshire cows. Accompanying the Camambert was one of our favorites, Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove in CA. It's just a pretty wedge to look at, non? This chèvre is made from pasteurized cultured goat milk. The vegetable ash line in the middle of the wheel is nowadays an aesthetic touch, but Picky was told it was once used to separate the morning milk from the afternoon milk.
Here are some of the little bites which were on the table to complement, contrast and cleanse the palate. Picky, not being the biggest fan of white wine, tried to stick to whites for the evening. He's slowly expanding his reach with wines, and whites are supposed to go better with cheese. He had a lot of the Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino which David brought to the party.
A shot of the carnage resulting from our appetites to the first offering. Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove (CA, Goat): An American classic from Mary Keehn of Humboldt County. This young goat has a layer of ash to provide balance (and separate morning milk from evening milk). /via Mme. Fromage.
One of the first brews of the evening was so incredible Messy—who dislikes almost all beers—took a liking to it immediately: Schlenkerla Smokebeer. The beer has a salivating nose to it, but not like a strong hickory fire, but a smooth and mellow, deep smokiness. A meatiness to the taste of it. Picky was remiss and didn't photograph most of the beers tasted and none of the wines, so this is it for the beverages. David's first offering was a Sancerre he unabashedly described as tasting distinctively of "cat piss." And it did. But not in an overwhelmingly ammonia-like way. It was subtle, but his vino mind trick worked. Cat piss.
Paired with the smokebeer was the Ascutney Mountain (VT, Raw Cow) A semi-firm Alpine-style cheese with sweet vegetal notes — think peapods – from Gail Holmes at Cobb Hill in Hartland, VT. Raw Jersey milk makes this extra delectable. /via Mme. Fromage. This was Messy's favorite of the evening and just about everyone's favorite pairing.
A little piece of Humboldt atop Marisa's honey lemon marmalade. Oh marmalade, you're too often passed over by those not in the know. You are grand. You are tart. You are sweet. You are a secret best kept and shared all at once.
Ardrahan (County Cork, Ireland, Cow) A sensuous washed rind with a slight peanutty vibe – along with sautéed mushrooms and hay – from Mary Burns, a pioneering artisan. Mary raises her own Friesians and has made cheese for almost 40 years. Britain's premier affineurs handle the aging at Neal's Yard. /via Mme. Fromage. Picky was introduced to Ardrahan a month or so ago at DiBrunos 9th St while grabbing a hunk of M&P HQ favorite Berkswell (sublime!). This one's a stinker in all the best ways. According to one of Picky's co-workers at Fair Food, cheesemonger Paul Lawler, when you bring this cheese up in conversation or ask for it at a counter, you gotta say it with gusto: ARRD-ra-han.
Brigid's Abbey (CT, Raw Cow) A Trappist-style doozey from Cato Corner Farm, a small cheesemaking outfit run by mother-son team Elizabeth MacAlistair and Mark Gillman. They are well known for renegade stinkers like Hooligan, Drunken Hooligan, and Rappleree. This is a meaty, buttery cheese made from the raw milk of Jersey and Brown Swiss cows. /via Mme. Fromage. Picky thinks this is the one he kept having with Marisa's apple-pear chutney. He couldn't get enough of it and he kept reaching for the spoon every few minutes. Her green tomato chutney was a winner as well with a soy sauce like sweet-sour thing going. This was a nice change from the only other Cato Corner offering we've had, their Womanchego, which was underwhelming. Ryan paired the Abbey with an abbey-style ale: Gran Met from Voodoo Brewing Co.
Paired with the Ardrahan was Stone IPA from Stone Brewing Co. Ryan said it was the quintessential IPA, everything that's good about an IPA is shown in this beer. A perfect formula for something Picky would not like. He just doesn't like IPAs. He leans towards the maltier selections and away from the floraly, hoppier ones. More for everyone else!
Testun al Borolo (Italy, Mixed milk): A curious cheese from Piedmont that is packed in Barolo grape must and left to age in barrels for at least four months. Eating the rind, made of grape skin and seeds, is part of the appeal. The taste is grapey and complex, the texture crumbly. /via Mme. Fromage. Ryan paired this with a Saison Vos from Sly Fox Brewhouse. Crunching through the grape seeds was an odd experience. Picky couldn't get past the crunch of the cheese to concentrate on the flavor of the milk.
Montgomery's Cheddar (North Cadbury, England, raw cow) The cheese tastes sweet and brown buttery, in part because the cows pasture on lush wetlands. If you're into cheese, you know that all those little details are essential. /via Mme. Fromage who calls this the must-try cheese of 2011 for cheddar-heads. Picky's gotta agree with that assessment.
The cheddar wasn't mild, but it wasn't heavy, it was balanced. A cheese you would reach for at any time of the day. A gorgeously creamy color with rippled breaks throughout. With all the internal breakage, you might think this was crumbly, but it wasn't. There's just enough oil to hold it together nicely.
Pieces of the Testun and Montgomery's on Picky's plate chilling out. There was one standout wine, for Picky, from the entire evening and it was the Alvear Solara Pedro Ximinez 1927 which David suggested we have with each of the cheeses that evening. Magical. It went with everything. The thick wine was sweet and strong. It tamed the strong cheeses, it enhanced the softer nuanced ones.
Mme. Fromage brought out a simple, lackluster Black River Blue from Richfield, WI (her home state) to have a contrast in the range of American blues. It was a blue and that's about it. Next up was a treat. On the slate next to the blues were some dried figs, grapes and PICKLED WALNUTS. Good lordy – what?! We had never heard of them before. Get thee to Quince in Northern Liberties or somewhere similar and get your paws on some. Maybe DiBruno stocks them, maybe Jonathan Best in Reading Terminal. Maybe Whole Food. They're apparently a traditional English pickle. So weird. So interesting.
Bailey Hazen Blue (VT, Raw Cow) From the legendary Cellars at Jasper Hill in Greensboro, one of the best blues in America. Spicy, grassy, with a hint of licorice, this natural rind cheese is made from the milk of Ayrshire cows, a smallish breed from Scotland. /via Mme. Fromage. One of Picky's favorite blues with intense bacteria marbling within. He recently gave a grapefruit sized hunk to a friend for his birthday (yes, if you're friends with Picky, you may get a gigantic hunk of cheese on special occasions). Ryan paired this hearty blue with Olde Gnarlywine from Lagunitas Brewing Co. which was plenty hefty itself.
To finish things off, we brought along some Market Day Canelé. We brought a mix of the large and small ones for the flavor and texture differences in these delicate pastries. The larger canel&eaucte;s have a harder shell and are more custardy at the core. They may have overtaken the #1 spot for bready dessert over tiramisù for Picky which is a monumental feat. . . Well, maybe it doesn't top the perfect tiramisù slab from Amis
We had such a wonderful time at this monumental feast. We think we came across a new tradition, but the next iteration has some large, deep, tasty shoes to fill. Ryan has his post up already and we'll add the other takes as they come online.
The people behind Philadelphia Urban Adventures, a local tour guide group, invited us on one of their food-related tours, 9th St Italian Market [$20]. Messy couldn't make it, but I brought along my camera and curiosity for the journey. I've lived in Philly for almost 8 years now and know a lot about the area, but I was confident I'd take home a boat load of fun tidbits and tasty bites.
Living just off of 9th St, of course I was late to the 9th & South St meeting point. I've noticed that whenever I'm really close to something, I'm often late because I think I'll get there quicker than I really can. I caught up to the group at the first stop: Sarcone's Bakery at 758 S 9th St. The group of 8 plus a few people from PUA crammed into the bakery which was probably just done with their morning rush. We grabbed a loaf of their crusty, seeded Italian bread which was promptly devoured by the group. We hurried out of there before we pissed off too many of the regulars who were coming in for their fix. Next door is Ralph's, which has been in business since 1900 and at their current location since 1915. These two spots, just north of the main strip of the 9th St Market, are nestled into the neighborhood rowhomes, but offer a glimpse of what's to come south of Christian St.
Our guide, Jason, stopped into DiBruno Bros to let them know the gang was there. Ian Peacock, one of the cheese mongers, started prepping our delicious bites while we went across the street.
Into Anthony's we went. But not for coffee, we were 2 doors down from that. We went into the other storefront for some gelato. Delicious spoonfuls for everyone. I'm a sucker for Nutella so I opted for the hazelnut. A little sweet for my liking, but there's probably half a dozen which would've fit the bill nicely. But we had other spots to hit up and I live around the corner so I could always come back for more. There were plenty of "ooohs" and "mmmms" from the group to know they had good stuff.
A few doors down is Cannuli's Meats, a butcher closing in on 100 years on 9th St.
We walked to the back and watched one of the staffers cut up some porterhouses on the band saw. Oh porterhouse, you are so grand.
In a butcher shop, you'll always see tons of meat hooks on rails. The whole, uncut animals were rolled through at one point, but now, most of the butchering and deliveries happen in the back so most of the rails, while still beautiful, are unused.
Here's our Cannuli's guide in the walk in fridge with a suckling pig. Cannuli's will roast one for you at varying weights. I think I recall hearing that Jason actually just had one for a party.
And stepping up from the suckling pigs, there are the big hogs. I think the big one above was closer to 150lbs.
Doesn't this photo just feel South Philly?
Back across the street we went and into the back section of the narrow house of cheese. Peacock guided us through a history of the company with it's humble beginnings as a spiteful grocery store opened for the sole purpose to put out the Greek grocers across the street. Legend has it, they wouldn't give an Italian worker a day off for New Year's, a big deal for the Italians in the area. So DiBruno opened up, and sure enough, the Greeks had all the vacation time they'd need. Over the years since the 1939 opening, the store changed focuses. From fresh grocer to incorporating more specialty items, but it was a vacation in Switzerland which brought along the fine selection of cheese to the region. In 1965, the grocer changed over to their "House of Cheese" moniker dealing in specialty cheeses and cured meats from all over Europe. In 2005, they expanded to Center City with their 10,000 sq ft space just off Rittenhouse Square which helped them earn them the accolade of 2006: NASFT Gourmet Retailer of the Year, one of five stores selected nationwide for the distinction. In 2008, their Comcast Center store opened and in the very near future, their first suburban outpost, in Ardmore, will open to further expand their regional reach.
As Peackock talked us through the last 70+ years of history, he drizzled the thickest balsamic vinegar I've ever seen over hunks of Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio. The 8.5oz bottle of Campari 15 year will set you back $50, but a little goes a very long way.
Just look how it stands on its own. It doesn't run around the plate. It almost has the viscosity of motor oil, but the taste is intense and rich, a sweet vinegary tang to complement the sweet nuttiness of Reggiano.
Down the street we ventured to Talluto's whose fresh pastas are made daily in house.
The sheets of flat pasta go into this cutter and magically, out the other end, comes fresh pasta. While I did know that fresh pasta takes just a couple minutes to cook—and for cuts like angel hair, less than a minute—I didn't know how perishable they were. On the mildly humid day two Fridays ago, we were told the pasta, unrefrigerated, would only keep for three hours. Good to know on your next trip to 9th St for fresh pasta. Don't dally too much or hit up Talluto's last on your way home.
Out of Talluto's and into Fante's we went. Perhaps the most dangerous store in all of 9th St for the passionate home cook. Mariella Giovannucci gave us a quick history of the store in front of their wall of fame. She started off as an after school part-time worker (they needed her because she spoke Italian) graduating to General Manager years down the line. In 1981 she and her family bought the store as the Fantes retired. The store focuses on the tools needed for food prep and the specialty items you don't see in most stores. She picked up a pomegranate seed remover tool [$15] behind her as an example. It's made by a family in Israel. You put half a pomegranate inside and whack it. Seeds fall out below. No muss, no fuss. Lest we all max out our credit cards in there, we moved on southward. With the help of some of the biggest names in cooking across the country, and lovers of all things food-prep related, Fante's has survived some hard times and continues to sell wares at great prices.
We stopped at the corner of 9th St & Washington Ave. as Jason explained how this view showed how diverse the neighborhood has become in the last few years. A look east, west and south will reveal Vietnamese and Mexican shops as far as you can see. Across 9th St was Giordano's anchoring the southern end of the densest part of the old Italian Market area. Jason told us a funny anecdote from the filming of the jogging sequence in the original Rocky (you know the one!). The shoot shut down much of 9th St for days. The vendors were angry because they were losing much needed business. One of the guys from Giordano's got the idea to interrupt Sly on the run and the little act of rebellion made it into the final cut. Watch this clip for a reminder. Pay attention at the 25 second mark. Sly turns around to catch the orange in-stride and keeps on running.
Outside Shun Da Live Poultry were some cages of birds. Here are some squab, aka, pigeons.
We ended the tour at the iconic spot where Pat's and Geno's face off. On that particular day, at that particular moment, there was a huge crowd at Pat's while Geno's was lit up like Vegas and remained mostly empty. But that's just that one moment. The cheesesteak wars will not likely see an end anytime soon, and you can be your own judge.
The tour was a whole lot of fun and I learned a lot. It's a great way to learn a lot about a slice of the city. If you're looking to entertain a few out of towners or get to know a hunk of the city, Philadelphia Urban Adventures is a great way to do it. But don't take my word for it, they're the #3 attraction in Philly out of 277. They also do out of town trips through the other part of the company, Awfully Nice Tours. Take a trip to Lancaster or Valley Forge without the hassle of driving. Sit back and take in the sights with a guide! I might check out the Philly on Tap tour [$30] in the future.
Bigger pictures if you click on the slideshow above
The Urban Garden Chocolate Bar [$8] is a segmented 3oz. bar that should easily break, but it doesn't. Not a biggie, but just something to know when you're trying to break it up into pieces to share. You can always have the excuse now of breaking off a bigger piece! The mint in the bar is refreshing. It has a clean, true minty taste to it, most definitely not artificial flavoring. This tastes like you've gone out into a meadow and sandwiched a sprig of spearmint in between two pieces of delicious dark chocolate. The mint is actually steeped right into the chocolate! If you've had the mint chocolate ganache squares in the assorted packs, it's a similar taste, but not as decadent. That's to be expected though, since this is not ganache.
The Spiced Pumpkins [$29, currently out of stock] come in a box of 9 and might be the prettiest of all of the offerings John & Kira's products. Little orange half-dome pumpkins with hand-piped green stems on top – each stem different from the other. The brown paper cups match the autumnal color palette perfectly. The spices do not overpower the pumpkin, but they don't shy away either. The cinnamon and nutmeg fight for your attention first leaving the clove, ginger and orange zest to fight it out afterward. John & Kira's has never taken shortcuts in their meticulously put together products and while we didn't expect them to have done so with these mini pumpkins, the thought can't help but loom in your head around this time of year when it's pumpkin everything. Messy thinks these are just about the best chocolates she's ever had — like the best pumpkin pie filling inside the greatest chocolate, ever.
The Chocolate Cherries [$29] come in a gorgeous deep maroon color (Picky's high school color!) to match the color of a ripe cherry. Most maroon cherries we've come across are the sweet variety, but we've all had enough of the candy cherry red, right?! Maroon it is! Biting through the shell and a layer of ganache to get to the cherry is rewarding. Take it slow and you'll really feel the layers on your teeth and gums (yes, it sounds weird, but… just try it). The cherry has a bright flavor to it and it's crisp! No mushy, past-due cherry here. This was picked at its peak and dried nicely, leaving a nice amount of moisture behind for texture. The brandy adds a nice little kick and helps separate the tart cherry and rich 62% dark Valrhona.
Now, where can you get your hands on these, and other, offerings from John & Kira's? They've set up a handy dandy page on their website for you. While the pumpkin is currently sold out, you can still order the garden chocolate bar and chocolate cherries. And if you act quickly, you can get it shipped overnight in time for Thanksgiving! Alternatively, you can hit up a few retail locations: Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market carries the Urban Garden Bars, Chocolate Ladybugs, Chocolate Bees and 15 piece Assorted Chocolate Box. The prices at the Farmstand are a few dollars cheaper than buying online. The Toffee and Chocolate Bees are available at the Center City DiBruno Brothers location at 1730 Chestnut St. And you'll have one last chance to snag up some from John at Headhouse Square Farmers Market on Wednesday from 10a – 4p at 2nd St between Pine and Lombard Sts.
Grab some other holiday fixings at the city's largest farmers market which is organized by The Food Trust before heading out, too — like a wedge of Birchrun Hills Farm cheese, cider from Three Springs Fruit Farm or apples from Beechwood Orchards (we love the Goldrush, Pink Lady and Newton Pippin varieties for their crispiness).
We were wandering through the Whole Foods on South St the other day and we were happy to see the hotsauces we sampled, from HaHa Hotsauce, last year on the shelf! The Figgin Hot and Chipotle BBQ sauces were on the shelf next to a host of national competition and that's just plain awesome. We wish JD the best and congratulations! We have no idea how long JD's goods have been in Whole Foods, but hopefully they're there to stay.
Of note, Picky's stash of JD's special homebrew is gone and he wishes he had some more.
Strong blue cheeses are not for the weak. They're not for every cheese lover even. This blue cheese won't knock you down as hard as some other cheeses, but it most definitely packs a punch and will turn some away. Common Folks brings their Incanestro to the table and dares you to take a big bite. Common Folks makes their cheese (this one's certified organic too) out in Leola, PA, a bit east of Lancaster and as far as I know, it's only available at Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market.
In case you've never seen a cheese like this, with it's gorgeously deep grooves on all sides of this magnificent, medium sized wheel, it's an Italian basket molded cheese. I found this page from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company's website explaining a bit about the style. Canestri is Italian for wicker basket. The cheese curds (once separated from the whey) is pressed directly into the baskets where they sit and develop those gorgeous grooves in the thicker than usual rind.
The cheese is inoculated with mold spores (it's aliiiiiive!) and poked with metal rods allowing the mold to travel through the cheese and form those characteristic veins you've seen in blue cheeses. Riiiight, but how does it taste?
My co-worker, and in house cheesemonger, Paul Lawler, writes the blurbs for our cheeses and I'll quote from his tag:
A bold and meaty — even porky blue!
I gotta agree, it's meaty, bordering on porky. It's immensely salty. It's a heavy cheese on the palate. The only saltier cheese available at the Farmstand is a cow's milk feta from Keswick Creamery which we sell in little tubs resting in brine. Eating a piece of this cheese, the rush of flavor is bigger than you'd expect from taking a whiff of it beforehand; it's not an immensely stinky cheese. It's creamy and a little bit crumbly. It's a sticky wheel to cut and it'll stay all over your fingers if you try to crumble it over a salad by hand (that salad better not have any bacon in it or it'll be overload!). I know that Mme. Fromage [who we dined with last night!] is most definitely a fan as she tweeted:
My local cheese of the moment: Incanestro, a porky blue. Salty, creamy, meat-tastic.
I'll close this post with a shot of the rind of the cheese. Wedges of this decadent Italian style blue cheese to for $18/lbs so a nice 1/3lbs hunk will run you $6. It won't break the bank, but it's a little something different from the more standard cheddars Americans love to love. Ask for a taste, but remember that the taste will be fullest after letting the cheese come to temperature.
