Things I ate and loved in Philadelphia

[Jenise]

Finally got around to: tomato pie. OMG, loved it. Also enjoyed my first proper Cheesesteak and Hoagie sandwiches.

On the more creative side, these things were particularly fantastic:

Raw bronzino sushi (is it bronzino or branzino? I thought the latter, but the restaurant spelled it with an 'o')
Swordfish meatballs
Beef cheek saltimbocca (the braised cheek was wrapped with sage in proscuitto and grilled to finish)
Scallop and radish ceviche in pineapple sauce
Gnocchi with burnt onion cream
A sushi roll version of a Philly Cheesesteak
Mussels*
In a Basque restaurant, a negroni made with amontillado instead of vermouth

*Because they were the best mussels I've ever had. Tiny, almost kidney bean sized, the likes of which I've never seen, and superbly prepared in an intense wine/butter/garlic broth redolent with fresh herbs and whole sprigs of fresh thyme and fresh bay leaves, which I've never had anywhere except in my own kitchen.

What a great food town Philadelphia is!

9 years ago we had an offline in Philly that is known as PauloCOOL. It was at one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to - http://www.branzinophilly.com/. I see it's now being remodeled. I also managed to get cheesesteak while there.

Mussels*

*Because they were the best mussels I've ever had. Tiny, almost kidney bean sized, the likes of which I've never seen, and superbly prepared in an intense wine/butter/garlic broth redolent with fresh herbs and whole sprigs of fresh thyme and fresh bay leaves, which I've never had anywhere except in my own kitchen.

Where did you have the mussels?

I went to college in Philadelphia, during the 90s. I know the food scene has improved greatly since then. But back then it was a revelation for us to go to Monks and have mussels and fries and great Belgian beer selection. We were so young and it was all so new!

[Jenise]

Parc, a charming brasserie on Rittenhouse Square. It's been around for 40 years so you probably knew it. It's funny about mussels, on the west coast I always says I really only like them when they're small. But the smallest here, like the local Penn Coves, are three to four times larger than those tiny ones I ate in Philadelphia. I had no idea they could be that small. (I remember having some green lips in New Zealand that were so large, an order was about six-eight mussels. A bit gross, to me.)

Parc, a charming brasserie on Rittenhouse Square.

Don't know it. But sounds great!

And reminds me that I haven't had mussels in a while. (In part because my wife doesn't like them, so not much cause to buy and cook at home. But still...)

[Robin Garr]

(is it bronzino or branzino? I thought the latter, but the restaurant spelled it with an 'o')

Branzino with an "a." Mediterranean sea bass, same fish that the French call <i>loup de mer</i>. "Wolf of the Sea" has kind of a nice ring to it.

[Jenise]

Parc, a charming brasserie on Rittenhouse Square.

Don't know it. But sounds great!

And reminds me that I haven't had mussels in a while. (In part because my wife doesn't like them, so not much cause to buy and cook at home. But still...)

I get it! My husband's allergic, so despite a great local supply I never cook them at home either.