Need Something To Do Tonight?

Hey everyone! Looking for something fun to do tonight? Tonight (October 6, 2011) Chinatown will be holding Night Market. John and I attended one that took place in University City,  which we blogged about, and it was a great time. No worries if you don't enjoy Asian food because there will be a wide variety of choices. Not only will the restaurants and shops be included, but food trucks as well. The event begins at 7pm and ends at 11pm at 10th and Race under the big archway.You can expect a wide variety of food, as well as music and arts.

See you there!!! Pictures to follow :)

For more information go to :
http://nightmarketphilly.org/
or
Inquirer Article

Philly Restaurant Week!

We just wanted to make sure that everyone knows that this is the 2nd (and last) week of the Philly Restaurant Week event. It's a really great deal to take advantage of. You can enjoy lunch at all of the best restaurants in the city for just $20.00 and a three or four course dinner for $35.00. There is a website that lists all of the restaurants who are participating as well as their menus for the event. The site also makes it extremely easy to make a reservation through OpenTable. The event will be over on Friday so go out and try and new restaurant this week. All of the menus looked amazing so it will be difficult to decide where to go. Reservations are going fast so make them ahead of time and be prepared to make a night out of it because the restaurants are super busy!
Last Friday we went to Ristorante Panorama and I would definitely recommend trying it out because their menu had tons to choose from. The fact that they have 120 wines on tap doesn't hurt either :) Tonight we are going to Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti. Reviews on both of these restaurants are sure to follow.

Happy Restaurant Week!
Website: http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RestaurantWeek.php

The Boston Pie Experiment

  A few months back I was searching on the internet and found what I thought would be a great opportunity for John and I. It was a call to all home chefs to compete in the ultimate pie bake-off. The only set back was that it would be held over six hours away in Cambridge, MA. Even with the knowledge that we would have to travel a pretty far distance I couldn't help but sign up!
  Not more than a day later we heard back from one of the guys who runs the Food Experiments that we could consider ourselves official competitors. From that moment on we worked hard to come up with table decor and a great product. We already knew that we would be making my Great-grandmother's Blueberry Crumb Pie but the true question was how we were going to travel such a far distance with enough pie to feed 300 people. We decided that individual pies would be the easiest and neatest way to serve our pie.
  The week leading up to the actual contest was, to say the least, very hectic. All we could think and talk about was the competition. We began by purchasing our table cloth which showcased our team name (Bones N' Rose of course) and what we were making. We also did a few test runs to ensure that our pie was up to competition standards. Early Friday morning we began baking and continued until about 1:00am. Our living room was literally lined with Blueberry Crumb Pies. Saturday morning we threw in two more batches then hit the road for Boston!With our two massive coolers filled to the top with pies and our bag of decorations we were on our way to our first competition. After a very long drive we finally made it to our hotel and rested before the big day.
  The morning of the competition was very nerve racking. We worried how many contestants would also be serving blueberry inspired pies (the answer to that was two others), and how people would react to our pie. We showed up at the Middle East Club ready for the day. We were happy to see that we were one of the first teams there. As soon as we saw the tight space we knew our table cloth wasn't going to work. This made me upset but I couldn't let it ruin the experience.  At last moment I sent John out on a wild hunt for a red table cloth. Luckily he came back with a perfect red table cloth. We set up our half of a table and were ready to go!
  As the everyone started to pile in we noticed how overwhelmed people were by the size of our pies. Everyone else had their pie scooped into tiny 2oz. solo cups. Ours were prob four times that size! Other than that we were very happy with the way our pies tasted and our table presentation. It finally came time for me to go on stage to present our entry. Although I was very nervous it didn't end up being all that bad. At the end of the day we didn't place in any of the categories but had a great time and felt like it was worthwhile experience. We can't wait for our next competition!

For more information about the Food Experiments go to:
http://thefoodexperiments.com/

Philly Night Market

 We have been so busy moving into our new apartment that we never got to blog about a GREAT event that we went to in the beginning of June! We heard about Night Market through the owner of Plenty, which has become one of our favorite spots to eat. She told us that she was invited to have a table at the event and that we should check it out because it was going to highlight some of the best vendors in Philly.
  When we looked at the website (listed at the end of this post) it said that there probably wouldn't be much parking available so we decided to hop on the subway and head down to University City. We were so excited when we walked up to the parking lot completely filled with food trucks and tents, all serving samples of their best dishes! We were amazed by how many people were at the event and didn't know where to look first, let alone where to eat. We noticed that some of the lines were extremely long so we took a lap around the parking lot to see what was being served before we decided to wait in any of the lines.
 While we were wandering around and looking at what was being offered John saw someone who looked very familiar. I didn't believe him at first but when I turned around I couldn't believe it. It was DUFF!!!! Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes and the well known show Ace of Cakes! I was even more surprised when John said he wanted to go over and talk to him. I was a little shy and didn't know what to do. Nevertheless we went over. He ended up being extremely nice and cool to talk to. He gave us a lot of great advice and I am definitely happy that John made us go over! We even took a picture (at the end of this post)!!!!
  After composing myself from the excitement of meeting Duff we looked at the last few vendors and then decided to try Dapper Dogs. We both has one of their signature hot dogs and they were both delicious. I ended up taking off most of the toppings because I like my "dogs" plain but John enjoyed his in all its messiness.
  By the time we were done eating we noticed that the skies were getting super grey and the winds were beginning to pick up quickly. I know it sounds like a movie but it was seriously scary. All of the tents were shaking and one of them even started to blow away! We decided to make one last attempt at dessert. This was definitely a great decision because the Butterscotch Krimpet Bread Pudding from MidAtlantic Restaurant and Tap Room was amazing. We quickly scarfed down the small piece and headed for cover.
  We wish we could have tried more of the food because it all look and sounded so delicious but it didn't seem like a good idea to stand out in the parking lot in the thunderstorm and down pour! we hope to be able to go to the next Night Market in August.

For more information go to:
http://www.nightmarketphilly.org/

                             

Who Wants Cupcakes?

 This past Memorial Day Weekend John and I were in New York City for the Phillies game. On our LOOONNGGG trek to our hotel we passed by a bakery called "Baked by Melissa." We didn't have the time to stop then but we made sure to stop in on our walk back to our bus stop. At first glance it seemed like an ordinary cupcakery until we walked in...
  Baked By Melissa specializes in mini cupcakes and when we say mini we mean super mini. These cupcakes are at the very most two bites. They are no larger than a quarter in size but still manage to pack tons of taste. Not only does this bakery offer a different shape and size in their cupcakes but they also have a wide selection in flavors. Some of the offered flavors include Peanut Butter & Jelly, Chocolate Chip Pancake, S'mores, and Mini of the Month (this month was Strawberry).
  After noticing the sign for the bakery it was easy to tell that their signature cupcake is Tie-Die. This cupcake is very simple in ingredient and flavor, however, its vibrant color is what sets it apart. The cake is actually tie-dyed and the icing is a simple white with confetti sugar. This was one of the five flavors John and I tried and we loved it!
  We chose to buy a half dozen of the miniature cupcakes, but after finishing them we both agreed that we could have finished the half dozen on our own easily because of the size. The flavors we tried included: Tie-dye, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip Pancake, and Strawberry. The box cost us around $6.00 and even though it seemed a little expensive it was definitely an understandable price because of the Times Square location and detail in each cupcake.
  We would DEFINITELY recommend that you stop by Baked By Melissa if you are ever in New York City! There are four locations, which can be found on their website listed below.

526 7th Avenue
New York, New York 10018
(Between 38th & 39th)
www.bakedbymelissa.com 

Koji's

 John and I recently went on vacation in Hollywood, California. It was the last night of our stay and we were looking for somewhere new to eat, as always. We had passed Koji's earlier in the day when we were looking for a quick lunch spot and wanted to try it out. The sign for the restaurant said that they served "sushi and shabu shabu." Like many of you, we were completely unaware of what shabu shabu was until we actually sat down to eat at our table. Here is a dictionary definition of the Japanese style of cooking: a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked briefly in simmering broth at the table. After we sat down and noticed that each table had individual pots we caught on to what shabu shabu was. We wondered if we would know when our food was done and how it would taste being cooked in the broth. 
 After perusing the menu here is what we decided to try: 
    Appetizer: California Roll
    Entree: Kobe Beef slices served with mixed vegetables
 We weren't sure if this would be enough to satisfy our appetites but luckily by the end of the meal we were both comfortably full. The California Roll was delicious and the accompanying sauces they gave us both really added some flavor. The Kobe Beef came out soon after and we were told that it only needed to stay in the broth for about 15 seconds. I wondered how this could possibly cook the beef so quickly but 15 seconds was more than enough time. When it came out of the broth it was well done but still extremely tender and flavorful. We also used our dipping sauces for the beef, and again they added tons of flavor. We were also given individual bowls of rice which we ate our meat over. 
Overall we were very happy with our choice and suggest that you try a shabu shabu restaurant if you ever have the opportunity.  Here is a local restaurant that serve shabu shabu style:
   Fuji Mountain Japanese Restaraunt 
   2030 Chestnut Street
   Phila, PA 19103

    John was proud that he taught me to use chopsticks!!


   
Koji's is located at:
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Flavors

We heard about the "Flavors of the Avenue" event one night while we were eating at our favorite Passyunk restaurant Plenty. On the counter were cards promoting the event and it sounded like it was right up our alley. When we found out that it was only $25.00 to attend there was no doubt in our mind that we would be buying tickets.
 The event was held in the parking lot across from Los Caballitos (better known as Cantina). Under the huge white tent over 20 of Passyunk's restaurants were featured. Each had its own stand where attendees could sample one of their signature menu items. Menu items varied from breakfast and dinner to dessert and samples of cocktails.
 We were very surprised by how many people were packed into the tent during the entire span of the event. Every stand had people lined up to try one of their dishes, although we noticed that Cantina attracted the largest crowds all wanting to try the margaritas.  There were restaurants that have been on Passyunk for years such as Mamma Maria's, whose food thoroughly surprised us, as well as new comers such as Izumi and Green Eggs Cafe. We both enjoyed almost every dish we tried and were full by the time we got to the last table.
 Outside of the tent was a free street fair, including a craft market and DJ. The craft market, called "Crafty Balboa", showcased many of the clothing stores in the surrounding area. We particularly like one of the new stores, NRS (Nicole Rae Styer), which features handmade, original items for women and children.
 This was a great annual event that we were so happy to have attended and hope everyone will try to make it out next year!
Here are some pictures from the event:

                 

Happy Easter!

 We haven't posted any recipes lately so we wanted to share some pictures of what we decided to bake for the many people and places we visited on Easter Day. Luckily, everyone enjoyed everything that we made! We love to bake and bring things places when we visit and even though it took all day it was well worth all of the hard work. Hope you enjoy all of the pictures. If you would like the recipes for anything you see we would be happy to give them to you. Just e-mail us! We hope everyone had a great Easter :)

                                     Banana Muffins

             Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

                    Ambrosia (with marshmallow bunnies)

Plenty

 Tonight John and I were out on our usual "movie Tuesday" date night and we were looking for a quick place to eat before our movie. After going to another well known restaurant and being told that the wait would be over 30 minutes we needed a plan B. We drove down Passyunk Ave knowing that there were many new restaurants that we have been wanting to try. We passed by a place called Plenty not really knowing what to expect. We found a parking space right outside of the store and peeked at the menu before deciding to go in.
  Going in to Plenty we really didn't what we would walk into. We were unsure if we would even be able to eat inside. When we walked in we looked over the choices and quickly realized that this was a place that we could get a quick yet healthy meal. The entire menu is an assortment of organic and natural food choices. While we were browsing the food displays we had a chance to talk with the owner who was extremely helpful and friendly. She told us all about how she started Plenty and gave us encouragement when we told her about our own plans to start a restaurant and bakery. Here is what we decided to order:

• John: Free range fried chicken with honey coating, beets, and pesto risotto
• Alicia: Turkey meatloaf, organic mashed sweet potatoes, and pesto risotto

  Both John and I absolutely loved every part of our meals. John was a little skeptical of the chicken because he didn't know what "free range" meant but after his first bite thought that this was a pleasant change from other chicken dishes he has had. My meatloaf was bursting with flavor. I was not sure if I would like turkey meatloaf but I actually ended up really enjoying it. I was surprised by the spicy after taste of the meatloaf. The potatoes were also delicious and the pesto risotto had a really great flavor as well and helped cool off my mouth from the spicy meatloaf.

• Likes: (everything) food, friendly and helpful staff, relaxing atmosphere, natural and organic choices
• Dislikes: absolutely nothing

  If you want to have a small sampling of what Plenty has to offer (which we highly recommend) you should check out the Flavors event on April 30, which will feature small tastings from all of the East Passyunk restaurants. It begins at 1pm and ends around 5pm. Its $30 a person. Plenty will be participating and this is a great opportunity to try out all of the new restaurants on Passyunk. Hope to see you all there!

1710 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 1948
*For more information go to:
http://plentyphiladelphia.com/

Bistro on Bridge

 John has been talking about going to Phoenixville for a while now and tonight we finally made it there. He first heard about Bistro on Bridge because of their 10, 000 Ghosts wing sauce, which is apparently the hottest wing sauce in Pennsylvania. It took us about 45 minutes to get there (just a little past King of Prussia). Parking was tight but we were lucky enough to find someone leaving.
  We made reservations but the restaurant wasn't all that busy and we were seated immediately. The restaurant was split into two areas. One side was the bar and the other was a small but nicely decorated dining room. We had already looked at the menu online so we knew what we wanted to order.Here is what we ended up with:

• Soup: Cream of Crab for me, French Onion for John
• Entrees: Pecan Crusted Chicken for me and Meatloaf for John

   Our soups came out fairly quick and we both really enjoyed them. The Cream of Crab reminded me a lot of New England Clam Chowder with the obvious difference of the crab in place of the clam. It was very thick but was delicious! John thought that his French Onion soup was very similar to the others that he has had and also liked his choice. When our food came out we were pleasantly surprised by the size of the dishes. The plates themselves were huge but the portion sizes were also very generous. With each meal came two sides as well. I usually like very thin sliced chicken and even though this piece was on the thick side I still enjoyed it. The crust had a lemony taste to it that almost made it refreshing. I ordered the grilled asparagus and seasonal risotto to go along with my meal. I enjoyed the asparagus but the risotto had a little too much shredded cheese on it for my taste. John thought that his meal was good overall with some good and some not so good highlights. On the good side his meal filled him and everything tasted very fresh instead of seeming like it was sitting in a pot all night. Negative qualities included the meatloaf that was not anything special and seemed more home cooked than professionally prepared although he did enjoy the cheese and red onions that were on top of the meatloaf. Both of our dishes were advertised as "new menu items" and we feel that after they have been on the menu for a longer period of time they will probably become even better menu items!

• Likes: Soup choices, atmosphere, menu variety, pricing
• Dislikes: Long drive, meatloaf 

 If you are looking for a new area to wander Phoenixville is the place to go! There seemed to be a good variety of stores, restaurants and bars!
212 Bridge Street
Phoenixville, PA 19460
*For more information go to:
http://www.bistroonbridge.com/

Andreotti's Viennese Cafe

 My grandparents had just come home from a month long trip to Florida and John and I were invited to go out to dinner with them. Being a Saturday night, it was difficult to find a restaurant that didn't have an hour long wait time. After attempting to go to two other restaurants we finally decided to go to Andreotti's Viennese Cafe.
  When we first walked in we were surprised to see that the restaurant was set up similar, but not exactly the same, to how we envision our restaurant to be some day. When you enter there is a wine bar and bakery section, which then leads into the first dining room and then to the bar and second dining room. Every Saturday they have live music, which was just starting to pick up.
We were seated at a table in the corner of the first dining room, which made me very happy because I did not want to be in the same room as the music. Before we even had the chance to open our menus there was a six cheese spread and toasted bread slices on the table. John absolutely LOVED this and so did the rest of us! After perusing the menu here is what we ended up choosing:

• Spinach egg drop soup
• Philly cheese steak spring rolls
• Lobster Gnocchi 
• Boneless pork chop milanese

Most of the table started out with a cup of the Spinach egg drop soup. John thought the soup was very similar to an Italian wedding soup or Escarole, for those who are familiar. Soon after, our spring rolls arrived! We felt that it was absolutely necessary to order these so that we could compare with the empanadas from Good Dog. I think saying that our only complaint was that there were only two about sums it up (DELICIOUS). We were really surprised that our waitress brought us out some sorbet to clean our pallets after our appetizers! This was a great addition to the meal. Everyone loved their entrees. The gnocchi was perfectly portioned and had a tasty cream based sauce and huge chunks of lobster in it. John's pork chop fell apart easily without needing a knife and was cooked just the way he wanted it. Dessert was served differently than most restaurants we have been to lately. Instead of having a menu, we were presented with a tray of small pastries and tarts and were able to pick as much or as little as we liked. They were all baked on premises. The small desserts were a perfect ending because after so much food we were still able to satisfy our sweet tooth.
  Overall:

• Likes: Friendly staff, portion size, variety of menu items, not overcrowded, cheese spread, spring rolls, lobster gnocchi
• Dislikes: The entertainer (didn't have much knowledge of lyrics-lol)

  John and I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! We loved it and know you will to!

1442 East Route 70
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
*For more information go to:
http://www.andreottis.com/

A Cereal Inspired Dinner

 John and I are big fans of chicken dishes when it comes to cooking our own meals. So, as always, we decided to cook chicken for dinner this past Tuesday night. To spice things up a bit we decided to try coating our chicken with Frosted Flakes. This sparked the idea for a "cereal inspired dinner." Along with our chicken, we also made Rice Krispie Sweet Potatoes.
 Preparing the chicken was actually a good time. I got to take my aggression from the day out on my Frosted Flake coating, by smashing it with my fist instead of crushing it some other way (this just seemed more fun)! However, mixing the butter into the coating was not as easy as it was supposed to be. This may have worked out better if our butter was completely melted, but it was not. Consequently, our coating did not stick as well as we had hoped to the chicken, so we ended up sprinkling it on top. Once it came out of  the oven we were pleasantly surprised with the way it turned out. The Frosted Flake coating had not fallen off and they looked appetizing. When eating this dish, John suggests dipping in BBQ and I suggest making a gravy because it was a bit dry.   

Ingredients for Frosted Flake Chicken:

• Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cups of Frosted Flakes
• 2 tablespoons of MELTED butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of water
• salt 
• pepper
• poultry seasoning (we used "Perfect Pinch Original")

For directions on preparing this recipe visit: http://www.food.com/recipe/cornflake-crusted-chicken-328726

 The Rice Krispie Sweet Potatoes were absolutely delicious for all of you sweet potato lovers out there. The mixture of the cereal, marshmallows and potatoes was perfect. The recipe was super easy and did not require much preparation aside from mixing the ingredients in a bowl. Once the dish came out of the oven the cereal was now a golden color which made it looked really nice (I wish we had remembered to take a picture). We thought that the meal would be too sweet when put together, but luckily the two recipes complimented each other nicely and we enjoyed a sweet but not too sweet meal.


Ingredients for Rice Krispie Sweet Potatoes:

• 2 cans (23 ounces each) sweet potatoes, drained
• 6 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows, divided
• 2 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 

For directions on preparing this recipe visit: http://www2.kelloggs.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?id=1750

Good Dog Bar and Restaurant

  We were recently watching an episode from the tenth season of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" during which we were excited to see that one of the feature restaurants was in our hometown, Philadelphia. During the show they featured some of the foods Good Dog Bar and Restaurant specializes in such as: truffled cheese steak empanadas, and duck pot pie.
  Last night we weren't in the mood to cook or go anywhere too far so we figured it was a perfect night to try out this bar and restaurant. After conquering the feat that is Center City parking, we walked into Good Dog. We were like lost puppies not knowing if we should seat ourselves or wait for a hostess because it was surprisingly busy for a Sunday night. After deciding to seat ourselves in a bar-side booth, we looked over the menu and decided that all appetizers was the way to go.
   We ordered:

• Truffled cheese steak empanadas 
• Tinga quesadillas
• Classic chilled spinach dip

    After ordering we had a chance to look around at the decor of this bar and restaurant. The walls were covered with pictures of all types of dogs. The lighting was dim and there was music playing loudly in the background. There was definitely a large age range which varied from a younger crowd to middle aged men and women.
  Our food came out rather quickly and all at once. First, we tried the "Classic chilled spinach dip." This dish was served with cubes of pumpernickel bread and a bowl of the cold spinach dip. The cubes of bread were a change from the usual tortilla chips usually served with dip. We, however, thought they were a bit too heavy for the dip and we found ourselves full after only a few cubes. The "Tinga quesadillas" was John's dish of choice.  Although he enjoyed them, he didn't find them to be anything special. The one and only set back in the quesadillas was a small chicken bone that he found inside. Our favorite was by far the "Truffled cheese steak empanadas." They were small, fried, pockets of ribeye steak and truffled cheddar cheese. They were such a different take on the classic Philly cheese steak, a staple of our hometown. Some definite positives we found in these was the lack of grease, mess, and heaviness of a normal cheese steak.
  Overall:

• Likes: choice of seating, quick service, Truffled cheese steak empanadas
• Dislikes: volume of the music, pumpernickel cubes with the spinach dip

  If you are looking for a twist on a Philly classic Good Dog Bar and Restaurant is the place to go! 

Address: 224 South 15th Street
              Philadelphia, PA 19102
*If you would like more information go to: http://www.gooddogbar.com/

**If there are any restaurants that you would like to see us write about please e-mail us or comment with the name of the place!

Mission Statement

 After much debate we finally settled on calling our first blog "Mission Statement." John, being the business major that he is, was adamant on having a structured business plan for our blog. I, Alicia, just want a good reason to go out and try new restaurants. So with a little business and a little fun we embark our journey through the culinary world.
 In all seriousness we hope to bring you our opinions on each restaurant we go to.Our tastes are not limited to one kind of cuisine so our blog will incorporate all types of restaurants. Not only do we like to go out to eat but we also like to cook. So, we will also write about our experiences in our own kitchen. 
  We started this blog because our dream is to one day become restaurant and bakery owners. We hope that through our experiences we will gain knowledge about what we would like our business to become. We frequently find ourselves criticizing the meals, service and ambiance of the places we go so we thought this would be the best way to save our thoughts for our eventual business planning.
 We plan to write at least once a week about our experiences in restaurants or our kitchen. Enjoy!