Capogiro: Memories of Italy In One Delicious Lick

Okay, 1 more post on Philadelphia, and I tomorrow I will post about New York again! I had to post this because this gelato place is so fantastic.

I went to the Sansom location ( yes after I got the cupcakes from yesterday's post) because who could resist a cool creamy treat after a day for walking around eating?

 Roomy, clean, and not only do they serve delicious gelato, they also have panini's, croissants and cookies too. Oh and get this; they also have H& H bagels from New York. I personally am not a fan of that particular bagel company, but it's nice to know.

 Bacio and Mora Gelato

Bruce ordered Bacio (which is chocolate and hazelnut gelato with bits of hazelnut in it) and Mora (which is blackberry gelato). I didn't have any, but it looked incredibly decadent.

Price: $4.50

 Thai Coconut Milk Gelato and Watermelon Sorbet

As usual, I had to get mine in a cone. Holy Cannoli, was this refreshing! The coconut milk gelato was ultra creamy, natural hints of coconut with an after taste of rum. This complimented the watermelon (which actually tasted exactly like watermelon without being overly sweet or fake tasting.) With every lick, I was one step closer to heaven until...

This! WTF?? A hollow cone is the saddest thing ever  :(

Price: $4.50 (+ .25 for a cone)

Verdict: Ah.... this small reminder of Italy is enough to subside my urge to buy a plane ticket there and want to order another serving! Great quality gelato when you don't feel like walking over to Reading Terminal for Bassett's Ice Cream.

Capogiro Gelato

119 S 13th St

Philadelphia, PA 19107

www.capogirogelato.com

Philly Cupcake: Finally Cupcakes Where Their Flavor Actually Rivals Their Good Looks

After the lunch we had, Bruce and I decided to take a walk around in search of dessert and stumbled upon Philly Cupcakes. I have been very jaded in the past with cupcake places (especially since their are about 50 zillion "specialty" cupcake stores in New York) most of them ended up being a huge disappointment (Ahem.. CRUMBS..cough, cough). So of course I had my doubts

 Eye catching entrance, I first I thought this was a toy store... I guess that woman had to take a double look too!

Holy crap.. this was screaming utter cute overload, adorable heaven! The colors, the furniture, everything I dreamed of when I was a little girl came to life!

Display of dog treats (!!! Again, adorable furniture!)

The cupcakes are shown off in China display cabinets. They looked so pretty, but are they tasty?..we shall see! Oh and see my reflection? I got all my hair chopped off!

I bought only 3 and took them home for a taste test with Buddy...

Sweet Potato Cupcake

This was made with pecans and pecan cream cheese frosting. First bite: the cake didn't crumble, it was moist, bouncy, and most of all... FLAVORFUL. Like eating a slice of sweet potato pie and pecan pie all at once.  The pecan glaze added a touch of stickiness, and the pecans added a good textural crunch.  Buddy is usually a fan of only chocolate things, and this turned out to be his favorite .

Price: $4.00

The Coma

This is a gluten free, flourless cupcake with chocolate butter cream and ganache. I didn't get this because it was gluten free, I got this because it was the most chocolatey thing on the menu! I took a bite of the cake; never had I tasted such an intense flavor of cocoa in a cupcake until now. Almost bitter chocolate with the rich ganache adding the right touch of sweetness to it. I was never a fan of chocolate cupcakes (or chocolate cakes for the matter) because the flavor of cocoa was always missing. This little delight won me over, insanely moist and satisfying. Again, I was very impressed.

Price: $4.00

The Red Velvet

Okay, here is the true test to see if this Cupcake place will be on my list of must -go places in Philly: The red velvet. First bite: the milk chocolate-nutty flavor I love about red velvets truly came through. The cream cheese frosting was sweet, but had just enough tartness to balance it out. The frosting was light and airy and melted into the moist, dense cake.  Still not as amazing as Two Little Red Hens in New York, but the best red velvet in Philadelphia that I have ever had.

Price: $3.50

Verdict: Finally, cupcakes where their flavor actually rivals their good looks! Next time I am in Philadelphia, I will definitely be making a stop here to try more flavors. Especially since I looked at their online menu and spotted lavender cupcakes with peach schnapps frosting (!!)  I also chatted with one of the owners for a little bit, he was super friendly and nice (but who wouldn't be if they worked at such a cute place?) and told me they will be expanding their shop. They will be adding windows so people passing by can watch the bakers decorate the cupcakes. Such a great idea!

Philly Cupcake

1132 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

www.phillycupcake.com

Sakura: The Owners Favorite Color Must be Green....

Over this past weekend my stepdad Bruce, was nice enough to take me to Philly to get some errands done. Since we were in the Chinatown area, we decided to grab lunch there. He had been wanting to try a new restaurant that had opened (and was really excited since he saw pink sushi wrappers there) it was Chinese/ Japanese fusion. Though there were a lot of great dim sum places around, I couldn't say no, especially since he was treating! ^_^

Green walls, green chopsticks, green sign, green menu.... geez louis this owner likes the color green!

Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao)

Well lookey here, they serve soup dumplings! I opted for the pork and crab mix. The skin was ultra thin ( just the way it's supposed to be) and the flavors in the soup were fantastic, but with an almost sour after taste. The pork and crab mixture had the consistency of ground beef, and not as filled as say Joe's Shanghai in New York. Still, it was satisfying none the less.

Price: $5.95

Angry Dragon

Bruce and I both wanted to get something light (since we both knew we were going to be stuffing our faces with other goodies while walking around) so we decided to get some sushi as our main course. This was a shrimp tempura roll with papaya, spicy tuna in soynori, topped with spicy crab and a honey miso sauce. This was very satisfying, sweet, crunchy, salty, and most of all... FILLING! I was surprised at how nice the presentation looked, I guess whenever I think of Chinatown I think " dirt cheap ugly delicious food"

Price: $ 11.95

Amazing Tuna

We ordered one more house special sushi roll afterwards. This one was made out of white tuna tempura, spicy tuna, cucumber topped with peppered tuna and spicy mayo. More salty, and definitely spicy, the fish was fresh and again, the presentation was lovely.

Price: $11.95

Verdict: I guess the only thing I didn't like about this place was the price; how can a person justify spending 12+ dollars for 1 sushi roll when they are in the heart of Chinatown and could get 4 meals for the same price? Especially since you can find sushi just as good at a suburban "fusion" restaurant located in a strip mall. Other then that, the food was satisfying and pretty tasty...oh, and by the way, it is a BYOB, so maybe this would entice some of you out there?

Sakura Mandarin

1038 Race Street

Philadelhpia PA 19107

Dinner: And a Show at the Blockley House

This past weekend I headed down to Philly to see Buddy and his band (The National Rifle) play. The Blockley House is a bar/ music venue located in University City. Soo.... off we went!

Outside entrance. Hugh: farting Lynna: Getting a good whiff

Inside is pretty spacious, plenty of dancing and standing space and a large horseshoe bar

Jerk Chicken with Rice

Since we got there early, I had an opportunity to talk to the cooks. They were making food for themselves at the time. I was drooling over what they were eating, and they were kind enough to offer cooking it for me even though it was off- menu.  

It looked innocent enough, but wow, was the chicken spicy! Though it was very juicy and tender, so I kept eating it. The scallions were a nice touch. However, I could tell they were scraping the end of the rice pot because with eat bite I got hard crunchy pieces of over cooked grains.

Price: $ 13.00

Chesapeake Bay Fries

This was sprinkled with cheddar, crab meat, and chopped scallions. The fries themselves were perfectly crisp and salted, the crab meat however smelled and tasted very fishy. Funny, the only food that shouldn't smell like what it is.

Price: $8.00

Buddy and I before he had to go play

Verdict: They do have some decent beers on tap, I had ordered a Dogfish Head, and it came out to 6 dollars...that is New York priced beer. When I'm in Philly, I don't expect to pay more than 4-5 dollars. I wouldn't come here for the food, but if a band you like is playing here, at least you now know what not to get! 

The Blockley Pourhouse

3801 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

www.theblockley.com

Sweet Tooth: Dessert at Winnie's Le Bus

After dinner, Buddy and I wanted a change of atmosphere, so we decided to go to a different spot for dessert. We picked Winnie's Le Bus; our favorite breakfast spot when I went used to go to college around the area. The place was spacious and had had a corky, paintery feel. Memories of delicious cornbread, pancakes, and yummy iced teas came flooding back.

Buddy's beer and newly made friend. I think his friend was already a little tipsy when he got there; judging by his drunk smile and diluted eyes...

Sweet Potato Fries

These were kind of a disappointment. They were very tough and dry, inside and out. There was not much flavor to them, but came with a side of yogurt cream sauce. The sauce was not that flavorful either, other than the almost sour cream taste, but helped moisten the dryness of the fries ...his friend however; seemed to really enjoy them

Price: $3.50

Banana Bread Pudding

When this first arrived at our table, I thought it was french toast! Well it wasn't ,but the flavors of french toast were sure there (especially with the generous sprinkle of cinnamon on top!) I couldn't taste much banana and the bread itself was very rubbery and lacked depth. The sauce however, was sweet, creamy and thick; reminiscent of melted custard. We didn't want to have leftovers so we polished this off,leaving it to expand in my stomach and boy ..was I STUFFED.

Price:$5.50

Cornbread

Buddy and I decided to buy some of their cornbread to go since we had remembered fighting each other for it when they served free pieces during their breakfast hours. I couldn't wait to open it up and have it with their delicious jam for breakfast!

Price: $5.00

Winnie's Mixed Berry Jam

I was so excited about this...their jam as I had recalled was some of the best jam I have ever had. Ever. When Buddy was purchasing this, the cashier asked if we were getting it as a gift. I guess she thought it was absurd that we were getting this for our own greedy tummies. Oh well!

Price: $7.00

Well, obviously we couldn't wait til the next day and decided to open the cornbread and jam up at night at ohhh... approximately 2 am. It was sad to say that the cornbread tasted vastly different from what we had remembered. There were actually pieces of corn in it this time and not as sweet. It was almost flavorless, which was very disappointing. The jam however, was amazing with whole chunks of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Not too tart, just enough to make you pucker, but still sweet and soupy. The definition of a perfect jam. If only the cornbread matched the jams standards, this would have been the perfect midnight snack!

Verdict: Their strength is definitely breakfast, and I would continue to come for that. Maybe we just didn't pick the right dessert, or the right fries this time, but I still have faith in this place, not just because of the charmful atmosphere, but also the many great memories.

Winnies Le Bus

4266 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127-1609

www.lebusmanayunk.com

Dinner: Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano!

Oh Manayunk..its a love hate relationship with you. In a sea of yuppies, college meat heads, slutty underage girls trying to get free drinks, and wannabe "bicyclists"... is neighborhood has some fairly decent restaurants. Buddy and I decided to go back to Bella Trattoria, a place we very much loved coming to when we used to live in East Falls.

Martini Straight up with 2 Olives

Nice mix of Vodka and Vermouth...could you tell I was looking forward to this drink? It was Friday night after all!

Price: $9.00

Long Island Iced Tea

Buddy ordered this, but from our last experience with long islands, I was extremely terrified to have a sip. It was actually quite sweet and tasty. Though, a little too sweet for my liking.

Price:$8.00

Complimentary Bread Basket

This came out fresh and hot, the plain bread was bland and not worth eating. The "doughnut" shaped ones were like garlic knots.Crunchy on the outside, and hearty in the inside...a bit oily as well. It was pretty tasty,and dangerously addictive.

Price: Free

Farfalle Bianco

This was bowtie pasta, chicken, mushrooms, and onions in a butter wine sauce. The pasta was a little over cooked, and the sauce was soupy. However, the over all taste of the sauce was delicious. It had the earthy tones of mushrooms mixed in with the butter. The chicken was stringy and way too over cooked. 

Price:$15.00

Risotto Pescatora

This was made with clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, scallops, capers, parsley, tomatoes, and saffron arborio rice. All of the seafood was a little over cooked and bordering almost tough. The risotto, however was thick, and creamy. The sauce was delicious, not too sweet, and with chunks of smooth tomatoes.

Price:$23.00

Verdict: Buddy and I used to love coming here, we had remembered the food being excellent, but now it only seems satisfactory.  Perhaps my palette became spoiled after eating at so many authentic Italian restaurants. I was also disappointed that our waitress neglected to tell us the specials,I am always a sucker for specials and when I miss them, i feel like I missed out on something. With that being said, the good parts were that the portions were huge and the atmosphere warm and inviting. We might come back sometime, but maybe not in the near future.

4258 Main Street

Manayunk PA, 19127

www.bellatrattoriapa.com/home.php

Dinner: Dock Street Pub

One of the great things about dating a guy in a band, is that you sometimes get to go to new places you would normally not think twice about. Dock Street Pub is a microbrewery and pizza restaurant located in the out skirts of Philadelphia. We always come here whenever Buddy's band ( the National Rifle) plays a show at the Danger Danger Gallery (a DIY music and art venue). I love it when they play there because I will always be guaranteed a night of great food, and an even greater, wild show. Before they had to play, the whole band including some friends went to grab some drinks and food at the pub.

Ample seating outside, but unsurprising, all the tables were taken because of the beautiful weather we have been having

The list of microbrews on tap 

The Royal Bohemian 

The name came from the way they brewed the beer, traditionally as a pilsner in the style from Bohemia. This had a nutty, light and refreshing taste. Flavorful enough for beer snobs, but still drinkable for people who like brews on the "lighter" side.

Price: $4.50

The Bubbly Wit

This was aged in an apple wood barrel for 4 months. It was extra dry, and had a faint after taste of apple cider. I had to pace myself, and sip slowly since it was 8% alcohol by volume!

Price: $4.50

    Caprese Salad

My friend Kim ordered this one and added artichokes to her salad. I had a taste, and it was so refreshing! Everything from the basil, to the mozzarella, to the tomatos were so fresh. The tomatoes and basil leaves looked like they were on steroids! The only thing I wished for was a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette to give it the extra kick.

Price: $7.95

Apple Smoked Ham Calzone

This was filled with ricotta, mozzeralla cheese and wrapped in pizza dough. I didn't have any, but it looked amazingly delicous!

Price: $8.25

The Margherita

These pizzas are a little different then the Neapolitan style I am used to in New York. Instead of the classic tomato sauce, they used the whole peeled and canned tomato chunks. They were also more generous with the sprinkling of basil and mozzarella (which I very much loved) . The dough itself was on the thick side, but with a skinnier crust, and was chewy and hardy. Though it was a hardwood fired oven, there was minimial char, but cooked threw and threw. I really enjoyed this pie, it was a "meater" version of the delicate margherita. The tomatoes were delicous, soft, and juicy without making the rest of the pie watery. Overall I would recommend to traditional pizza lovers.

Price: $7.95

The Brie 

I apologize now for the messy still shot, people are ANIMALS and I had to quick grab a slice before it was all gone! This was my favorite slice of the night, composed of sliced pears, toasted walnuts, brie, and rosemary. I loved the nuttiness that the walnuts gave, which complimented the sweet pear and creamy brie beautifully. They found a wonderful flavor balance in this pie.

Price: $8.95

The Fig Jam

This was made with fig jam, gorgonzola, applewood smoked bacon, and fresh rosemary. A stronger flavor than the brie, the bacon added a great smokey flavor that went well with the sweetness of the jam. Again, the flavors balanced each other out wonderfully.

Price: $8.75

The Underskirt- See? What did I tell you.. minimal char!

Clockwise: Buddy (drummer), Me, Kim, Hugh (guitarist/singer), Lynna (keyboards/singer), Geoff (photographer), Anthony, and Rob ( guitarist/singer of Born Pilot). 

We were full and ready for a night of fun!

Verdict: This is a really fun and spacious place to come with friends, and unsurprisingly, very packed on a Friday night. Though it is in the middle of nowhere Philadelphia, it is worth the drive. Overall I felt that while their dough and crust weren't the best, they make up for it in their superb ingredients, and beautiful flavor balances in their pies. I can't wait to come back!

Dock Street Pub

701 South 50th Street

West Philadelphia, PA 19143

Burning off those pizza calories later that night at the show!

*Photo by Geoff Hall www.facebook.com/geoffreyhall