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Though it’s in a very old edifice rumored to have been once owned by Benjamin Franklin’s mistress, Old City gathering spot Grey Social embraces the speakeasy/teahouse era of its long history; the Prohibition-era cocktails include many made with tea (available for a moderate fee), and the light fixtures, tables, numerous votives and art all look appropriately vintage.
132 Chestnut St.;
215-923-4159
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- – By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
- – Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
- – The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]
- – Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
- – First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
- – The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
- – A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
- – Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
- – Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
- – Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
- – NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
- – Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
- – Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
- – If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
- – Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
- – Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
- – The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
- – Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
- – Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
- – Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]
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The highly regarded Indian Tiffin is at it again. The growing chain has just opened a new BYOB location at 8080 Old York Rd. in Elkins Park (215-635-9205). There is one difference between the newest Tiffin and its older siblings, though: you can't yet rent Bollywood DVDs from the restaurant to watch at home when you order online.
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Love a good sequel? Here are two upcoming spots to look out for:
Rouge, the Rittenhouse Square bistro known for its burgers, is branching out with a nearby stand called 500° at 15th and Sansom Streets; it’s scheduled for a late winter or early spring opening.
Shank’s Original plans to open a South Philly location at Pier 40 on Columbus Boulevard in mid-December.
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- – Marcus Samuelsson will be working the kitchen at Obama's first state dinner. [Obama Foodorama]
- – The fight for Cadbury intensifies. [WSJ]
- – Chipotle sets its sights on London, Europe. [NRN]
- – Costco drops Coke. [AP]
- – Related: Coke bottles, 1899–1986. [Pixdaus]
- – Milk producers wish they could sell their product "raw." [NYT]
- – Hooters is having trouble in Vegas. [Eater]
- – A canned pumpkin shortage looms. [Diner's Journal]
- – Putting things in perspective with the Fat Map. [HP]
- – Jamie Oliver wants to help you find a date. [Marketing]
- – A Shake Shack in Boston looks increasingly possible. [GS:B]
- – What a $20 Thanksgiving feast from Walmart gets you. [The Awl]
- – A word we'd like to quickly forget? "Koodie." [SE]
- – Foods named after people. [Mental Floss and Cakespy, via SE]
- – They found water on the moon...can you drink it? [Slate]
- – Making mushrooms with coffee grinds. [Chronicle, via Coldmud]
- – Making art with meat, some wires, a videocamera and a stove. [EMD]
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At the retro-looking Sweetie's Pie Diner near Community College of Philadelphia and Logan Square, the affordable menu offers everything from quickie breakfasts to sweet snacks to savory lunch and dinner selections; it’s all vegetarian and organic too, right down to the homemade desserts.
1822 Spring Garden St.; 215-988-0230
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Alison at Blue Bell has closed after its six-year anniversary. According to her website, Alison Barshak is now focusing on Alison two in Fort Washington (which will be honoring all Blue Bell gift certificates).
Ota-Ya has given up the ghost in Warrington, PA., though its Newtown location remains open.
After just over a year, H.I. Rib & Co. in Conshohocken has closed.
Also recently departed is Bonte, the waffle shop at 1315 Walnut Street, and Sushikazu in Blue Bell. The latter will be replaced next month by Yama, a sushi specialist from Horsham.
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Square 1682
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
Organic, locavore fare served in a high-style, polished art deco setting is the hook at Square 1682, a bi-level New American in Rittenhouse Square’s eco-friendly Hotel Palomar, where chef Guillermo Tellez (ex Charlie Trotter’s) presents imaginative, pricey small and large plates; the chic first-floor bar, whose bottles are fed by a two-story wine tower, is a prime happy-hour destination.
121 S. 17th St.; 215-563-5008
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Firecreek
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
Downingtown's New American Firecreek would like to let you and yours into its open kitchen, or at least right next to it. On Tuesday nights the restaurant now offers seating at a 16-person communal chef’s table for a three-course dinner, with a weekly changing menu. N.B. budget-conscious diners, take heart – your party doesn't need to be 16 strong to partake ($35 per person, $50 with wine; 610-269-6000).
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- – The FDA is targeting caffeinated booze. [WSJ]
- – Meanwhile, its efforts to ban eating raw oysters didn't work out so well. [NYT]
- – Burger King franchisees lose 10¢ for every $1 double cheeseburger sold. [NRN]
- – A special Subway franchise is set to rise up with the Freedom Tower in New York. [NYP]
- – U.S. chicken production is set to fall for the first time in 36 years. [Reuters]
- – Champagne sales are a bit flat these days. [NYT]
- – Musicians do covers of other bands' hits, why shouldn't chefs cover other toques' recipes? [Guardian]
- – Pinkberry's further expansion plans include Boston, DC, New Orleans and Mexico. [Eater]
- – Why we read cookbooks. [The New Yorker]
- – Want a new drug? Synthetic alcohol isn't out of the question. [Scotsman, via ColdMud]
- – Just when we've gotten used to twist-off tops, get ready for wine in a plastic bottle. [Stuff]
- – Things a restaurant patron should never do. [Applesauce]
- – Related, 10 dirty restaurant tricks. [Slashfood]
- – Peace through hummus. [Economist]
- – Hard to turn down a "love dessert" made with passion fruit and...Viagra. [NYDN]
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Authenticity has never been more perfectly faked.
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Golosa
Photo: Ryan Charles
South Philly's Golosa is getting salty. On November 19, the dessertery hosts a chocolate tasting called “Take It With a Grain of Salt,” which includes offerings like bittersweet chocolate with pieces of burnt caramel toffee, topped with gray sea salt and paired with Wynona's Big Brown Ale from Voodoo Brewery. Multiple menus are available that evening, from two three-course tasting menus to one five-courser. Each concludes with one or two hot chocolate shots, like a 70% dark chocolate infused with shiraz
and clove reduction (6–11 PM; the two three-course menus are $12.50, while a five-course menu is $22 and serves two; 215-925-1003).
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- – A whole lot of info on what diners like to drink. [R&I]
- – Should the FDA try to prevent you from eating raw oysters? [NYT, Slate]
- – Burger King franchisees are suing over $1 double cheeseburgers. [Miami Herald]
- – Meanwhile, McDonald's plans for the future. [CNN]
- – The backlash to the list of waiter no-nos is on. [XX, Server not Servant]
- – How to act around a celebrity chef. [Atlantic]
- – The U.K. now has its own version of the Food Network. [Eater]
- – Related: Emeril Lagasse is planning a prime-time variety show not on the Food Network. [ABC]
- – Mario Batali makes his film debut in The Fantastic Mr. Fox. [WSJ]
- – Heston Blumenthal plans a wildly expensive Christmas dinner for a TV special featuring ambergris, aka whale vomit. [Sun]
- – Jamie Oliver has seen a backlash for the salt content of his pasta sauces. [Guardian]
- – Cooking With Coolio, the cookbook, is now on sale. [EMD]
- – Remembering New York City's 1935 ban on baby artichokes. [Diner's Journal]
- – Don't be embarrassed to dine out alone. [Between Meals]
- – Raising a vegetarian child without the conflict. [LAT]
- – Can drunken fruit flies help cure alcoholism? [Wired]
- – Looking to find free grub for the rug rats? Try here. [Kids Eat For, via SE]
- – Deep-fried turkey disasters. On video. [EMD]
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Each time we perform a survey here at Zagat we inevitably find ourselves with a slew of amusing outtakes that aren't quite fit for print. Which doesn't mean they aren't entertaining. Here are a few of our favorites from our just completed Cruise Lines survey:
A conga line is not conducive to good digestion.
No activities for anyone who isn't an alcoholic seeking random sex.
They cater to the newly wed and nearly dead.
Great if you like hairy chest contests.
A rust bucket filled with rowdy people.
The more you booze, the better you cruise.
Bathrooms so small you have to sit on the toilet sideways.
It does attract a crowd – it's called ‘God's floating waiting room.'
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Trattoria San Nicola
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
November 18 at the Paoli Italian Trattoria San Nicola, guests can observe local watercolorist Ardyth Sobyak at work while they dine. The night kicks off with an hors d’oeuvres reception followed by a five-course meal, during which the artist will talk about her craft. Afterward, the completed work will be auctioned to the highest bidder, with the proceeds going to charity
(6 PM; $43.50 per person, wine flights for $15; 610-695-8990).
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