The Franklin Fountain – Old Fashioned Ice Cream Fun In Philly

Franklin Fountain
116 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 627-1899
http://www.franklinfountain.com

By Mrs. Dine O Mite

Sometimes older is better. A shining example of this is the Franklin Fountain, an old time ice cream parlor in Old City Philadelphia. This vintage venture, born in the Summer of 2004, is the baby of brothers Ryan and Eric Berley. The Berley brothers have made painstaking and thoughtful efforts to not only preserve the historical building which houses the Franklin Fountain, but also to transport anyone whosteps through the door, to a much simpler place and time. Think ice cream in an era when women wore corsets and petticoats and cars were started with a crank.

Everything in the Fountain is a throw back: the verbiage and selections on the menu, the mechanical cash register (cash only please, you know they didn't have credit cards at the turn of the century!), the look of the staff (men with crisp white shirts, bow ties and slicked back hair) and all the decor inside (note the ceiling fans above head run on a belt or the antique pink marble counter top).


This place is no modern day ice cream parlor...sure, they have sundaes and cones, but they also have things I've never heard of before, like Phosphates and ice cream flavors such as Hydrox Cookie (old school Cookies and Cream) and Teaberry Gum. The portions are outrageous (just try eating a Mt. Vesuvius on your own) and the ice cream is top notch.

Be prepared for long lines in the warm weather, but if you are patient, you will be rewarded with a truly unique and satisfying ice cream experience. My personal recommendation is the Ice Cream Waffle Sandwich with Maple Walnut Ice Cream and topped with whipped cream (of course). If you order this dish, you'll have to wait. It will take the staff about 5-10 minutes to cook up the warm, sweet waffles that beautifully complement the ice cream they encase...but oh, what a worthwhile wait it is! Your anticipation is followed by pure ice cream perfection!


Another must eat when in Philadelphia. I just advise the you have a light dinner beforehand, because you won't want to share and you won't want to leave a single bite behind when you travel back in time at the Franklin Fountain.

Phavorite Phood Phinds in Philadelphia Part 2

Capogiro Gelateria
119 S 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 351-0900
www.capogirogelato.com

Some years ago, back when Italy was adopting the euro and the exchange rate was 1.25€ to $1.00, I tasted real gelato. Creamy as all hell and every bit as delicious. It was one of those things you remember when and where it was you experienced it for the first time. For me it was a little shop on a corner near the King Emanuele II monument in Rome. It was at that shop that my search for gelato of the same quality in the US would begin. (The same goes for cappuccino, but I have yet to find it.)

I may not have found the perfect cup of Italian cappuccino, but I have found the American answer for premium grade gelato right in the heart of Center City. Capogiro is a shining beacon of how gelato is supposed to be done. Their first store, located around the corner from Jefferson Hospital, has fans that flock from near and far to experience their rich and creamy offerings. (I understand they've opened a new store near Rittenhouse Square, but I haven't been.)

The flavors are original but not simply for the sake of being original. Tastes such as Burnt Sugar (think Creme Brulee caramelized sugar), Bacio (like the hazelnut coated Italian candy), and Cioccolato Con Malt (the taste of Whoppers), can be found among many of the fruity flavors that are made from the local fruits grown in neighboring Lancaster County.

Simply put, this is by far my favorite gelateria in the US (better than Grom in NYC, La Gelateria in Cleveland, haven't been to il laboratorio del gelato in NYC but want to try). I'm always willing to try new things, but admittedly, Capogiro has set the bar extremely high.

This a must see (and eat) if you are in Philly.




Metropolitan Bakery
262 S 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-6655
www.metropolitanbakery.com

Metropolitan Bakery has always been a fascination of mine. Every time I go to Philly I buy pastry at the Metropolitan and then walk a block to Rittenhouse Square and enjoy it while soaking up one of the best outdoor spaces in the city. Rittenhouse is right up there with Washington Square and Bryant Park in terms of people watching.

So where was I?

Oh, yeah. Chock full of fresh baked goods, I always opt for the fruit danishes. These things are the most addictive danishes I think I've ever had in my life. There's a crispiness to them that is provided by a cinnamon edge that makes them very unique. The recipe is actually in the cookbook they put out a few years ago. *Check that out here, it's a good one. I always like it when famous places put a smattering of their most populars in a cookbook*

Their bagels are also a huge favorite of mine. If you're looking for a traditional New York style bagel you can look elsewhere. These aren't those. However, if there is such a thing as an artisinal bagel; this is it. I always buy a bunch and take them back to Cleveland. Quite dense and very filling. One will fill you up until lunch.

Aside from the bakery itself, Metropolitan carries a large assortment of locally produced dairy products. One product in particular has captured my wife's heart: Pequa Valley Yogurt. Made by an Amish woman in Ronks, PA, this yogurt is free of high fructose corn syrup and any other artificial sweeteners. While there's a little more fat in it than the lighter yogurts she says it tastes better those laced with artificial sweeteners. True story.

Metropolitan also has outlets in Reading Terminal Market (must see), Chestnut Hill (very cool), U of Penn (Go Bucks), and various vendors around Philly. I feel the bread is in the same league as Zingerman's. It's that good. This is another must see (and of course, eat) place.




La Colombe Torrefaction
130 S 19th Street
Philaldelphia, PA 19103
(215) 563-0860
www.lacolombe.com

Let me start by saying that I love coffee. In fact, I love it so much I'll drink it on a 95 degree, 100% humidity, sweltering Philadelphia afternoon. And you know what? That's exactly what I did. Maybe that's what you'd do if you've ever had the coffee at La Colombe Torrefaction.

Don't ask me what "Torrefaction" is, I don't know. What I do know is that this is the best coffee I've ever tasted. With the exception of this coffee I get from a bed and breakfast we stayed at in Kona, this is the coffee I call my favorite, (at least in the lower 48). I will add, though, that the stuff I get from the place in Kona doesn't cost that much to ship and gets you absolutely geeked on caffeine. I wish had know about this stuff when I was up all night in landscape architecture studio.

What makes La Colombe so special? To start, it is smooth as hell. Typically when I drink coffee there's this sense in the back of your palate you get that says, "Don't breath on anyone!" You can taste that slight dose of bitterness back there, ready to unleash the stink bomb that is your slightest breath. Not so with this stuff. I normally get the Corsica blend, and it's absolutely smooth.

La Colombe has an outlet in Manayunk that actually serves some good sandwiches, (I just hate trying to find a place to park around there). The one near Rittenhouse is basically coffee drinks and a very small selection of pastry, I wouldn't bother. Go to Metropolitan.

My ritual is this:

Go to La Colombe and pick up a Corsica (the coffee not the car).

Walk across Rittenhouse Square to Metropolitan and buy das danish.

Go back to Rittenhouse.

Sip, eat, and watch. (All three are must do's when in Philly).

Phavorite Phood Phinds in Philadelphia

NYPD Pizza
140 S 11th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 733-0651

by Mrs. Dine O Mite

Before you read this review I want to say a quick word with regard to pizza. It's no secret that pizza is a controversial and highly subjective item. Everyone has their own personal preference and there are so many styles available that it's impossible for everyone to agree on the single best pizza out there. So, let's just accept that about each other and on to my totally biased review of the best pizza in the world.

Returning to my old stomping grounds in Center City Philadelphia, just steps outside of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, you will find what I consider to be pure pizza perfection.

Founded by a native New Yorker, NYPD Pizza (where the motto really is "In Pizza We Trust"), serves up a mean slice. It's chewy, it's crispy and oh so yummy. I think what I like best is that they'll customize the slice to my liking. some might think my taste in pizza toppings is a little strange: mushrooms out of the can/jar (I hate fresh mushrooms on a pizza a they tend to shrivel up and lack flavor) and ricotta cheese. I then top it off with a generous amount of salt and pepper. The end result at NYPD Pizza is a beautiful specimen.


If your taste is more traditional though, you won't be disappointed. My husband is always satisfied with the pepperoni or sausage pizza and he's been known to go back for a third slice because it was just so darn good.

Unfortunately in Cleveland, you won't find anything on the same plane as NYPD Pizza and there are lots of theories as to why...it's the water, it's the dough, it's the ovens. I don't have the slightest freakin' clue what it is that makes East Coast Pizza so unique. Perhaps it's that on one from the East Coast moves to Ohio and opens up a pizza shop...maybe it would be that simple. The other gripe Cleveland is that it's hard to find just a slice, or place that serves up creative toppings on something that isn't a giant dough ball. I mean, no one around here seems to value the beauty of a thin, crispy, large pie!

So for the time being, all I can do is hit NYPD Pizza every time I'm in back in Philly. Sure there are other pizza joints in the neighborhood, but for me this is the only one I need, and the only I trust to serve up a quality piece of 'za.

**Please note this is not part of the NYPD Chain of restaurants (thank God for that). This is a small, hard working family run establishment...in other words, it's the real deal.



Primo Hoagies
128 S 11th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 925-4500
www.primohoagies.com

by Dine O Mite

When we were younger, a family friend used to bring hoagies with him whenever he came back from Philadelphia. To be honest, I always thought it to be a somewhat strange ritual. It's a hoagie. How "special" could it be? It wasn't until we moved to Phillly that we truly understood what it meant to eat a great hoagie.

I was introduced to Primo Hoagies by Mrs. Dine O Mite. She used to rave about the bread. It's always about the bread, isn't it? With a crusty, sesame covered bun (and I do mean sesame covered), the Primo hoagie was always a winner. Some say (like my mother-in-law, a Jersey native) that it's the South Jersey/ Philly water that percolates through the Pine Barrens that makes some of the best pizza and bread dough in the world. That may be, but whatever it is, the bread in Philly kicks ass.

So when we went back for this trip, it was absolutely necessary for me to stop by for a Primo sized Sharp Italian. These shops are dotted all over Philly and South Jersey. It wasn't until we were about to move back to Cleveland that one opened near my house in neighboring Warminster. Mrs. Dine O Mite swears by the Nona's Veggie - an eggplant sandwich with sharp provolone, roasted red tomatoes, and broccoli rabe (which is found everywhere in Philly, but hardly anywhere in Cleveland).

At any rate, most of the sandwiches at Primo's are winners. If given a death row choice, the Sharp Italian would fit the bill for me. Is it the best? I don't know. But I think it's worth a try.

You don't think Primo's is the best? Let me know of some other that I should try. I'm always up for finding hidden gems (or even not-so-hidden).

Fountain

Fountain Restaurant
One Logan Sqare
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 963-1500
http://www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia/dining.html

The missus and I have always wanted to see what all the fuss is about at Fountain Restaurant in The Four Seasons. There are a hand full of eateries in Philly that continue to top the “to do” list for diners eating in Center City. The Fountain is typically at the top of these lists. Needless to say, this was going to be the splurge dinner.

We arrived at the posh Four Seasons Hotel giddy with anticipation. The interior is decorated in warm colors. For a fancy restaurant decorating is nice but not overly stuffy like some of these places can sometimes be. The Maître de seated right next to the window that overlooks beautiful Swann Memorial Fountain (I’m guessing that’s where the name comes from). *Take a look at the link, some pretty neat stuff about the fountain. Did you know Alexander Calder’s father helped design the fountain? Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming.*

The tasting menu was on my mind before we even walked through the door. Our preference is to try as many different things as we can when we go to a place like this. Instead of giving you the play by play I’m going to give you a list of what we had along with some comments.

For Mrs. Dine O Mite:

Grilled Fresh Water Prawns with Stuffed Zucchini Roulade and Soft Polenta, Heirloom Tomato, Opal Basil Emulsion

Roast Veal Tenderloin with Sweetbreads, Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Ricotta Cannelloni, Sweet Garlic and Olive Oil Emulsion

Rhubarb Crisp

For Me:

The Tasting Menu – I don’t remember one thing I had, seriously. Maybe it was that the whole tasting menu aspect of it that didn’t really make things register in my head. I remember the level of quality was very good. The food was good. It just wasn’t food that was so good I can remember it even a week later.

My overall impression is that Fountain is in a gorgeous setting. I think you’d be hard pressed to find anything that comes close to the view. It truly is a memorable and romantic setting. The service was of impeccable quality as it should be at this level of dining. The food, however, left me waiting to be “wowed”. For me I never really felt as though the experience reached that fourth gear.

For me Fountain, for the money, was a let down. For that kind of money I would have rather tried Vetri or 10 Arts. I think if you’re looking for the most romantic setting in town combined with good solid food, (but not very adventurous), then this is your place. If you’re a "food first, service second, setting last" kind of person you should probably try something else.

A Tale of Two Falafels

Taïm – Falafel Bliss in the Village

By Mrs. Dine O Mite

Tucked away in a side street in Greenwich Village you can find a wee little restaurant called Taïm that’s serving up little fried pieces of falafel heaven.

In case you didn’t know, Taïm stands for “tasty” in Hebrew. Their menu is small, but right off the bat you’re faced with some difficult choices…do you go with the green, red or harissa falafel? I chose the green, filled with cilantro, parsley and mint, in addition to the obligatory chick peas.

These falafel pitas are packed with goodies…smooth hummus, tahini, Israeli salad (which includes tomatoes, cucumbers, parsely in a lemon mint dressing) and my personal favorite, the pickled (or sweet and sour) cabbage. For good measure, I had them add some Moroccan carrots, made with garlic, cumin and olive oil. The pitas are not too doughy or bland. They’re just right, with a bit of crispiness too them.

All I can say is that it was so good, I went back for more the next day…all those choices in New York City and I couldn’t resist having another falafel at Taïm! My only misstep on day 2 was getting a side of eggplant instead of the carrots. Don’t get me wrong, the eggplant salad was yummy, but the portion was way too big for me, It’s much better suited for sharing or having as a meal itself.

I tend to be a creature of habit, and if I lived in the Village, I’d be back almost daily, sampling each and every falafel, sabich and hummus sandwich combination I could imagine.

I’ll never settle for another falafel served with lettuce, tomato and tahini…what a cop out. Taïm has set the bar for all future falafel encounters!

Click on the link below to find out how I first discovered this place.



Maoz - A Different (in a good way) Type of Falafel Restaurant

Fresh off the heels of my nirvana-like falafel experience at Taïm in the Village, I headed to Philly to see some old friends. My best food obsessed buddy, Cynthia, was the one who introduced me to my first falafel love, Maccabeam’s, a few years ago.

This time around, Cynthia was raving about the new joint in town, Maoz. Born out of Amsterdam, this fast food chain is a sort of falafel buffet/smorgasbord. You start off with your basic falafel and pita, and then you have salad bar of fixins you can add…pickled eggplant, cabbage, carrots, salsa, tahini, hummus, tomatoes, the list goes on and on and on, so much so that you have to be careful here, it’s easy to go overboard. In fact, my friend said she put so many toppings into her pita one time that it busted!

What I like about this place is the variety of toppings and that it’s vegetarian friendly. I’m not saying I’m all vegetarian, but I am allergic to chicken, so right off the bat, that eliminates a lot of options for me. Your pita is what you make of it, you are the master of your own falafel satisfaction and if you don’t get it right, you can always try again the next day.

Maoz beats any fast food chain hands down. Their restaurants are primarily in Europe, but U.S. locations are beginning to sprout up (NYC and Philly). It’s fresh, it’s good and I hope it catches on like wildfire in the U.S..