Yummy Philly

One of the very best things to do in Philadelphia (besides seeing my family, of course!) is eating. High-class Stephen Starr dining or low-brow soft pretzels, tastycake and cheese steak, which you can get just steps after getting off the plane I discovered.

To pep me up from the plane ride, Juliet and I strolled to the Best-in-Philly 2009 Sweet Shop, the Naked Chocolate Cafe. After seeing a spot on the Food Network just before my departure, I added this to the top of my list. Juliet and I enjoyed the frozen drinking chocolate, Aztec flavor with spices like cardamom and cloves. This is chocolate with integrity! By comparison, Hershey's tastes like wax. It was so very good, as the camera phone picture of Juliet will tell you. (Somehow I lost the photo of me from my phone.)

For my birthday dinner, I was treated to Distrito, by hot-right-now chef Jose Garces, whose Chicago Mercat a la Planxa Jason and I love. Districto has a canteen feel, versus the swankness of Mercat. "Modern Mexican" is the cuisine. Juliet's brother-in-law observed that no one seems to call their food "nuevo" anymore. The walls are bright pink, with bright blue, green, and pink chairs and a wall covered in glittered Mexican wrestling masks. (Unfortunately our table was kind of located in the suburbs of the restaurant, away from the best of the decor!)
Once it started coming though, the food totally absorbed our attention. Soft tacos of kobe steak and hamachi topped with all sorts of punchy deliciousness that I can't quite sum up any better. Plantains in cream, sweet corn with queso fresco... I'm making myself hungry just writing this!

Just before leaving we brunched on crepes at Cafe Beaumonde. Juliet wondered why I hadn't taken a photo, was the breakfast not blog-worthy? No, I had just left my real camera in the trunk of the car and am now lacking confidence in my camera phone skills. But my savory crepe with eggs sunny-side up, sausage and mushroom was satisfying enough that I could happily decline the stale snacks on the plane and wasn't hungry until supper time.

My tummy is already wondering how soon I can get back to Philadelphia.