Phlashing through Philly

Only place we ate out. Food decent. Drank Txakoli. Went to a PLCB store in the center of town, hoping maybe to find a bottle for a gift for our hosts! Ha! Gave up, looked for brandy. Ha! Then whisky. Found, next to the Jamesons, Feckin. FECKIN! FECKIN IRISH WHISKY! Bought it. Took it to their house. We drank some. It wasn't feckin bad...
 
They used to be far worse. Either of the two Chestnut Street locations have a better than usual (for the PLCB) selection of wines.
 
originally posted by Tom Glasgow:
PLCBThey used to be far worse. Either of the two Chestnut Street locations have a better than usual (for the PLCB) selection of wines.
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I don't know, from my perspective things have gotten worse in the last five or six years, starting with Newman's "Chairman's Selections" program. That focused the PLCB more on California wines and wines from larger producers who have the level of production that makes the PLCB's bulk buying strategy feasible. At the same time, the PLCB rules and policies were pushing out smaller importers such as Rosenthal and LDM. There are still interesting things to find, but it now takes a lot more time and effort to find them.
 
I'm sure you are right. Most of my shopping is in NJ or NYC. My point is based on my observation that the larger PLCB stores are better than a lot of the smaller NJ stores.
 
originally posted by Tom Glasgow:
PLCBThey used to be far worse.
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That's true considering the old "order from the list" routine in their sterile, unsophisticated, nightmare-at-Berry Bros. and Rudd style outlets. They've modernized but I doubt they'll ever be ahead of the curve....remote sensing wine vending machines anyone? A few decent blow-outs this year but the vast majority of Chairman's stuff is a waste of time.

Steve, hope you enjoyed your phlash.

RT
 
Had dinner at Amada last night - tasting menu which was fantastic except for an octopus dish that could have used something to raise it above bland.

Three pretty good wines by the glass as part of the wine tasting menu:

Marqus de Alella Alella Pansa Blanca 2008 (Spain, Catalunya, Alella) - crisp, good acidity, lemons and pears on the finish, nice starter.

Juan-Antonio Ponce Manchuela Clos Lojen 2008 (Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Manchuela) - I really liked this one - beautiful nose with lots of berries, palate much the same - not much structure for long term drinking, but expressive wine that went well with the food.

Manto-Negro, Binissalem-Mallorca, Gonzalez-Suner 2007 (Spain, Mallorca) - apparently a blend of the local grape Manto Negro (75%) with Callet, Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (25%). Spicy, some more structure than the last, pretty closed. Decent match with the last meat courses but nothing special. I've been to Mallorca but have never had wine from there. That's checked off the list

A glass of Spanish brandy (Cardenal Mendoza) was nondescript and way too sweet, like cognac with a teaspoon of sugar mixed in. Next.

Food highlights:

The cheese and charcuterie plates were great, lamb chops were spectacular as was the chorizo. Creme fraiche ice cream was also fantastic.

As a Philly aside, it looks like this long national nightmare may be coming to an end:
 
Chelsea and I are visiting her sister in Philly in about a month. We will only be around for one night, so unfortunately a jeeb is out of the question, but I was hoping for an update of this thread. We are looking for a restaurant not unlike what Steve was looking for originally, but with one caveat: we would definitely like to BYOB (and yes, I know about the PLCB challenges - just assume we are already good on that front). Any advice would be appreciated.
 
i can give you several suggestions however, right now , the best new BYOB and probably one of the best places to eat in Philly is Helm. i would strongly suggest booking soon, if not now.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
On a Philadelphia note, is it an interesting enough city to take a weekend trip there for purely touristic purposes?
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yes!

the barnes, touristy carriage ride old city, constitution center, franklin institute, mudder museum, reading terminal market, italian market, great food, byobs, cocktails, and we can be your tour guides, sold?
 
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
i can give you several suggestions however, right now , the best new BYOB and probably one of the best places to eat in Philly is Helm. i would strongly suggest booking soon, if not now.
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Thanks - good tip. I think we are hoping to stay within a long walk of city center / center city (which is it?) and I understand Helm is a bit further. It sure does look intriguing though.
 
originally posted by Michael Lewis:
originally posted by Bill Lundstrom:
i can give you several suggestions however, right now , the best new BYOB and probably one of the best places to eat in Philly is Helm. i would strongly suggest booking soon, if not now.
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Thanks - good tip. I think we are hoping to stay within a long walk of city center / center city (which is it?) and I understand Helm is a bit further. It sure does look intriguing though.
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iIt's Center City. Helm looks like it's in Kensington, which I wouldn't walk to from Center City.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Hey! That sounds fantastic. One cannot say no!
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I was just there in August and had dinner with Bill. As far as restaurants are concerned, I was taken to two, specifically because because this type of food was not available in SF on this scale. They're Zahav and Vedge. Both were stellar. Go to Brick and Mortar for cocktails when Christina is there. Have her make you a cocktail like she used to make at the Franklin. Get a pork sandwich at John's Roast Pork. Order a house martini at Oyster House. The vermouth is made in-house. Best...martini...ever.
 
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