up hill. both ways.

Adventures with A focus on food, but include exercise, as needed. This was a need based situation.

burbon+burbon milkshake+beer+burgers+fries+onion rings+cheese wiz tater tots+fried short rib blue balls = must run up hill both ways to the 3rd power.

We ran the bridge. The Ben Franklin. We biked to the bridge. Mr. A was riding a hoop-dee. I felt badly and kept looking back to make sure he was still upright on that thing. During our run he was secretly hoping it would get stolen.

That bridge is no joke (like A). Half a mile uphill, half a mile downhill, and repeat. When I stopped to walk for 1 minute I knew A was instantly drafting (lovingly hilarious quasi-serious) material with which to torment me.

Once the exercise was checked off the list it really was time to work on filling our quota for the day.

As always, A had a great suggestion. He knew it was one of my top 10 faves upon suggesting (and perhaps it was to make up for the 1 minute run-stop stand up routine he delivered). 

Sansom Street Oyster House. Brunch.

We were starving. Had eaten nothing. Had downed iced espresso on the walk to brunch. We sat down and A ordered some fruit----- in the shape of a carafe. A half carafe of house white to officially start the day (major check mark). Then, one dozen Little Shemogues. He poured off the brine, I gulped the brine. Totally lovely in all ways.

A ordered smoked white fish hash with veggies and scrambled eggs. Excellent.

I ordered shrimp and grits. Delicious. 

He thought his was better. I thought they were both great.

I told him how happy I was sitting there---- looking at him, eating oysters, drinking wine, pre-food.

He sure knows the way to this girl's heart.

Going to Sansom Street was such a treat that it counts for more than one place. Quota filled.

more

burbon milkshake

Some might say "my milkshake brings all the girls to the yard," but I say that 2 straws in a vanilla burbon milkshake is a festive way to break up happy hour.

Mr. A kindly asked me if we could possibly, by chance, and would it be ok if, we watched half of the Eagles pre-season game on date night. My answer was, of course..... can it be at a bar? I knew that asking that question was like asking him if he likes to eat, so I knew it was gonna go my way...

We went to PYT at the Pizazza.... at first Mr. A was worried we weren't hip or cool enough (or that we were too old) since the place was relatively empty when we arrived. Of course, sitting at the bar, he ordered and wasted no time. We started out with Bulleit burbon... it is possible that we shared (close to) a bottle, though he had me beat at a 2:1 constant rate. For that quantity we probably could have bought a bottle, stayed home, and called it a night, but that (fortunately) would never happen with A. We had spots to hit and our weekend numbers had to be satisfactory. 

PYT started with cheese wiz and jalapeno stuffed tater tots wrapped in bacon (hence the 3 mile run that followed the next morning). The tots were followed by 2 burgers-- of course shared-- one with fried pickles on the top and the other a standard, yet well made, sample. Onions rings and fries. Oy.

At some point after the Patriots had a 62 yard run and the Eagles were looking less than stellar Mr. A decided it was alcoholic milkshake time. We didn't want anything sweet or fruity or fancied up. We wanted it to be hard core (as hard core as alcohol bastardized by ice cream could be) so we ordered vanilla with burbon and something else.... topped with whipped cream and a few jimmies for effect. Two straws. It was delish.

Post-PYT we stopped at the Blind Pig because from across the street A was announcing that they had fried meat balls and we should really just stop for one. Maybe A forgot that we had just eaten close to a pound of meat between us, or forgot that we had deep fried plastic "cheese" stuffed potatoes, or that we drank our dessert disguised as a cocktail. Whatever the case may be... we were headed across the street and inside for some fancy meat ball extravaganza.

Blue Balls as they were precisely named.

That night they were deep fried balls of mashed potato filled with blue cheese and short rib. Served with au jus (not an old Jew) on the side for one's dipping pleasure. These could have been the most fun I have ever had with balls (off the softball field, that is). Very yum-eeee.

The long walk south kept us in check before stopping for one final drink. 

Nice night.

Weekend quota not yet filled, but off to a good start... we knew there was more to come the next day.

back from vacation

Week 6

We were both away during week 6, having our own food adventures with our families. Mr. A had oyster happy hours, afternoon scotches, seafood dinners, and hit a number of beach side restaurants while I was working my way, with help, through our summer beach house supply of grass-fed, organic beef and pork. Although A and I were apart, there was daily chatter about food, drinks, sunshine, beach sitting, and family activity. I was sitting on the beach when I got the, "going to oyster happy hour with my brother" text. Envy ensued. Another day I received a text saying that he wanted a recipe of mine, for salmon tartare and that later that night he was going to be serving the pie that I had made him, to his entire family (note: this is a foodie family who knows what's good....so I was anxiously awaiting post-pie reports)...

Turned out the tartare was a hit (check mark for me (and Ina Garten) for a good recipe) and everyone loved my pie (this definitely bought me at least a few more weeks of dates with A).... a nice Jewish girl who can cook? Excellent. 

Moving on.

One day I was telling A about the lobster dinner with homemade pasta that we were having that night. He said we were eating like kings. I chose to remind him that he hadn't exactly been eating like he was in jail.... to this, he agreed, but it still sounded like we was green with envy for our lobster dinner. Maybe it was the homemade bagels that my dad makes on Sundays that got A's attention, or the hot rye that comes out of the oven at the same time as the roasted turkey breast for afternoon sandwiches. Perhaps it was the constant rotation of beef, pork, beef, pork, and burgers for lunch that kept him interested that week.... I don't know, but I do know that I told A that if he plays his cards right he might get to experience all of the above for himself next summer... 

Week 6, trip week, ended together, back in the City of Brotherly Love, with another 36 hours of greatness, minus the humidity from July. As we set out on foot we realized that this was the first time we were able to walk around the city without schvitzing or kvetching that it was so hot. It was a welcome change of weather from the temperatures a few weeks prior.

The most recent 36 breaks down like this:

(it's worth noting that A continues to fill all columns with check marks)

Hours 1-5: Chivas on the rock (a 2.5" sexy rock) for A, Elijah Craig on the rock for me. This was followed by dinner at Cochon, a local fave cochonbyob.com/‎. On the walk there I was secretly hoping they would have duck. When they do, I always order it and I had not been there in a while, and never with Mr. A. We had a bottle of 2009 Barbaresco in tow and I was ready to share it with A and enjoy a great dinner.

The scene unfolds when A takes charge of the menu and puts on his review, discuss, and decide hat. I promptly announced I wanted the duck, as soon as our server said that it was a special. We both actually had specials. A pointed his finger at the menu as he worked his way down from the top to denote each item that was on the table for discussion pre-ordering. We settled on escargot, a trio of duck which included duck liver mousse, duck hearts, and one other thing that I can't remember. We ate it all and were working our way through the bottle. Next Mr. A had ordered suckling pig over lentils and asparagus with a poached egg on top. Umm - delish. I ordered the duck which was served on pureed sweet potatoes and a sauce that was fantastic. We shared, exchanged forks, refilled our glasses, talked and had a terrific time. I was so happy to be able to look at him across the table after not seeing him for a week. It was pretty perfect.

Hours 6-12: No eating occurred

Hours 12-13: We played tennis. This was a much discussed match that will not be discussed in order to respect the privacy of all competitors. Let's just say that A should stick to his menu ordering techniques and leave the tennis to me. Actually, we had a great match and a lot of fun (I just might have happened to beat him).

Hours 15-19: Went to Fare for brunch farerestaurant.com/ and sat outside. It was the most beautiful day I can remember in a long time. My boy, Mr. A got right down to business with the menu. After ordering us Fare Marys, which is their spicy Bloody Mary with a bacon garnish, we really took the menu under advisement and started using process of elimination to get the ball rolling....

We had (of course all shared):
1. goat yogurt parfait with fruit and granola (one of our favorite dishes of the meal)
2. yellow and red beet salad with goat cheese and arugula (told you there was a theme)
3. potato pancake with dill, sour cream, and smoked salmon
4. veggie omelette with spinach, roasted red peppers, green beans, and cheese

By hour 15.01 Mr. A had polished off his bloody, but as we were getting slight concussions from the celery stalk that kept hitting us in the head (our server had forgotten straws, which we didn't even notice) he took a photo to send to his brother for appropriate Bloody Mary bragging. I am in the background of said photo and am completely dwarfed by celery.

Our breakfast ranking in terms of our favorites was:
1, 3, 2, 4 or 3, 1, 2, 4
We couldn't quite decide.

After Fare and before hour 20 we managed to take a beautiful walk and have one more drink.

Hours 20-22 were extremely cultural....

And then during hours 23-28 we really got down to business. This is what it looked like:

Pop-up beer garden on Broad Street for one drink and a snack
The patio at The Cambridge www.cambridgeonsouth.com/‎ for mussels in a spicy broth, grilled octopus, and two beers
Zavino www.zavino.com/‎ for a glass of Cava for me, a cocktail for A, ricotta meatballs, meat and cheese board then another cocktail for A and a glass of Primativo for me.

Hours 23-28 were filled with topics and talking and were pretty close to perfection. They gave Sunday Funday a whole new meaning for me.

Hours 29-36 did not involve food. 

a change of venue

Week 5

Week 5 was a cozy and domestic week... we were celebrating and decided to cook this week. I made kale salad with olive oil, lemon juice, red onion and parmsean; tomatoes from the garden, avocado, and fresh mozzerella salad; and cucumber salad with cukes from the garden mixed with greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, fresh dill, and garlic. We also grilled wild salmon which enabled Mr. A to demonstrate some of his very specific grilling techniques which are methodical and well-practiced to say the least. 

the fun continues

Week 4:

Mr. A suggested we go to the movies this week. I gladly agreed and of course there was chat about where to eat, timing, and how we could fit in a dinner and a movie on a "school night." He decided that we should hedge our bets and try to get two seats at the bar at Zahav (I was ecstatic) for some quick hummus and other pre-movie noshes. There were not two seats available at the bar, but since they knew we would be quick, they gave us a great table. 

To ease stress, Mr. A went across the street to get the movie tickets while I sorted out the seating situation. He asked me to please order him a grey goose martini, shaken, and up with olives. No problem.... this, I am quite good at.

As soon as we sat down, martini for A and Lemonana for moi, A started to inspect the menu and try to figure out how much we could order, be served, and eat within 45 minutes. There was a fleeting moment when he was going to try to do the modified tasting menu until our server said that we really didn't have time. No problem--- we knew that we would do it the next time (we should all live and be healthy...)

First we got a skillet of warm hummus with whole chick peas on the top along with the homemade flat bread that Michael Solomonov makes by hand. At the same time we got the selection of 6 salads--- all delicious and so much fun because, like me, Mr. A likes to eat everything (major points awarded for this). Next we had two small plates; fried cauliflower and striped bass crudo with grapefruit and something else that was fabulous. For our last course we had ground duck kabob over rice. Amazing. 

Top 10 reasons why eating (and drinking) with Mr. A is the real deal:

10. he likes to start early and pack a lot into one day

9. he thinks about it ahead of time and makes a plan

8. he is not shy to ask menu questions 

7. he never just orders one course

6. he never just orders one drink

5. he loves to share everything we get

4. he asks me what I want, then orders it all, and just takes care of it

3. he loves to hop from place to place or to sit and linger 

2. he's quite a pleasure to look at across the table

1. he is award winningly generous and kind and funny

On the walk home we thought maybe there was time for one more drinkie-poo.... so, as we passed Southwark www.southwarkrestaurant.com/‎ we stopped for a nightcap. Again, another example of A's sound ordering and sharing technique: one burbon, one rye, share, and discuss.

Week 4 was not yet over--- as it included one more full day of debauchery...

The morning started with brunch at Beau Monde creperie-beaumonde.com/. Each crepe option sounded better than the other and we hadn't even read the brunch specials yet. After discussing, in detail, our ordering plan, Mr. A took center stage and laid it on the server, item by item... We had aruglua and beet salad (notice a theme?) with goat cheese and honey crostini, a southwestern crepe with poblanos, avocado, eggs, salsa, etc. and an omlette with blue cheese, bacon, and the like. Beau Monde is romantic and pretty inside, and it felt great to sit there with him... and to enjoy such relaxed happiness on a Sunday morning. 

Later that day we headed out, in Media, to two places (god forbid we only visit one place in a day...) At Diego's we had margaritas with the non-happy-hour, non-plastic-bottle tequilla, which was lovely and then went across the street to Azie, and in typical Mr. A and my style, sat at the bar. Mr. A was on fire at Azie because he had a menu of small plates/sushi to choose from. Options were endless.... and of course multiple dishes were required. It was a good thing the bartender had a long piece of paper to record this order. A was on a roll.... and so the order ensued: tuna tartare, beef carpaccio, seaweed salad, 2 or 3 sushi rolls, eggplant maybe?, and I'm sure there was something else. Wine and beer carried us through since they only had warm sake....no dice on that.

Later that night we drank a bottle + of white wine, played backyard football, and sat on the floor drinking, talking, and laughing. Had we been in a wooden bunk, with bunk beds, and pine floors it would have felt like camp (minus the wine).

part 2

I realized that it wasn't 21 spots in 6 weeks, but actually 22... I'm likely forgetting one or two, but you get the picture. Mr. Anonymous is fun. We do awesome stuff. We have a blast. We laugh and make jokes and understand what the other one means... that's not an easy thing to find. I spent a long time feeling misunderstood, which is neither fun nor do I recommend it.

I need to back up, then slow down because I have 22 spots of describing and explaining to do...

(disclaimer - a few spots may be chronologically out of order)

First Date Drinks:

The place was neighborhood - unremarkable, yet a perfect spot to sit casually. What was important was the company, which was stellar and had me wanting to come back for more from the first minute. Mr. Anonymous was hitting the checklist immediately... as we sat and talked and talked and talked (one talked for each hour that we spent together) he drank scotch. Good scotch. Glenlivet. He was no joke and I liked it. I eased in with a cider at first, mostly just because I was thirsty (and who orders water on a first date), then I switched to grey goose. He didn't bat an eyelash (except when looking at me-- score!) and although he knew I had JUST finished dinner with my parents, he, in perfect, nice Jewish boy style, asked me if I wanted anything to eat. I was hooked.

This night ended with the best kiss I have ever had-- on a street corner-- with cabs honking as they went by. Then there was another kiss and even one more. but, that was it--- for over a week--- because I was going away and was going to have to wait to see him again...

Week 1:

Texting and no food, but texting about food which, when someone is as passionate as you are about something, can be just as connecting and exciting as sharing it in real life. These conversations showed me that he is as much of a food & restaurant lover as I am and you can believe I was over the moon when he suggested the places we were going to go when I came back from my trip and we went out again.

36 hours

Week 2:

Week 2 requires its own heading because we went on a 36 hour date after about 10 days of anticipation. I knew where we were headed because he had planned it, ran it by me, and we both loved the idea (insert check marks here).

It was about 100 degrees outside and he arrived at my house with a bag, at which point he said that he had tried to buy me flowers, but the place where he had stopped did not have any, so he chose to bring me the next best thing which was a brisket knish and a half dozen chocolate chip cookies. I laughed with giddy nervous excitement, thanked him, and thought, my god, this is my kind of guy. No one had ever brought me a knish, which turns out, is indeed an excellent pre-date gift. In all seriousness, this showed me how thoughtful he was; imaginative, creative, and that flowers or not, there was no way he was showing up empty handed--- his mother taught him better than that.

We headed out, shvitzing as we walked, until we got in a cab, at which point we continued to shvitz. We arrived at our first destination, Fette Sau http://fettesauphilly.com/ and got in line to order meat - lots of it- from the counter. Mr. Anonymous likes to be in charge of the order, of course always asking what I would like, then he orders it all, and adds some more (which really is a very festive way to order). On our tray was flank steak, brisket, and ribs, plus pickles and potato salad. After depositing our tray on our table we went to the bar, known for its whiskey selection and Anonymous went to town ordering. We had a flight of small batch burbons, which we shared, and then he went back and ordered me my own of my momentary favorite, Elijah Craig. I forget what he ordered, but we drank them happily. Pre-second drink, Anonymous felt the need for more food so went back to the counter and returned not only with short ribs, but with a mini lemon meringue pie. (I was loving every minute of this night so far). This menagerie of meats, and whiskeys prompted great conversation and I was adding mental check marks all night long. 

It was at Fette Sau that I first saw the 2.5" cubed ice cube. This slow melting cube is one sexy piece of ice and because of its size it melts slowly and doesn't dilute your whiskey http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-KING-Cube-Trays-Blue/dp/B00395FHRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375843622&sr=8-1&keywords=giant+ice+cube. As that sexy cube was placed into my glass I commented about it and Anonymous responded that he has that kind of ice tray at home (check mark!).

After our meat-fest we went next door to Frankford Hall http://frankfordhall.com/. I was thrilled because they had my favorite gluten-free beer, Estrella Damn Daura, and we sat and drank and chatted. Anonymous had a german beer in a thick glass mug that one could have bathed a small child in. Caveman style. It was great.

Our next stop was Johnny Brendas for a quick drink followed by a long and sobering walk back to the south east side of the city. The walk took us past Garces Dentistry--- did you know Jose Garces' wife is a dentist? I surely did not. A few days later Mr. A made a reference to Garces Dentistry, which was lost on me, apparently because the above stated beverages clouded my memory, just a tad... 

The next stop was Zahav for a drink. I was thrilled to be at Zahav http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/, although my mind was not at its clearest, but thrilled nonetheless. We drank this:

 Lemonnana

jim beam, muddled mint,

fresh lemon, verbena

Weeks later, on another really hot night, we went back there for more... 

The next day started with a run and was very quickly followed by breakfast at the Morning Glory www.themorningglorydiner.com/. I had a garden veggie fritatta and Mr. Anonymous had a smoked salmon one. We drank coffee, chatted, laughed, and planned the rest of our day. It was July 4th and that day led us from one super hot (temperature-wise) spot to the next. I don't want to lose focus and discuss anything too cultural, as we know this is about food and check marks, but we did tour the Eastern State Penitentiary that day and I really loved learning about the synagogue that existed on the grounds. We both found the synagogue museum and the Jewish archives of the jail interesting and it was nice to be able to share on that level with Mr. A.

Right before we toured the jail Mr. A felt the need for a nosh so we went to Jack's Firehouse www.jacksfirehouse.com/‎ for bloody marys, a salad, and some cajun shrimp. I have to admit I was a bit hungover and not hungry, but I picked, and we drank, chatted, and I remember sitting there thinking, I could get used to this guy--- Mr. A suggests that we do all of the things that are fluttering around in my mind that I have always been hopeful that the person I am with will suggest. Check!

Later that night we went to Dmitris dmitrisrestaurant.com, my neighborhood staple, and once again Mr. A had me kvelling with his ordering techniques:

Mr. A: What do you like?

Me: I'll eat anything

Mr. A: Well, that is not an answer

Me: You're right, its not

What do you like?

Mr. A: octopus, scampi, meatballs, everything

Me: Me too

Next, Emily, our server comes over and announces that the specials are soft shells and whole pompano. I am so excited that I think I do an old fashioned camp cheer and Mr. A says, is that what you would like? 

So, he orders. He orders octopus and meatballs, soft shells and whole pompano. When Emily asks whether or not we would like to filet the fish or for them to filet it for us I quickly respond that I like to do it, and I look at Mr. A, who I am hoping is not thinking that I am a crazy-fish-fileting-show-off-nut. During this entire ordering spectacular we are drinking a bottle of Brunello. I told Mr. A that I brought the bottle home from my dad's house suspecting that we may need it for our 36 hour date. He says to thank my dad for such a nice bottle. Another check mark earned. 

Week 3:

I was going away again and casually mentioned that maybe we could see each other one night during that week because I was only going to be about an hour and a half from where Mr. A works. A few days later he mentions this to me and suggests that he could come to where I am, overnight, and he would get a room, as long as I could stay with him. I was standing at the register at Trader Joes when I read this text and I think I started to jump up and down, while packing my bags, because Mr. A was selflessly offering to do this totally cool thing and come to visit me, plus get a room. 

In previous conversations we had talked about our joint love of oysters. He told me to pick the place for this destination date, and so I did--- the Henlopen City Oyster House www.hcoysterhouse.com/‎. First we went out for  margaritas and nachos, then headed next door to the oyster house. We both have this thing about sitting, and eating, at the bar. We love it. There were no seats, but we hung (and I stalked some people who I decided would get up soon) and we got two great seats, at the bar. While stalking and waiting he ordered us both scotch - Glenlivet, of course. The bartender had a look of shock on her face when he ordered, as if no one there ever orders anything "fancy"? Not sure, but it didn't look like a PBR crowd, so who knows. The bartender was also in shock when Mr. A gave her a $5 tip. Mr. A was so thrilled that the Glenlivet was not a city price, and was shocked by the bargain he was getting, that he just told her to keep the change (check mark for generosity!). We ordered 16 oysters that night, 2 of each kind on the menu, and agreed that our favorites were the Bluepoints and the Salt Ponds. Of course, as a result, we ordered a dozen more -- of those two types combined. Mr. A likes to pour some of the brine out of the shell before slurping where I, on the other hand, like to swallow as much brine as possible and otherwise keep the oyster naked. Occasionally I will eat some horseradish, just for emphasis, and to get ready for Passover. Mr. A scoured the menu, as usual, and also ordered us the cheese and meat board and a beet salad. It was all delicious and we eat, drank, and talked ourselves silly. Later that night my sister joined us for a drink and she promptly asked for the burbon menu. I can't remember what we drank, but I know that when she saw it listed, she perked right up and explained its accolades. One round of mystery burbon and we were ready to call it a night.

beshert

part 1

Some people say that things are meant to be... others don't believe such a thing exists... I am a firm believer in the former and in one receiving back from the universe what they put forth...

It's been a long road. A road with twists and turns-- a road that so many of us take or are forced to follow until a different, optional intersection is reached. Without revealing too much information, getting personal too soon, or making a kina hora (pooh pooh pooh) let's just say that I have been looking for a love, a partner, and a person with whom to spend (and enjoy) my time that feels right. It has to feel right and that right-ness has to include food, drinks, laughs, likeness, family, fun, and viewing the world through compatible eyes. Perhaps that is asking a lot or is not the easiest of lists for one to add check marks, but I wasn't settling until I saw potential for all boxes to be checked.

Here's the thing-- I adore food. I love cooking it, growing it, reading about it, shopping for it, sharing it, feeding others, using it to show love, discussing it, learning about it, and eating it.

Here's the other thing-- daily, evening cocktails are a must

I needed to meet someone who felt the same way (or at least similarly in > 50% of the ways)...

Well, fast forward and subtract 6 weeks and that is where I am... having the time of my life, in many ways, and have officially embarked upon adventures with anonymous. 

Today I counted 21 bars and restaurants that we have visited in the past 6 weeks. This is quite a haul considering we only get to spend time together one or twice each week. Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea or to think that all we do is eat---- we walk (to and from each place) and mix it up with some cultural and sports activities as well.

Luckily for us, our city of brotherly love, gives us unlimited opportunities to eat and drink our way through town (whiskey is a must). Next I will rewind 6 weeks and start from the beginning, describing our adventures thus far....