Monthly Archives: September 2013

La Esquina Del Bronco – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

La Esquina Del Bronco – Philadelphia, PA

Sitting just a few blocks from the Market-Frankford Septa EL Dauphin/York Street station is La Esquina Del Bronco (LEDB). The inside of LEDB is very subdued compared to the craziness on their steps. LEDB sits in a rough part of town and having the local boys hanging around their front step with the intentions of doing nothing to support the betterment of society I am sure is a deterrent to many would be patrons of LEDB.

The service was very friendly even with their limited English capabilities, all areas seemed clean, and it had a nice vibe with the music at the perfect level unlike other Spanish restaurants I have visited.

I ordered the stewed chicken. The meat just feel apart with each fork poke, the rice was seasoned nicely, and the salad provided looked crisp and fresh. LEDB is providing meals it seems like someone’s grandmother used to make. You feel like you are eating at their house with dishes that have been handed down for generations.

spanish

At LEDB they are not serving the best Spanish food I have had in Philadelphia or breaking any new barriers in the food frontier, but what they did serve was more than adequate to quench my thirst for Spanish food that day. It was a successful visit and all of this was provided for only six dollars.

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1st annual Fight Fire with Fire – Philadelphia Red Cross Press Review

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Just left the 1st Annual Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross Fight Fire with Fire BBQ Event and it was a roaring success. From the second I set foot into the event it was hustling and bustling with people having a great time from one end to the other with amazing food, beverages, games, beer garden for the adults, and live music all included for one low price. The individuals, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors who organized and helped run the event  should really pat themselves on their backs for the tremendous turnout and flawless execution. I really think the Philadelphia Red Cross has a hit on their hands, and I can not wait till next year for what I am sure will be an even bigger and better event to come. Here are just a few pictures below featuring Famous Daves, The Fresh Grocer, Whole Hog Cafe – Cherry Hill, The Guerrilla BBQ Ultima Truck, Philly Soft Pretzel Factory who also had Famjuice next to them::

famous dave

fresh grocer

whole hog

gorilla

philly soft

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Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. – Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. – Philadelphia, PA

Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. (DR) looks hip and young the moment you step inside. From the signs of order online at grubhub.com to make sure you get your mobile alerts from them, to joining their many social media pages. They want you to know they are not your grandfathers cheesesteak joint of years ago and welcome those who live in the digital world.

The menu is quite large compared to other steak sandwich locations around the city as some of their competitors only offer a steak sandwich to order and nothing else. With cheesesteak in their name, I went with a cheesesteak wit (that means with cheese and my choice was american), fried onions well done, and ketchup with a side order of spicy cajun fries that included a cup of melted american cheese.

del rossi

The cheesesteak was definitely of a higher quality cut compared to your average pizza shop cheesesteaks, but the meat that was given to me had a lot of gristle in it and made my sandwich very chewy and tough throughout. I could have just been unlucky, but whoever was cooking should have noticed this and corrected the problem and used a different batch of meat. The onions were grilled nicely and they were generous with their cheese portion, but they were a little heavy handed with the ketchup. The fries were fresh cut which is a nice thing to see and the seasoning was nice, but again they went a little overboard with the amount they applied. The melted american cheese cup is a welcome site and enhanced the french fry experience greatly compared to pizza shop fries.

DR has the makings of being a great steak sandwich location, but they need to focus a little more on execution. If they can work out the kinks and perfect something all their own without being too cliche, they could be the place to beat since they offer more than just cheesesteaks, but with cheesesteak the largest portion of their name, they need to work on that first.

Would I go back? Yes, I would at least try them one more time hoping the bad meat portion I received was just a fluke.

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Captain Kidd – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Captain Kidd – Cape Cod, MA

With Cape Cod having so many marinas and docks, Captain Kidd (CK) fits in perfectly for any boat lovers pirate persona hidden inside themselves. The charm of CK really sits inside the restaurant which is very large with a happening bar scene and lots of pirate themed decor. I was lucky enough to snag a seat on their waterfront dining area which is one of the nicest waterfront dining areas around the Woods Hole area.

Things started out nicely with their homemade clam chowder. It had a nice texture to it with a decent amount of clam and variety of vegetables making it one of the best I had in Cape Cod.

cap kid chowder

 

The fun slowed down quite a bit with the main course though. I ordered the Fisherman’s Platter which was all fried seafood and consisted of Cod, scallops, shrimp, and clams. I will start out with the good. The clams were highlight of the dish and I could have eaten an entire plate of just them. The scallops were a good size and cooked nicely leaving them crisp on the outside yet moist on the inside. The fries were just average as they were not fresh cut fries, but better than the dreaded double breaded fry. Now to the portion of the meal I could have gone without. The cod was mushy and inedible and the shrimp was as hard as rocks. I think I could have skipped the shrimp across the water to the other side of the marina. It really was a mixed dish and had a little bit of everything whether good or bad.

cap kid meal

My visit to CK has me thinking this of them. CK is a nice spot for a drink at their bar or a nice bowl of clam chowder or fried clams sitting on their waterfront dining area as a little snack while enjoying the view. I do not think their claim to fame is their food, but what pirate tale did you ever hear of that talked about pirates eating well. I can not think of any, but I can think of many references to pirates enjoying a good drink and that is exactly what you can do at CK to bring your inner pirate out.

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Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe – (Reading Terminal) Philadelphia, PA

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe – (Reading Terminal) Philadelphia, PA

Kevin Parker’s Soul Food Cafe (KP) at the Reading Terminal Market takes the spot formally held by Delilah’s Cafe who was there from 1984 until their sudden closure in 2012. Delilah’s Cafe was a media darling for a little while with the spotlight shining bright from a proclamation by Oprah Winfrey on her show “Oprah” that they had the best Mac and Cheese in America, but financial problems ruined their empire. With taking over this location KP has big shoes to fill, but Kevin Parker himself is no stranger to the high profile soul food scene with his already successful venture Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar Lounge on South Street.

The line at KP was brisk, but moved quickly and the new decor looked amazing and makes their location seem like a miniature restaurant inside the Reading Terminal which has added a nice flair not seen by other vendors. The order consisted of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and cabbage.

kevin parker

My first bite into the fried chicken was an immediate success. The meat was juicy, skin crisp yet loose, in every way cooked to perfection, and the seasoning was spot on. I do not know if I just got one of their best batches ever produced, but this was one of the best down home versions of fried chicken I have enjoyed in quite some time. With such a strong start I hoped for the trend to continue, but the sides just could not compete. They were both good, and slightly above average for each of them, but nothing really stood out about them. The cabbage was a little too crisp and under-seasoned for my tastes and the mac and cheese was a bit overcooked. Even with the sides deficiencies, the chicken really compensated for their downfalls. The price for the entire meal was about $15 which is a tad high for soul food compared to other locations around the city, but the other locations are not in the heart of the Reading Terminal.

KP has a good thing going in one of the greatest food terminals in the world, and if they focus some energy on their sides they could be one of the terminal’s must go to locations for any citizen or visitor of Philadelphia. They are a welcome addition to this storied locations legacy, and I hope they have just as long of a run if not longer than the previous tenant.

 

 

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