Do Not Rent Here. You’ll Never Want to Leave Press Event

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been awhile. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

I had the pleasure of attending a preview party for the brand new Goldtex apartment complex, located at 12th and Vine Streets near the Chinatown district of Philadelphia.  The event, titled “Do Not Rent Here (You’ll Never Want to Leave)”, did much to open my eyes to what it would be like live in a city environment.

goldtex city

The rooftop festivities allowed us to view a spectacular shot of the city skyline, on a perfect autumn evening.  The owners of the building spent several years gutting and refurbishing what is formerly a shoe factory, and the results are pretty incredible.  The rooftop features a pool and jacuzzi that are open 24 hours a day, as well as a fitness center.  The apartments themselves are stylish and modern, and would appear to be reasonably priced as well.

The event itself was a spirited party put on by Jenna Communications, with a full open bar, groovy music by DJ DSC of Hair O’ The Dog, and delicious food courtesy of Cafe Lift served to a large contingent of guests (including shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit trays and a sampling of different pizzas).  All in all, a great way to launch a new enterprise that has a fine model in place for success.  It is welcome to see another previously dormant location in our city develop into a destination for those looking to live within city limits.

Hope to see you again soon “Around Town”

Bill

 

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#DOAC 1st Ever BBQ Event Press

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

So just got done judging The Kansas City Barbeque Society and Smoke on the Water Productions 1st ever BBQ in Atlantic City New Jersey. As soon as I walked into the tent to judge I heard all the ladies swoon, whistle, and gasp for breath. At first I thought it was because I shaved and got my hair cut yesterday, but here to find out one of my fellow certified judges today was Joey Fatone of *NSYNC filming an episode of My Family Recipe Rocks for Live Well Network standing behind me. Also sitting next to me judging was Tom Morgan On Sojo one of the best morning DJ’s out there for SoJO 1049. He is going to have the scoop on Joey Fatone this week with interviews and videos of them together so be sure to listen in this week. The event was a smashing success and one of the best I have been to in awhile, and the promoters announced that the prize for this event is going up $50,000 a year until they reach a prize purse of $250,000 making it one of the largest prize amounts ever handed out in competition BBQ. Great job everyone involved, and what a way to#DOAC

fatone

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Hog and Bull – Restaurant and Bar – 1st Ever Comedy Show!

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Hog and Bull – Restaurant and Bar in Gloucester City, New Jersey will be holding its first ever Comedy Show featuring me, Geno Bisconte, and headliner Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling on Friday, October 11th. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $25 per person can be purchased by CLICKING HERE

Hope to see you all there!

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Hey Everybody! Check out that “Fat Pig”

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Fette Sau – Philadelphia, PA

It seems like Philadelphia has gained an affirmation for all things Brooklyn, New York related lately. The Piazza at Schmidts held a Brooklyn Flea Market it seemed like every weekend this summer and before that Philadelphia’s restaurant mogul Stephen Starr recruited Brooklyn based BBQ restaurant owner Joe Carroll to open another Fette Sau (FS) here in October of 2012 connected to another Stephen Starr location Frankford Hall and just a few blocks away from the hipster hideaway Piazza.

I do not know much about Brooklyn, but what I can tell you is that if there are more restaurants up there as good as FS I hope more and more of them transplant their way down to Philly for their second locations. As you will see in the pictures below I got a little bit of everything at FS. Nothing I had there disappointed me in the least except for one particular thing, but their were some ups and downs. FS stands for fat pig, and if I could go there more often I just might become one.

Lets just get started with the great. The short rib is hands down AMAZING! Go to FS just for it. Eat it in all of its wonderfulness, it is that good. I have never had a better one yet, and I have eaten a lot of BBQ. Just look below at me eating it in all my glory and you will have picture of how happy it can make a man.

me eating rib

The baked beans were fabulous as well. Very nice chunks of burnt ends, beautiful combination of spices thrown in, and just a delight to eat. The ribs were cooked perfectly and of excellent quality, texture, and taste as well. Just when put up against the short rib it had some big expectations to follow. The pork was good, but just not anything notable and I have had better at much cheaper rates other places and the mushrooms were a dud. They were nice, but I was sort of over them after popping four to five of them in my mouth. They would be great for free as a mini-side, but not something I would pay for.

fette sau

With the good must come the bad though. FS is a carnivore paradise and a damn good BBQ joint at that. What they are not, is somewhere that has any resemblance of good BBQ sauce makers. I enjoy my BBQ wet or dry, but some people insist on having to have some sort of sauce on their meats. If you are one of these people you may want to bring a cup of your own sauce to FS. FS’s sauces to me and the person who joined me were so hands down terrible, they actually made me second guess if the meats were as good as I thought they were until I took another bite without sauce on them. I hate to admit it, but I would rather have some mass produced corn syrup infused BBQ sauce sitting on the table instead of what they put out there. It is shameful and completely unacceptable for the quality of meats they are producing that someone could actually leave there thinking that FS is not making good BBQ if they can not enjoy eating their meats dry only. I actually thought maybe it was just the container on my table, but the sauces tasted exactly the same on the other tables as well, so I do not know if the entire batch was bad or if that is really what they serve on a daily basis. I know what I said was harsh. Just know what you are in for with the sauces, but other than that you must go to FS for some of the best BBQ meats in the Philadelphia region. Be aware also that FS is not cheap to eat at, and even with the sauce debacle, mushrooms not being that great, and pork only being ok, FS has my heart with short ribs I feel in love with.

Overall
Four out of Five Stars

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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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Wicked Restaurant and Wine Bar – Cape Cod, MA

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Bluejeanfood

Wicked Restaurant and Wine Bar – Cape Cod, MA

Walking into Wicked, it has a bold and adventurous look about it. They tout a fresh and organic tagline for their food, but sadly the only thing exciting about Wicked was the decor. I will say that our server was extremely bubbly and since he formerly worked for one of the towns in Cape Cod, he knows how to deal with tourists and where they should go. He was a wealth of information and was a fantastic server, just too bad the food was not as great as he was.

We came for lunch, and I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich that called for Antibiotic-free sweet, chili glazed chicken breast, served with grilled pineapple on a house baked organic sweet potato roll with fresh cut fries. When I ordered though, I only stated I wanted the grilled chicken sandwich. What came out was a chicken wrap that did not resemble anything I ordered. I mentioned this error immediately and the waiter gracious asked what I was looking for and he stated someone gave me the dinner menu and that both sandwiches are called grilled chicken sandwich in the computer, but computer doesn’t recognize my option until dinner time.

I do not know if what my waiter brought out would have been better, but what started out as a bad omen became one. The roll was as stale as anything I have been served in quite a long time and just fell apart upon touch. The chicken was rubbery and overcooked, the glaze had the taste of something out of a jar, and fries so dried out I think they were trying to serve me potato chip sticks instead thus ruining any resemblance of fresh cut fries. The only saving grace was the pineapple was cooked to perfection and delicious.

wicked
It is sad as it looks as if Wicked has a wicked bar scene that they cater to late at night, but they were wickedly bad during my stay. Their claim to fame it seems is their fire grilled pizzas, but I do not see myself heading up to Cape Cod again to give them another try anytime soon to find out. If you want a drink with friends with a nice ambiance, Wicked has a nice bar to sit at, but other than that unfortunately I do not have anything else to say.

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