La Cabra Brewing

642 Lancaster Ave.
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 240-7908
Website

La Cabra has gotten some recent publicity, so I figured it was about time that I gave it a write up myself. I love the Berwyn Tavern and this place is literally across the street. Damn Berwyn, who would have thought you would have two of the best bars in the burbs?

The bar itself has an old industrial vibe inside, with high ceilings, complemented with brick and wood accents. Also the upstairs has all kinds of games like darts, Bimini Ring Toss and the recent addition of fooseball (:-O). I loved it at first sight. The beers are delicious and they are constantly unveiling new releases. I went from hoppy to malty and back, and was pleased with every choice. Not to mention the bar food.

The garlic truffle Parmesan wings were fantastic. Sous vide cooked and then fried to a perfect crispiness, they were some of my favorites I have had in a while. Seven wings for $9 is a bit spendy, but given the size and prep that went into them, I had no complaints.

Look at that rendered out skin, fried to a crackling crisp.

The micro greens made it so I was basically eating a salad, which was nice for those counting calories.

Another guilt-free snack was the frisee salad served with crispy pork belly, chipotle honey, goat cheese, jalapeño bacon and a citrus aioli. Not a typo, the pork belly comes with bacon lardons. The belly was sous vide until tender as well, and then crisped up, notice a trend? This was sweet, salty, crispy, fatty and the frisee really did help cut the heaviness.

Basically the healthiest thing I have eaten in 2017.

Finally, the brisket tacos. These are accompanied by potato plantain hash, cilantro, and mole BBQ. Well at least I think they are. I didn't get any hash or cilantro. I DID get a hell of a lot of brisket though. So no complaints. The brisket was tender, and the mole sauce was sweet and smokey. The tortillas were quite good, with a nice toast to them. Thick salty chips with some salsas were the perfect accompaniment.

Perhaps the most amazing part is the crowler. I am easily amused, to be sure, but the ability to get a 32oz can of beer from the tap sealed on the spot to take home is a godsend. Who the hell ever remembers a growler. I have at least a half dozen at home I neglect to bring with me, despite the fact that I visit some type of brewery or place that fills them at least once a week.

You might drive past La Cabra (the goat) without knowing it. But you would be doing your palate a disservice.

Pic-A-Lilli Inn

866 US-206
Shamong, NJ 08088
(609) 268-2066
Website

South Jersey has some of the best food around. They make great cheesesteaks and hoagies, and their wings are only rivaled by the Philly 'burbs. The Pic-A-Lilli Inn is sister restaurant to the Pic-A-Lilli Pub in Atlantic City. Cheap beer and great wings can be had at both. The Inn is located smack dab in the middle of the Pine Barrens. So you can go ride bikes/motorcycles or kayaks, and then grab some cold ones and some wings after.

The cheesesteak at the Pic-A-Lilli is no slouch either. Served on a Liscio's roll, the meat is finely chopped, well seasoned, and came with a hearty ratio of American. The onions were fried well, sweet and caramelized without becoming mush.

Curly fries with a side of wiz rounded out this low calorie, low carb lunch. It was basically diet food.

The wings are actually counted in half wing. So an order of ten works out to be about fifteen to twenty wings. An order of six is shown below. The sauce can get hot quick, so if you skip "spicy" and go to "hot" be warned, they have the burn.

The meat is tender, and the skin well rendered. These are not the crispiest wings you will eat, but they just work. A combination of the deep flavor of the sauce, and the little morsels of deliciousness is enough to satisfy anyone from a biker (you will see lots here) to a chubby food writer (likely to find me here as well).

The Perky

400 Brower Avenue
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 666-6600
Website

The Perky is one of those neighborhood bars that would be in a rowhome if it were located in Philly. However, as it is out in P-ville, it is located on the entire bottom floor of a rather large house.

I was told the wings were a go-to, and as I have rarely met a deep fried piece of chicken I didn't like, I had to try them out. Whether or not I had eaten wings within the last twenty-four hours was besides the point. I went with the hot garlic butter, extra crispy. They did not disappoint. Spicy, with a depth of flavor that was exponentially increased with the addition of garlic. The chicken was rendered and the skin was crispy. These are great wings.

Next up was the cheesesteak hoagie. This one was a bit of a disappointment. The steak was AWESOME, the roll was terrific, the cheese well portioned and melted. However look at the "hoagie" part of this. It was thick sliced tomato, and huge slices of raw onion. It was way overkill, and was impossible to eat in the way it was served. I pulled the salad off of the top (don't know what I was thinking ordering it) and enjoyed the hell out of the cheesesteak just as it should have been in the first place.

Look at the cheesy goodness. The meat was very well seasoned, and the roll was just crusty, and just fluffy enough. The fries were very good, and the dipping sauce was killer. It was just the veggies that had me hung up. Maybe I thought I could call it a "balanced meal" with some fresh greens...

Next up on the agenda was the fried bologna. This was a nod to the good old days, with thick sliced encased meat, mustard, American cheese, and sweet pickles on a grilled bun. The sweet potato fries were a nice sub, and the creole dipping sauce was smokey, spicy, and delicious.

The fried bologna was like a SPAM sandwich. I loved the throwback nature of it, like a childhood favorite with a barroom upgrade. It was definitely something out of the norm, and although certainly not refined, it was beautiful in its simplicity.

Look at the char on the bottom of this meat. Nice and crispy, full of fatty flavor. The roll somewhat disintegrated under the onslaught of grease, but I powered through.

The Perky is the type of neighborhood bar everyone should have. Period.

Shifty's Bar

1401 Burnet Ave.
Syracuse, N.Y. 13206
(315) 474-0048
Website

On a road trip, I like to try and find somewhere to stop that is a couple steps better than the standard chain crap. See my last time doing so here. It is a major plus if I can grab a beer with my food, because nothing eases the stress of not driving like a slight buzz. Shifty's is a staple in Syracuse, and I have been a number of times when my travel takes me through the area. Their motto is "cold beer, hot wings, live music". Done.

At its heart, this place is a venue. As I was lunching, the band for the evening was bringing in a never-ending stream of equipment.

The menu is bar food, but the real specialty are the wings.

Of course, that didn't mean I wouldn't order a burger as well . . .

On the left are the "Godzilla" wings, basically a teriyaki/Asian with some heat and couple secret ingredients, and on the right are the "red hot and blue," which have blue cheese mixed in with the wing sauce.

The Godzilla wings were perfectly cooked, crispy, and nicely coated in the sticky flavorful sauce. These are damn good wings. The soy/hoisin flavor translated well, and I greedily scarfed them down.

The red hot and blue wings were the winner of the day. Nothing too fancy, but the salty, pungent chunks of blue were delicious, and ALMOST negated the need for additional blue cheese dipping. Just the right amount of heat, and a perfectly crispy skin, what more can you ask of the chicken gods?

The "Upstate" burger boasted sharp cheddar, horsey mayo, bacon, and maple glazed onions.

This was not for the pure of heart. Mostly because your heart was under direct attack while eating this.

The bacon was crispy and salty, the cheddar had some bite, and the onions added some significant sweetness to the burger. This was a good burger, but I still favor diner style. Shifty's is a very cool place to stop in for some wings and beer, and it's not too far off 81 if you are up that way.

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division St
Portland, OR
(503) 232-1387
Website

Sometimes you get to a place that is full of hype, and it lets you down. Pok Pok is not that place. Located in Portland, OR it is a landmark for one thing in particular, the wings, but it offers so much more.

Daily specials galore.

I went with friends, and we tried a whole host of menu options – all of which were insanely flavor-packed in their own way.

I do have to say, however, that nothing could touch the wings. Technically they are called "Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings." I just called them heaven. Marinated in sugar and fish sauce, fried crispy, and then tossed in caramelized fish sauce and garlic, these were some of the best wings I have ever eaten.

Spicy, sour, sweet and sticky the crunchy skin was unreal and underneath that shell, the tender meat fell right off the bone. The fat was so well rendered and the remaining meat almost melted on my tongue.

All of the items presented a host of seasonings, mainly the sweet, spicy, and sour profiles that good Thai should always cover. Below is your standard papaya salad, but it was elevated through their use of an exceptionally spicy-sweet-tangy dressing.

Below is the Da Chom's Laap Meuang: Northern Thai spicy hand-minced pork "salad" with aromatics, spices, herbs, cracklings and crispy fried shallots and garlic. Noted on the menu, this dish was learned from a friend's father who lives in a village near Chiang Mai. Not only is every dish perfectly complex in its taste, each one has also got its own story to take it to the next level. Amazing.

What I admired most about Pok Pok were the insane combinations and juxtapositions of flavor and texture. Everything was crunchy and chewy, yet salty and earthy. Fresh herbs and citrus were included with almost everything, and they helped to cut some of the offal and more iron-rich offerings.

The Khao Soi curry bowl with chicken and noodles was pungent, rich, and satisfying. They could have taken the meat off of the bone for ease of eating, but I get it – their M.O. is rustic style. And the fact that I had to work for it made me feel less guilty about eating 5 entrees and a cocktail at lunch.

Accoutrements below.

Chiang Mai sausage with chicharones and spicy green chile dip made for an interesting and salty-delicious treat.

The quick-poached green beans were tied into little knots! How thoughtful (and tedious).

The grilled corn special was very tasty as well. It was a daily special on the board (a spin on elotes, one of my faves) and as with everything else, it presented a complex flavor profile, and gave just enough food to keep you wanting more. As if everything else hadn't been filling already...

Well played, Pok Pok. I hope to be seeing you again very soon.