Stockyard Sandwich Co.

1541 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 977-9273
Website

Stockyard has been on my list for a while, ever since my friend over at Better Home Chef told me about it. I finally got a chance to partake, and I was not disappointed. Don't mind the Long River photo bomb back there.

The first two sandwiches were the whole pig banh mi, and the white fish po' boy.

The po' boy had cornmeal crusted whitefish, cabbage, carrot, onion, and remoulade on a baguette. This was a delicious riff on the original NOLA po' boys with a nod to the venerable Philly fish cake.

The cornmeal crusted fish was fried perfectly, and the batter made for a nice textural contrast.

As much as I liked the po' boy, the suckling pig banh mi was even better. The pork was rich and sweet, with carrot, cabbage, cucumber, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and XO mayo served on another delicious baguette. 

Look at the juice, and the sprigs of cilantro to freshen it up. Cabbage brought the crunch.

At this point, I was feeling over stuffed, but I persevered. There was still a braised beef to try. A farm-to-table cheesesteak of sorts. Tender beef, house-made Whiz, onion, mushroom, and yet again, all packed nicely into the same crusty baguette. The beef was tender, flavor packed, and well rendered. 

The cheese made for a perfect suspension to keep all of the ingredients firmly in place.

This place reminded me of a farm style Paesano's. It is in an area that is underserved for a truly great sandwich, and I think it fits the bill quite nicely.

Jaco Taco

21 W State Street
Media, PA 19063
(484) 444-2839
Website

There is a Jaco Taco in West Chester I had passed by on weekend strolls a few times, but never had the want/need to try. Mainly because it is a taco and JUICE BAR. While I am no stranger to some authentic fresh juice with my tacos, this was the yuppie version. That being said, I decided to give the Media outpost a shot.

The interior is nice, with a bar or high tops to sit at and your food is complemented with some New Jersey hot sauce, Hank Sauce.

The "Baco" juice drink boasts fresh squeezed OJ, carrot and ginger. I was here for a late breakfast, so I figured I would give it a go. Surprisingly my body reacted perfectly okay to the healthiest thing I have consumed in 2017.

To round it out, I got some tacos. And a burrito. From the top and going clockwise, a "Froman" burrito, a "Baco" taco, a pulled pork street taco, and an adoba chicken taco.

The "Baco" taco was shockingly my favorite. Avocado, sweet onion, tomato, sweet corn, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema, this one had the flavor that I wanted. Which was "a lot". The sweet corn and roasted poblano crema had the sweet and savory, with some tomatillo salsa bringing just a touch of heat. Can't believe the meatless thing was my fave.

The adoba chicken (hiding under that cabbage) had quality chicken, but it was dry and somewhat bland. This was kind of rectified by the addition of hot sauce, but this should have brought some chipotle fire. Braised chicken, cabbage slaw, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema should not be mild in flavor.

I could have used some more cheese too. It was lost in the jazz cabbage.



On to the Tijuana street taco with pulled pork. The pork was nicely rendered, but had a serious lack of salt. I want my pork salty, crispy and decadent. They did fine on the crispy edges, but this was again lacking any "pop". I did appreciate the nod to street fare.

The "Froman" burrito features scrambled organic egg, chorizo, potatoes, caramelized onions and blended cheese. This was a pretty tasty breakfast burrito, with the addition of some salsa it was livened right up.

Don't mind the color, just add some red salsa and ask for a side of the poblano crema.

Overall, they had a decent thing going here. If they jacked up the spice beyond basic gringo, I might be a regular.

Wok Street

1518 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 693-3010
Website

I was invited to visit Wok Street recently to see what they have to offer. It is the same folks as Hai Street (which makes the sushi burritos I love), so I figured it would be a good meal and well worth my time. Tucked behind the tree here on Chestnut, next to the venerable Popeye's, you find Wok Street.

They specialize in Southeast Asian-style street food.

The interior had the industrial loft thing going on – nice and roomy with that city living feel.

It looked like a hip Chipotle (I can't help but use my old fave as the bar for comparison with all fancy-ish fast-ish food joints). But there was tons of counter space and for being so deep, the dining area was well lit.

As fast/fresh casual restaurant frequenters will recognize, you pick your option, soup, bowl, or sandwich, and work your way down the line customizing your order. If you prefer, you can go with the established favorites as an alternative.

I went with the staff favorites, chicken banh mi and the pickled peanut pork bowl. On the side, I was told to try the tofu cheesecake and the ginger lemonade, so I didn't deny those extras.

The pork bowl had white rice, brussel sprouts, braised pork, peanut sauce, pickled red onion, scallion, cilantro, and roasted peanuts.

The tart and tender pork was perfectly braised, and melted when picked up with chop sticks, or pushed around to scoop up some of its compatriots. It was a filling and quite delicious bowl, with a variety of flavors and textures to keep you interested. I would eat a lot of lunches here.

The chicken banh was small but well done, with teriyaki chicken (a total guilty pleasure of mine), hoisin mayo, cucumber, jalapeño, pickled red onion, and cilantro. Ask for extra mayo on the side, and add some chili sauce if you want to spice things up. At less than $7, this was a great quick meal, and the portion size will keep you honest. Enough to be full, but they certainly won't be rolling you out of there.

All of the veggies were fresh and crunchy, and I loved the pickled red onions.

A surprise was the tofu cheesecake. Thankfully it was served in a small container, not because it wasn't delicious, but because I was so full. I was pretty shocked with this tofu-based dessert being so delicious, it had a sour and sweet play going on that was addicting. I would definitely recommend checking out this local "Chiptole of Asian" for a quick and cheap lunch or dinner, especially if you are craving something fresh and healthy-ish.

Brewster River

(Smuggler's Notch Resort)
4087 Vt Route 108 S.
Jeffersonville, VT 05464
(802) 644-6366
Website

A long weekend in Vermont led to some delicious food and far too many hoppy beers. Brewster River is located by Smuggler's Notch, and is a great bar to grab some food after a day on the slopes. Unfortunately I don't  have any pictures of what is most certainly the best thing on the menu, the teriyaki duck wings. I forgot I was writing about the damn place and failed to gather photo evidence of EITHER order of the drummettes. They were fried perfectly and were so good, I ordered a second round upon completion of the first. I'll also admit that there were a few drinks involved before arriving, so that didn't help my photo taking skills...

They had a "Pittsburgh sandwich" which was based on the famous and over-rated Primanti Brothers "sandwich". As underwhelmed as I am with putting french fries and vinegar slaw on your thick bread and claiming it as your regional identity, I was willing to give it a go, as I had been drinking and it sounded filling.

Brewster executed a great version, but as the Achilles' heel lies in the sandwich itself, it was just kind of okay. The fries were crispy and salty, the pastrami was tender and the slaw was well seasoned. But the sandwich was just a bit dry and flavorless. Too much bread and potato is usually the culprit. Again, I am not criticizing the bar, but rather the city. And the hockey team.

The Godzilla burger was over the top. Pastrami, pulled pork, Beef Brisket, pork roll, smoked bacon, fried egg, hash brown, pepper jack and cheddar. The meat sweats were soon to follow. My biggest complaint, was that the fried egg was fried hard. The whole point is a runny yolk.

I guess the burger was good? You can see the egg yolk, a solid yellow. Otherwise a glutton's dream. And a big fat high five for including pork roll. That is a rarity outside of our area, and a solid breakfast meat underdog.

After gorging on the pub food, we proceeded downstairs where they have an executive-size pool table. It was a lot of fun. Great place to warm up after a cold day on the mountain.

Sam's Butcher Shop | MEATSRAVAGANZA GIVEAWAY! *CONTEST CLOSED*

[FREE shipping on 8lbs. if you mention this post!!!]
322 N. Main Street
Moscow, PA 18444
(570) 842-7392
Website

***UPDATE, APRIL 15, 12:30PM***
NEW WIENER ANNOUNCED!

We did not hear from CT in time, so we randomly generated another winner!

TJGersh - please email PhillyPhoodie.com@gmail.com to work out the details!

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April 9, 2014
WINNER ANNOUNCED! Email me at PhillyPhoodie.com@gmail.com to work out the details! Thank you for playing everyone and look for another contest coming soon! If CT doesn't contact by 12pm EST on 4/14/14, we will draw an alternate winner.

If you read the review of Sam's Butcher Shop, you know it's no joke. Rather than tease you with pictures of meat, Sam's has offered a prize of shipped meat for the newest (and hottest!) Philly Phoodie contest. 4lbs, your choice, shipped to the winner selected at random who leaves a comment on this post with their favorite type of meat. Whether it's smoked, cured, raw, poultry, beef, etc. Just let us know what you love, and be sure to check back on Wednesday to see if you won. See below for official details and become Sam's newest, most satisfied customer!

Contest details:
When: Start-Friday, April 4, 2014 at posting. End- 4/9/14 12pm EST. 
What: 4 pounds of your choice of meat from Sam The Butcher shipped to your door.
How: Leave a comment on your favorite meat product, and be sure to email your contact info or check back on Wednesday to see if you win! Comment within the parameters set forth, subject to my sole discretion. Winner to be chosen at random. 
Who: Anyone can enter, but to be eligible for the prize you must have an address within the parameters of Sam's shipping radius ( those in a 1-day radius which covers NY, NJ, CT, DE, MD, Eastern half of PA, and DC Metro Area (includes parts of VA and WV).  Again, eligibility for shipping  is subject to Sam's discretion in conjunction with Philly Phoodie.