Ramona Susan's Bake Shop

South Philadelphia
(347)585-3387
Website

I recently had a new local bake shop ask us to check out their cupcakes. Obviously I don't say no to free baked goods. These lovely young ladies even dropped them off at my work! Of course, in true Philly Phoodie fashion, I gave them the wrong address and they drove to West Chester. Well, I have never claimed to be good with directions. I do, however, claim to be good with fattening foods. The "unicorn cupcakes" fit that bill nicely.

The cupcakes came in a box with minimalist branding. It looked sleek. And it certainly drew my co-workers' attention when I was seen walking through the cubes with a box of bright pink baked goods.

The "unicorn" cupcakes feature a sugar horse with clouds, pink strawberry icing, and sprinkles around the edges. There is nothing about these that is not over-the-top.

There are even SPARKLES. I know many friends who have little girls that would LOVE these. That's not to say my grown-ass adult friends won't swoon over these beauts too.

But that's not all. The cake itself is a technicolor dreamcoat of rainbow proportions.

The icing was sweet, light and creamy. The cake was moist, airy, and had a velvet consistency. These were not hard to like. I may be a meat-and-bread type of eater overall, but these cupcakes were pretty damn tasty. I think I know what I am bringing to the next kid party I am invited to. Besides a fifth of bourbon.

Celebrate National Unicorn Day on April 9; call Ramona Susan's to get your order lined up!

PDQ Deli at Tahoma Market

6937 W Lake Blvd.
Tahoma, CA 96142
(Lake Tahoe-ish)
(530) 525-7411
Website

When anyone tells you that you can't get a good sandwich outside of the Philadelphia area, you should believe them. Time and time again, I am let down by poor imitations and this is just another example of why you should NOT ever go into a sandwich shop outside of the Northeast corridor with high expectations. Unless you're setting the bar at Subway.

I hadn't realized this before setting out to eat at PDQ, but it's a Wisconsin-based chain with shops mostly in and around Madison and Milwaukee with one outpost in California - right on Lake Tahoe. I guess that's why the locals are none the wiser - it looks and feels like a good old fashioned mom-n-pop deli.

It's deceiving, yes. But when the views are this breathtaking, who really cares what you're eating, right?

Wrong. I always care what I'm eating. I took my two sandwiches up to the top of the peak and by the time I sweat out most of the previous night's booze, I was ravenous and couldn't wait to get down on some mouth-watering pesto bread filled with turkey and cheese.

But the bread was bland and the thick slices of turkey must have been sitting out for who knows how long. If your deli meats aren't sliced fresh to order (and you don't see a deli slicer on premises - hindsight is always 20/20) then there's no reason to ingest it.

They are big sandwiches, so it's a pretty good value, but when you can't even taste the cheese, mayonnaise or the pesto in a pesto themed bread, you're better off chewing on some cardboard for free. The bread was soft, almost like white Italian sandwich bread, which is probably why they're getting a one cheesesteak rating (I was hesitant in giving any).

Everything I mentioned above goes for their jalapeño cheese bread and roast beef. More thick-cut, old and flavorless deli slices surrounded by regular white bread and some old tomatoes and romaine.

I really wanted to like it, but after discovering the PDQ convenience store chain, it's nearly impossible to say anything good about these sandwiches. Yes, I may have made a mistake in choosing this as a blog site...

Obviously it's a long way from Wawa (and even Sheetz), so until the rest of the country can figure out how to combine gas stations and fresh & tasty sandwiches, I'll just stick to what I know.

Cake Cafe & Bakery

2440 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 943-0010
Website

New Orleans is known for many different foods, but one of the best known pastries among locals and tourists alike is King cake. Synonymous with Mardi Gras, this cinnamon-spiked Danish is one of many stars at the Cake Cafe.

Although it was not Mardi Gras (I would not be eating King cake), I still wanted to get the NOLA bakery experience, and I was not disappointed. They also crush the casual breakfast realm.

The doughnut you see below may seem like an ordinary glazed breakfast treat, but the layers of pastry were so light, flaky, and delectable, that it was almost unbelievable. Even heavenly.

The biscuits and gravy shown below were no slough, with a spicy Andouille side. The biscuits ruled the roost, light and flaky, like I am unable to make them...

Boudin and eggs were also delicious, with a fresh sausage patty fried crispy over grits, and another biscuit PLUS some yolk. Yes please.

The croissant breakfast sandwich below is another of my go-to's and this did not disappoint. Note: if you go here, order ANYTHING that has a baked good with it.

The central American breakfast subbed the grits above with beans and rice, and added some pico and guac. An interesting take, but nothing too special.

Finally the lowly bagel with cream cheese, a barometer of breakfast in my book. This was a very decent bagel for the South. Believe me, I have had some AWFUL bagels all over the Southeastern US. Was it NY worthy? Or even good Philadelphia bagel worthy? No, it wasn't. Was it a great way to pack in the calories before drinking began again? Absolutely.

Billy Burger & Bakery

2 N 5 Points Rd #4
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 431-3100
Website

A couple of friends had told me I needed to get out to Billy Burger in West Chester, and it admittedly took me much longer than it should have.

Billy Burger (and Bakery) is a busy operation, with staff members all happily buzzing about, keeping things moving. They also offer an extensive baked goods section, and I was blown away at how good the baked goods at this burger bar were.

Husband and wife duo Bill and Sally are the heart and soul of the operation. Bill has cooked every single burger that the place has put out since opening three years ago. Every. Single. Burger. His attention to detail and love are what make the burgers fantastic. Sally, on the other hand, is the mad genius behind the baking end of things. My god, can she bake.

The burgers are cooked on a gas fired indoor grill, and it gets hot enough to char the burgers perfectly.

Billy working his burger magic below.

I was informed that they were prepping for a local burger competition (hosted the next day) while I was there, and was asked if I would like to try their offering. Obviously. The below burger is topped with Mermaid BBQ sauce (a personal favorite), pineapple sambal, grilled ham, shredded lettuce, and cheese. Unfortunately, the slow roasted pork that was going on the official entry instead of the ham was still in the oven. The charred ham was so good, I don't think I missed the pork!

This burger was sloppy. Up to your elbows in pineapple teriyaki goodness, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I absolutely loved the sweetness of the sauce and sambal mixed with the smoky flavor that both the charred burger and ham contributed. This one was a winner in my book.

The waffle fries were also delicious, fried crispy and well seasoned. Billy Burger has true soul, something lacking in a lot of new restaurants, and you could certainly do worse than to go in there and order anything on the menu (try the chili dog). The owners were incredibly cool, and I have to say, this place rules.

Rosa's Deli

441 W Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 763-9352

Just when I stupidly think I have my "new" Olde Kensington digs on lock down, Rosa's comes along and completely ruins my day. In a marvelous way.

So I guess Rosa's used to be called Rosa's Pretzel Bakery, but now they are Rosa's deli (don't worry, they still sell pretzels). When you walk in, you will be greeted by a tight, crowded corner-store style place. From there, you should walk to the back, stop acting awkward, and pick what hoagie you want.

The people working are extremely friendly, and you should probably get "the works" on whatever you order.

Also, I would order the large. A large Italian filled with Philly's own Freda meats will set you back a whooping $5.50. Just order the large.

This is a perfectly sized sandwich. Now I should warn you, that if you get the works, they are going to put mayo on your hoagie. While some purists may scoff at an Italian with mayo on, I scoff at their pretension. Perhaps they have never tried an Italian with mayo, they have no idea what they are missing. Where it is acceptable, I will order both oil AND mayo on my Italian, and I will revel in the indulgence that is my life.

 

 

Anyway, they slice to order your meat, and carefully construct the marvel of modern society that is an Italian. No sharp prov, no long hots (most overrated topping ever), just ripe tomatoes, diced onion and pickle (huge fan), some shredded iceberg and banana peppers. The roll is something else. It is similar to a Carangi roll, but I can't be sure of its origin. Either way, it was more than resilient enough to soak up the flavors as I walked home, and it became the perfect vessel for meat and cheese (and vegetable) delivery.

This was one of my favorite Italians I have eaten in a while. Although I love all of the many gourmet versions, this sandwich danced back and forth between genres, offering just enough delicious quality meat, and a roll that was easier to duck into than a traditional Sarcone's, all the while using extremely fresh ingredients and keeping the price at a a minimum. I am not 100% on their hours, but I will likely be back in the next couple days to begin the arduous task of eating around the menu. I will certainly keep you in mind when I am eating my heart out. Oh, on a separate and slightly related note, I will be the fat guy running the Philly Marathon this Sunday.