Bocci's Steakhouse & Comedy Cafe

1400 S Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(484) 466-5260
Website

I was recently invited to a night of comedy and food at the somewhat newly opened Bocci's, which is located right next to the Riverview theater in South Philly. I couldn't remember anything being in this location, right next to Warmdaddy's, and I am always interested in some jokes, so it was an easy yes. I later came to know that many years ago, this used to be a Friendly's...

Bocci's used to be located in South Jersey, but relocated to this spot due to the owners of the real estate loving the food at the Jersey location. They had a giant wall wrap when to walk in to let you know this place was about the comedians as well as the food.

Bocci's history is laid out on the back of the menu. It is nice to see the mission statement and know that there is some family history and passion behind the place.

This place is a BYO(!), so I brought a six pack of IPA (Troeg's) and got ready for some food. The first thing up was the crab fries. These were different than most, in that the "crab" is actual snow crab, not a shake of Old Bay. The drawn butter centerpiece really pushed it over the top. I was quite surprised with how good these were. The fries stayed crispy, the sweet snowcrab was not out of place, and the butter indulgence was unlike any fry experience I have had.

The fresh parsley BASICALLY makes this a salad.

These disappeared so quickly, I could have eaten another order. The fries had a slight battery coating which kept the outsides crispy while the insides stayed hot and steamy and fried to perfection.

The seafood platter came out after. The shrimp were my favorites by far. Crispy with a nice paprika and light cayenne seasoning, they were like the soul food version of Dmitri's pil pil.

The crab cake was tasty as well. Not too much filler, and a generous portion.

I was not a huge fan of the whiting, but I am generally a shrimp guy anyway.

They also offered three sauces - hot sauce, cocktail, and mustard. Kind of a "chose your own adventure" for your seafood plate.

The shrimp and grits were no joke. The shrimp were nicely plumped and tender, and the grits had just a touch of butter. My fondness for butter aside, they had a great creamy texture and were rich, even for savory grits.

After the previous courses, I was starting to fill up on these.After the previous courses, I was starting to fill up on these.

The cabbage side was totally delicious. Vinegary and tender, I could eat a lot of this stuff. It reminded me of my Polish roots and had the salty flavor and perfectly wilted texture reminiscent of one of my favorite halushki dishes.

The T-Bone was the final entree. The crust on the steak was fantastic. Look at those beautiful char marks.

It was a bit overcooked for my taste (I like to see some pinkish-red in the center), but the meat was surprisingly tender, and the char added so much flavor. It can be difficult to get the maillard reaction to work with a thinner cut of meat.

At this point the stand-up comedy was starting. Holy shit, open mic night was hilarious. I was deliriously full, and thought I might bust a gut laughing. Make sure you check the schedule and see what is going on. There were so many performers, and almost all of them were on point.

I was literally ROTFL most of the night and was surprised to discover so much hidden comedic talent right here in South Philly.

As if this wasn't enough of everything, the dessert came out last. Belgian waffle with cream cheese drizzle and vanilla ice cream. It was so damn good. I didn't think I could eat one more bite, and this whole thing disappeared.

Crispy, perfectly executed waffle with a drizzle of love. Seriously go check out open mic night (or any of the shows here) and prepare to hurt with laughter, and some good food made with loving care.

Woody's Crab House

29 S Main Street
North East, MD 21901
(410) 287-3541
Website

I recently took a spur-of-the-moment day trip to Havre de Grace (don't bother), and the best part about the trip was a stop in North East, Maryland. It is a quaint little town, and as you would expect, they catered to seafood-hungry tourists. I popped into Woody's for a couple cold ones and some food.

It was exactly what I was hoping for. Peanuts at the door, wood trimming everything; it offered the perfect cool, dark place for a summer weekend afternoon.

I did not order the crabs, as I was planning on having some later, but I did order what can only be compared to the seafood feast from Red Lobster or whatever bullshit Joe's Crab Shack is offering this week. It came with tarter and cocktail sauce galore.

I also grabbed a bowl of crab bisque. It was okay, but lacked the sherry zing I have come to expect from any self-respecting bisque.

My feast, also known as the "Net Buster," consisted of a seasoned broiled lobster tail, crab imperial, crab cake, salmon, snow crab legs, shrimp, clams, coleslaw, and hush puppies. Hell yes.

The crab legs, shrimp, and clams were steamed in a net, as they should be. It makes eating so much more exciting.

This was a pretty substantial portion for about $30. I was pleased. The steamed stuff was all as you would expect. Everything tasted fresh, and the crabcake was packed with meat, very little filler. The lobster tail was also delicious, notice the caramelization and ample seasoning? Grilled/broiled is the only way to go with this one. I am also not a salmon fan usually (besides smoked), but this was a non-fishy, well cooked version.

The hush puppies were perfect, light and airy, rather than dense and golf ball-like.

The slaw was good, as it tasted like . . . coleslaw.

If you are willing to brave the heat, they have a pretty large outdoor seating area, as well as a tiki bar. It was just what I wanted from a quick getaway. At about an hour or so from the Philly area, you could do worse. Next time, just park it here and maybe skip HdG?

Soup Kitchen Cafe

2146 East Susquehanna Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 427-1680
Website

I wrote about Soup Kitchen Cafe's pulled pork almost a year ago and have been working my way through the menu since. I can't give enough praise to this place – reasonably priced, freshly made, and great service all add up to a perfect neighborhood spot. Oh, and they make incredible soup.

The (vegetarian) curried lentil soup is no joke. It tastes as hearty as any meat-broth-based soup I have had, and the curry gives it a complex spicy flavor. It was so robust, I had a hard time believing that it was actually vegetarian. I was lapping it up and wishing for more before I even finished the bowl.

Truth be told, I was actually going to write about a couple of sandwiches, ones that I've experienced over a number of trips, but I had some camera issues and lost about half of the images. So I had to force myself (quite willingly) to get some shots for this post. The house-made crab cake sandwich boasts roasted pepper aioli, arugula, lemon vinaigrette, and preserved lemons on brioche. The cake itself was mostly meat, and the majority of the filler was fresh herbs. Can't complain about that. The lemon vinaigrette added an acidic freshness that brightened up the crab cake, while the roasted pepper aioli made sure nothing was dry. I also love brioche, so this thing was right up my alley. Again, the complimentary side salad (this time was chickpea) was a fresh and welcome bite on the side.

I once again fell prey to the beer braised pulled pork, and I once again was a victim of deliciousness. The apple, jalapeno & red cabbage slaw, North Carolina BBQ sauce (my favorite) and jalapeno-garlic aioli did not disappoint. Rich, succulent meat with crisp toppings, tart BBQ sauce and a spicy, rich aioli is a flavor explosion on a bun. This is one hell of a pulled pork sandwich. And at $8.5, its one of the best deals around. You will not leave hungry if you order this sandwich. But just in case, you should probably get some soup too.

Soup Kitchen Cafe is definitely a neighborhood gem, but I wouldn't pigeonhole it into a neighborhood-only category. I would certainly skip the attitude, spotty food, and downright terrible service at Johnny Brenda's for the deliciousness that is Soup Kitchen Cafe. Oh, and you can bring your own beer or wine, so you really have no excuse at this point.