Rotisseur

100.5 S 21st St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 496-9494
Website

Open for a while now, Rotisseur is in that section of town that is only really accessible (and interesting) during the work week.

I found some time in my busy schedule to pay a visit during lunch on a Friday. The interior is small, clean and inviting, with an open kitchen/food bar set up and an over-sized rotisserie oven right there, for all to see.

The menu is limited, which is usually a good sign of care and attention put into each dish, and on this fairly hot fall day, I was in the mood for the cool ingredients of their "chicken bánh mì."

I waited patiently for my turn to order while watching the cook cut the fresh-out-of-the-rotisserie, steaming-hot, half-bird order for the woman in front of me, and thought to myself, "this is going to be amazing, look at that juicy bird!" Much to my surprise, when I told him my decision, he said, "oh, she has one already made up at the register."

Really? So, I don't get the fresh stuff? I kept my thought to myself and ordered a side of the beet and feta salad to complement the light sandwich, that I had yet to see. I mean, I saw EVERYTHING ELSE being prepared, but not the "bánh mì" – I obviously ordered the wrong menu item...

There it was, a nondescript brown box handed over with the freshly assembled beet salad – which was the day's special side. Now that was delicious. With fresh parsley, a hint of dill and a light vinaigrette, it was simply bursting with flavor.

What can be said of the sandwich? Not much. It wasn't even a "bánh mì," and bordered on becoming a po-boy meets pulled-pork-sandwich thing. No jalapeno, no cilantro, no pickled carrots, no radish, nothing that would even come close to making it match that Vietnamese street-food wonder. Not knowing how far in advance they prepared the sandwich was a serious let down; it could have been called anything, and made fresh, it would have had real opportunity to shine.

The chicken was tender and they served it with the dark, caramelized skin-on and that was really the only saving grace. The red cabbage was limp and the cucumbers were close to the same. With minimal mayo for lubrication, overall, I give the sandwich a big "MEH."

If ever I'm in the neighborhood again, with ravenous hunger for fresh rotisserie chicken, I'll try the whole.

-Posted by gabulous

Buick Discovery Tour

Do you like cars? Do you like dedicating time to charity? Do you like FOOD & WINE magazine? Do you like food and wine? How about Simply Ming? All of these things (besides Ming) can be yours!

No seriously, this Saturday and Sunday there is an event over in the Jerz with all of these things. I am going, and I have five spots (with a +1 each) to give away. For free. So read below, think about how many points you will get from your significant other (or friend you owe a favor to) and include a comment below about one of the best things you have seen made on a cooking show, whether you attempted it yourself or not. Contest closes tomorrow (10/5/11) at 3pm EST.

WHAT:
Buick has partnered with FOOD & WINE magazine to bring an exclusive culinary event to Philadelphia. Invited guests will have the opportunity to attend full cooking demonstrations and sample several dishes, while also getting a first-hand look at Buick’s 2012 line-up.

Guests will experience the following discovery sessions:
• Cooking Demonstration with FOOD & WINE Best New Chef 2010 Jonathan Sawyer, owner of Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio, the first certified green restaurant in the state
• Pastry Demonstration with Chef Ben Roche, Executive Pastry Chef of Moto in Chicago, Ill., and Co-Host of “Future Foods” on Discovery’s Planet Green Network
• Buick Test Drives, featuring the new Regal Turbo, Lacrosse and Enclave
• Wine Tasting with Michael Green
• Cooking Demonstration and Sampling with Celebrity Chef Ming Tsai, host and executive producer of “SIMPLY MING,” the Emmy nominated public television series

For every guest, Buick will make a donation to The FEED Foundation, in support of their efforts to create good products to help feed the world’s hungry, one bag at a time.

WHEN:
Saturday, October 8
• 11:00am – 2:00pm
• 2:30pm – 5:30pm
• 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Sunday, October 9
• 12:00pm – 3:00pm
• 3:30pm – 6:30pm

WHERE:
The Westin Mount Laurel
555 Fellowship Road
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

John's Roast Pork

14 Snyder Ave
(corner of Weccacoe and Snyder Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 463-1951

I wrote about this one long ago. They STILL make the best cheesesteak around, but I felt that it was time to give something else a whirl.

The roast beef is another winner at John's (surprise!).

Thinly sliced and well seasoned, I added spinach and sharp provolone. The seeded rolls were good as always, and with a dollop of horseradish, this made for quite a lunch. Just so you know, they offer more than just cheesesteaks and pork sandwiches over at John's; although to be fair, we actually got all three and had them cut three ways. My God that cheesesteak is good.

Don Jose Rojo's Tacos REDUX

Another year brings another ride to Ocean City, NJ for the National MS Society's annual City to Shore fundraiser. After riding 80+ miles through the scenic Jers on a bicycle, who doesn't want a belly full of hot and delicious Mexican food to lull them to sleep by 8PM? Well, after last year's visit to Don Jose's, we decided it would become our team's trusted dinner spot – this year being the 3rd time around.

Of course, an order of super nachos with chorizo never fails. Talk about enough food to feed a small army! It's no joke, they give you 'whiz AND shredded cheeses.

This year, I decided to ask the man himself for a recommendation. I was in the mood for a torta, so I limited his suggestions to anything in that form.

Eager to please, he recommended I try the Milanesa de Pollo (breaded chicken). I was excited at this offer, specifically because I wasn't interested in having any weird beef or pork (chorizo aside) products sloshing around down there because tomorrow was going to be another 80 miles on the road.

It took the longest of our 6 dishes to arrive because they took great care to the pounding, fresh breading and deep frying of the breast fillet. I must say, it was well worth the wait. The thin breading was a rich brown, fried to perfection, and light enough that you would have thought it was oven-baked.

Served on your standard, deliciously thin torta roll with some mayo, sliced jalapenos, avocado, onion, tomato and lettuce, this sandwich stuck together and tasted just as any (somewhat) authentic torta should. I asked for plenty of queso fresco because it is served without, and that may have helped with its coalescence. In addition, I requested a side of the habanero sauce, and buyer beware, it sure is spicy!

All in all, Don Jose's is a great spot in an otherwise lacking town – where a visit in the off-season, with limited transportation, leaves you painfully hungry and looking for a Mexican feast.

-Posted by gabulous

Rosh Hashanah Showdown - Hymie's vs. Murray's

For all you who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, fellow Jewish food lover and writer "The Evster" from TV My Weefe Wooches, introduced me to some of the finest deli treats that the Main Line has to offer. I ate so much cured meat that I drank a gallon of water when I got home, and was still thirsty. As there were a lot of photos (some of suspect quality) this will read as more of a photo journey through what happens when two internet friends meet in real life. We started at Hymie's. Before we got to the deli, @TVMyWifeWatches threatened to kill me. Twice.

Hymie's interior reminded me of a cross between Canter's and The Palm. There were apparently pictures of famous family members that only Jewish people from the Main Line were aware of.

Evster did all of the ordering for me, like a true gentleman. He alerted me to the standard soda of choice, Dr. Brown's in black cherry flavor (which he kept for himself) and celery (Cel-rey) flavor, which he was all too happy to share AND watch me drink. Now I had never had Cel-rey flavored soda before, and it wasn't as bad as you would think. Kind of grassy, and vege-tible but not terrible. At first. Evster then informed me it got worse, and indeed it did.

We then moseyed over to the ALL YOU CAN EAT PICKLE BAR. Which turns out was about one bowl's worth. They also offered various salads like potato and cold chow mein noodle salad. Which, Evster informed me, is because Jewish people occasionally love a good plate of Chinese food.

As soon as we were done with the pickles, the corned beef special and pastrami reuben arrived. The reuben was stacked high with thinly sliced, smokey pastrami. I am always a big fan of the thin-meat approach which is far superior to the hand-carved version, in this lowly goy's opinion. Everything was on-point: the meat, the dressing, tart kraut and melted cheese, all on two hearty slices of rye. Fantastic.

The corned beef special was another thing of beauty. Again, ribbon-thin slices of corned beef, hearty rye bread, tangy thousand island and crisp, cool slaw. One of the better specials I have ever eaten.

Hymie's also boasts an extensive take-out deli and prepared foods section. I was mighty tempted, but I knew I still had ANOTHER round to look at, and I was already quite full.

Two step matzo ball soup below.

We then waddled our way across the street to the competition, Murray's Deli. I am told there is a bit of a sit-down, Jewish, Pat's-and-Geno's-type rivalry.

This time a cabbage soup, Reuben and a whitefish platter were ordered. Not exactly apples to apples, but we were hurting from the four pounds of meat we had just consumed. Murray's is more laid back, and it was not nearly as crowded. Of course it was getting late for the blue hair crowd at this point.

The cabbage soup was complex, with a rich, deep broth and tender lumps of cabbage. It was definitely a soul warmer.

Except for this guy's soul. He jumped up and yelled across the empty restaurant to the waitress who was actually walking towards him that his soup needed to be heated up.

On to the Murray's reuben. I could barely pull this thing apart as it was so packed with meat. The gooey cheese and crisp sauerkraut were two perfect complements. Again, it was served on two beautiful slices of rye bread. This time, as full as I was, there was something different. Dare I say, superior? The corned beef was more chipped than sliced, and was piled high as meltingly tender, tiny slices. I must say, this might have made it the winner in my book. I loved the crispy bits, and the supple pieces of meat were just perfect. It's also served with fries and a pickle (no pickle bar) and dressing on the side.

The Evster threw down some whitefish salad. I can't remember if I'd ever tried it before, and if I had, it had been a long time ago. The platter is served with tomato, lemon, pepper rings, olives, onions, cucumbers and your bagel of choice.

I was even lucky enough that he assembled me an "Evster Special" which is a hand built package of joy. I can't explain all of the steps (or he might really kill me this time) but let's just say, Swiss cheese is involved.

Murray's also had a selection of to-go goods, but not quite as large as Hymie's.

Overall, both of these places were spectacular. I loved everything I ate (except the Cel-ray), and the company was more than I could have asked for. I think the edge might go to Murray's in my book, but I need another chance to make the final decision. Let this be a lesson, you can meet your internet friends in person and nothing bad will ever happen. Probably.