Waffles & Wedges

Waffles and Wedges (1511 Pine Street) celebrated their one anniversary last week with a block party. The store sells wedges of sweet and regular potato and waffles topped with goodies. You can customize the toppings for your potatoes or waffles or you can order from a set menu.

Since there was going to be some free samples and specials at the party, of course, I had to go. Where ever there are free or discounted food, I will likely find my way there. At the block party, there were samples of alcohol and ice cream. I didn't get any liquor because I don't drink. Regarding the ice cream, by the time I finished waiting in line for the waffle, the sponsor run out of cups and were only giving out spoonful of ice cream. I refuse to wait in line for a spoonful of ice cream. Had it been a cupful that would have been another story. After a lengthy wait in line and for the staff to cook the waffle, I did finally get the mini Party Crasher waffle for $1. For $1,  I thought the waffle was going to be very tiny and literally a bit size, but it was actually a good size. I would say an amount that was worth a $1 or more. The regular sized waffles were not much bigger than the mini ones. This deal was great, considering the regular price of items on the menu range from $5-$8

The Party Crasher was a liege waffle topped with vanilla icing and rainbow jimmies. Liege waffles are special waffles made with actual dough versus a batter mix. I felt like they are more dense than other waffles. The waffle itself was delicious it wasn't too sweet. It was somewhat crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. It had a doughy chewy texture. I enjoy the waffle; however, I thought the vanilla icing was too sweet for my liking. There wasn't anything special about the rainbow sprinkles. I think I would have been happy if the liege waffle came by itself or was sprinkle with some powder sugar. The event was lively with a good number of attendance and $1 waffles so overall I thought it was a fun successful party.

Party Crasher Liege Waffle

Birra

Birra (1700 E. Passyunk Ave), an Italian restaurant located in the East Passyunk neighborhood in South Philly, was a great find. It had what I thought to have an interesting selection of offerings. There were small plates, gourmet pizzas, pastas, customizable pizzas, salads, and paninis. They also have a good number of drink options. Too bad I don't drink but if I did I would have ordered Flying Dog Raging Bitch for its name. It totally got my attention. Also, the restaurant had a nice chill and relaxing ambience. Inside the restaurant there were some table seating and a nice bar area. There was also table seating outside. I usually find that when restaurants offer outside seating, most of the time the tables and chairs are fairly small (I am talking about the restaurants in center city like Parc, a.kitchen, Tria, Rouge, and etc.), but at Birra the tables and chairs are somewhat bigger producing a a more comfortable look. Table clothes were placed on the tables which further enhanced the outdoor seating visuals. 

I got the Mediterranean Orzo. I actually never had Orzo before. It was pasta shaped like large grains of rice. The look and texture reminded me of the fluffy rice that might have been cooked with broth. The orzo was came with baby eggplant, zucchini, calamata olives, cured tomatoes, fresh lemon, white wine, and topped with feta cheese. It had the Mediterranean taste (somewhat sourish, a little salty, and lemony) if you know what I am talking about, but the flavors were more elevated. I attributed this to the white wine, calamata olives, and the crushed peppercorn. The pasta was accompanied by two slices of toasted bread. The bread was good and had a nice crunch to it. It went well with the pasta. The vegetables in the pasta were soft and added to the Mediterranean concept of the dish. Overall, I was very satisfied with the entree; however, it was a little bit oiler than I wanted it to be . When I finished my place, there was noticeable amount of fat on my plate. But then again this excessive oil might be the reason why I enjoyed this dish.

Mediterranean Orzo 

My friends and I shared the Caponata pizza (marinated eggplant, red onions, roasted peppers sopressoto, mascarpone & ricotta, balsamic crema). Of course, we asked the sopressoto to only be present on one half of the pizza since I am a vegetarian. The pizza looked great. The crust was soft. I actually could not make out the eggplant, but I did taste the onions, peppers, cheese, and balsamic creama. The pizza was good and the ingredients really blended together well. My favorite part and what I remembered most about the pizza was the balsamic crema. It gave the pizza a nice sweetness to it. I would definitely like to come back to try other things on the menu. 

Caponata Pizza

Bubblefish- Take two

Last time when I went to Bubblefish, I didn't like the entree I got. My friend likes the place and I like the place for drinks so here we are at Bubblefish again. This time instead of ordering a rice platter. I ordered sushi and it was delicious. And of course, I had to get one of their fancy drinks, too.

The Green Peace roll was a vegetarian roll with sweet potato tempura, asparagus, cucumber, mango, topped with sliced avocado and mango puree. It was a good portion size.  It was beautifully displayed and well made. The ingredients tasted fresh. The sushi was very tasty and there was a crunch from the tempura. Although the description stated that there was mango and mango puree, I didn't really tasted the mango, but I tasted everything else. The soft sweet potato added a hint of sweetness but it was balanced with the somewhat savory sauce the sushi was topped with. I was very pleased with my choice.

Green Peace Sushi

For my drink, I got the Hawaiian Passion fresh fruit smoothie which was a blend of kale, spinach and pineapple. The drink was very refreshing and had a nice mildly thick and creamy consistency.  The pineapple provided some sweetness to the drink. I can taste all the components in the mix but the kale and spinach were a little more overpowering than the pineapple which I didn't mind. I enjoyed my drink.

Hawaiian Passion Fruit Smoothie

Next time I know if I go to Bubblefish, I should order from their sushi and special drinks section. Btw, I noticed that they are somewhat creative with the naming of items on their menu. It must took them a while to come up with a menu with countless unique drinks and different types of sushi. Props to them. 

Hai Street Kitchen- Sushi Burrito

One of the new craze is sushi burrito. I decided to get one from Hai Street Kitchen (32 Street 19th Street) for lunch one day. You can either build your own burrito or you can pick from a standard menu. I got the Flamin' Tuna. They prepare the burrito in front of you and roll it up. This reminded me of Chipotle's made to order process. The Flamin' Tuna came with yellowfin tuna tartare, gochujang sauce, romaine lettuce, carrots, fresh beets, and avocado salsa. You also get the choice of white rice or brown rice. I got it with brown rice. The vegetables were fresh and there was a crunch to it. The tuna tartare had a soft texture and was tasty. The small amount of gochujang faintly seasoned the burrito. I thought this burrito was overall a healthy meal packed with nutrients and overall tasted good, but I didn't think it was worth the price. I like the marketing/ concept of the sushi burrito, but to be honest I am not really impressed with the product itself. It is just an overpacked sushi roll that is not cut into pieces. I didn't like the fact that the burrito could get messy during consumption as the ingredients kept falling out. Although a pro of the sushi burrito is that it can be customized to your liking, I can do without the personalization. I would prefer and would rather pay the price for sushi. You basically get the same product when you buy regular sushi and the sushi is more crafted so you don't have to worry about creating a mess.

Hai Street Kitchen Flamin' Tuna Sushi Burrito

Yogorino- Frozen Yogurt

Yogorino is my favorite frozen yogurt brand. It is a franchise that started in Italy in 1993 and has made it around the world. I haven't had it in awhile because I don't enjoy eating cold treats in the Winter. Well, now that it is spring and warmer, it is time for frozen yogurt. On one lovely Sunday, I went with a friend to the Yogorino on 233 S. 20th Street to indulge in the sweet goodness. I got a size small with milk chocolate sauce and pineapples. I wanted to get dark chocolate sauce but they didn't have any that day. I love how the sauce freezes up and becomes hard when it is poured on the cold frozen yogurt. The pineapples that day were very sweet. The yogurt itself is sweet and mildly tarry. I savored over each bite and I kind of licked the cup, too. That's how good this yogurt is to me. If you live in Philly and have never tried Yogorino, go now and experience the greatness you are missing out on. If you are visiting Philly and never tried Yogorino, make sure it is on your to do list because it is worth it.

Yogurino Frozen Yogurt with Milk Chocolate and Pineapples

Buena Onda

On one fine night, my friend and I grabbed dinner at Buena Onda. Okay, it was for a belated birthday celebration. Buena Onda is one of Chef Jose Graces's restaurant. It was more casual than his other restaurants, but nonetheless delicious. When you enter, you go to the register to order. If you are dining in you, you take a stand with a number and place it on your table. After they bring out the food to you, they take away the stand. Opposite of the register, there is a self service station with the fountain soda machine, napkins, straws, and utensils.

I ordered two fish tacos Atlantic mahi mahi and the fish taco of the month which was tuna. You have the choice of getting them signature batter fried or tequila lime glazed.  I got the mahi mahi fried while I got the tuna glazed. The fried batter of the mahi mahi was thin and very crispy. The mahi mahi came as a rectangular chunk topped the avocado, red cabbage, and jicama slaw. The meat was tender and well cooked.The red cabbage and jicama slaw tasted somewhat pickled. The combination of the chunky meat with the crispy batter and toppings was just magnificent with every mouthful. The tequila lime glazed tuna like the mahi mahi came as a rectangular chunk in the taco and was very tender. It was topped with what appears to be shredded cucumber. The tuna had a more tangy taste from the lime than the mahi mahi. It also had a kick to it and when I looked closer at the taco there were thinly shredded jalapenos mixed in with the cucumbers. Both of the tacos were good, but I prefer the Atlantic mahi mahi more.

Tuna Taco and Atlantic Mahi Mahi Taco

In addition to the fish taco, we got guacamole and chips. The chips didn't taste fresh or homemade. They were on the thicker side and reminded me of Snyder brand tortilla chips. The guacamole portion side was quite small in my opinion. The guacamole was creamy and had an after kick to it from the tiny bits of jalapenos in it. It was supposedly topped with some kind of cheese, but I couldn't taste the cheese.  I could taste a bit of cilantro in the mix. I actually didn't like this guacamole. I thought the jalapenos overpowered the avocado and didn't enhance its flavor. The way I like my guacamole is creamy and tangly with cilantro, tomatoes, onions.

Guacamole with Tortilla Chips