The Situation

You know what's great with tapas? Sangria.
For one of my wedding showers, Brian actually made mass amounts of sangria (and mojitos. Go Brian!).

Your Mission

There are a million recipes out there, and while I'm willing to try some, what I want right now is your recommendations of where I can go get the best sangria in Manhattan, Queens, or Nassau County, NY; Philadelphia or Montgomery County; New Jersey; or Dover, DE.
Leave a recommendation in the comments below -- I'll try as many as I can in the weeks ahead, and give you a round-up with the results.

Thanks!

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The Situation

Last time I gave you a mission, it was for French fries. Delicious, but I think we need to combat them by finding some awesome healthy food.

Your Mission

My stomach appeals to you, folks: where can I find the best healthy food in Manhattan, Queens, or Nassau County, NY; Philadelphia, Montgomery County, or Chester County, PA; South Jersey; or Dover, DE?

Leave a recommendation in the comments below -- I'll try as many as I can in the weeks ahead, and give you a round-up with the results.

Thanks!

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Image via Wikipedia
Slainte was a disappointment because of the food, but if we had just gone for drinks, it would have been great.

I don't review a lot of bars, because the real appeal is enjoying a beer with my friends. But I have reviewed some -- places with especially great selection or especially bad service, or restaurants whose drinks really impress.

Establishments I've previously reviewed are linked to the appropriate post; in between are some quickie reviews.

Boston Beer Works -- Click to read my previous review.

Cornwall's Restaurant -- Not much of a website, so I'll fill you in. You walk in, and there's a huge bar with a nice draft selection. To your right, a pool hall. To the back, dartboards and a bookshelf crammed with board games. Perfect for chilling with friends.

Crossroads Coffee -- No alcohol, but that doesn't mean you can't hang out over a nice beverage. Click to read my previous review.

Croxley's -- An international beer menu and 10-cent wing nights. The beers can get pricey, so practice moderation and enjoy your chicken.

Derek's -- Click to read my previous review.

Flanigan's Boat House -- Click to read my previous review.

Irish Pub -- No, really, that's the name of the pub. Limited selection of really nice house beers. The everyday menu is not all that remarkable (though there's nothing wrong with it), but their specials are great -- especially the $10 dinners. I got an amazing steak dinner for a Hamilton once!

Kelsey's -- Click to read my previous review.

Kildare's -- A fun experience, but pick your moments; I've been unimpressed with their dinner menu, and on Friday nights it's way too crowded to be fun enough to justify the cover charge. Stopping for a pint between crowds is nice, though, as there are lots of booths and corners for you and your friends to hide in.

Miller's Ale House -- One of Chris's favorites, with good, affordable food; good, affordable drinks; lots of specials; and tons of games on the big-screen TVs. Watch your moments here, too, as different crowds tend to come in waves. Definitely worth learning when the frat boys arrive, whether to attend or avoid.

Old Eagle Tavern -- Within walking distance of my parents' house, it's where I go at the end of an evening with friends. Says Dan: "Great food and beer selection. Reasonable prices. Manayunk atmosphere, Roxborough prices."

Slainte -- Click to read my previous review.

Smokeless Joe's -- Click to read my previous review.

Sunset Grill and Tap -- Click to read my previous review.

Wayne Gretzky's -- Click to read my previous review.


Go forth and drink responsibly -- and have fun!

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Maybe I'm a little bit of a beer snob. I really don't like mass-market beers. And I love microbrews -- and fake microbrews. And there's a lot to be said for brewery tours and tastings if you're looking for something to do in your hometown, or the town you're visiting.

So here is a round-up of some breweries I've toured and microbrews where I've dined.

Allentown Brew Works -- Tasty food, tasty beer, reasonable prices, and they're open on Sunday evenings after everyone else has closed.

Blue Point Brewery -- Chris got me into their Blueberry beer. After the brewery tour, try free samples of most of their beers and cheap samples of the rest -- and buy a jug of your favorites.

Boston Beer Works -- Click for my previous review.

Brooklyn Brewery -- Learn about the history of the brewery and the making of the beer, then settle in their tasting room to try different varieties, order in a pizza, and maybe pet one of the cats if they'll let you.

Iron Hill Brewery -- They have several locations and some great food, and there's typically a real nice dinner special on Sunday nights. Every location I've been to has parking issues, though, so arrive a bit early to look for a spot.

John Harvard's Brew House -- They have good beer and great food. There used to be several locations in the Philadelphia area, but it's probably for the best that there's not anymore -- I could easily get addicted to their lobster bisque. And then there's the burgers and wings and specialty steaks...

Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant -- The food is hit-or-miss and the beer is a matter of taste, but it's quite pleasant to sip a sampler while overlooking the Manayunk Canal.

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery -- A tiny bit pricey for dinner, but if you get there while happy Hour is still on, you can fill up on half-price appetizers and inexpensive beers. The King of Prussia location has a brew called Billy Penn's Curse that I love.

Sam Adams Brewery Tour -- A really nice tour, and great tastings -- typically, samples of the Boston Lager, a seasonal, and a specialty brew. The suggested donation of $2 goes toward charity; you get to keep your tasting glass, which costs $2 in the gift shop anyway.

Stoudt's Brewing Company -- If you're lucky, like we were, your tour will be given by Ed Stoudt himself. The man has some very strong opinions about beer. We didn't stay for dinner, but we did snack at the oyster bar, which was very nice.

Steam Whistle Brewing -- A tour and tasting at this Canadian brewery takes place in a historical building in Toronto. They collect, sterilize, and reuse their heavy-duty bottles. Good times.


So, go forth and drink responsibly, and if you're underage or driving, just enjoy the good food.

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Melting Pot

1219 Filbert Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

You should know

So for my bachelorette party, the guys took me out. Yes, the guys: Dan and Brian, plus Dave and Michelle. They said we could go anywhere I wanted, it being my party and all. I figured this would be sufficiently fancy and different, plus it was a good excuse to finally check the place out.

Brian, being Brian, tipped them off that it was an event, so they hooked me up with a little logo'ed teddy bear and a framed group picture. Very cool.

So?

So we had five people, including one with lactose sensitivity (me), one with assorted allergies, and one vegetarian.

We started with drinks; I lost track of what others ordered, but I got a glass of Riesling.

Melting pot meals come in four courses: salad, cheese, entree, and dessert.  Our salads were tasty but not memorable; I don't actually recall what we got.

For our cheese course (and yes, I took a Lactaid before I started), we got two pots of Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue ("fontina, butterkäse, and buttermilk bleu cheese with white wine, scallions, and a hint of sherry," $16 for 1-2 people). They came with apples, bread, veggies. Almost everything was excellent, but it seems I will never like cauliflower. Oh well.

Oddly, even though both pots were supposed to be the same, one tasted far more of the sherry base, while the other one tasted very strongly of blue cheese. That was kind of nice -- it gave us a little variety.

For the entree course, we again got two pots of the same flavored oil, and kept one for meat and the other for veggies. We ordered The Vegetarian ("fresh vegetables, tofu, artichoke hearts, portobello mushrooms and spinach and Gorgonzola ravioli," $17), Land & Sea ("a collection of new york strip, marinated breast of chicken and white shrimp," $23), and The French Quarter ("Cajun seasoned shrimp, filet mignon, breast of chicken and andouille sausage," $22).

With the meals came several types of sauce, some to go on the food before dipping, and some to season the food after dipping. The posed some interesting challenges (such as, "How many layers of tempura can you put on a potato, anyway?").

My only complaint was that in the French Quarter meal, everything was so heavily (and deliciously) seasoned that you couldn't quite tell the chicken form the beef until you cut them open -- whcih is really a concern when you consider that the two meats have different cooking times.

For dessert, we got The Original ("this original recipe features our signature milk chocolate complimented with a swirl of crunchy peanut butter") (amazing on bananas!) and one Pure Chocolate ("dark chocolate, melted for the most pure of all chocolate fondues." Both $16)

The chocolate fondues came with Dippers ("fresh strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, tasty marshmallows, pound cake and brownies for you to dip into any of our decadent chocolate fondue creations"). There  was easily something for everyone.

Rating

Tasty but a bit pricey
We technically didn't order enough food for five people, and we still had leftovers -- if you're going with a group, that's a decent option. Either way, definitely save it for a special occasion, but give it a try.

The rest of the Internet

Sabah Karimi at Associated Content explains what to expect at the restaurant.
The Wikipedia page.
Patricia Schaefer at FranchiseTrade discusses the restaurant from a business perspective.
Jenna Brucoli at Jenna Sais Quois posts some great pictures of Melting Pot food.
Online and logged in reviews the restaurant.
The Beeze at The Beeze's Tales from the Fish House enjoyed good food but suffered bad service.

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Image via Wikipedia

It's tasty and inexpensive. They even have vegetarian options. But maybe split the fries with your dining partner(s).

slainte

You should know

So?

Rating

The rest of the Internet

Derek's

4411 Main Street
Philadelphia, PA 19127
215-483-9400

You should know

I'm not all that into Valentine's Day.  Sure, I'm not going to turn down an opportunity for a romantic evening with Chris, but I don't find overpriced, overcrowded situations to be all that romantic.  

So since Valentine's Day fell two days before Presidents' Day, we decided to go out Sunday the 15th, avoiding the crowds.

Lately, we've been using Restaurant.com when we try new places, and Derek's came up as sufficiently romantic, with a good menu. It's also fairly close to where I live.

So?

Now, we managed to find pretty good parking, which for Main Street on a weekend is kind of a treat. Prepare to park on a side street or pay for parking.

We were seated in the downstairs dining room, which was pleasant but sort of cramped.  There were moments when it felt like the parties on either side of us were part of our party, instead.  Also, we were a few tables in from a door, so since it was cold out, when the large party between us and the door left, the draft swept in and I froze for the rest of my meal.

Chris and I both decided to order the three-course meal ($32.99), which includes soup or a salad, one of several select entrees, and a dessert.  We both ordered the hearts of romaine Caesar salad ("the traditional with handcut croutons & grated Romano cheese," $8.99), and pan seared flatiron steak ("whipped Parmesan potatoes, caramelized onions & roasted pepper jus," $22.99), while Chris planned on ordering the chocolate baby bundt cake ("totally rich and warm with Chantilly cream") and I had my eye on the carnival style funnel cake ("dusted with the traditional powdered sugar cloud over fresh strawberry sauce with vanilla ice cream").

The salad was good, and the bread was excellent.  The steaks were also very tasty, and the leftovers I had for lunch the other day reheated very nicely, as well.  I had a glass of Merlot ("Canyon Road [California 2006], medium bodied with crisp cherry and jammy blackberry flavors," $8 glass/$40 bottle), while Chris had a Victory Prima Pils ("[pilsner] Pennsylvania, craft brewer’s chart topping version of the popular blond style chosen by the NY Times as the world's best pilsner," $5.50), with which we were both satisfied.

Then came dessert.  The three-course menu has a few choices of dessert.  By the time we ordered, the only listed dessert left was the creme brule -- not a deal-breaker for me, but our server was nice enough to offer us any dessert as part of our meal -- not unreasonable, since all desserts were the same price a la carte ($7.99).  Our second choices had limited quantities as well; I ended up getting the daily fruit cobbler (apple, "served warm with cinnamon ice cream") and Chris got the cheesecake of the day (classic).  They were both good, if not what we were hoping for; I'm not convinced I got cinnamon ice cream, actually, but it's possible it was so mild that the cinnamon in the cobbler overpowered it.

The couple sitting next to us had a similar problem with some of their orders. Even though the shortages were disappointing, they were not altogether surprising.  We did go the day after a major dining-out holiday, and the evening after a fairly major brunch morning.  Even so, they should have accounted for this, either by ordering sufficient materials in advance, or coming up with substitutions in the face of shortages.

My biggest complaint, though, was with the bathrooms.  There were two unisex powder rooms on the second floor (which was somewhat problematic in itself, as Chris was on crutches from a sprained ankle).  One was locked; we do not know if it was occupied or out of service.  The one that was open was dirty (there was a fairly ominous puddle on the floor by the toilet), devoid of toilet paper, and featured a non-functioning lock -- not fun when you're using the facilities and the next person doesn't realize it's occupied.

Rating

Seriously consider it
You'll want a game plan for parking, and to dress appropriate for the weather of the moment, and definitely have an open mind about your order if you go during or right after a high-traffic time, but the food was great and the cocktails were sufficiently appealing-looking that I'm tempted to go back for drinks and either appetizers or desserts.  The bad things were bad, but the good things were very, very good.

The rest of the Internet

Churu Autumn at Churu was displeased with the service.
Check out the Zagat rating.

Image via Wikipedia

Bistro Cassis

175 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087

You should know

Chris and I have found a new source of new restaurants -- Restaurant.com. OK, Restaurant.com isn't actually new, but we've only started using it in the last few months.

Chris was in town for Christmas, and that weekend we wanted to do something nice for dinner. Restaurant.com had a really nice promotion going on, so we got a decent amount of our dinner covered for just a few dollars.

The Bistro is on the same premises as Pond Restaurant.  The two seem to have overlapping menus, but the restaurant is a bit nicer and can be reserved for private parties.

So?

It was a teribly foggy night, so we didn't get out there as quickly as we might have, and the restaurant was nearly deserted when we got there.

We were seated by a window -- not my first choice, since drafts bother me, but it wasn't that bad. I would have had a lovely view of the grounds of the Radnor Racquet Club, if not for the fog. Chris had a lovely view of the foyer.

Because of the limitations on our gift certificate, we had to order either appetizers or desserts to meet the purchase minimum. The restaurant had a three-course menu, which would have covered both, but that menu allowed for ordering the items a la carte, which combined with the items on the regular menu made for a nice selection.

Chris and I both found that we liked our appetizers more than we liked our entrees. I got the lobster bisque($10)-- I'm a sucker for a good lobster bisque, and this was amazing. It didn't even need the drizzle of tarragon oil on top, but that certainly didn't hurt!

Chris got the "Homemade Thai Spring Roll, Bean Sprout and Shrimp, Shallot Chili Sauce" ($9). He found them very moist and tasty, with both the shrimp and the sauce adding a lot of flavor.
Then, out came the entees. Chris got the "Seafood Paella , Valencia Rice, Saffron Chorizo Broth" ($24), which he liked all right, but it didn't especially impress him. He spent a summer in Spain, and expects more from a paella.

I got the "Duck Confit Cassoulet with Garlic Sausage and Baked Tarbais Beans" ($19). It was good, although I wasn't that big a fan of some of the other meats that came with it. The beans were odd, but very tasty.

Chris managed to finish his dinner. I got two lunches out of my leftovers.

Rating

Check it out...
... But either save it for a special occastion, or hit Restaurant.com ahead of time. With our gift certificate, we did fairly well, but it could get pretty pricey otherwise.

Unless you're daring enough to just have soup and no entree. In which case, get the lobster bisque and call it a night. Yum.

The rest of the Internet

Check the reviews at Zagat.
A nice review from Craig LaBan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
An enthusiastic review by Ken Alan at AroundPhilly.com

Image via Wikipedia

California Pizza Kitchen

4040 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131

You should know

Dan and I had plans to go out after I got out of work.  He suggested we try out the new California Pizza in Plymouth Meeting.  I pointed out that there is also a new California Pizza Kitchen on City Ave. which is much closer to my train station, if he wanted to save some gas.  He agreed.

So?

I was not starving, so I opted to get an appetizer instead of an entree.  Dan got one of the personal pizzas.

I ordered avocado club egg rolls ("A fusion of East and West with fresh avocado, chicken, tomato, Monterey Jack cheese and applewood smoked bacon, wrapped in a crispy wonton roll. Served with ranchito sauce and our herb ranch dressing.")  I got fresh lemonade to drink.  Dan got Jamaican Jerk Chicken pizza  ("Grilled Jamaican Jerk spiced chicken breast with our spicy sweet Caribbean sauce, Mozzarella cheese, applewood smoked bacon, mild onions, roasted red & yellow peppers and green onions.") with a Diet Coke.

My food was excellent.  They gave me one too few rolls, but the waitress was out a few minutes later with the final one (I think I saw one hit the floor shortly before I was served, which would explain it...).   Dan was also very pleased with his food.

However, as I was leaving, I was hit by a wave of pretty bad indigestion.  The heaviness of my meal combined with the acidity of my beverage just did me in.  Two Tums and half a can of ginger ale later, I felt fine.

Rating

Go... if you have an iron stomach
The food really was delicious, and Dan had no ill effects.  If rich, spicy, acidic, or cheesy foods bother you at all, you may want to give it a pass; otherwise, enjoy!

Image by admiller via Flickr

Pei Wei Asian Diner

4040 City Avenue, Bldg. 2 Space 2
Philadelphia, PA 19131

You should know

Actually, Brian and I wanted to go to Chipotle. But, alas, dairy and I are not the best of friends, and I didn't have an Lactaid on me. And I'm sorry, a burrito is just not worth the bother without the cheese and sour cream.

Fortunately, this spin-off of P. F. Chang was right next door, and I had been meaning to try it.

For what it's worth, Brian ended up not going to Chipotle, either, but instead trying out the sandwiches at Potbelly. But you'd have to ask him how that went.

So?

I ordered the Spicy Korean Chicken with fried rice ("Korean hot pepper sauce, garlic, white mushroom, onion, carrot, long beans, toasted sesame seeds," $7.95) and a fountain soda. The soda fountain was in the back of the restaurant, so I had to cut through the casual dining room to fill my cup. There were two kinds of tea (chai and citrus green), but when I tasted them, I was disappointed. I honestly don't know if they were supposed to be iced teas that hadn't been sufficiently iced, or hot teas that had cooled down too much. Either way, both teas were tepid, so I got Coca-Cola instead.

Back with the soda fountain were tubs of assorted sauces for seasoning dishes; metal spoon for soups; small boxes for taking home leftovers; and big tubs full of fortune cookies. Cups of wrapped chopsticks, plus nice napkins, sat on each dine-in table.

The restaurant must have a vigorous order-ahead service, because the dining room was not very full, and the take-out line was not particulalrly crowded, but the cooks in the visible kitchen were working frantically and my food still took quite a while to come up.

When my food finally came up, the woman at the counter tossed the take-out box into a plastic bag and handed it to me. No napkin. No chopsticks or fork. No sauces. No fortune cookie. All of these things were visibly stacked beneath the front counter, in addition to being available to dine-in guests at the back of the restaurant. I may be interpreting this incorrectly, but it seems to me, then, that I should not have had to then wait around for five minutes, trying to flag down the counter-attendant's attention so that I could requst a fork and napkin. Yes, using a metal fork from home would be more ecologically sound, but I wasn't going home -- I was going directly outside to eat dinner with Brian, who as noted above had bought his food from a different establishment.

Fortunately, I had snagged a fortune cookie from the back when I got my drink.

My food was delicious, but I'm glad I got the fried rice. There was nowhere near $7.95 worth of chicken in my meal. I did manage to get a good lunch out of my leftovers, but had the rice been plain brown or white, I wouldn't have bothered. There not enough chicken or sauce to stretch out rice that did not have flavor of its own.

The chicken I got was good, though. Spicy, though not overly so. As I had predicted, in chains like this even "spicy" food is pretty mild, which is fine with me. The rice was very nice, with a decent mixture of vegetables and egg. There were more carrots than I would have chosen, but overall, a nice blend.

And the fortune cookie was very tasty.

Rating

Almost worth it
I don't know if the service would have been better had I dined in, but if I go back, I'm going to find out. The food was good, but I don't think I'll be getting take-out again. I don't care if you give me chopsticks or a fork, but I need one or the other.

Also, at risk of sounding like an idiot, I had no idea how to pronounce the place's name until the writing of this entry. Yes, I am an ignorant American.

The rest of the Internet

An interesting business article about Pei Wei by Bret Thorn at bnet.
Thank you, Philadelphia Inquirer! According to The Discreet Diner, it's pronounced "Pay Way."
The Wikipedia page.
The nutritional information for my meal. Mmm, healthy.

Image via Wikipedia
The Barnes Foundation
300 N. Latch's Lane
Merion, PA 19066-1729

You should know
Chris and I did our undergrad right by the Barnes, and various professors had raved about it, but we had never gone. The city is trying to move the collection, and I wanted to visit before this happens. We didn't think we'd get tickets ($10) -- it was a bit more last minute than the website recommends (30-60 days in advance is recommended). Still, Chris made the call and we got the tickets. Also, Chris and I both really like impressionism and many of its offshoots, like pointillism, early cubism, and certain examples of abstract expressionism.


So?
The tickets are timed -- we had an appointment for 11:00 AM. I thought this would be perfect, as guided tours of the grounds are scheduled for 11:15. Unfortunately, these tours don't start until late April, and I can see why. We roamed the grounds a bit ourselves, and while the gardens were well-manicured and the trees were in full bloom, not much else was. It was somewhat underwhelming, though I can tell it will be amazing this summer.

So instead we began wandering through the collection. Unlike a typical art museum, the collection is not organized by artist or movement, and there are no plaques on the wall to give you the relevant details. We went through a few rooms utterly lost, then tracked back when we discovered the laminated room maps that describe the works on each wall. It still only gave us titles and artists, but it helped.

We made it through about two-thirds of the museum this way before our 1:00 PM tour of the collection. It was intriguing; what appears at first glance to be a pretty haphazard setup it actually very deliberate. Dr. Albert C. Barnes was very interested in art education, going as far as to hold art appreciation lessons for his employees, paid, on company time. He spent millions on his collection, and in retrospect got some phenomenal bargains to boot. He didn't even necessarily like everything in his collection, but he wasn't selecting it for aesthetic purposes, but rather for education purposes, so if it had a place in the lesson, he acquired it. Even if you don't understand exactly what Barnes was going for in a particular room, there is a lot of really impressive symmetry: a matched set of two paintings may flank a center work, or you may see an early and late work by the same artist across the room from each other.

Our docent was very knowledgeable, and while I don't think I retained as much as I might have liked, we still learned quite a lot (for instance, I didn't know that El Greco is sort of the patron saint of modern art).

After the tour, though, we were pretty tired. We tried to revisit the rooms we hadn't made it to on our first walk-through, but we were just beat. After a quick stroll around the grounds, we headed out.


Rating
Go while you can.
I'm not saying the new location won't be amazing. I'm not even saying the new location will actually happen. But definitely go soon, just to be on the safe side.

Also, try to go in late spring. And if you do, take some pictures of the gardens for me?


A bit of advice
Bring a sweater. No, really. It says to on the website, but I forgot -- and I was freezing the entire time I was there.


The rest of the Internet
Some of these sites include pictures from the collection, which may include nudes.
The Friends of the Barnes Foundation are working to prevent the relocation.
Check out the collection of New York Times articles on the Barnes.
Kate Strathmann at Off Center reflects on the collection and the relocation.
Miscellany Inc. has a three part series about the Barnes.
NPR tours the Barnes and discusses the move.
KT at The Finer Things Club discusses the setup of the displays.

Roller's at Flying Fish
8142 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118

You should know
Brian and I wanted to grab a late dinner. It being Good Friday, Brian wanted fish; I wasn't sure of a good, local seafood place. So he plugged "fish" into his portable GPS unit, and we got this Chestnut Hill address.

We got there about 15 minutes before they were set to close, and I was dressed in jeans and sweats; these two things made me a bit wary, but the menu looked good and so did the prices.

So?
When we got there, there was a ton of meter parking across the street. Fortunately, 2-hour parking ended at 6:00 PM, so we could park for free while we ate.

The restaurant was empty, and, as I said, it was about to close, so I figured the staff was ready to go home. Instead, they were incredibly gracious and welcoming, reviewing the pros and cons of the different tables and commenting on the different specials.

Brian and I each ordered a glass of wine (Riesling for me; chardonnay for Brian). I got an appetizer in lieu of an entree: lump crab nachos ($10.75). Brian got broiled tilapia with cranberries, pecans and ruby grapefruit ($17.75).

The food was delicious. My nachos were covered in a gooey crab-and-cheese mixture, with a healthy scoop each of salsa (almost more of a pico de gallo) and guacamole. The chips, which had been lightly toasted, were very, very salty, but the attentive waitstaff kept my water glass full at all times. Brian was happy with his tilapia, though he said all that fruit just slightly overpowered the flavor of the fish.

The waitstaff were constantly coming over, not in an annoying, hovering sort of way, but in a very friendly manner, chatting with us, making sure we didn't want for water or rolls, and trying to talk us into a cup of coffee or a dish of gelato (which we had to decline -- we were stuffed). At one point, Paul Roller himself came out, joked about us sitting at a table with no tablecloth, and noticing that Brian and I were both wearing outfits in support of our alma mater, chatted for a few minutes about college basketball. We reasoned that either the staff was very bored, or the restaurant is not doing so well. From what I've found out online, it appears to have been the former.

The only downside of the evening was when the bill came. I know, I know. But while the price of our food was quite reasonable, the price of my wine nearly doubled my tab. These things happen, I understand that, but if I had known about it going in, I might have opted for tea.

Rating
Go... but get a soft drink.
Again, the food was amazing, the prices were reasonable, the staff was attentive and friendly, and I kind of want to try that gelato, but I'm not a huge fan of having my wine cost as much as my meal. Next time, I'll be getting tea or soda, and stopping for a beer elsewhere on my way home.

The rest of the Internet
Robin at Ponderings and Pawprints remembers working at Roller's.

Awesome link of the week
Beth Terry at Fake Plastic Fish has given up plastic. After reading about other bloggers who have made the effort to go plastic-free for a year, or leave minimal ecological footprints, she set four goals, involving preservation of natural resources, lessening pollution and landfill fodder, improving health, and educating. And once a week, she tallies her plastic waste, sorting it by recyclable or not, and by whether she bought it before or after this project started.

Now, I'm not about to give up plastic altogether, but her blog has given me plenty of food for thought, and a list of ways to start cutting back. Look it over, and consider trying even one.

The Golden Compass
2007, in theaters

You should know
Ok, I actually have read this one. I’ve only read the first book in the trilogy, but I plan on borrowing the rest from Dan one of these days.

When we saw the movie, Dan had not read the book yet. He went out and bought the trilogy soon after.

I’m also currently re-reading the book for my book club. We’ll be talking about the spiritual/religious messages and the controversy. I’m looking forward to it.

So?
While the story was definitely watered down from the original text, it was fairly close, at least in spirit. I didn’t have much of a problem with the cuts and changes that were chosen for time constraints (although the movies is only 113 minutes long, not quite two hours). Iorek Byrnison is toned down a bit, Serafina Pekkala’s role is shortchanged, and the revelation of Lyra’s parentage is handled very differently than in the book, but otherwise, I was satisfied. That said, the movie ended a bit before the book did, although not on an inappropriate note.

To review the plot: Lyra, an orphan girl living at a major university in Oxford in a universe where people’s souls are housed in familiars called daemons, is thrust into a dangerous plot when she catches a university official trying to poison her uncle, Lord Asrael. Soon after, she’s taken in (in both senses of the phrase) by the lovely, if suspicious, Mrs. Coulter, at which point she finally gets a taste of the danger and adventure to come. Children are being kidnapped, daemons are in danger, and Lyra comes into the possession of an alethiometer, the titular golden compass that tells her the truth about anything she asks of it. Airships, polar bears, Texans… I think I covered most of this in my review of the book.

Rating
Check it out
If you enjoyed the book but aren’t a stickler for perfect transcription, if you like a good fantasy movie, or if you have older kids (it’s a bit intense for little ones), go for it. But don’t expect heavy-handed Catholic bashing a la the controversy.

The rest of the Internet
Warning: possible spoilers
At the official move site, you can play with an alethiometer or create your own daemon.
The Wikipedia pages for the film and the book.
The IMDb page.
Snopes confirms the root of the controversy.
The reviews are not great at Rotten Tomatoes.
Peter T. Chattaway at Christianity Today seemed to like the movie well enough, though he considers the religious themes potentially problematic. The article includes some interesting discussion questions.
Stephanie Zacharek at Salon did not like the movie at all.
Songshards liked the movie more than the book.
John at Come to Find Out liked the movie, but loved the book.
Chris Kohler at Underwire thinks the movie should have been longer and darker.

Awesome link of the week
Now, those who know me might not guess that I’d pick a blog about World War I. But those who know me really well won’t be too surprised by this one. It's all about letters.

Pte Harry Lamin would be 120 this year. He served in the First World War as a member of the British Army, and over the course of the war wrote many letters home. The letters he sent to his brother and sister were saved, and his grandson, Bill, has taken to posting transcriptions of the letters 90 years to the day from when they were written. Since Harry’s family never knew when (or if) another letter was coming, neither do the readers (although Bill occasionally will give readers a heads-up if he has reason to believe the delay is due to a bundle of letters being lost, rather than a disaster). He has also compiled reader comments and his responses to many of them, as well as transcriptions of the battalion’s war diaries to add historical context.

Bill Lamin will not reveal Harry’s fate -- and since Harry left a young son at home when he went to war, Bill’s existence is not a clue. I’m hoping we’ll get to read some nice, happy letters either this November 11 or next June.

Image via WikipediaGhost Tour of Philadelphia
Tickets available at:
Gift Shop next to Omni Hotel
401 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
until tour time
Independence Visitor Center
6th & Market Streets
until 5:00 pm
Online
Tour departs from:
Signers Garden
5th & Chestnut Streets

You should know
Dan and I had been talking about ghosts for years. He very much wants to spend the night at Leverington Cemetary that is supposed to be extremely haunted; I’m not quite up for getting arrested.

I believe that ghosts could exist, but I have never experienced one. Nor, by all accounts, do I much wish to. But hey, I’m a sucker for a good story.

So?
First of all, there is very little parking in Center City on a Friday night. Fortunately, the 9 bus goes right to the site. Unfortunately, we didn’t take the 9 bus. Parking cost us over $20.

Buying tickets was interesting, because there were two ghost tours selling tickets right next to each other. I don’t know anything, good or bad, about the other tour, but keep the one you want in mind so you don’t find yourself on the wrong one. Also, leave yourself time to eat – we spent almost as much time looking for non-sit-down food as we would have had we say down. There’s plenty or restaurants or bars around if you have the time, though.

Perhaps most importantly, the weather was about perfect – cool enough for autumn, but not so cold as to be uncomfortable.

The tour started in Signers Park, where tour guides dressed in black pseudo-Victorian garb held lanterns with real, lit candles. Our guide, Katie, started taking us around the city, to sites like Independence Hall, Washington Square, and St. Peter’s Cemetery, telling us stories about the various ghosts said to haunt the sites and how they fit into Philadelphia history. Yellow fever, dysentery, mass graves, murders, fires… and Ben Franklin refusing to leave. Hey, this is Philadelphia – Franklin is everywhere.

It seemed that different tour guides had different sets of stories. At times, I eavesdropped on another group, and their story was completely different from the one being told to ours. Does this mean the stories are fake… or that the sites are so haunted that the guides have their choice of tales? Well, that’s really not my call.

Ultimately, Dan and I agreed that the tour was well worth the $15 ticket – but not the total cost of ticket plus parking.

Rating
Go… by bus
We took an earlier tour, and there were a handful of kids who were well behaved and far from terrified. For a juicier tour, the later show might be in order.

The rest of the Internet
Cher Mayn Chan at 34th Street Culture speaks highly of the tour.

Awesome link of the week
Sluggy Freelance is a popular 10-year-old comic. Don't bother starting with today's and knowing what's going on, though; you're better off going back to the beginning and watching Pete Abrams's style evolve over the last decade. Make sure you have a weekend with no plans cleared away; I wasted a ton of time going through the archives when I was first introduced, and that was about six years ago.

Also, if you're into the comic to the point where you want to flesh out that conspiracy theory, or you just want some intelligent, civil discourse, check out the forums at The Sluggite Zone. Spammers and trolls are dispatched with quickly, and coherent posting is the norm. L33t, along with certain hot-button issues, is forbidden, and language is kept to PG-13 (the rule is: if Pete used it in a comic, it's OK).

Full disclosure: I'm a moderator on the boards myself. See if you can figure out which one!