I was chatting with a fellow blogger recently, and mentioned to him that I have a ton of half-written reviews waiting to be finished and posted.  He suggested I just post what I have and finish them as I go.  If this is a good idea, he gets the credit.  If this is a bad idea, he was kidding and it's all on me.  Either way, go check out his blog: The GIN is IN.

Blackbirds

41-19 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11103

You should know

Chris and I decided to go for a walk in the new neighborhood late one Sunday night and see what kind of dining establishments were still serving dinner.

One little place had drink specials and wing specials during all football games, and since one was on at that moment, we figured, "Why not?"

So?

So of course Chris was nice and distracted by the game, but I expected that.  He got the wings ("1/2 dozen or one dozen.  Hot, medium, sweet & sour, and honey bbq, and I got a Blackbird's Burger("8-oz. burger served with fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion. Add 50¢ for a topping of your choice: bleu cheese, american, cheddar, mozzarella, sauteed mushrooms, sautéed onions, or bacon.  Add 1 dollar for avocado or goat cheeseburger.")  Of course, the game night menu is not as clear as the online menu as to what does or does not count as an additional topping, so I ended up paying a little more than I expected, but it was still good.  The food was good, but not especially impressive.

To drink, I got a Coney Island Lager ("A hybrid mash up of styles between European brewing traditions. Very unusual malt bill and hops that nod strongly at American craft"), which was nice but not amazing, and Chris got a Franziskaner.

The burger was excellent, and Chris enjoyed their wings, though so many places have wing specials that he won't get them unless he's getting the beer included, as well (which is a feature of their late-night menu).

Since then, we've gone back multiple times, usually when we want a late dinner and everyone else has stopped serving food.

Rating

Check it out if you're in the neighborhood
It's definitely worth stopping by if you're around, but I don't know if I'd go so far as to recommend traveling to get there.

Image via CrunchBaseI got my mother a copy of Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything cookbook for Christmas a few years back, and she uses it all the time.  I'm waiting for the latest edition to come out in paperback, then I'm buying it myself.

Bitman has a blog on the New York Times website, and has contributing and guest bloggers appear regularly.  At one point, the contributor was Luca Marzorati, a high school student and street-cart food connoisseur.

Marzorati's writing is excellent -- you wouldn't guess he was in high school when this was written if the article hadn't made mention of it.  And his praise of Sammy's Halal Cart is glowing.  I'm tempted to track the cart down for lunch one of these days.

Check out the review for yourself.


 

Image via WikipediaIt looks like I forgot to do a 4-year index back in April, and these indices do make it easier to find things, so let's get back on track.

Books

Fiction

The Amber Spyglass
Anansi Boys
Bad Twin
Birds Without Wings
Christ the Lord
A Clash of Kings
Dawn
A Game of Thrones
Gilead
The Giver
Gods Behaving Badly
Going Postal
The Golden Compass
The Good Earth
Good Omens
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Imago
The Knitting Circle
Kockroach
Linden Hills
Lonesome Dove
Making Money
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Neverwhere
Parable of the Sower
Practical Demonkeeping
The Road
Silence
The Sparrow
The Subtle Knife
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
A Thread of Grace
The Westing Game
You Suck

Graphic Novels

9-11: Artists Respond Volumes 1 and 2
Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume 1
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Troubles Begin
Sluggy Freelance: Little Evils
Watchmen

Nonfiction

The 100 People Who are Ruining America
1776
Abraham: The First Historical Biography
American Bee
Angela's Ashes
As Seen on TV
The Commitment
The Daring Book for Girls
The Devil’s Candy
Everything twitter
Freakonomics
The Gift of Fear
Grayson
I Am America (And So Can You!)
John Adams
Made to Stick
Mark Morris
The Millionaire Next Door
Mommy Grace
My Secret
Night
Offbeat Bride
Please Kill Me
Project Everlasting
Seabiscuit
The Silent Woman
Skipping Towards Gomorrah
Slow Reading
Why Do I Love These People?
Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget

Food and drink

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Cornwall's Restaurant
Finale
Sabur
SoulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Blue Point Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Croxley's
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
John Harvard's Brew House
Max Brenner
Miller's Ale House
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
Richtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Allentown Brew Works
Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Irish Pub
Iron Hill Brewery 
Kildare's
Macaroni Grill
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant
Melting Pot 
Old Eagle Tavern
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Stoudt's Brewing Company
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

300
Amazing Grace
Ghost Rider
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpsons Movie
Spider-Man 3
TMNT
Transformers Wild Hogs

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

Massachusetts

Sam Adams Brewery Tour

New Jersey

Green Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment
Steam Whistle Brewing

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

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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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• Your Mission: French Fry edition (reviewingwhatever.blogspot.com)

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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Tapas. I love tapas. Chris loves Tapas. You know this.

Here is a round-up of some tapas places we've been to, linked to the appropriate post.

Cafe Buenos Aires

Fressen

Tapas y Tintos

Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurant

Enjoy!

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Books

Fiction

The Amber Spyglass
Anansi Boys
Bad Twin
Birds Without Wings
Christ the Lord
A Clash of Kings
Dawn
A Game of Thrones
Gilead
The Giver
Gods Behaving Badly
Going Postal
The Golden Compass
The Good Earth
Good Omens
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Imago
The Knitting Circle
Kockroach
Linden Hills
Lonesome Dove
Making Money
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Neverwhere
Parable of the Sower
Practical Demonkeeping
The Road
Silence
The Sparrow
The Subtle Knife
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
A Thread of Grace
The Westing Game
You Suck

Graphic Novels

9-11: Artists Respond Volumes 1 and 2
Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume 1
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Troubles Begin
Sluggy Freelance: Little Evils
Watchmen

Nonfiction

The 100 People Who are Ruining America
1776
Abraham: The First Historical Biography
American Bee
Angela's Ashes
As Seen on TV
The Commitment
The Daring Book for Girls
The Devil’s Candy
Everything twitter
Freakonomics
The Gift of Fear
Grayson
I Am America (And So Can You!)
John Adams
Made to Stick
Mark Morris
The Millionaire Next Door
Mommy Grace
My Secret
Night
Offbeat Bride
Please Kill Me
Project Everlasting
Seabiscuit
The Silent Woman
Skipping Towards Gomorrah
Slow Reading
Why Do I Love These People?
Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget

Food

Delaware

The Dog House

Massachusetts

Boston Beer Works
Finale
Sabur
SoulFire
Sunset Grill and Tap
Tasca

New Jersey

Cheeburger Cheeburger
Whitman Diner

New York

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Burger Heaven
Cafe Buenos Aires
Grand Lux Café
Hanami Japanese Restaurant
Max Brenner
Peter Luger Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Tio Pepe
Trattoria Lucia

Ontario

Fressen
Groucho’s Gourmet Market
Kelsey’s
Naz’s Falafel House
Richtree Market Restaurant
Smokeless Joe’s
Swiss Chalet
Wayne Gretsky’s

Pennsylvania

Bistro Cassis
California Pizza Kitchen
Crossroads Coffee
Derek's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Flanigan’s Boat House
Macaroni Grill
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Roller's at Flying Fish
slainte
Sonic
Zake’s Café

Recipes

Wasabi Pea Tuna Salad

Movies

2006

Alpha Dog
Cars
Clerks II
Lady in the Water
Man of the Year
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige
Snakes on a Plane
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand

2007

300
Amazing Grace
Ghost Rider
The Golden Compass
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I am Legend
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The Simpsons Movie
Spider-Man 3
TMNT
Transformers Wild Hogs

2008

Cloverfield
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Prince Caspian
Wanted

2009

Star Trek
Up
Watchmen

Internet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Video

Cast Away
Clerks.
Driving Miss Daisy
March of the Penguins
Much Ado About Nothing
Shattered Glass
Sideways
To Kill a Mockingbird

Music

The Dream of Gerontius
Symphony of 1000

To Do and See

New Jersey

Green Room Billiards

New York

American Museum of Natural History
Bronx Zoo
Cooper Station Post Office
Rockefeller Center Tour

Ontario

CN Tower
The Guvernment

Pennsylvania

The Barnes Foundation
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Television

West Wing Series Finale

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We need your help, folks.

In this new feature, I'm going to give you a mission: to make recommendations in the comments section.

The situation

Chris and I are going to Italy for our honeymoon.  Pretty sweet, right?

Your mission

Your mission is to recommend places we should go and things we should see.  And I don't want answers like "The Vatican."  I want answers like "In Rome, on the corner of A Street and B Street, there's a cafe.  You absolutely must try their Dish X." 

We'll do as many as we can, and I'll give you a round-up of the results not long after we get back.  Thanks!