LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011 - (Page 50)
Below: The Reading Terminal Market
about. Jonathan first set me up with Chifa at 7th and Chestnut. It combines Peruvian and pan-Asian influences adventurously. I started off with the BAO buns: tender, perfectly cooked pork livened by sweet/spicy daikon and hoisin glaze. The Solterito Salad was next: a sharp yet subtle garlic dressing enhanced a wonderfully textured blend of Bibb lettuce, edamame and tomato, heightened by salty notes from queso fresco and crunchy plantain chips. After the more piquant tastes of the opening dishes, the Humita balanced out the meal. This charred corn tamale is smooth and satisfying, touched up by aji amarillo (yellow pepper) cream and textured by mushrooms. My next night in the city, I indulged at modern Mexican at El Vez, on 13th street near Sansom, very close to the hotel. I had to try Queso Fundido, melted cheese and bits of chorizo (Mexican
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COURTESY OF ThE naTiOnal COnSTiTUTiOn CEnTER
sausage) baked in a pan. You spoon the combination into tortilla and eat it like a taco. Normally, this is a heavy appetizer, but Elvez’s version is lighter while heavy on the flavors. The spicy chorizo gave each bite a wonderful finish yet the seasoning was subtle enough to appreciate the blend of cheeses and herbs. The Queso Fundido went perfectly with the blood orange margarita I ordered, sweet with a nice tequila spike that offset the Queso Fundido’s kicked-up notch. Make sure to order Carne Asada, a hangar steak that comes with smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. I loved the pairing of the rich steak with the fresh lightness of the tomato and asparagus salad. Adding another dimension were the taquitos stuffed with manchego cheese and potato, a strong counterpoint to the forward flavors of the steak and salad. Sampan offers yet another dining direction, and it’s a few steps from El Vez. Start off your meal with a Sake Flight: 4 different grades that should progress you through the drink’s permutations. This was lost on me: I loved all four and couldn’t tell the difference. Each was smooth with a beautiful fruity finish. Regardless, the flight primes the palate nicely for the Asian fusion menu. I opened with the Kobe Beef Satay: fruity, spicy notes enhance masterfully cooked steak. Then came the Edamame Dumpling: biting into it released a full, rich flavor reminiscent of a potato edged by herbal notes. The sake broth added lightness and moisture to bring it all together. I topped this off with the Korean Fried Chicken. The crispy skin contrasted nicely with the
(www.cityfoodtours.com). I went on the Flavors of Philly tour, and was quickly rewarded by the tomato pie at Joe’s Pizza on 16th between Chestnut and Walnut streets. It’s a cheese pizza without the cheese, but you don’t miss it, thanks to a richly textured double-rise crust and an intensely flavorful sauce. Then we went to the Philly Pretzel factory. I’ve eaten more than my weight in soft pretzels starting with recess time in grades 1-8 at St. Hugh’s, but this was the best pretzel I’ve ever had: warm, chewy, salted perfectly and delectable. We eventually ended up in Reading Terminal Market, about two blocks from the Loews and a foodie paradise. Not only can you get a hold of well-crafted cheesesteaks and hoagies, you can buy ultra-fresh produce, Italian and Asian delicacies, artisanal chocolates at Mueller’s and the extraordinary chocolate chip cookies at 4th Street Cookie Company. Seriously, bring some Tupperware and make room in your carry-on: you won’t get cheesesteaks and hoagies like Philly’s, anywhere. I tried them in other cities and “lame” would be the kindest description. The tour is the fast track to these flavors because of the pacing, portions, prime picks and insights about nearby attractions.
loews magazine
RestauRant RefResh While familiar flavors were great to get re-acquainted with, I was looking forward to sampling the restaurant revival I’d heard
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http://www.cityfoodtours.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011
The Great Outdoors
Shore Things
Carmen Herrera
The Right App-Titudes
Spice Routes
Futiles Fixes
Music City Sampler
The Future of Flying
The Stories Behind the Songs
Romantic Pleasure in the Pink Palace
Philly 2.0
The Breakfast Club
Local Living
News and Notes
LOEWS Summer/Fall 2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winterspring2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/loews/summerfall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winter_spring_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/LOEWS/summer_fall_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/Loews/winter_spring_2011
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