Capogiro Gelato

Our first night in Philadelphia had extremely strange weather for the middle of July. The temperature was somewhere around 70 degrees, but it was pouring, the winds were gusting, umbrellas were useless and breaking, and the cold driving rain had soaked through all of our clothes from every side. (70 degrees sounds so warm now that the wind chill is somewhere around -3, but we were freezing and I couldn't stop shivering.) We intended to head straight back to the hotel from dinner since we were full from our Burmese feast and the weather was terrible, but we needed a break from Mother Nature halfway through. Capogiro Gelato was the perfect spot.

This photo was clearly taken on our way out, once the rain had subsided a bit

I was pretty full from dinner and didn't expect to eat much dessert, so I told A to just pick whatever flavors he wanted. He came back with Nutella and tiramisu. We were both pretty impressed with the gelato. It was so smooth and creamy and sweet. I was hesitant about the tiramisu, since I usually find the flavors of coffee and mascarpone overpowering in the actual dessert, but they were much more subtle here, which allowed the tiramisu scoop to be pretty complementary with the Nutella (which tasted like, well, Nutella). We liked both flavors.

Delicious gelato

I ended up having much more room for gelato than I thought I would, which disappointed A a little bit because he thought he would end up eating most of the gelato cup (sorry A!). We considered a return visit to Capogiro to try more flavors, but we never found the time during our short weekend trip. We would definitely return here or to another branch of Capogiro. This was some good gelato.

Capogiro Gelato has many locations, but the one we visited was at 119 S. 13th St (at Sansom).

Rangoon

We love Burmese food, but it's really difficult to get in NYC. There's only a handful of places and the few summer food fairs/fundraisers, which are definitely not enough for a regular fix of our favorite yellow tofu salad. So when we saw that Philadelphia had a Burmese restaurant with great reviews located in Chinatown, not far from where we were going to be all weekend, we knew we had to try it.

After we finally arrived in Philadelphia and checked in to our hotel, we went all the way over to the ballpark for the baseball game, only to find out a short time later that it had been rained out and rescheduled for the following day, so we had to find other plans for the night. It was a pretty simple decision. We were off to Rangoon for dinner.

One of the hardest things to do at Rangoon was narrow down the menu to a manageable number of dishes since we couldn't have leftovers and didn't want to roll ourselves in the rain back to our hotel room. We ended up deciding on 5 dishes, which may sound like a lot for 2 people, but when it comes to stuff we like that we can't easily get at home, I guess our stomachs expand.

We got:

Burmese tofu salad ($7, all prices from 2013, not sure what they are now): homemade tofu with garlic, sesame, coriander, fried onion, lime leaf in a tamarind sauce.

This salad was a slightly different variation from what we usually get at the food fairs. The slices of yellow tofu were soft and smooth like always. The toppings and sauces were a little different from the versions we've had before, but they were good. It wasn't our favorite dish of the night, but we were so happy to eat this again. Since we can never guarantee that we can make it to the food fairs and the only other restaurant where we've ever eaten this is in Los Angeles (recap to come eventually), we were happy to find somewhere closer than the West Coast where this dish is affordable. (The only place in NYC that we know has it all the time is really pricey.)

String bean and peanut salad ($7): string beans, peanuts, onions, sesame, tomatoes, dried shrimp, lime juice, seasonings.

We saw this dish advertised in the window as winning an award, so we knew we had to try it. Although it was tasty (everything at dinner was), it was probably our least favorite of the appetizer selections. It reminded me a little bit of a salad version of string bean belacan. It was light and fresh.

Firecracker lentil fritters (3 for $6): ground lentils with blend of onions, mint and chili spices.

These balls of lentils and spices were deep fried deliciousness. The lentils and spices together were so tasty, and very complementary with the sour pungent garlic sauce on the side. Although it wasn't listed in the menu description, we tasted lots of cumin, and we really love cumin. The fritters were crispy on the outside and the mashed up interior was so spiced and flavorful. These fritters were so, so good. This made A's favorites list last year.

Rangoon house noodle ($9.50): flat rice noodles served with diced chicken, onions, tomatoes and red bean sauce.

The chicken seemed a little more like minced or ground chicken than diced chicken, but it was great that way because it soaked up all the flavors. The dish was like a wet version of stir-fried noodles with thick rice noodles. The sauce and toppings were great. It reminded us of something that we couldn't quite place in our memories, but overall, we really enjoyed it.

Burmese vatana bean fried rice ($8): fried rice with vatana beans and fried onions.

This fried rice was the biggest surprise of the night. We had no idea what vatana beans were but they showed up a few times on the menu, so we thought we'd try them here. Google said they were something like white or yellow peas, and they tasted a bit like baby chickpeas. They came in the fried rice with fried onions on top. It was incredibly delicious and there was this smokiness pervading the rice that was so appealing. This was on my favorites list from last year, as there were plenty of days at home when I just wanted to eat this again.

We had a Burmese feast that night and we left incredibly happy, despite the fact that the temperature had dropped and the wind was whipping the rain around outside, rendering our umbrellas completely useless. It was so cold walking through Chinatown that my teeth started chattering. In mid-July! Probably better that we spent the night indulging in Burmese comfort food instead of at a baseball game...

Rangoon is located at 112 North 9th Street, Philadelphia.

Craft Two to Philadelphia

One year ago today, we kicked off a long weekend trip to Philadelphia. We didn't have a lot of set plans for the trip other than to go to a Phillies game as part of our neverending quest to visit all of America's ballparks. It was probably a good thing that we didn't have any reservations or set plans since the weather threw all of our plans out the window and we had to just go with the flow.

We left in the morning from the city, ran a few errands, and found ourselves in central Jersey around lunchtime. Philadelphia isn't that far from NYC, but driving this day was really, really slow. We figured it was best to just stop and grab a quick lunch along our route instead of taking a detour since our baseball tickets were for that night. Qdoba was quick, easy, and pretty healthy, so off to Qdoba we went to start our trip eats!

We both got the Craft 2 combination - a quesadilla and gumbo for A and a naked burrito (basically a burrito bowl) and mango taco salad for me. They tasted pretty much the same way they do at any Qdoba, so there really isn't much to say about this visit. Except that it was nice getting to try out their mango taco salad since I don't think I've ever gotten it on previous trips (and now that all the Manhattan locations are closed, even less likely).

Although not the most exciting eats of our trip, Qdoba was a nice start to our getaway. After leaving, we found ourselves smack in the middle of some of the worst Friday summer afternoon traffic. Including errands (which didn't take long at all) and lunch, it took us over 4.5 hours to get from Manhattan to Center City in Philadelphia. Considering how close the 2 cities are, that's pretty ridiculous. At least we got to have a quiet and relaxing break at Qdoba!

A's Favorite Food Memories of 2013

Unlike previous years, we didn't go on a European adventure that dominates my favorite food memories. In the end I chose all domestic locations and also chose to forego listing home cooked meals as we've done so much cooking this year as compared to years past. So, here's my list, in no particular order, of my favorite food memories of 2013!

1. Ceviche Tostada - La Isla Bonita (Los Angeles, CA)

The ceviche tostada from La Isla Bonita is something that I still think about, and I ate this back in April. No really, it's that good. The ceviche itself is incredibly fresh tasting and flavorful. The sweetness of the shrimp and fish mix has so much natural sweetness that counterbalances the tartness from the lime. The crunchiness of the tostada offers an additional texture while also serving as the delivery method for the amazing ceviche.

2. Pescado Zarandeado - Coni'Seafood (Los Angeles, CA)

Coni'Seafood is famous for this dish native to the Sinaloa region of Mexico. The head chef here, Sergio, is apparently the only person in this whole restaurant (and possibly the US) who can cook this dish properly. It's a split snook shaken over lit coals to control cooking. Sergio is a genius at this style of cooking. The fish is so tender and flavored so well with whatever marinade he has the fish soaking in. It also comes with sliced cucumber, red onion, and a sauce that I think might actually be made from the marinade. It has hints of soy sauce and onions and tasted almost Asian. M and I devoured this whole fish to the point that the waitress was impressed by how clean the bones were picked. If you're in LA, don't be afraid to take the trip into Inglewood for Coni, but just make sure to call and confirm that Sergio is there first.

3. Fish Taco - Ricky's (Los Angeles, CA)

When M and I made our visit to Ricky's, the stand was still located in the parking lot of a strip mall. Ricky has since procured a food truck so his operation is mobile now. It's a little disappointing since part of the fun of the experience is that you could watch the guys frying up your tacos. Regardless, wherever Ricky is parked, you need to try these tacos. We tried both their shrimp and their fish tacos, but the fish were the stars here. The batter is seasoned really well and isn't heavy at all. The fish is tender, flaky, and has just the right amount of crunch from the batter. The pico de gallo and lettuce offer freshness to balance the fried fish, and the crema offers, if nothing else, a nice creaminess to the entire taco.

4. Roasted Bone Marrow with Charred Spring Onions, Pickled Fresno Chiles, and Tortillas - Empellon Cocina (New York, NY)

At Empellon, M and I had a lot of really good dishes. So much so that we chose this meal as our favorite of 2013. The brightest star of that meal was this roasted bone marrow dish topped with charred spring onions, pickled fresno chiles, and served with fresh tortillas. Sadly this was just a seasonal special so it's quite possible that we may never see this dish again. The roasted marrow is nicely salted and decadently rich. The charred spring onions tasted like spring, and the peppers added a subtle heat and tartness. They serve this with freshly made tortillas, and we turned it all into tacos. Delicious, delicious tacos.

5. Firecracker Lentil Fritters - Rangoon (Philadelphia, PA)

M and I really love Burmese food, and I think a lot of that comes from the fact that it's so hard for us to find. One thing we love the most about it is how fresh everything tastes. You might think that, because of this reasoning, I'd never pick a fried dish, and I never did either until I tried these lentil fritters. They're mashed up lentils with mint, onions, cumin, chili peppers, and some other spices that we couldn't identify. It's also served with a sour, garlicky sauce that had a fish sauce smell to it as well. The crunch of the crust was balanced by the mashed lentil interior that was piping hot and perfectly mushed. You didn't actually need the sauce because of the bevy of spices, but it did add additional layers of flavor when dipped.

6. Chicken Pot Pie Fritters - Family Meal (Frederick, MD)

We've been big fans of the Voltaggio brothers ever since seeing them both on Top Chef. It was with great anticipation that we were able to go try one of Bryan Voltaggio's restaurants while on our PA/MD road trip. We actually went about an hour out of our way just to get there, but it was well worth the drive. The appetizer we kept reading about was the chicken pot pie fritters. We had no clue what to expect, but we both really like pot pie so it made sense to try them. I call these things magic pot pie. They are literally balls of chicken pot pie filling encased in a lightly breaded shell. The only thing I can think of that they do is that they freeze the pot pie filling and then bread and deep fry them to make sure they're warm after cooking. Regardless of how they do it, they're amazing.

7. Tsukumen - Tsujita LA (Los Angeles, CA)

One of the things that M and I really wanted to try while we were out in LA was tsukumen from Tsujita LA. It's their specialty, and this is the US outpost of a highly revered tsukumen shop in Japan. Here's my review of our meal there. This was easily one of the best things I ate all year, and the fact that we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun and warmth while doing so made it a great experience.

8. Asparagus - ABC Cocina (New York, NY)

This year M and I went through a huge Spring Vegetable kick. We were able to finally try spring onions, ramps, and garlic scapes. However, one of my favorite dishes of the year came from a trusty old friend of a spring vegetable, asparagus. It was prepared in the wood-fire grill and topped with pickled spring onions, marcona almonds, and a clear vinaigrette of some sort. The dish tasted like I would expect Spring to taste. The asparagus tasted so fresh, and the pickled spring onions and vinaigrette added tartness. The almonds added texture, but I'm not sure they were fully necessary. It was still a wonderful dish, though.

9. White Rose and Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream - Saffron and Rose Ice Cream (Los Angeles, CA)

I love ice cream. A lot. We ate a lot of good ice cream this year from places like Dave and Andy's in Pittsburgh and The Igloo in Everett, PA, but my favorite ice cream experience was from Saffron and Rose Ice Cream in LA. It's a Persian ice cream shop specializing in the flavors from their culture. We tried two of their traditionally flavored ice creams: white rose and saffron pistachio. The white rose ice cream was so floral and tasted just like a rose smells. I can't really describe it any other way. It's so simple and so tasty. The saffron pistachio was a revelation. It uses the white rose ice cream as a base, but then they add a touch of saffron which gives it color and a hint of flavor, and they then mix in pistachios for crunch. They also add these frozen white blobs of frozen cream which are apparently a delicacy in Persian culture. It's hard to describe the flavor of this because saffron is such a distinct flavor, but it's also paired with white rose. The frozen cream is also a fun surprise you get here and there. If you ever find yourself in the Westwood area definitely check out this little ice cream shop.

10. Brussels Sprout Pie - Motorino (New York, NY)

It's hard to imagine listing a pizza on a "best of" list since I'm from Chicago, and if it's not Lou Malnati's I'm probably going to think it's inferior. However, while I'm not ready to say this is better than my beloved Chicago-style pizza, it is certainly a very very good pizza. The Brussels Sprout pie is topped with Brussels sprout leaves, fior de latte, garlic, pecorino, smoked pancetta, and extra virgin olive oil. We love Brussels sprouts and never thought to break the leaves up and put them on a pizza. Also, they pair perfectly with smoked pancetta since the saltiness of pancetta lends itself well to the slightly bitter Brussels sprouts. This is a white pie as well so the flavors of the sprouts and pancetta do not get muddied by a tomato sauce. The crust is also perfectly chewy with just the right amount of crunch and "burnt" flavoring from the wood-fire oven.

M's Favorite Food Memories of 2013

2013 was an interesting year, full of ups and downs. I'm grateful that, even in a tougher year, we can still say that we've had some great adventures. So here are my 10 favorite food memories from the year (in no particular order).

1. Pescado zarandeado from Coni'Seafood (Los Angeles, CA).

While sitting at Coni'Seafood in the Inglewood area of Los Angeles, I posted this photo to Instagram with the caption that this might be one of the best things I've ever eaten. It was one of the obvious choices for this year's favorites list. Pescado zarandeado is a butterflied snook which is grilled perfectly, so fresh and tender and full of amazing flavor. It's topped with raw onions and cucumbers, and also has a side of cooked onions that it frankly doesn't even need. Whatever Sergio (and you have to call in advance to make sure Sergio is there or it's not worth going and getting it) does to this fish is magic. We don't (to my knowledge) have Sinaloan food in the NYC area, but even if we did, I'm not sure it would match the magic of Sergio. I could eat this every week and not get sick of it.

2. Birthday cake ice cream cone from Dave and Andy's (Pittsburgh, PA).

I'm not as much of an ice cream lover as A is, but I do love cookies and cream and birthday cake ice cream. Both made the short list (the cookies and cream was from Brooklyn's Ample Hills during our Game of Cones adventure), but only Dave and Andy's made the top 10. Their birthday cake ice cream mixed in actual yellow cake and sprinkles. I loved it and raved about it for some time after eating it, which for me is rare with ice cream. I also am not a huge cone fan but I loved their crispy but sturdy waffle cone which of course had their traditional m&m on the bottom. And I guessed the color right for my first cone!

3. Bone marrow special from Empellón Cocina (New York, NY).

We had a lot of bone marrow this year (bone marrow with uni from The Marrow, a massive plate of bone marrow at Meat and Potatoes in Pittsburgh, etc) but the one that really made an impression on me was the bone marrow special when we visited Empellón Cocina. We had a lot of good stuff at Empellón (which explains why it was our meal of the year), but the bone marrow was our favorite dish of the night. It was roasted bone marrow with charred spring onions and pickled Fresno chiles with tortillas on the side, so we could make our own bone marrow tacos. I love when I eat things that make me feel in sync with the season, and this was perfect for June.

4. Jerk chicken from Freda's (New York, NY).

We made it through Jamaica in our WorldEats challenge (even if we're still writing about Cuba). But this jerk chicken from Freda's made me want to skip over everything inbetween and just write about Freda's (but I didn't, sadly). I got the jerk chicken with sides of collard greens and curry potatoes with chickpeas. Both sides were delicious but the jerk chicken was one of the best chicken dishes I've ever had, and certainly the best Jamaican food I've ever eaten. It was spicy but it wasn't the type of spicy that was hot without flavor. The spices were so complex and nuanced that I don't even know how to describe the flavors, but it was incredible. Perhaps we need to go again before we write our WorldEats post.

5. Ceviche tostada from La Isla Bonita (Venice, CA).

I wrote our post on La Isla Bonita back in May, but it hasn't been posted yet since we're still back at the beginning of our trip in the recaps. I still dream about this ceviche tostada. It was that good. The tostada was thin and crispy and topped with a layer of ceviche and some fresh avocado slices. The ceviche had mashed up fish and seafood with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime. It was a perfect refreshing snack.

6. Pretzel from Miller's Twist (Philadelphia, PA).

I love pretzels. Warm, fresh out of the oven, so buttery, soft and chewy, lightly salted. The pretzel we got from Miller's Twist at the Reading Terminal Market was so good that we immediately wanted to go back to get another one. We also had tasty buttery soft pretzels this fall at Immergut in Intercourse, PA but we only made it there at the end of the day each time, so the pretzels were not as fresh (although still good). For that reason, Miller's Twist makes it to the top 10 but Immergut gets an honorable mention.

7. Vatana bean fried rice from Rangoon (Philadelphia, PA).

I love Burmese food. I wish we had restaurants here like the ones in LA or Rangoon in Philadelphia. We had amazing food at Rangoon and what was really a revelation was this vatana bean fried rice. We had no idea what vatana beans were before that dinner, but they tasted a lot like baby chickpeas. The rice also had this smokiness (in a good way) which made it really unique. I've never had anything like this and want to return to Rangoon sooner rather than later.

8. Fish taco from Ricky's Fish Tacos (Los Angeles, CA).

Ricky's is a legend. We got both shrimp and fish tacos but the fish was really special. Although fried, it was so flaky and juicy. We didn't even add any extra salsas to the tacos, and just ate them with the lettuce and pico de gallo that it came with. Whatever was in the batter was a perfect match for the fish, and the taco was easily the best fish taco I've ever had. We raced back from the desert to get to Ricky's before he closed up for the day and it was so worth it.

9. Lamb burger from Xi'an Famous Foods (New York, NY).

The midtown branch of Xi'an Famous Foods opened this spring with free lamb burgers (which I wrote about here). I've had quite a few since then. They're inexpensive and packed full of spices, especially my beloved cumin, and lots of onions. It may be the best burger I've had all year. 

10. Homecooked favorites.

This is cheating a little bit, since it's not one dish but four. But I wanted to save one spot on this list for home cooking because of how much it was a part of my life this year. I went from trying a new recipe once every other month or so to trying new recipes multiple days a week and loving it. These were four of my favorites.

• Black bean chicken - The first cookbook I spent a lot of time with was Every Grain of Rice, and for the first time, I was making Chinese food that went beyond simple stir-fries and hot plates. I love this black bean chicken recipe with my modifications.
• Kimchi grilled cheese - I love grilled cheese but I don't think I had made a grilled cheese sandwich since I was 10. And certainly not one with kimchi. This rekindled my love for grilled cheese and began a phase of many grilled cheese sandwiches.
• Baked langostino tails with tomatoes and feta - Blogged about here, but it's on this list because it's one of the few things I've made that I really feel like I could have ordered at a restaurant. It felt really authentic.
• Cigrons - I craved these Catalan style chickpeas for over a year after our visit to Pinotxo (still haven't written about Pinotxo but it's on last year's top 10 list) before I started looking all over the internet for tips on making cigrons. This wasn't exactly like Pinotxo but it was close. It was satisfying as a fix for one of my favorite dishes ever.

So that's 2013. I don't know what 2014 will bring, but I hope it's full of great food, good health and happy adventures!