PhillyFoodGuys: Hittin’ the Streets for Underground Eats

 

 Kilimandjaro [10:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Yes, it felt like the Paris-Dakar rally trying to locate this Senegalese restaurant in West Philly, but it was well worth the effort. Our crusade for Senegalese food started with a recommendation from new friends I met at the Blog Philadelphia conference, continued with a misspelling and concluded with a few laps through West Philly to place us at this diminutive restaurant nestled between a donut shop and an adult bookstore. Nobody knew what to expect; we figured that if the food was bad, we could at least have a donut and pick up some skin mags. Needless to say, we didn’t walk away with Jellies and porn; the food and service were great.

 

 New Wave Cafe [12:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Port Richmond’s New Wave Cae destroyed my image of Polish food. Boiled, bland and unexciting is what I expected; flavorful, fresh and interesting is what I found. I don’t know how I got such a poor impression of Polish food, but I suppose it was ignorance sprinkled with a dose of anticipated Soviet-era austerity. After all, with centuries of tradition including European, Middle Eastern and Asian culinary influences, you’d expect Polish food to be delicious and unique. I’m just glad that I learned how wrong I was!

 

 Picanha Brazilian Grill [12:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Picanha Brazilian Grill was a fun and unique twist on Bar-B-Que that everyone will like. Situated on the corner of Castor Ave. and Hellerman Street, this churrascaria offers a variety of grilled meats with a unique flair. Served tableside, the meats are presented while still on the cooking skewer and cut directly onto the plate. So if you enjoy an interesting floor show with some really good food, you’ll love Picanha Brazilian Grill.

Ever since our South Philly Taqueria Tour, I’ve been jonesin’ for another Mexican food fix. So when I learned that I missed out on Los Taquitos de Puebla’s Tacos al Pastor, I knew that I had to go back, even if it was for takeout.

Doing my best NASCAR impression as I looked for parking, I had to laugh as I saw throngs of people queued up for steaks from Genos. I could only hope that the restaurant didn’t have a “Spanish Only”policy!

 

 Lakeside Chinese Deli [11:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’ve ever been told “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the Lakeside Chinese Deli may be why. This inconspicuous storefront restaurant located in Philly’s Chinatown seems to fade into the neighborhood commotion, but we found the food, service and “atmosphere” to be excellent.

Continuing our adventure in Chinatown after our initial visit to Lee How Fook, we invaded the Lakeside Chinese Deli with a group of hungry explorers. Recommended by FoodGuy Tushar, Lakeside specializes in Dim Sum, however it is served a la carte versus from the traditional tableside cart. Our first impression wasn’t overwhelmingly positive; the exterior of the restaurant features a large picture window with the shades drawn and there’s also a big hole in the sign.

I don’t like to declare any menu item as the “best,” but Good Dog in Center City has a candidate for Philadelphia’s Best Cheeseburger. No, I’m not a hardcore cheeseburger freak, but I know an awesome burger when I have one. And I had one last Friday night.

 

 Yugoslavian Food at Jovan's Place [10:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Yugoslavian food has never been at the top of my list when going out to a restaurant in Philadelphia, but last weekend the opportunity presented itself. During a visit to the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival, Patti and I took a tip from a friend and visited Jovan’s Place in East Kensington to have a Yugoslavian meal.

My friend Dean works at the Yards Brewery and mentioned that Jovan’s Place is their “local.” Could there be a higher recommendation?

 

 Chinatown's Lee How Fook [12:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Philadelphia’s Chinatown may be smaller than those of other large cities, but it’s packed with good food. So when Tushar suggested searching for a few alternatives to the many mainstream restaurants in the area, I was enthusiastic about exploring a part of the city that I know nothing about. After some discussion, we selected three lesser known restaurants based on the recommendations of a few random characters that we consider friends. They include: Lee How Fook, Chinese Starlight Diner and Joy Tsin Lau.

Today, I awakened with a strong urge for breakfast, so I headed down to Fishtown’s newest brunch spot, Ida Mae’s Bruncherie. Situated on the corner of E. Norris and Tulip Streets, the restaurant is attractive and welcoming with a brick exterior, classic awnings and open doors.

Entering Ida Mae’s, I found the open kitchen in the front of the restaurant full of activity. The front dining room features a counter seating approximately eight, the kitchen and 4 - 5 small tables ; the back features two smaller connected rooms . Taking a seat at the bar (sorry, “counter” and “Irish” don’t seem to go together ) it was clear that the staff was  preparing for a busy day.

 

 South Philly Taqueria Tour [15:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We love good Mexican food. There’s something about the variety of flavors and the relaxed dining style that we both really enjoy. So on a recent afternoon we decided to explore several area Taquerias to find the best… 

After considering our options, we selected three Taquerias to visit; since menus can often be quite expansive we limited ourselves to using the ubiquitous taco and elusive tamale as a litmus test for the restaurants. Generally, tacos can be found everywhere, but it takes more than just stuffing a tortilla to make a good one. Furthermore, tamales are difficult and time consuming to make, so anyone who takes the time to make a good one certainly cares.