Meet the big cheeses in Philly | Let’s Eat
Also this week: We warm up to the idea of outdoor dining with a list of restaurants that have installed heaters.
Ordinarily we avoid stories with lots of holes, but this week’s Food section package is all about cheese. Read on for a look at one of the region’s preeminent authorities, as well as visits to two farms adapting to the pandemic and tips for making your own ricotta. Also this week: We warm up to the idea of outdoor dining with a list of restaurants that have installed heaters. And want to try Mike Solomonov’s Israeli riff on a steak sandwich from Pat’s? We’ll tell you how.
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Why Tenaya Darlington (aka Madame Fromage) stands alone
Let’s cheese the day:
Tenaya Darlington, a St. Joseph’s University English professor, had a mission awhile back: to try all 350-plus cheeses in the case at Di Bruno Bros. She went on to write a book about it and started the blog Madame Fromage. Now working at Tria, she’s someone who — in the words of a mentor — brings cheese to life. Reporter Jenn Ladd has come up with a pretty Gouda read.
When COVID-19 shuttered restaurants, Chester County’s Birchrun Hills Farm also went through the same pandemic pangs as wholesalers of all stripes, from bakeries and small farms to fish and meat suppliers. The hit sent co-owner Sue Miller to the Zoom world, and Jenn Ladd leads us through the idea behind a virtual cheese tasting.
Food Critic Craig LaBan headed out to Centre County, home of rolling hills and the Amish-owned Goot Essa, maker of fine cheeses. But when the creamery found that it must find ways to compensate for the loss of its restaurant base, the Esh family turned to another staple of modern commerce: the internet.
Where there’s a will but no whey, there really is a way to make your own version of ricotta, and food editor Jamila Robinson shows you how.
What’s better than winning Mike Solomonov’s Israeli version of a steak sandwich from Pat’s? Winning two.
Last week, Resy announced a program that partners two chefs in eight cities for culinary collaborations called The Classics Remix. Friends Mike Solomonov of the Zahav orbit and Frank Olivieri of Pat’s King of Steaks are Philly’s duo, and their sandwich — a South Philly shawarma, if you will — promptly sold out. But all is not lost if you missed out, as we’re giving away an order for two. Follow the link to sign up with your email address and we’ll choose a random winner.
Turning up the heat on outdoor dining
Restaurateurs want to extend the outdoor-dining season, as many patrons are uncomfortable eating indoors during the pandemic. We’ve put together a list of restaurants, wineries, brewpubs, and other venues in the greater Philadelphia area that have installed heaters. Blankets may be on you.
Farewell to a master of the Caesar salad
Alfio Gaglianese, who died last week, was an old-school, tuxedoed maitre d’ and restaurateur whose specialty was the Caesar salad, which he prepared tableside to exacting standards at Da Vinci and later at his own restaurant Alfio’s. A son told me that Alfio will be cremated with one of his signature wooden bowls and a fork.
What’s new in restaurants
This week, the former Maison 208 at 208 S. 13th St. will become Cockatoo, a LGBTQ-friendly bar-restaurant owned by Ram Krishnan, who also has Writer’s Block Rehab, the nearby hangout set up in a trinity behind Vetri Cucina. Krishnan is taking a light approach, as evidenced by the web domain cockatoo.fun.
Rob LaScala, who’s been growing an empire of Italian restaurants, has opened a branch of his bar-restaurant LaScala’s Fire at 789 E. Lancaster Ave. in Villanova, the space tucked back off the road that most recently was Main & Vine. Pizza, pasta, salads, full bar, indoor and outdoor seating.
And some more intrigue for the Main Line: Avram Hornik, a Lower Merion-ite who owns a bunch of fun spots in the city including Morgan’s Pier, Juno, and Craft Hall, is planning Lola’s Garden, an indoor-outdoor restaurant, at Suburban Square in Ardmore.
The forthcoming Live! casino near the sports complex in South Philly is beginning to announce its collection of eateries. First up: a food hall featuring three notable Philly brands: Lorenzo & Sons pizzeria, Termini Bros. pastry, and Sang Kee Noodle Bar & Kitchen.
Aether, the ambitious seafooder that opened in early 2019 in Fishtown, may not come back. Owner Stephen Distler has put the new building, which includes a two-level apartment upstairs, up for sale. He told me that he is feeling out the market before he decides. Distler is the backer of such gems as Mistral and elements in Princeton. Check my lists of the 2020 crop of restaurant openings and closings.