food-ie group

foodie event # 15: Tasting Menu & Beer Course @ Hinge Cafe!

2011-02-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb 20th, 6pm.

Dean Browne, a master brewer at Philadelphia Brewing Co. (PBC) also known as "Yeast Life-Coach" and "Professor of Fermentation" and Brew-master and former Senior Instructor at the Philly Beer School paired 6 great beers to accompany the 4 course meal offered at the Hinge Cafe.

His concise beer course made this food-ie event so special and unique and needless to say, a lot of fun for everyone.

Our group of 30 enjoyed the informative explanations of our pairings. Some students were happy to take notes, while I noticed plenty just soaking up the experience... literally.

Dean started off with a donated pre-dinner offering of a case of Kenzinger, from Philadelphia Brewing Co. This seemed to get the group in an appropriate learning mind-set.

As the first course was to arrive, he informed us of how acidic can compliment acidic and explained how he had paired Phila. Brewing Co.'s Walt Wit with the salads. Everyone seemed convinced of his wisdom, instantly. What good students we were.

The 2nd course was paired with a mild, somewhat sweeter Einbecker, Mai-Ur-Bock. I had the pleasure of trying the Pirogies, which Chef T admitted she hadn't previously made. She was wise, however, to consult with a Czech republic native for this dish, because they came out PERFECTLY! I sure hope the Hinge offers Pirogies on their regular menu now (hint, hint) since it's one of my favorite local restaurants.

For the 3rd course which included meat and veggie main options, PBC's Newbold, a hoppy (yet less so than typical American IPA's) ale was paired. I'm not normally into hoppy beers and the newbold is in a way, the polar opposite of my usual preference. I did, however, discover it is delicious with food, especially the exceptionally prepared Lamb Lollipops and the Beef Bruschetta with this beer.

Though all the food throughout this meal was really great, the dessert course was my favorite. Perhaps that was a result of trying three desserts or ... trying three great dessert beers with them. I think it's safe to say most people do not often consider beer with their desserts but I am now a big fan of this concept. Dean paired a diverse set to match the different dessert tastings.

They were kind of color coordinated, even. I over-heard one person say that it was recommended to go light to dark, and that order certainly worked wonders for me. The Lemon Curd was perfectly complimented with the Wiezenbock. The upside Down Pear and Cherry Tart was paired perfectly with the Samuel Smiths Cherry Ale. And the rich Chocolate Truffle's bitter sweet pairing of Foreign Extra Stout by Guinness was a great way to end the course (and sadly, the evening).

Here's the complete menu we enjoyed for $40 per person!

COURSE 1: Walt Wit

Neapolitan Salad
A light, savory blend of mixed greens, asparagus, zucchini, peas and roasted tomatoes
tossed in a citrus basil vinaigrette with sharp parmesan cheese

Greek Salad
Fresh Romaine lettuce tossed in a red wine vinaigrette with sundried tomatoes, cucumbers,
kalamata olives, red onions, feta cheese and pita chip crumbles

COURSE 2: Mai Ur Bock

Hinge-Made Pierogies
Polish style potato and cheese pierogies served with sautéed onions and sour cream

Buffalo Chicken Bites
Fiery buffalo seasoned cuts of chicken battered in crispy bread coating
accompanied with a cool blue cheese dressing and celery sticks

Thai Peanut Chicken Satay

Skewered strips of chicken marinated in a spicy Thai chili peanut glaze finished with toasted sesame seeds accompanied with a peanut dipping sauce

COURSE 3: Newbold IPA

Beef Bruschetta
Open face seasoned beef steak served a top herb infused toasted crostini finished with a tomato bruschetta

Lamb Lollipops

Savory lamb racks dredged in a fresh herb medley finished in a rosemary and garlic Chermoula glaze

Grilled Vegetable Bruschetta

Toasted herb crostini topped with an array of seasoned and grilled
eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash

COURSE 4 (a sampler plate of all three, each paired with a different beer)

Chocolate Truffle: Foreign Extra Stout
A duo of Chocolate truffles infused with Grand Marnier Liquor and Amaretto

Upside Down Pear and Cherry Tart: Samual Smiths Cherry

Sweet pears baked into a puff pastry adorned with a hint of tart cherries, slivered almonds and coconut finished in a brown sugar and brandy caramel sauce

Lemon Curd: Weizenbock
A smooth pallet pleaser. Tart yet refreshing lemon curd served chilled

with a hint of creamy mascarpone mouse

Chef T did a great job making us so happy.

Upstairs at the Hinge is a really great room for group events!

(click on any image to view full size)

The after-buzz of this seemed to go well beyond the evening. Days following this event numerous members of the group contacted me with great appreciation for the Hinge's food and also a very emphatic thanks for Dean Brown.

Thanks Dean, for your generosity!

*disclaimer: being caught up in the fun, or the beer, I truly missed our talented and more often sober foodie photographer, Cho. Alas, I forgot to take the group photo at the end of this meal!! I suppose that's just another thing to set this great event apart from all the other great events. (sigh) Next time I guess ;)

And, a special thanks to PBC for donating three great beers:

email: foodie.mike@gmail.com to get on the email list or evite for this event!

Food-ie #14 at Percy Street BBQ

2010-04-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Percy Street BBQ was the 14th location for the food-ie group and I'm pretty sure each of the 34(!) of us over-ate. My mom echoed an admission of the same guilt and said "gluttony is the only sin you pay right away". I agree.

The entire staff at Percy St BBQ was incredibly attentive, welcoming and friendly. Percy St. made it clear immediately that they're the place for large groups. Before the meal the chef, Erin O'Shea, came out to welcome us and introduce the authentic southern cuisine she obviously puts a lot of love into. We started off with some tasty appetizers: the Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, Avocado Salad, & the Devil Eggs which we devoured with the last gulps of our happy hour (5-7pm) drinks. Honestly, after that I have no clear account of how things wen since we were getting the full Lockhart dinner treatment. The blitzkrieg-like storm of delicious food seemed never ending. The dishes of sides were passed around, each new flavor to fit onto our plates. Dishes were replaced, trays carried out with paper-wrapped goodness that would be all the meat dishes. The ribs, pork belly, sausage, roast chicken and brisket were each passed around and I watch my platter fill with goodness. I almost completely forgot to photograph any food due to the feeding frenzy I slipped into. In my opinion, all the food was really good. It was all far too good to fill up on the white bread provided to each table, despite knowing it's Texas authentic.

Though I left there loosening my belt and groaning, I was already planning my return for some choice dishes that had me in this state more than anything. The avocado salad (because it seemed kind of healthy), the mac and cheese (because it was way too good to be healthy!), the brisket (it's their most hyped dish that still exceeds said hype - being so damn juicy, tender and flavorful) , the pork belly (crazy good) and the pecan pie (for it's perfect balance of sweet and salty, chewy goodness). Just re-reading this paragraph, I'm feeling full again and yet still wondering if I could fit in the root beer chili, which to me was also perfect with hot and spicy balanced with just the right hint of root beer. See? it's easy to get carried away at Percy St BBQ.

Here's the offered menu:
For the 14th foodie event, we've been invited to experience authentic Texas BBQ via The Lockhart Dinner! Here's what we had:

($24 per person, plus tax and a 20% gratuity= $31 flat fee)

THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DEAL!
* drinks will be individual tabs

The special menu, just for us:
"THE LOCKHART - all the meats, all the sides, pick your dessert"
+ extra foodie sides.
In Steven Cooks words "Since your group has been so good to us, we would do some extra "Foodie only" stuff as well."

MEAT:
brisket (Moist, Lean or Both)
spare ribs
house-made sausage
chicken (Whole)
pork belly

SIDES:
vegan chili
rootbeer chili
macaroni & cheese
Pinto Beans
Coleslaw
German Potato Salad
Collard Greens
black-eyed pea salad
Green Bean casserole

The "extras" not normally included with the Lockhart are these appetisers:
the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Avocado Salad, & the Devil Eggs

DESSERT (choose 1)
Root beer Float
chocolate cake with peanuts and coconut
Pecan Pie
apple crisp
banana pudding

foodie group photo (click to enlarge)

If you're interested in joining the foodie group mailing list for this or future events, email me!

email: foodie.mike@gmail.com to join us!

Food-ie #13 at Indonesia Restaurant

2009-04-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

food-ie event #13 at Indonesia Restaurant 5-20-09
1725 Snyder Ave, Philadelphia PA 19145

Indonesian banquet-style (BYOB)

6 entrees we sampled

The foodie group seemed to have a blast at Indonesia Restaurant. OK, that's actually a slight understatement. It seemed like everyone was having a LOT of fun and before we left, most were in a state of limbo between food high and food coma. 31 foodies filled a long table filled the beautiful dining room upstairs with talking and laughing while at times borderline giddiness (or was that just me?).

We were welcomed by Indra with a friendly and informative introduction to the meal we were about to eat.
We gorged ourselves on the feast introduced to us as "Nasi Kuning" which means yellow rice and is a special banquet-like feast for special occasions. For us, it was an introduction to various treasures found in Indonesian cuisine. Our friendly and enthusiastic host, Indra, seemed as excited as us for this event. He offered a friendly and informative introduction before we started, which always helps set the tone for a good foodie event.

This meal reminded me of complex flavors I've experienced in various cuisines from Thai to Indian and even Turkish. At other times the meal offered flavors less familiar yet certainly no less enjoyable. Shortly after our wine was uncorked our first appetizer arrived. The Lemper (Marinated chicken & sticky rice) was wrapped in a bright green banana leaf. Once unwrapped, the sticky rice rectangle was quite bland in appearance but not in any way of taste. Like all the the nine courses to follow, there was a mix of new and familiar flavors offered to keep our senses alert. The soup to follow was surprisingly robust. OK, weird, I just applied the word Robust before realizing it was in the description: Tongseng Kambing -(Minced Lamb with “Robust” soups). Besides being appropriately named, it had cabbage and juicy tender lamb and veggies etc. I was surprised how it was chunky like Pho, but flavored like curry. The broth was amazing too. Mmmm, damn, I'm getting hungry all over again.

Following the appetizer and soup, each foodie was paired to share a multi-compartment dish that held the six entrees listed below. To spare you and me the long review, let me just summarize.

First of all, there was a LOT of food and we didn't know where to start. It was suggested by a fellow foodie, whom I will not name, that we taste in order of the printed menu provided for us. Frankly this was a meal you could eat in any order but I found the Mackerel wrapped in banana leaves too strong a fish flavor for my liking to eat last. I was able to appreciate it's flavors but having, at that point, reached that familiar (family dinner) overstuffed stage affliction of wanting to try more and knowing you'd be ashamed later I only sampled it. I'm sure if I started with this I would have enjoyed more of it.

Some highlights of the entrees offered include the sauces being so incredibly delicious. The red curry was perfect, as was the peanut sauce on the fried noodles with satay. The most unusual experience for me was the texture and flavor of Telor Suwir -(Potatoes beef ball). It was the texture of a potato but had the yummy flavor of beef. Go ahead, tell me how that's not awesome! The coconut bell pepper sauce was my favorite and my foodie partner Sarah easily proved smarter than I when she started adding it to rice, noodles, eggs etc. The corn cake omelets were over a fresh salad-like mix of greens and shredded ginger that offered up a sense of redemption for over eating. It's not that it all was less than healthy, for me it was more feeling guilty for having crammed so much tasty things into one sitting.

Yeah, by now we were stuffed to capacity and of course we all knew we had two desserts to come! At this point, you noticed a calmer defeated undertone amongst the groups murmurs. We were challenged to take in so much. We were challenged by food, and food won. I was proud, however, that we never quit. The Pisang Goreng (Fried banana) was served with a carafe of brown sugar syrup. This was a very sweet banana fritter. Naturally the banana's are sweet when cooked and having been fried, they would've sufficed as dessert alone. But, no, the unique Angslei (Coconut milk, bread, shredded Jello, green beans) came and challenged my second-wind appetite. It was surprising, it was good. As common in Asian dessert offerings, this dish was not overtly sweet. It was just sweeter than savory. It's something I appreciate more and more as I get older. The key was to not think of the description of the Angslei. Just eat it and enjoy.

All in all, we had fun because the food was good. I detected no disappointments. The group was fired up from start to finish, and despite the amount we ingested, it didn't quiet us up much. The staff was quick and friendly. We did not merely feel welcomed, we felt the gratitude for showing up. Few foodie events evoke such emotions, but like the lamb we had at Zahav, I will probably always get slightly teary eyed when thinking of this meal.

the menu, sampling of 10 dishes for $35 (includes tax, tip)

“Nasi Kuning”
(Yellow Rice)

Appetizer
Lemper (Marinated chicken & sticky rice)
Tongseng Kambing -(Minced Lamb with “Robust” soups)

Entrée
Rendang Sapi -Beef Rendang (Red Curry)

Bakmi Goreng & Sate Ayam - (Fried noodles and chicken satay)

Sambal Goreng Tempeh & Udang-(Marinated potatoes, Tempeh, beans, shrimp)

Urap-Urap & Dadar Jagung - (Mixed coconut vegetables and corn cake omelets)

Ayam Bumbu Rujak - (Barbeque chicken, eggs with coconut bell pepper sauce)

Perkedel, Ikan Pepes, Telor Suwir -(Potatoes beef ball, mackerel fish wrapped in banana leaves, shredded eggs)

Dessert
Pisang Goreng (Fried banana)

Angslei (Coconut milk, bread, shredded Jello, green beans).

Group photo with Indra at Indonesian Restaurant 5/20/09

email: foodie.mike@gmail.com to join us!

Food-ie event (#12) at Cafe Apamate

2009-03-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

food-ie event #12 at Cafe Apamate 3-10-09, 7:30
1620 South St. , Philadelphia 19146

Cafe Apamate is a tapas byob restaurant offering us a chef tasting menu. A seven course tapas tasting menu -Pintxos y Picas (mini-tapas)

This food-ie experience offered a nice array of different flavors, all were tasty and sometimes unexpected which definitely hit its mark as the chef's aim was to offer a meal about: "degustating" different flavors and textures and enjoying an "experience" not just a meal". We ended up a smaller group than usual, perhaps due to various factors but the company, and the sangria, was lively and the pace of the meal seemed right.

We started off with the small cup of potato and roasted leek soup topped with a farm-raised egg yolk and chorizo emulsion. For the veggies that skipped the emulsion, damn, you missed a great component of flavor, in my opinion. I enjoyed the balanced smokey chorizo influence. Next came the Plato con Charcuteria which I forgot to photograph, perhaps because it was the most photogenic dish. When it arrived, I must have had hearts in my eyes since it included a handsome display of hams and cheeses and bread - o my.

The wild mushroom confit with garlic, tomatoes, herbs and roasted pepper sauce were like heaven on my tongue. The Bechamel and Serrano ham croquettes dish followed with a rich creaminess that felt a bit like an indulgence. Next, the seared pork tenderloin stuffed with poached sherry wine figs arrived on top of a carrot-cocoa puree and wine reduction with some marcona almonds as garnish arrived. One couldn't, at this point, help but notice how we were all becoming full yet it did not deter us from delving into the savory new experience of the mole-like rich sauce which the tenderloin sat atop. While the pork seemed roasted to a state of sausage-like texture, the fig filling was a great balance for it. I enjoyed it very much and pitied those poor vegetarians that missed it. (a moment of silence please, for the veggies). The seared sea scallops topped with a green apple-lemon and herbs infusion (looking like sea foam) were served as our final savory dish. It arrived in a half shell, and like Venus, it was beautiful in all ways. The scallops were a great size and perfectly cooked.

A final surprise was delivered with the tragedy of the churro machine's demise. Apparently Apamate's lauded churros ceased in mid-production. The restaurant was able to offer a few churros and chocolate dipping sauce that was shared between the group. I'm not sure what the consensus was, but I liked them for their freshness and surprisingly healthier texture than the greasy, cinnamon sugary carnival excuse of a dessert I had come to know in the past. These were good, light and tender. The chocolate sauce was pure good chocolate, though I almost yearned for it to include more unexpected flavors, as we had grown accustom to throughout the meal.

Additional dessert supplements were dishes of a rich chocolate mousse and rice pudding. Now don't go away yet. The mouse, which to me was intensely chocolate and rich without being run-of-the-mill chocolate, reminded me of a hybrid of ganache and a truffle. While it was dryer and tended to crumble a bit as we spooned it up, it did not suffer in flavor or texture. I loved it. The rice pudding, while sounding the most pedestrian, was my favorite. It was thicker, less gelatinous than typical pudding, and people, to me that's a good thing! It was a wholly new experience of rice pudding for me, which was topped with a slight golden creme-burlee top that made so much sense to me. Perhaps the substitutes were so good to me, they just overshadowed the churros? regardless, that and the really great coffee were a pleasing ending to a good meal. In addition, dishes of rice pudding and chocolate mousse were brought out. The churros were good, assuming the final ones made were made according to a well working machine. Their freshness, no doubt, are their greatest strength. They certainly did not seem like the unhealthy cinnamon greasy carnival desserts Ive come to know as churros.
*this meal cost: $35 + tax and tip= $45 Per Person

Feel free to join the food-ie group for this event or be added to the mailing list for future events! EMAIL me

group photo at Apamate, 3-10-09

Food-ie event #11: Root Restaurant

2008-10-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

Food-ie event (#11) at Root: 11/2/08
1033 Spring Garden, Philadelphia 19123

Our ROOT experience turned out to be another success and one with quite a good turn out. Twenty-nine foodies were rewarded with an onslaught of tasty dishes, brought out to our tables like gifts - one after another- and that kept us happy. Owner/Chef Christopher Hora was enthusiastic from the moment I first contacted him until the final dish was served. Eager to please foodies, he offered us a tasting assortment from his newly developed fall menu. He stressed that he wanted to get as many dishes in front of us as possible. The solution was a choice of 3 small plates, an entrée, and an assortment of desserts that pushed us over the edge to near food-coma.

At my table, there was an agreement to share everything to ensure as thorough an audit as possible. Of the small plates, we tried 4 of the 5 since the tare tar flight didn't appeal to us as much. There wasn't room left for disappointment, as far as I'm concerned. I noticed each table had a different order of appearance of the small plates, which I suppose was key to keeping the plates coming at a great pace. Just as my table finished indulging in the pumpkin ravioli, which made my mouth ... go... um, "Ooooh Yeaaah", the Zelnacka (Sauerkraut & Beer Soup) came out. Both of these dishes I anticipated from the moment Chris emailed the prospective menu and I was not one bit disappointed. The Asparagus & Mushroom Salad and finally the Mushroom Flat bread however surprised me. Though they sounded fine as a menu item, I did not expect to experience the rich, perfectly balanced layers of flavors. Usually the salads with warm bacon vinaigrette often hit you over the head with a biting flavor, whereas here it was pretty much perfect and again, I found myself just in bliss.

Of the entrée selection, my table of 4 ordered 2 of the 3 choices (We skipped the vegetarian dish but word from other tables claimed the Arugula Risotto & Truffle Honey jus was really good) we had the Oxtail & Rabbit Ravioli and Monk Fish poached in coffee & rum. Wow. I cannot vote one better than the other. The Monk Fish was incredible, with chocolate mole that made you remember why it read like porn when listed on the menu. Meanwhile, the Oxtail was delicious and these open faced raviolis were served with saki braised spinach that was just as divine as the ravioli. Chris mentioned the week's recent city-turmoil, a result of the Phillies winning the world series (woo hoo!) and the celebration that followed, was to blame for many of his deliveries being delayed or diverted as truck drivers apparently were imbibing in the festivities too. As a result, the Oxtail Ravioli was accompanied with spinach rather than the planned saki braised bok choy, uni beurre blanc and the Spaghetti squash saute that was intended for the Monk Fish dish had, instead, sweet potato and Jícama that also proved that a good chef can think on his feet creating a meal worthy of a city of champions. (was that too much?, you think? hmm sorry).

I wont even get started on the many desserts that we were offered except my table fell in love with the French Toast Souffle and the Cranberry-Pomegranate Pecan Tart above all the others. Um, this is making me hungry. It occurs to me, while writing this, that if our fall menu sampling was this good, then I so look forward to returning to Root for the rest of the menu.

Here's our menu for $40 (includes tax & tip):

choice of 3 small plates:

Asparagus & Mushroom Salad- spinach, asparagus, red onion, warm bacon Dijon vinaigrette, Campo de Montalban
Tare tar Flight- classic beef, Czech topinky, blue fin tuna, peanut chili, sesame wonton chips, tile fish and mango soffrito
Zelnacka- Sauerkraut & Beer Soup, smoked pork and rye croutons
Mushroom Flatbread- Shallot-bacon jam, cabernet poached egg
Pumpkin Raviolis- sage brown butter & pine nuts

choice of 1 entrée:

Oxtail & Rabbit Ravioli- saki braised bok choy, uni beurre blanc
Arugula Risotto & Truffle Honey jus
Monk Fish poached in coffee & rum- Spaghetti squash sautee, chocolate mole

Samples from the Fall Dessert Menu:

Apple Cake-Fig Compote, Quince & Rosemary Coulis, Herb Tuile
Crème Brulee Trio-Ibarra Chocolate, Toasted Almond, Pumpkin
Cranberry-Pomegranate Pecan Tart-Cinnamon Ice Cream, Crème Anglaise
Deconstructed Cheesecake-Walnut Ginger Snap, Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta, Blackberry "Grapa" Soup
French Toast Souffle-Buttered Rum Sauce, Maple Bacon Ice Cream
Chocolate Hazelnut Bomb-Hazelnut Mousse, Chambord Reduction,Lavender-Honey Tuile

group photo with Christopher Hora at ROOT RESTAURANT 11/2/08

food-ie event # 11 at ROOT

2008-10-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Information for restaurants

2008-08-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

The food-ie group is made up of a very diverse group that enjoys good and interesting food and tends to enjoy eating out. We meet, on average, once a season at a different Philadelphia location for the chance to try a restaurant's best offerings.

A successful foodie group event is achieved when :

The group has a chance to try something extraordinary, more extensive or unique than an ordinary dining experience at a location.
A restaurant has the opportunity to host a large group of eager food-ies and potential loyal customers while at the same time increasing that week's business.
a meal/event gets added to the food-group website (and simultaneously as a yelp review).

Here's how it works:

First contact is made to determine if a restaurant is appropriate and/or interested in hosting our group which numbers between 17 and 37 people, averaging around 23. If a restaurant is not interested, no problem. It just means I'll likely have to just try the place out on my own, because at this point I've determined that I'd like to eat at your restaurant, regardless. Restaurants are always encouraged to contact mike: foodie.mike@gmail.com if they're interested in our group.
Dates & times are determined: a target date and time are mutually decided on. If the current season is not best, we're more than open to planning future events ahead of time.
The menu is developed. The menu should be determined by the restaurant, keeping in mind it needs to cost a flat fee per person to avoid chaos at the end of the meal. Menus can be anything; especially an assortment of items that impresses the need for members of the group to return on their own after this meal. Most often, restaurants find it in their interest to get the group to try as much of the kitchen's strengths as possible. Some previous successful menues are made of multiple course offerings which have 1 to 3 choices per course. Having a vegetarian option(s) in each course is encouraged since a portion of our group is determined to deprive themselves of the glory of meat, for some reason. Vegetarians that are active members are often the most consistent and enthusiastic food-ies. If you do not have vegetarian items on your menu, there's still a lot of interested food-ies that would likely be interested, so don't fret. If you have any famous staples or offer unique specialties and/or are open to offering an extensive tasting menu (some have given us 5+ courses) to add to the experience, the event will become more attractive to the group and our numbers will likely be larger. For example, at Patou, we were offered 5 courses with wine pairing and introduction to the menu and wines by the chef, Patrice Rames as well as a representative from his wine supplier. Steven Cook offered us an extensive version of the "Mesibah" at Zahav. Also, Cochon, a small byob with limited space hosted us on a Sunday, which they're normally closed for, and offered us a special selection of more adventurous menu items. All of these were wonderful experiences for both the restaurant and the group.
The price is determined by the restaurant. A flat fee is the only option that works for a group like this. The restaurant needs to calculate a price that would be satisfactory for their goals for this meal. We're not a discount club and don't expect a restaurant to lose money. If anything we don't want to burden restaurants, but celebrate them. Price and unique experience offered often will have an impact on the numbers of participants. If a restaurant has a pay-bar, food-ie members are asked to pay at the bar, individually, so the meal's price is consistent and easy to calculate at the end of the meal. Often restaurants get a big pile of cash from us.
The size of the group can be open or predetermined. Some restaurants have limited seating space and therefore the invitation can be set to restrict the number to those who first respond to the evite I send out. Planning to host us on an evening a restaurant is normally closed offers smaller dining rooms an opportunity to avoid overwhelming regular customers. Larger venues often encourage as large a group as possible. Our largest group, so far, was at Bistro St. Tropaz, where we numbered 37 food-ies. There we had our own dining room and bar. If a restaurant has any contacts, patrons or friends that would be interested in joining our group for the planned meal, they are welcome to supply their contact info or email addresses.
The invite to the event meal is through an online evite. This describes the menu and price and gives me and the restaurant a chance to see the responses as they accumulate.

If you'd like to discuss anything, emails and phone conversations are very welcome. If your restaurant isn't ideal for us, but you know of one that is, please let me know!
Email me to arrange it: foodie.mike@gmail.com

food-ie event #10: Zahav

2008-07-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

food-ie #10 at Zahav : 8/1/08

Our tenth food-ie event at Zahav was a delicious to say the least. We were overwhelmed with a barrage of flavors that never slowed down. This is fortunate since our appetites were only further rewarded with each of the layers of flavors that arrived at the table and resulted in more anticipation and eager tasting. From my perspective, we seemed to find ourselves, shamelessly in a frenzy as each dish and mouthful seemed new and exciting as in the early stages of a new addiction. The "MESIBAH", which means party time, did not fail its claim. As I uploaded images onto our groups flickr account, I realized much of what the MESIBAH includes goes beyond the menu and is not even named or described there. That left me to my food-hazed memories and the inevitable blank/untitled photos of savory dishes.

*What? too much vocabulary? I can't help it. I find myself reaching for less traveled praise to do this meal and Zahav justice.

As a group of 15 we were in the private dining room which was flawless in feeling private and yet still a part of the whole restaurant. The staff was warm and comfortable with the task of making us feel at home and still presenting and catering to our needs to feel like genuine but very special house guests.

I considered commenting about specific dishes but realized I would need more time and space. It was all great (to be subtle) and the desserts alone wold be like writing a thesis paper. If I were to show favorites, It would have to be the lamb... oh the lamb. I salivate a little bit every time I think about that dish. It was the most succulent, tender and flavorful lamb experience I've had so far (But I'm so young, it's not as big a praise as you'd think- wink, wink). When the Whole roasted shoulder came out with no knives but accompanied with only small tongs, I thought there was a mistake until I gave the tongs a try. The meat fell off the bone as easy as it was to keep eating, believe me. I have to admit I somewhat gorged myself on that lamb and ate until it hurt. I don't recommend this, especially since our server Eric made sure all the remains of our feast were packed up for us. I managed to grab one of them too.

Now I look forward to going back and experiencing the main dining room. I can certainly endorse the MESIBAH for any group without hesitation. My challenge is not to overrate it to the point people believe I get some sort of kick back and become skeptical. As a foodie, one considers the value o finesse in their sermons.

Oh the lamb.

The menu:

Our 10th foodie event will be at Steven Cook's newest restaurant ZAHAV (modern Middle Eastern cuisine) is easy to access by subway since it's next to Society Hill Towers. Steve's provided us with extraordinary foodie memories at Marigold & XOCHITL.

Zahav's menu for groups is called the MESIBAH. it's a family-style meal that progresses through every category of their menu. It usually includes a choice of one entree, however, we'll have all three offered to us family style with substitutes for vegetarians. Note: drinks are separate at the bar.

The MENU = $55 (includes tax/tip):

SALATIM
HUMMUS-TEHINA AND LAFFA
COLD AND HOT MEZZE
+
WHOLE ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER - pomegranate-lamb jus, chickpeas
WHOLE CHICKEN - za'atar, green tehina, laffa
WHOLE FISH IN GRAPE LEAVES - sauce tarator, bulgur pilaf

DESSERT

*beverages not included

**This was our first SUMMER food-ie and though it was a smaller group (15) it felt like the perfect number.

Group photo with Elon & Eric from Zahav, 8/1/08

food-ie event #9: Cochon BYOB

2008-03-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

COCHON BYOB - Sunday March 30th, 6pm

Props to David, writer of the blog PhilaFoodie who recommended this great place. His review of COCHON

food-ie #9 was divine.
I'd like to thank Amy Giuffi for being so great to deal with and helping to organize this great meal. Her enthusiasm to host us was key to making this dining experience so fun and delicious. Gene Giuffi's menu was a combination of some wonderful staples from their menu as well as some more adventurous and savory rarities that were a treat for us pork loving foodies.

As a group of 30, we were not very quiet. We had brought plenty of wine etc and the place was roaring with banter (admittedly, most from my table). One thing I did manage to hear repeatedly, over all that, was how much every course was so "delicious", "the definition of savory" and "oh my god this is good".

Sitting next to my mom, there was an agreement. We were careful to not order any of the same things and therefore try as much as possible. The salad started off with a remarkable perfectly dressed salad which was light and refreshing.

For the Appetizer :
Feeling the responsibility to take advantage of the "adventurous" items, we ordered the Crispy Pigs Feet Croquette and also The Roasted Pork Belly. The croquette was really good and so interesting. It was full of flavors I couldn't quite identify and after asking the waitress I found out some of the main ingredients. Unfortunately my memory is filtered with really great wine that I mooched off of my table-mates, so nutmeg is the only spice I can sort of remember. I found my Mom was a little less in sharing with her Pork Belly, it was so indulgent and rich that I hope they add this one to the regular menu soon. I definitely intend to return for this... perhaps without my mom. (shhh, dont tell her)
For the Entree:
I ordered the Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder over Lentils duPuy Brussels sprouts with poached egg while mom ordered the Heritage Pork Loin stuffed with boudin noir sausage and pine nuts. These dishes were not "elf food" as someone pointed out. The servings were generous and the food so rich and flavorful, I would consider these in the category of French comfort food. The Pork shoulder was so tender and juicy, and over amazing lentils but what surprised me the most was that the brussels sprouts were so good! Normally, I hate brussels sprouts! The Pork loin was equally great and the potato accompaniment was really delicious. Unfortunately, at way too early a point, we found ourselves getting full too soon! Fortunately that gained me a take-home lunch for the next day, which was like re-living a very happy memory .
For dessert:
We shared the Creme Brulee and the Warm Chocolate cake with ice cream. While these dishes are not at all adventurous nor unique, they were made perfectly. These did not go unfinished. And to add to that extra happy-stuffed-pig feel, I enjoyed truly excellent coffee. I can't emphasize enough how good coffee acts as the perfect punctuation for any great meal to me.

Stuffed Pork Loin

Escargot

Since I myself don't eat snails if I don't have to, I opted to quote my fellow foodie who seemed to be completely impressed with the quality of her appetizer.

foodie member Jennifer says: "I have been eating escargots for the past twenty five years, and if its on the menu I almost always order it. The escargots at Cochon are the best that I have tasted. They were cooked to perfection and perfectly plump. The preparation was outstanding, each ingredient worked beautifully and complimented the escargots. The tomato concasse' added a nice sweetness, while the Pernod garlic-butter sauce was subtle and well balanced (not overwhelming like so many escargots dishes can be), the shitake mushrooms had a great texture and flavor, they worked very well in this dish. I'm not sure if this is usually on the menu, if not it should be, if it is, keep it..........BRING ON THE SNAILS !"

Our 4 course meal for $55 (includes tax & tip)

First Course (everyone):
-Baby Spinach Salad with poached pears, sun-dried cherries, pine nuts, sherry-wine vinaigrette

Second Course, choice of:
-Crispy Pig's Feet Croquette with micro greens and violet mustard
(*note from restaurant: "Also, I know it sounds out-there, but the pigs feet croquette is SO good! It's basically the meat from trotters put into a cake and deep fried. No bones.")
-Seared Scallops with fris'e, lardons, roasted peppers, fingerlings, lemon-thyme vinaigrette
-Roasted Pork Belly with pickled turnip and red onion salad
-Escargots with Shitake mushrooms, tomato concass', Pernod garlic-butter sauce

Third Course (Entree) Choice of:
-Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder over Lentils duPuy, roasted Brussels sprouts, poached egg
-Steak Frites with red-wine sauce and aioli
-Heritage pork loin stuffed with boudin noir sausage and pine nuts

Fourth Course, Dessert:
Creme Brulee -or- Warm Chocolate cake with homemade ice cream

Group portrait with Gene & Amy Giuffi at Cochon, 3/30/08

food-ie event #8: Cucina Forte

2007-10-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Cucina Forte - 10/25/07 7pm

768 South 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 215-238-0778

We had a great time at Cucina Forte.

It was our smallest group yet though it certainly didn't feel like it. The restaurant was a cozy atmosphere and Pina and the staff offered us warm welcomes and one long table for our food-ie night. As our group arrived, we enjoyed the homemade bread and antipasto plates and my sister made some friends with some regular patrons sitting nearby that I too had the pleasure to meet. Talking to them was like talking to family members at a reunion. They were glad to see us there, discovering what they'd known to be gem of an eating destination, a local secret, if you will, that they were glad to share.

The menu, as promised was very good. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the color of the dishes, the freshness of the ingredients and the presentation on each plate. The service was flawless, very attentive without being intrusive and this restaurant was not empty on this particular Thursday.

Of course, as some of us were sitting near the far end of the table, away from the kitchen, we secretly mumbled our resentment and justified bitter envy of the dessert portions for the first half of the table. As the dessert plates were delivered to each person starting near the kitchen and finally towards our end - closer to the door, we noticed how the serving sizes of the Ricotta Cheese cake progressively (or regressively?) shrank. Perhaps this was a result of the inherent generosity of the servers realizing that there was a risk of running out. If such thoughts even occurred to us at the time they simply didn't deter our jealous whispers . As it turns out, the comparatively puny serving of fluffly creamy ricotta cheese cake and an admittedly decent serving of the super rich fudgey homemade double chocolate mousse cake for our end of the table was... ahem... um... more than enough. Sure, I myself looked halfway down the table at Elaine's mountain of cheesecake on her plate and back at my small dab and thought ..... well, never mind what I though. Truth is, I never even finished mine. Dessert and excellent coffee at the end of such a good meal had me more than content before I could finish.

Oh, and it's true, the gnocchi in their homemade marinara sauce is as light as a feather and super for a second course. I look forward to returning to try the spinach gnoochi next time.

Elaine(on right) with
gloating dessert grin

The Menu

includes:
Home made bread, antipasto plates on table as we arrive

1st course:

Choice of Soup or Salad.

Soup-Maria's Dream Soup-Chicken breast, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, carrots, all in a chicken broth base.

Salad-Mixed greens with tomatoes, olives, onion tossed in our homemade balsamic dressing.

2nd course:

Everyone would get their famous homemade ricotta gnocchi in their homemade marinara sauce.

3rd course:

(choice of)

Pollo Forte-Grilled Chicken w/ crabmeat, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes

Veal Limone-Lightly pounded and floured veal in a lemon and white wine sauce

Salmon-grilled or sauteed with spinach and wild mushrooms(must choose grilled or sauteed ahead of time)

Tilapia-pan-seared with capers, diced tomatoes, extra virgin oil

(*veg) Taconelle con porcini:wide spinach pasta w/porcini mushrooms and asparagus in a light cream sauce.
**All dinners prepared with extra virgin olive oil and garlic where needed

4th course:

Coffee and Dessert(does not include cappuccino or espresso)

Everyone will receive a sliver of our homemade ricotta cheesecake and homemade double chocolate mousse cake on each plate) topped with sugar and specialty sauces.

This is a BYOB and there's no corking fee.
Sodas and Coffee will be included.

Group portrait after our meal at Cucina Forte 10/25/07
*(as best I could manage without our favorite photographer, Cho)

join us!

2007-09-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

How does one become a food-ie group member?
Anyone can be a member. The more the merrier. Our group is inclusive, diverse and fun.

contact mike and ask to be added to the email list: email foodie.mike@gmail.com
respond to evites for the events (roughly one per season).
show up, eat, pay your bill (usually cash) for any that you sign on for.
contact mike immediately if, for some reason, you cannot make an event you signed on for.
optional: contribute to mikes wine glass or pint glass for any locations that are byob !
encouraged: suggest any locations you think would be appropriate for our future eats, especially if you know a chef or owner! I can always use some help. I don't get paid for this and it takes a considerable amount of time.

* please note:

I'm not interested in becoming your spam monster. If you would like to be taken off the email/evite mailing list, just say. I won't be hurt, I swear.
Members that fail to show up for an event and neglect to ever contact me about it will likely be removed from the email list. (permanently or until sufficient bribes are delivered).
If you'd like to invite friends to any event, feel free to bring them, just account for them on your evite response in head count.
If you have a friend that would like to be on the mailing list, just email me their address, or have them email me.
If you have any questions, email me.

food-ie event #7: XOCHITL

2007-06-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

XOCHITL (so-cheet) - 6/27/07

http://www.xochitlphilly.com/

408 S. Second St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-238-7280

see more photos and/or join the flickr group

WOW. That's the word for our experience at Xochitl. The atmosphere was really nice. Our group of 19 fit perfectly in the comfortable lounge-like dining room down stairs. The problem I had was trying to figure what to order. Fortunately, we were a sharing group and most of us were able to experience one great flavor after another. You'll see that our flickr photos are a bit more scarce this time....due to the fact that those with cameras were too consumed with consuming. Honestly, I found the entire experience to be flawless. In my opinion, everything I tasted was even more exciting than how it read on the menu, which is quite an accomplishment. The vegetarian entree (stuffed cactus) was perhaps the most interesting thing I sampled and hope to get the opportunity to order that in future visits to the restaurant (hint,hint), but I suspect that that dish was put together especially for us, though I was told cactus is always on the menu.

A BIG THANKS to Steven Cook, owner of Xochitl & Marigold, who has proven to be one of the most eager to host food-ies. He clearly appreciates his patrons and came in to see how our meal was and more importantly, he was among the easiest to organize events with. The staff service was excellent and Im not just spreading all this love because they make a damn strong drink there, no sir, it's because I can be influenced by a good food buzz.

MENU:

1st Course (choose one)
Ceviche de Dorado y Coco
(Mahi-Mahi ceviche with coconut)

Empanadas de Pollo con Mole
(Chicken empanadas with mole)

*( veggie offer) Sopes de Queso de Cabra
Fresh masa tortillas with goat cheese and black beans

2nd Course (choose one)
Jicama Callejera
(Jicama in the style of the Street, with pepino
melon, pineapple, lime and chile piquin)

Salpicon de Res
(Shredded beef salad with tomato,
onion, cilantro, jalapeno and lime)

Entree (choose one)
Bistec Tabasqueno
(Skirt steak with plantains, guacamole and beans)

Pechuga Rellena de Queso y Flor de Calabaza
(Chicken breast stuffed with ricotta cheese and
zucchini flowers with roasted poblano sauce)

Salmon en Salsa de Aguacate
(Roasted salmon with avocado sauce)

*(vegetarian entree) Nopales Rellenos
Roasted cactus stuffed with mushrooms served with pumpkin seed mole

Dessert (choose one)
Burritos de Platano con Chocolate
(Banana burritos with chocolate sauce)

Bunuelos Napoleon
(Fritters layered with fresh cream and berries)

Group photo at Xochitl after a great meal, 7/27/07

food-ie event #6: Marigold Kitchen byob

2007-05-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Marigold kitchen byob 3/21/07

www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com

501 south 45th st.
Phila, PA 19104
215-222-3699

Marigold was a good time. The restaurant itself is nice enough though the room we were in was a little tight for 20 people. It might be a new addition to the restaurant and maybe not all kinks worked out. The downstairs main dining area was much more charming though.
Over all, our group was treated really well by ANNE our server and the chef was nice to come up stairs to say hi - and receive a generous round of applause. He provided some great flavors during the experience; in the end everybody seemed pretty content and happy.

My favorite part of the meal was that the menu wasn't cliche' and that the chef approached it in a new way. The guy can cook.

1st Course

Carrot Soup with Miti-Crema and Mint
Roasted Beet Salad with Manchego Cheese and Spiced walnuts
Salmon Rillette with Warm Flatbread

2nd Course

Pan-Roasted Monkfish with Fennel and Chestnut Tagine
Seared Duck Breast with Parsnip Puree and Collard Green Crepinette
Potato Gnocchi with Bluefoot Mushrooms and Umbra Cheese

Dessert

Warm Chocolate Cake with Yogurt Ice Cream and Turkish Coffee
Pineapple Semolina Cake with Pineapple Sorbet

partial group photo (w/Anne in front) @ Marigold Kitchen byob

food-ie event #5: Bistro St. Tropez

2007-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Bistro St. Tropez 1/24/07
www.bistrosttropez.com
2400 Market Street, 4th Fl. (in the Marketplace Design Center) Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.569.9269

Another successful event thanks to Patrice Rames hospitality!

Patrice, same great chef that owns Patou, had put together a "French Comfort Food" themed menu for the Foodies. Price was set at the Restaurant Week formulation of 3 courses for $30 (exclusive of tax and gratuity)

"FRENCH COMFORT FOOD" Menu

FIRST COURSE (choice of)

Boston Salade – bibb lettuce, apples, walnut pralines, gorgonzola cheese, walnut vinaigrette
Champignons - fricasee of wild mushrooms, truffle oil drizzle
Moules - steamed PEI mussels with shallot parsley white wine broth <>Paté - house made country
paté, black olives, radishes, Dijon mustard and grilled croutons
Duck Confit – wilted watercress, roasted beets, green apple and goat cheese terrine

SECOND COURSE (choice of)

Cassoulet – white beans with braised carrot, onion, pork, lamb, Italian sausage and duck confit
Agneau - braised lamb shank with carrots, onions, mashed potatoes, shallot jus
Saumon – pistachio crusted salmon with ratatouille, arugula, horseradish cream sauce
Seafood Risotto – creamy risotto with mussels, shrimp, calamari, garden peas asparagus
Vegetarien – orichette pasta with roasted wild mushrooms, carmelized onion, wilted greens, shaved parmesan, truffle jus

THIRD COURSE (choice of)

Tart Tatin – fresh baked apple tart with vanilla ice cream
Chocolat Chaud – individually sized molten chocolate cake with crème anglaise

Group photo with Patrice @ Bistro St. Tropez

food-ie event #4: Tierra Colombiana

2007-05-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Tierra Colombiana
www.tierracolombianaphilly.com/home.asp
4535-37 North 5th St
11/28/06 @7:30
Cuban/Colombian food !!!

Well, the food was good and the word is the veggie platters were very good too.
I wish we could have individually ordered from the menu, which looked really diverse, but I was told a group our size had to do this "family style". Not knowing what we were going to get - the online menu descriptions were less than detailed- I had no idea that the chicken dish we were to have was going to be so ... mild. It was flavorful, but not exactly exciting. I'm sure some will like that about it though.

What we had was actually good but the service was a bit impersonal. It occurs to me this is the first location we didn't have someone we knew, a connection, that facilitated a special event.

Unfortunately the time of year also might have affected our turn-out.
While 26 had committed, only 19 actually attended. Four people did have the courtesy to at least call about that.
I think the meal would've been much more fun if our numbers were higher. I'm pretty sure the group itself is one of the best parst of these events and the reason we had so much fun at the other locations.

Hopefully, things will work better in the future and perhaps Tuesdays avoided.
I'm taking the month off. There's no logic in organizing around the holidays that occur at the end of Dec.

menu:
Bocaditos (Appetizer) : Maduros (Fried sweet plantain slices)
Ensaladas (Salad) : Ensaladas Mixta (Garden Salad)
Carne (Meats) : Arroz con Pollo Colombiano (Chicken and Rice Colombian Style)
or
(for vegetarians:Plato Vegetariano= Rice(choice), Beans(choice), Com Patty, Tossed Salad, Cassava and your choice of Sweet Plantains, Green Plantains or Avocado )

Arroz (Rice) : Arroz Blanco ( White Rice)
Frijoles (Beans) : Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)
Postres (Desserts) : Flane de Leche (Flan) & Las Tres Leche ( Three Milk Cake) = (a plate with both for each person)

group photo @ Tierra Colombiana

food-ie event #3: Divan Turkish Kitchen

2007-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Divan Turkish Kitchen
www.divanturkishkitchen.com

Carpenter and 22nd st 215-545-5790

Ilker at Divan Turkish Restaurant treated us like family, running to get more and more chairs and tables for us as our group grew a bit beyond what we expected. Like family, everyone was made to feel welcome. The food was quick, generous and extremely good. The free wine was great and service super. I had such a great time. The closeness, a result of our larger than anticipated numbers, made it even more fun. We had a lot of laughs and great food... oh yeah, and free turkish wine!

The menu: ILKAR, the owner is a friend of Andres and after speaking with him I learned that Andres has explained the short history of the food-ie group to him. He enthusiastically spoke of the experience he will offer us and even apologised ahead of time for making such a meal that we will perhaps only want to meet there for now on. I told him he had some pretty high competition to out-do considering our fortunate experiences so far. He sounded pretty fun which I thought was a good sign. I really have to say his attitude and eagerness to make this another foodie success (and his menu) had got me salivating already which I think may be a problem for my keyboard....

Ilkar made us a deal: For our group, however big it may be, he offered a choice of traditional tomato or fennel soup, appetizer platters for the tables to sample the extensive menu and to let us order our main course individually and portions will be all-you-can-eat plus he gave us wine for free. (for what? FOR FREE!) The price was set at $43 (including tax/tip)

group photo with Ilkar

food-ie event #2: Patou

2007-05-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Patou
www.patourestaurant.com/

312 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-928-2987

"CUISINE:
Patou’s cuisine stays true to its coastal French roots while incorporating bright and adventuresome flavors of neighboring Mediterranean and North African regions."

Patrice Rames (owner/chef) is a charismatic, generous and talented host and his warm welcome was followed with an incredible meal and wine tasting event. He and a representative from his wine supplier introduced the meal and the wines that would accompany each course. The food was superb, the service was flawless and Patrice's own sincere enjoyment of the event made the night all the more fun. As a result of his obvious enthusiasm towards our group, Patrice offered us each a generous toast with champagne from his own private stock. This event was simply a great elegant dining experience.

The menu:

LOUIS LATOUR/PATOU WINE DINNER SEPTEMBER 28, 2006

Amuse Bouche
Prosciutto crêpes with pear and arugula

First Course
Salmon roulade with fresh dill, cucumber, artichoke and lemon crème fraîche caviar
(paired with Louis Latour Macon Lugny Genievre 2002)

Second Course
Lobster feuilleté with asparagus, morel and wild mushrooms in a chive cream sauce
(paired with Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissin Pinot Noir)

Third Course
Frenched rosemary Cornish game hen stuffed with polenta, goat cheese and currant accompanied by ratatouille and a mission fig sauce
(paired with Louis Latour Beaujolais Village Chameroy 2003)

Fourth Course
Chocolate fondant with crème anglaise and almond ice cream
(paired with Louis Latour Ardeche Chardonnay)

$45 per person plus tax and gratuity

a representative from Louis Latour will speak about each of the wines
and will be available to answer any questions
*2 of us will not be getting the wine and will order from the menu for a set priced meal of $30 (what a great deal!) ...is that enough designated drivers!?

group photo with Patrice

the 1st food-ie event: Cafe Bombay

2007-05-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Cafe Bombay 8/30/06
www.cafebombay.biz/index.htm
233 Mill St.
Bristol, PA 19007

This initial event was great fun. We had 32 people attend and Gigi prepared for us an amazing assortment of fresh flavorful dishes that were less predictable than your average Indian Restaurant offers. The fact that the food was so great combined with having the restaurant all to ourselves created a really fun atmosphere. I hope that food-ie members return as often as possible because there just never seems to be enough appreciation for Bombay in Bristol.

(from their website):
"We at Cafe Bombay are dedicated to providing excellent authentic Indian cuisine. Since Indian cuisine varies from region to region, we have tried to include a sampling of dishes from the entire country reflecting the varied taste of different regions. The recipes of entrees included are time tested with correct combination of herbs and spices.

We believe homemade food is always better. To serve the most authentic food, we make our own yogurt and cheese everyday. Our food is cooked with minimum of oil and no MSG. We do not use any preservatives. Everything is cooked fresh from scratch in our kitchen. While practicing authentic Indian cuisine, we also use our own imagination and creativity to introduce new and innovative dishes."

our menu:
I've taken the initiative to order the basic stuff since Gigi is the owner/chef and has a small staff that would better serve a group our size this way. Dinner will be served as a buffet, freshly prepared for us as we get there, no heat lamps. So it's more like he's catering our party.

THE MENU

hand made breads: basket (assortment)=Naan, Roti, Kulcha, Puri
Bombay Naan :Naan stuffed with Indian cottage cheese, almonds, raisins, fresh ginger and coconut.

Kadai (3 separate orders: Lamb, Vegetable & Shrimp) Kadai cooking is native to Sind which was formerly a part of Bombay. Pieces of meats or vegetable are quickly cooked in a Kadai (wok) with a small amount of spiced oil, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and other subtle flavors

THIS IS MY FAVORITE DISH - Ive not found anything close to this in any indian restaurant EVER. Gigi says that other indian chefs travel to Bristol just to get some. His menu intimidates newcomers sometimes because he bills it as very strong spicey flavor but in truth it's not extreme at all , except in fullness of flavor. If you like really mellow stuff, you may not like this as much as the Chicken Xacutti (below)

Vegetable Navarathan Korma (Light Flavor)
Varieties of fresh vegetable, cheese, herbs and nuts done in a creamy sauce
Chicken Xacutti (Strong Flavor but not hot) Pronounced "shakutte" Chicken Curry from the West coast of India Made with roasted ground coconut and a blend of rich spices
Indian Spicy Salad :(vegetarian)chick peas, cucumber, onions and lots of flavorful herbs and spices. (medium spicy)
Desserts: Mango Kulfi, Pistachio Kulfi, Gulab Juman

group photo with Gigi @ Bombay

what's the food-ie group?

2007-05-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

welcome to the food-ie group blog.
If you're wondering what the group is and how it works, read on.

I began organizing the group as a result of many conversations with like-minded friends that are equally food focused. Anything worth doing, we agreed, had food involved. Experiencing food at new locations really is my sport of choice.

In the fall of 2006, the food-ie group was born. A small group of friends grew instantly into an extended network of food-ies. The inaugural food-ie event was set at my all-time favorite Indian Restaurant in Bristol, PA : Cafe Bombay. This first food-ie meeting was a huge success since we were treated to extraordinary dishes and had the entire restaurant to ourselves for an incredible price.

Initially the group shared a more democratic process of deciding on future locations, but that in and of itself became too complicated as our email list approached 60+. Now, I ask for suggestions and advice and simply approach restaurants as they cross my path.

When an event location and date is determined, an evite invitation is sent to the entire food-ie group mailing list, which recently exceded 90 emails. This includes the menu, price and information about the location itself.

The goal is to create an opportunity for a group of enthusiastic foodies to meet an enthusiastic eatery to enjoy extraordinary meals.