BEER - Sam Adams Scotch Ale

My friends gave me a Sam Adam's variety pack a couple of weeks ago and I am heartbroken to report that there is only one left, BUT I think I saved the best for last. Scotch Ale provides a medium brown color with a little bit of a malty after taste that precedes a somewhat smoky scent. If you are a fan of a hint of bite at first taste followed by a smooth body then you will enjoy. Hooray for being done this skew of beer? I hope so, for the sake of Magic Hat Spring Mix...more details to come.

Tale of the Pie: Paesano Pizza

Oofah. Talk about a bad pie. Our level of disappointment might be partly due to the fact that the last two pizza joints we reviewed (Oaks, Gino's) were quite good. Or perhaps the pie just totally sucked.

We originally ordered for delivery, but when we were quoted a time estimate of an hour, we decided to pick up because I was too darn hungry to wait. Paesano's must be going green and delivering by foot because there was literally no one else in the place when the hubby picked up the pie. So we're not exactly sure what would have taken an hour.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Philadelphia Brewing Company Fleur de Lehigh

Philadelphia Brewing Company Fleur de Lehigh

A wonderful golden ale from the brewery on Amber St. in the Kensington area. Offers a tremendous finish with an incredible nose, thanks to its ginger-and-lemongrass spicing (I had to look up the term "nose." I thought the term was "nosehead," which actually sounds kind of disgusting...and obscene).

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Bell's Two Hearted Ale

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

"IPA" is not prominently displayed anywhere on this perfectly hopped beverage's front label , so it's possible that fans of India Pales could miss it. But it is one of the best. Just look for the beer with the fish on it! Be careful or you might end up drinking Schmidt's!

Time for a Random List: Ten Best Songs by David Bowie

Recently, a friend sent me an e-mail about a new "lost" album by David Bowie. Evidently, it was recorded a decade ago, but never got a proper release. It has been leaked to the Internet in the last few weeks. To make a long story short, this friend had been told it was Bowie's best album since 1977's Low, but he found much to his chagrin that it wasn't. It was instead...kind of shite. Anyway, during the course of this e-mail chain, this friend mentioned how fun and challenging it would be to figure out the ten best songs by David Bowie. I guess I could have told him my opinion while we were e-mailing, but then how would this help the traffic on our site? So here it is: a shameless ploy to get one person to check out this site, the top ten songs by David Bowie.

10. "Be My Wife" (Low, 1977)

Ten Things I'm Hating...RIGHT NOW!!!

1. The Wind

Right now, I could go for just about anything else. Give me snow in the springtime. A torrential downpour? Why the hell not? Pretty soon, the heat will come and I will complain about that as well. But not as much as I do about the wind. I can't remember the last time I walked outside and it wasn't blowing at least 25 miles per hour. Maybe it just seems like that. But I have very delicate hair. I need this to stop.

The Freezer Case: 365 Everyday Value Uncured Pepperoni Pizza



Hey, if Kim Kardashian can get her pie
on after Pilates, no reason why I can't.
Must be why we look so similar ...

As Pilates night has quickly become frozen pizza night at the McGilliguddy residence, we have another freezer case review for you: Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value Uncured Pepperoni Pizza. Kind of ironic that I top off an excruciating hour-long workout by stuffing my face with pizza, but I suppose this one must have been at least a tad healthy, since it is from Whole Foods, right?


Healthy or not, it certainly was delicious! It looked a bit small in diameter when I first put it in the oven, but since we were dining after the nibble's bedtime, it ended up being just the right amount for the two of us. With an ample amount of flavorful sauce topped with the tastiest pepperoni and a layer of gooey-but-not-greasy cheese, the pie was delectable - one of the best frozens we've ever tasted! The uncured peperoni had a bit of zing to it and the toppings were spread to the edge of the crust, so much so that there was no leftover crust remaining on the hubby's plate - definitely a rarity for a frozen. The crust was hearty, but not too doughy or dense. Probably even better than the crust on the pie we enjoyed at the Cold Point Pub last weekend.

In summary, it was delish and we will definitely be getting it again. Although if we're eating with the nibble, we'll probably need a second pie ...



Pizza ANYTIME!!!!

Remember this little jingle?




For some reason my mom did not fall for the pizza in the morning bit. This guy is kind of in line with my mom:



Except for the whole beating with a belt part.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Prism Tea Party Pale Ale

Prism Tea Party Pale Ale

Met the brewer of this beer one time. He wanted our thoughts on the name of his IPA. Seemed like a bit of a douche. Now he's brewing this quality beverage for a living while I am weighing whether I should submit a resume to some boring-ass medical journal. Sigh!

Whole Foods—Pig in lipstick not tested on animals

After a quick trip to David's Bridal with my gals in my wedding party, we headed over to the Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting to finally check out what all the hubbub was about their Cold Point Pub.

I am not quite sure when dining at the grocery store originated. Quite frankly, when I grew up in the 80s and 90s, we looked down on people popping grapes off displays and heaven forbid if you actually opened packaging! People crunching on potato chips halfway through the store would send my mother into a tizzy and later me, too. To eat and shop was not only dirty and germy, but flat out uncouth in our camp. I chalked it up mostly to the fact that these people were stealing or about to attempt theft. I mean, were these people actually going to hand the high school student clerk an empty bag of Fritos and say, "They were so good, I couldn't wait. But dang, I'll pay for them now."? Really? I mean really? Not at the Norristown Genuardi's, that's fo' sho'.

Time for a Random List: Ten Songs That Probably Shouldn't Be on My iPod...But I'm Glad They Are!

1. "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer


I think I have this on there so my wife can here it every once in a while, or maybe it is the insanely catchy synth line at the beginning. Or the funky guitar picking! Or maybe I just want to make sure I am able to get into Studion 54 should they ever decide to reopen.

Tale of the Pie: Oaks Italian Pizzeria

The wife and I decided to take Saucy Jr. out for some errands today, and since we were on our way to our local Target, we decided we would stop in to Oaks Italian Deli & Pizzeria to see what their pie was all about. Being that it felt like a wonderful Spring day, we saddled up to a seat outside and enjoyed the wonderful view of the intersection to Egypt and Mill roads.

With it being Lent, we are not able to consume any meat, so the order was a plain pie with extra sauce and an order of mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks were, of course, the first to arrive and they were quite good. The sticks themselves were quite ample and they came with a very good marinara sauce. They have pasta entrees on the menu and, from the taste of the marinara, I could definitely see myself enjoying one in the future.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Bear Republic Racer 5

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

This beer is awesome! It's totally distracting from the post I want to write about bitches who enter multiple brackets into their NCAA Tournament competitions. Those losers have no balls. Be a man and make a decision, hootchie! More on that tomorrow! Did I mention how great this beer is!?

That's the F*cking Ticket!

Uh...I don't know. You might want to know how a bearded bastard with a douchey black ski cap who drinks Natty Ice makes a Black and Tan! See how he gets "a small amount of head" while he is at it!

The Recipe Files: Irish Pizza

Happy St. Patty's Day! Although the Irish aren't exactly known for their fine cuisine, I figured I would google Irish pizza and see what came up. Not only are there several pizzerias across the country serving such a thing today, but I also came across a recipe so you can try it at home:

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 2 medium (14-inch) pies

Banishment of the Binky: Day Four

A fellow binky lover

Last week, I saw a disturbing image online. And no, I'm not talking about the Japan quake and Pacific tsunami (although my heart goes out to the victims and I encourage anyone who is able to donate to disaster relief efforts). What I'm referring to in this post is a photo of nearly-five-year-old Suri Cruise with a pacifier in her mouth.

The nibble loves his bink, as we call it in our house. Shortly before he turned one, I thought I would gradually wean him from it by hiding it during the day. I also thought that he would ultimately leave it behind himself when he was ready. As he will be 15 months this week, and has not left it behind on his own (and has also figured out all of my hiding spots so he can stand there and point and say "bi" until I give in), I apparently was wrong on both counts.

Dear...You: The Local Chinese Food Restaurant

Dear Proprietors of the Golden Key Chinese Restaurant,

One can not survive on pizza alone. Every once in a while, when we order out, it has to be something else. And when it is, it is usually Chinese food. And when it is Chinese food, for us, it has always been your restaurant, Golden Key.

It is always so tough to find a good Chinese food restaurant. I don't know why. It just is. For the longest time, when I lived in New Jersey before meeting my betrothed, my hot spot was Hunan Garden on Route 130 in Delran. When I moved out of the Garden State, it seemed that I just couldn't find a replacement. I mean, that's OK because myself and the wife just gorged ourselves on pizza and steaks and burritos and that sort of stuff instead, but every once in a while, you just want a good egg roll, know what I'm saying?

Tale of the Pie: Gino’s Ristorante and Pizzeria

Bumpkin waiting for his slice

To be perfectly honest, I feel a bit silly reviewing Gino's. Gino's was my absolute favorite restaurant growing up. My grandparents loved it. My parents loved it. We went there for birthdays, graduations, really any excuse we could find. And when I began dating my hubby 11 years ago, we went there so frequently that they basically only took our order as a courtesy. The food is exceptional, the portions are huge and you can BYO.

Surprisingly, their pizza was always just okay. We used to occasionally get it on a Tuesday because they had a special (either $5.99 or $6.99, I can't remember). Since they stopped the special, we haven't ordered it in years. Because really, the pizza itself wasn't all that special.

But as we're reviewing every pizzeria in the area, it would be unfair to exclude Gino's. Plus, they recently expanded the restaurant and their menu (as well as adding an unfortunate corkage fee), so we thought they may have switched up the pizza recipe a bit.

The Freezer Case: Trader Giotto's Flatbread Pizza

What you are about to read is both a positive and a negative review. The truth is the pizza we had tonight was very tasty. But, in the end, I'm not sure if it was worth it, because...well, let me get to the pizza analysis.

Two factors led to my consuming Trader Giotto's Flatbread Pizza on this evening. First, wifey went to pilates. This left her with no time to prepare a detailed meal so quickness was of the essence. The second is that it was a meatless pie, and meat is something that is absolutely verboten on Ash Wednesday (unless it's a KFC Double Down; then all bets are off)! Therefore, the only toppings (if you will) on this pie were its mix of cheeses. There were four of them in all: mozzarella (yes!), provolone (OK...), asiago (you're losing me!), and ricotta (EWWWW!). After a 15-minute cooking time, it struck me that there looked to be a little more cheese on the pie than I usually prefer. But no matter! I was hungry, and, in a pinch, this would certainly do!

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock

Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock

Friends bought me one from our local bar a couple weeks ago. Drinking it now. This fine, powerful brew has sentimental value. Usually like to drink one to "celebrate" Phillies victories. Chase Utley doesn't have to have his leg amputated...yet. That's reason to "celebrate!" Love the cool horsey toy.

HALP!! Can't smell!!

My apologies to the pizza project fan club but this is not a post about food, nor beer. Unfortunately, being a little under the weather deprives me of my sense of smell, which accounts for about half of your overall dining experience. If this weather would choose what it wants to do, I might not be in this situation - first its cold, then its warm, and then my drive home in The Perfect Storm turns into The Day After Tomorrow. Speaking of movies, has anyone ever seen Food INC? I've been reduced to watching movies while sipping tea since I can't enjoy the aroma and flavor of a good Sam Adam's Revolutionary Ale. All I can do is watch the tele, pay the bills, go to sleep early, and plan how this year's golfing season will unfold. Funny how things turn out over the years...I could've swore I caddied for Arnold Palmer's best friend in the US Amateur Open at Sunnybrook Country Club about 8 years ago. I used to be a decent scratch golfer and if my imagination ran wild, I COULD be playing golf and living in Georgia with a bulldog named Glenn. Good thing that it was just my imagination because I would've missed out on the greatest thing in the world. If you read this blog enough, you know who you are. Thanks for everything!!

The Freezer Case: Wegmans Capicola and Salami Pizza

No excuses here for why we made this pizza for dinner. There was no guy's night or working late at the office, just plain laziness. The Sixers game was about to start and the lady of the house was starting to question what was for dinner. The fastest and easiest solution was the frozen pizza in the freezer.

The crust was thin and crispy just like the box had said. It was probably the best part of the whole pie. The "seasoned" tomato sauce left some room for improvement as did the toppings. The capicola ham and genoa salami didn't really enhance the pizza at all. I would have preferred it to be plain with some hot sauce, which happened to be my second slice and thus more enjoyable.

Dear...You: My Fantasy Basketball Team

Every once in a while, The Pizza Project gets angry or happy or sad or excited. When this occurs, they need to write a letter to nobody in particular. Why? Becaue it feels good, that's why!

Dear My Fantasy Basketball Team,

Alright, no more games, motherf*ckers! This year, my first (and quite likely my last) season of fantasy basketball, started off so well. I received the second pick in the draft. I won my first four games, defeating people and mocking them horribly simply because it seemed fun. I ran up a record total of points one week, a stretch of seven days where it seemed that if I could have placed Drazen Petrovic's rotting corpse on my roster and he would have found a way to put up 25, 5, and 5, with a three-pointer of two.

Now look at me: 9-8, trying to scratch my way into the playoffs. It all started when I cut the captain and veritable namesake of my team, Yao Ming. I had promised to keep him on my roster all year, even if he was injured for the entire season. With Yao at the helm, I saw nothing but perfect health. Joakim Noah was rebounding and blocking shots. Jrue Holiday was coming into his own as a young playmaker. Andrea Bargnani was making chicken cacciatore for the team on off days. In short, it was bliss.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: New Holland Mad Hatter IPA

New Holland Mad Hatter IPA

Thursday was Guys Night. Bought some of this. Friend walks in. Kid knows beer. Says, "Why'd you get that?" Evidently, he once told me it was horrible. I must have been drunk at the time. Wish I had remembered. Because this was shite! Drank all his Harpoon IPA instead.

The Freezer Case: Amy's Organic Spinach Pizza

On Thursday, the hubby went out for guy's night, which means the nibble and I get to eat whatever we want for dinner ... without hearing complaints about how horrifically healthy it might be. So we enjoyed an Amy's Organic frozen pizza.

A blend of feta cheese, basil, organic spinach and tomatoes topped with a sprinkling of part-skim mozzarella cheese, it was pretty tasty. The crust was a bit heartier than what I typically prefer on a frozen, but it wasn't too doughy and I believe it helped to make the pie more satisfying. Overall, I'd give the pie one and a half thumbs up and would buy it again (for another time that the hubby isn't around, of course).

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Went to a party the other night. Had to buy beverages. Bought a six-pack of this brew for the third time in three weeks. If it were up to me, I would never buy the same beer twice. There's something about this one. Definite beer of the moment.

Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA

Never liked Samuel Adams. Thought it was upper-class Budweiser. Could be the commercials with the guy who lets the accountants test the beer in their cubicles. Perhaps I am just an incurable snob. Decided to try this specialty IPA recently. Maybe this isn't Stone IPA. But I'd buy it again.

A Yunique Slice Indeed

I work in Center City, and the other day I was in the mood for pizza. So, since I work around 17th and Arch, I decided to hit up a place whose pizza I have enjoyed in the past: Yunique Pizza. I have enjoyed this pizza before, and, now that I am blogging about pizza, I wanted to see if it was as good as I remembered. And I did come to a verdict...

...But before I get to that: Yeah, I have no idea about the name. My first thought was that maybe the people who own the place are idiots who don't know how to spell the word "unique." That could be the case, but more likely I think is that the owner is named Yunique, and he or she just decided to name the place after themselves, no matter how grammatically incorrect it is. So, in other words, the owners are not idiots. It is simply that their parents are. Note: I have no idea if the place is named after the owner who has a ridiculously misspelled name. This is just a supposition I am making. Their name could be Joe for all I know. I really could care less what they call the place because...

All in the Family: Corropolese Tomato Pie

Not quite pizza, but certainly a relative, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the delicacies we enjoyed at the Oscar party - Corropolese tomato pie. It's been a staple at gatherings since I was a kid - back in the day when family and friends argued which area tomato pie was the best: Corropolese or Bake Meister. Well, Bake Meister is now closed and Corropolese has two additional locations, so I guess we know who won that contest. And they didn't even have to use mice.

On to the pie. The dough is the perfectly soft consistency for the sweet (and ample) sauce. Sprinkled with a bit of fresh parm on top, and that is it: simple, yet delicious goodness. Large and affordable, it's a perfect addition to any party menu. We always order in advance to be sure they don't run out, but you could also get there early in the morning to secure your pie.

Random Thoughts about the 2011 Oscars

Usually, if I were to write about the Oscars, it wouldn't be in the form of a wrap-up. Instead, I would write something predicting all the winners. When I was proven to be correct, I would return the next day to gloat over my superiority in the area of trivial knowledge. If I were proven to be wrong, I would never mention the predictions again, promptly pretending that they never existed (I would probably remove the post for good measure because I am very insecure). Alas, I can not publish these sorts of predictions anymore. You see, we have a party for the Oscars every year, and this party includes a ballot contest wherein the person who gets the most correct wins a wonderful prize. Since my friends now know about this blog, if I were to print my thoughts, dishonest scalawags could invade the blog for clues and the contest would therefore be compromised (plus, you would have a lot of people dumb enough to vote for the True Grit Girl over the shoe-in of the year, Melissa Leo). This, by the way, is the circuitous route to saying that a commenter (WE HAD A COMMENTER!!! PLEASE KEEP READING AND COMMENTING!!! AND INVITE FRIENDS!!!) asked us what our thoughts were on the Oscars. Well...here they are in a completely random yet incredibly voluminous manner.

1) It is nice that a lot of people have seen fit to get in Kirk Douglas's corner. They say that he was charming. They say that he was witty. They say that he was a good sport. But let's be honest: Dude had no business being on that stage. His appearance was trainwreck television of the highest order. It couldn't get more uncomfortable if you asked Mel Gibson to cut the ribbon at the groundbreaking for a new Holocaust museum. By saying this, I in no way disparage Douglas, who suffered a debilitating stroke and is 94 years old for God's sake. But the douchebag producers who put him in that position probably should have been tarred and feathered in the middle of Sunset Boulevard.

"I'm just one big (symbols for an expletive) ray of sunshine."

That's what the shirt read that Nickolas Galiatsatos wore while appearing before a judge for planting mice in a competitors restaurant. Watch the video below for the full story.

Pizza Owner Planted Mice On Competitor: MyFoxPHILLY.com