Chickie's and Pete's: A Stream-of-Consciousness Review

So there's a Chickie's and Pete's near us now. That's right. We live in Norristown and Philadelphia famous crab fry emporium moved in right across the street. Which is funny, because they say they are in Audubon. But don't get me started on that, as other people who live in Norristown like to say they are from Eagleville or Jeffersonville. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with making sure people do not think you live in a crack house. Anyway, they opened the place in November, I believe (right after the Phillies' last meteoric flop), and we have been wanting to check it out ever since, but were never able to find the time. Two Thursdays ago, we found the time. The place is a lot smaller than the one in South Philly, but they were able to make it spacious enough. Which is odd when you consider how much real estate is covered by pictures of the owner with famous and semi-famous Philadelphia sports personalities. A very friendly server took our order. The first thing we ordered, of course, was crab fries. This is something that I think you are required by law to order if you go to any Chickie's and Pete's. They came in a sizeable basket that can be shared by two. The basket itself is pretty ingenious, as it features a cupholder on both sides. A cheese cup is placed in each end so that you don't have to keep asking your dining partner to pass the cheese. Pretty smart. I'm not going to lie: These were quite tasty. And really they better be as the place has pretty much made its name on these crab fries. That, though, got me thinking: What is so special about this appetizer? It's a bunch of fries - just the right texture and width, but still - a boatload of Old Bay, and a fine cheese sauce. It is probably a little bit insane the lengths people go to give props to this potato dish (as many plaques in the establishment attest). Next up was the main course - a Buffalo Cutlet sandwich for me and a BBQ Burger for the wife. I found the Buffalo Cutlet sandwich to be agreeable, but there were definite drawbacks. First of all, the chicken sandwich came out quite gently sauced. The wife had to buck up and ask them to bring me out a side of buffalo (I can be shy). Second, the sandwich was somewhat small. While the chicken was tender and moist, I would say that I probably killed the whole thing in about eight bites. That is a little bit tiny when you consider that the sandwich cost [BLANK] (wow, they are savvy; no prices on the Internet menu; think it was around nine bucks) and doesn't come with fries (no surprise; they want you to buy the crab fries, folks). As for the wife's burger, I can't vouch for it really. I did have a bite and thought it adequate, but it was very thin for a non-fast-food burger. As for beers, I had two. The first was a Victory HopDevil. The second was a Victory HopDevil. Did I do this because I just love Victory HopDevil? No (although it is splendid). I found that the taste of the beer was good, but probably not the freshness that you would expect at a stellar beer bar. In actuality, I ordered the same beer twice (something I never do) because it was really the only decent beer on the docket. In scanning the beer menu online, I realize that might be a SLIGHTLY unfair statement (they have Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on draft and Newcastle in bottle), but the bottom line is this is not a place you would ever think to go if you wanted to kill anything but Miller/Coors/Bud in 30 oz. glasses designed to make you want to order more crab fries. Here's the thing: This is not the place for me. The beer choices are not acceptable and the food is not good enough to make you want to forget that fact. Also, I have the sneaking suspicion that it is most likely packed with tools on a frequent-to-perpetual basis. Still, I feel it appropriate to point out some positives. First off, our server was quite nice. Did she fall into a conversation with some customers in our area causing us to wait to long to get our check? Yes. But she did also bring us some extra pickles when she realized that Saucy Jr. liked them. Not only did she do this, but she waited until I had taken him to the bathroom to ask my wife is she could bring them just in case we were the type of parents who would deny him said snack. I thought it was extremely mannerly and it allowed me to get that second HopDevil. Another thing is that I realize that we are not the target audience for this particular spot. Chickie's and Pete's does not exist as a spot for two parents to take their child for a wonderful culinary experience. No. It is designed as a spot for two fellows to drop in, sit at the bar, watch the game on the gigantic televisions, check out the nubile young waitresses, and drink beers that make them take a piss once every 11.84 minutes. And there is no doubt about it, if my brother were to come out to my neck of the woods and we wanted to go out and accomplish the things that I describe above, the first place I would think to take him would be...Hooters. But the second would be Chickie's and Pete's.

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Chickie's and Pete's Crab House and Sports Bar
675 Shannondell Drive
Audubon, PA 19403



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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Frazzled, flustered, but quite a fine pie: Bake 425

Have you ever called a restaurant/eatery to place an order and been asked to call back because they were too busy? I certainly had not ... until we called Bake 425 last week to order a pie. Frazzled, frenzied, flustered ... I'm not sure which one best describes the employee we encountered there. After putting me on hold, he returned to the line with a million huffs and puffs and abruptly asked if I could call back in five minutes because he was just too busy at the moment. Normally, I would have been put off and selected a different establishment for my business, but I had been wanting to try Bake 425 for a while and on this day, we actually had the time to stop there (as it's a bit out of our way) on the way home from an outing to Strasburg with the nibble.

Bake 425 is an interesting concept from the owners of local Peace-A-Pizza chain: similar to a Mom's Bake at Home, but with completely organic, seasonal ingredients. After my five-minute wait, I called back and ordered a large Pepperoni. The guy was still quite flustered and quoted me a time of 35 minutes, which is a bit shocking for a pie that isn't even getting baked. But we headed over and decided to go inside after about 20 minutes.

In all fairness, Frazzled Freddy was the only employee there, and I do remember, from my many years is restaurant/food service, that being short-staffed really sucks, especially if you are trying to do a good job. But there was only one other customer in the store and the phone didn't seem to be ringing off the hook, so I'm not exactly sure why he was so overwhelmed. He did apologize for the delay and offered us extra pepperoni to compensate. Saucy naturally asked him to throw some extra sauce on there as well. After a few more minutes in the bright, modern store, Fred managed to get us our pie before the nibble re-colored the waiting bench with the crayons they luckily had out for customers.

After only two minutes in the oven, there was an unbelievable aroma emanating from the pie. I do believe the baking instructions need a bit of a tweak though, because the center of the pie was still not fully cooked after 15 minutes (the max time on the instructions). Perhaps this was partly due to the extra sauce. But since the sauce was highlight of the pie, I sure am glad we had extra.

It was of the thick, savory variety, with a strong tomato taste and just the right amount of sweetness (not as sweet as the Peace-A-Pizza sauce, for those of you familiar with it). The cheese was flavorful enough to stand out from the other ingredients, and just the right amount. The pepperoni was good, but nothing to write home about and paled in comparison to your typical uncured pepperoni flavor (Newman's and Whole Foods' come to mind).

Now the crust. The texture was decent - crispy yet still foldable. But the taste, eh. A bit Ritz cracker-esque when tasted solo. Luckily, the pie was so jammed with toppings that there wasn't even much of a naked edge.

All-in-all, we thoroughly enjoyed the pie and will probably try Bake 425 again. The nibble even asked for seconds, which is a rarity these days, since there are so many more important things to do than sitting at a dinner table.

If you decide to give it a go, be sure to look for a Groupon Now deal - we saved $5, bringing our total to a little over $8.

Bake 425
1012 West Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA  19010
610-525-6425

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Pinnacle Cake Vodka

A little too sweet for an everyday vodka, but worked perfectly to ring in the new year. Two parts Pinnacle Cake, one part Trader Joe's limeade, serve over ice. Like a key lime pie in a glass. Switch the proportions if you don't exactly like the taste of vodka (what I had to do for Saucy).

http://www.pinnaclevodka.com/flavors

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Stoli Chocolat Razberi

Hold the dessert - I'll take a Stoli Chocolat Razberi. Sweet aromas conjure images of fresh raspberries covered in warm chocolate and the taste does not disappoint. Delectable, but not overly sweet. The finish is just strong enough to remind you that you are, in fact, drinking vodka.

http://www.stoli.com/us-ca/#/products/chocraz

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Association to Garces Can't Save Guapos Taco Truck

I unwittingly ordered a mushroom taco.

That pretty much sums up the experience I had at Guapos Taco Truck, the Jose Garces-owned lunch spot/tourist trap with wheels that is parked in the area of Philadelphia’s Love Park. I was walking over to the Academy of Music one day for the purpose of nailing down my seats for the Philadelphia Ballet’s annual showing of The Nutcracker when I saw the truck. I had heard about it, but had no idea it was so close to my place of business. I rarely traverse more than a block away from my workplace when looking for mid-day nourishment. Plus, the whole Occupy Philadelphia thing had me a little skittish when it came to approaching the City Hall area. I always felt like I might get attacked by a flash mob for the horrific crime of carrying a pricey burrito in the vicinity of such squalor. However, when I came upon the truck during the carrying-out of my daily tasks, I felt duty-bound to give it a try.

So why don’t I just jump straight to the whole mushroom taco debacle: I had $12 in my pocket. The first thing I ordered was the Green Chile Chicken tacos. Those were six bucks. I had a feeling that this was most likely going to be seen as gourmet dining due to the Garces name association. This translates to “not filling.” So I wanted to get another order of tacos. The Carnitas tacos were $7. So were the short rib versions. This left me with one other choice in the $6 category. It was called Hongos con Rajas. I don’t speak Spanish and I could not spy a menu. While a rational man probably wouldn’t have taken the leap, I simply assumed it was something like rice and beans. I was utterly shocked when I discovered that what I was actually expected to eat was a combination of poblanos (OK!), queso blanca (sure!), a fine salsa (excellent!), onions (not my favorite, but fine!), and MUSHROOMS (F*CK NO!). Anyway, after drowning those puppies in hot sauce (that was disappointingly made for gringos), I suffered through one. It tasted OK surprisingly, but that was due to the fact that the salsa that came with the taco was quite liberally applied. The texture of the mushroom was horrible, like trying to chew condensed rubber. Seriously, I have no idea how vegetarians do it. After I choked down the first one, the soft shell for the second one began to fall apart so I decided to drop it out of its cocoon and try to avoid the mushroom with a fork. But, oh yeah, the mushroom was the MAIN INGREDIENT (Mr. Garces, can you please put that on the cart’s main signage for idiots like me?). I quite wisely dumped the contents of that second taco into the closest trashcan. At least I can say that I have now tried a mushroom that wasn't baked into a brownie. And that I will never EVER do that again.

For the overall impression I had of the cart, I will focus on the Green Chile Chicken tacos. After all, I knew what was in this dish and ordered it of sound mind and body. While it was an improvement over “complete revulsion,” I would have to say that my feeling about the Chicken tacos was “Eh.” I’m sure they were “authentic” as hell , but they didn’t supply much in the way of flavor. The chicken was accompanied by white onion, radish, cilantro, crema, and queso fresco, yet, despite that seeming cavalcade of accoutrements, it just tasted bland. Even the hot sauce I showered the dish with could not bring it to life (because, as I mentioned before, it was virtually heat-free). Not good when you consider that you are spending a Washington and a Lincoln for two tacos that are thin enough to make you want to order Chinese food ten minutes later.

There are positive points to Guapos Taco Truck. The staff was very friendly. The truck was very pleasing to the eye, what with its color deriving from a host of different colored beer bottle caps adhered to the truck's body. The mushroom taco may even give you a wonderful internal cleanse due to its ability to induce vomiting in the strongest of constitutions. However, it is hardly worth citing these positives when you consider that the food doesn’t really taste exceptionally great, it is relatively expensive, and, even if bland chicken is your thing, it isn’t filling. Mushroom or no mushroom, my excursion to Guapos Taco Truck was a flat-out bust. I won’t be going back.



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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

New York Edition: For a Good Spot to Hang Out and Drink Beer in NYC, Try Spitzer's Corner

While dining on lunch at Rubirosa, we somehow got on to the topic of a good place to grab a fine microbrew in the Big Apple. We knew of Blind Tiger, of course, and had been tipped off to a place called d.b.a. by a Twitter friend named @BeerCulturist, but for some reason we decided to do something that we almost never do: we asked one of Rubirosa's employees for a suggestion. A fresh-faced female hostess suggested Blind Tiger, but another guy, looking hip in a flannel and Chucks, threw out the name Spitzer's Corner. Now, I don't know if you have met us but we are nothing if not spectacularly hip. So when the name was tossed out by someone who looked at least as unmistakably cool as us, we decided that we would have to hunt it down and check out the list. When we found it, I ran in to check out the beer list. It revealed that the place had multiple Lagunitas, multiple Stones, and many other luminaries. It was immediately confirmed: We would be returning to the Lower East Side that night for our lone post-sundown adventure on the town.

Booze in 50 Words or Less - Saranac Big Moose Ale

Smooth. Light touches of spice to this seemingly brown ale. One and you're done.

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale

Not one of the better pumpkin brews of the season, but also not one of the worst. The first sip is a tad bitter and followed by an underwhelming aftertaste comprised of a bit of spice and a tinier bit of pumpkin. There's just not really enough going on here to make me want to get this beer again.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wolavers-Organic-Brewing/12068153435

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The Pizza Project
Just a nibble: http://twitter.com/ThePizzaProject
Single slice: http://www.facebook.com/ThePizzaProject
The full pie: http://thepizzaproject.blogspot.com/

Tale of the Pie: Tacconelli's Pizzeria

It's pretty ballsy for a pizza shop to require customers to make a reservation for their crust. For some, that may add to the mystique that has surrounded Tacconelli's for as long as I can remember. For others, that prerequisite (and the statement on their website that "well-behaved children are welcome") can leave a bad taste in their mouths before they even have a bite.

However, that taste will quickly be replaced by one of a delectable pie.

Since my mom is really awesome and super supportive of our blogging endeavour, she decided we should celebrate her birthday at the infamous Tacconelli's so we can add another review to the site. A party of eight adults and one nibble, we arrived at the modest, yet surprisingly spacious, shop with beer and wine in hand ready to put those pies to the test. We ordered one regular, one pepperoni, one margherita and one white specialty.

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

Looks like a pumpkin beer. Smells only somewhat like a pumpkin beer. Tastes nothing like a pumpkin beer. And it's not just light on pumpkin flavor, but light on any flavor. Even the aftertaste seems watered down. A real dud.

http://www.elysianbrewing.com/beer/nightowl.html

Tale of the Pie: Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar

The hubby and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary yesterday. To mark the occasion, we went out to dinner on Friday (anticipating that Saturday would not offer the ideal conditions for a night out) to Pepperoncini Restaurant & Bar in Conshohocken. Why did we choose Pepperoncini? For one, I had received a $25 coupon courtesy of BirthdayPak (any ladies who are not registered for this free offer should definitely check it out at http://www.getmybirthdaypak.com/). And secondly, we found some pretty positive reviews for their thin crust pizzas online.

Tale of the Pie: Olce Pizza Grille

Sometimes, you just don't feel like going out to eat. Maybe you had a particularly bad day. Maybe you just don't feel like driving. In my case, I am feeling under the weather. My head is cloudy. My throat is scratchy. My body feels generally weak. If I were to put money on it, I would say it is probably time for my yearly sinus infection. In any event, when Spicy Hawaiian started talking about going out to grab a pie, I just wanted to say "No." I would take anything as long as it did not require my departing from the house. However, I could tell that she really wanted to try something off of the Philadelphia Magazine Pizza Best Of list, and I certainly didn't want to let her down. So I dragged my tired carcass off the couch, and we headed out for a little pizza.

Tale of the Pie: Perrotto's Pizza

We took a break from the Philly Mag Best Pizza list this week and decided to test a pie recommended by one of The Pizza Project's many Facebook friends. Okay, the "many" part of that statement is a lie, we totally need more Facebook fans, so if you're reading this, please like us! After making that request, why do I suddenly feel like I'm in sixth grade again?

While Perrotto's pie has always been on our local "to-try" list, we haven't exactly been in a rush to order one up because the Valley Forge Beef & Ale, the establishment where Perrotto's is housed, is ... well, in a nutshell, gross. Don't get me wrong, we've certainly spent a few enjoyable nights there, especially a few years ago when we would get our Saturday night dance on to the sweet sounds of DJ McNabb (not really his name, but he was usually wearing a McNabb jersey). But the place is DIRTY (as in windowsills lined with dust and tiny bugs) and they still allow smoking at the bar, so you basically smell like an ashtray within 10 seconds of walking in the place.

Putting those thoughts aside, we ordered a large pepperoni with a side of chicken fingers (which I remembered being quite good during a few late-night nibbles). Upon picking it up, we were glad to learn that Perrotto's operates in a small area separated from the rest of the Beef & Ale, so our pie was safe from the smoky confines of the bar.

Tale of the Pie: Franzone's Pizzeria

Yes, my grandparents definitely had those same glasses

Another weekend, another Philly Mag "Best Pizza" spot. This time it was Franzone's in Bridgeport, a pizzeria apparently in business since 1955.

Upon arriving at this neighborhood spot with the hubby and nibble, I immediately decided that I would not look around extensively while we wined and dined. That's because I'm a bit of a clean freak, and this place was not up to par. And let's just say that our fellow diners made the Via Veneto's crowd look runway-ready.

When we saw that a half carafe of wine was only $6.95, we couldn't help but order it and laugh about what we might be getting. It ended up being a chilled red, most likely from a Carlo Rossi or Paisano jug. Oh, and two mini, slightly dirty, old-school Italian glasses that I remember being part of my grandparent's glassware collection. Beer is also quite cheap for a decent selection - $3 for a bottle of  Russian River Damnation, Golden Monkey, Prima Pils or Summer Love from Victory, or Dogfish Head Festina Pêche.

Tale of the Pie: Penny's Pizza

I remember the days when my dad would bring home a pie from Penny's Pizza and we were the only ones that would eat it in the house. It was a sad day when my dad and I heard that they were closing. No more pie to ourselves. Penny's was known for their unique red top pie, using a sweet and chunky sauce over a delicious blend of cheeses. The crust was unlike any other using a heavy dose of cornmeal in the dough.

The Pizzeria was closed for almost four years, reopening this past October. At the very beginning cars were lining up on the road just to order. The waits were exceeding 2 hours just to get a pie. We finally were able to revisit Penny's Pizza this past weekend. To my delight the same family owns and operates the shop. They still use the same recipes as before which means the pie is exactly as I remembered it.

Tale of the Pie: Charlie's Pizzeria

As mentioned in our post on Philly Mag's Best Pizza issue, we're visiting all of the local spots recommended in the article. First up was Charlie's Pizzeria in East Norriton.

Because it's about 15 minutes from our house, we planned on eating in, so the pie didn't get cold during the ride home. But before we even got in the door, we thought we might be changing those plans. There are a few tables in the back, but it didn't seem like the spot for a nice Friday night out with our 18-month-old. Plus, once I did get inside, I realized that the temperature was hot enough that they could have been cooking the pizzas right on the counter.

Tale of 3 Pies: The Little Treehouse, Fox & Hound, and Domino's

As a true pizza fanatic, I'm not ashamed to say that I ate pizza three times last Friday and was totally in the mood for it again by the time Saturday rolled around.

To quickly recap my three pies of the day:

Lunch
The nibble and I met a friend and her two girls at The Little Treehouse for some playtime and a bite. It's an indoor play space with a small jungle gym, make-believe play stations and several toys and books, as well as a small cafe with tables and chairs. Cool concept (and certainly lucrative at $8.50 per child), but I'm not sure it's a place we would frequent. Perhaps it's just that I don't have many mommy friends and I certainly cannot see myself going there to meet/talk to randoms. Or it might that most of the children over two were girls, which tipped me off to the fact that loud, energetic boy play probably isn't the thing to do there. Or maybe it's just that I don't like taking off my shoes in strange places.

A New Piece: Paradise Pizza Whole Wheat Crust

Every time Memorial Day weekend rolls around, I find myself dreaming of suntans, sand, and of course, a slice from Mack & Manco's. But this holiday weekend is one we're spending at home sweet home and I must say that we are doing a pretty good job of making it a holiday. Late night Scrabble on the deck (which we made into a mini-oasis complete with cafe lights) and mango vodka cocktails certainly help.

We're still on the diet good foot, but at bit lax because it is a holiday weekend. So we decided to pick up a pie from Paradise Pizza, a spot we reviewed back in February and have since visited a few times. And I couldn't help but notice a small handwritten sign on the counter about the availability of whole wheat crust. If I had suggested we try it a few months ago, the hubby would have laughed me out of the pizza shop, but he's pretty committed to the whole diet thing and agreed to test it out.

Tale of the Pie: Via Veneto Pizza

So Saucy's been doing great with the diet, and only a moderate amount of complaining (believe it or not). But we decided to take Friday night off to have a family outing and a few slices.

Our destination? Via Veneto's. Just a bit of background for you: the "disappointing pie" we refer to in our very first post, Getting to the Crust of the Matter, was actually from Via Veneto's. But the shop is about 15-20 minutes from our house on a good day and Saucy picked it up on a snowy February evening. And after the 30 minute or longer ride home, it really wasn't that hot. I mean temperature-wise and taste-wise.

Tale of Pie: Marzella's Pizza

It had been a while since the last time I had eaten anything from Marzella’s. From what I remembered as a child the food was good and greasy. That still holds up today, the only thing missing was the big pig holding a pizza outside the restaurant.

We called ahead for pick-up and ordered a small pepperoni pie and a small steak Stromboli with sauce inside. When we went to pick-up the order the place was packed with people waiting to order their food. Although we had already placed our order we had to wait in line while people were deciding what to order, all I’m saying is get another register and help the 70 year-old lady out up front.