January 31, 2007
Cuisine: Panini, coffee, salads
20th and Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-568-1994
Website: none
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Applegate Farm Roast Beef - Cooked medium-well with chipotle mayo, grilled red onions, cheddar cheese, and romaine lettuce on Italian Ciabatta Bread ($6.50)
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In a city where hoagies and cheesesteaks rein supreme, it’s been difficult finding the perfect panini. The paninis I had at Paninoteca and Felinni were good, but nothing special.
Thank goodness for Già Pronto! The roast beef panini was stellar and definitely worth writing home about (or maybe just blogging about).
I only have two requirements for panini: 1. the bread must be toasted and feature grill marks 2. the cheese needs to be melted. My roast beef panini came through on both points. Additionally, the sandwich’s ingredients were top-notch featuring only 100% natural ingredients and hormone-free meat.
The Ciabatta was perfectly toasted and sturdy. The cheddar cheese had a deliciously strong flavor. The grilled red onions added a layer of sweetness, while the chipotle mayonnaise added some kick. The roast beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, was naturally flavorful. My only complaint was the wilted romaine lettuce. Perhaps the sandwich artists should add the romaine post-toasting to avoid soggy greens. Overall, an outstanding sandwich. I’ll be back.
One of the Astronomer’s favorite vendors at the Reading Terminal Market is DiNic’s. We stopped there for a quick bite on Saturday while shopping for produce at the market. Since we arrived late in the afternoon, DiNic’s only had roast beef sandwiches left. The customer ahead of us assured us it was great, so we ordered it.
The roast beef sandwich with sharp provolone ($6.25) was INCREDIBLE; I’ve had none better. The meat was thinly sliced and moist. The bread was sturdy, yet soft and fragrant. And the provolone was flavorful and strong. The roast beef’s drippings atop the sandwich tied the bread, meat, and cheese together beautifully. DiNic’s sandwiches are truly out of this world! I can’t wait to try their famous Roast Pork Sandwich on my next visit.
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Di’Nic’s
Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Filbert
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 215-923-6175
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup or more grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 slices thick bacon or pancetta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
In a good-sized salad bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper to form a mixture heavier than cream but lighter than pancake batter. Cut bacon or pancetta into small pieces and fry slowly in olive oil. Meanwhile, cook pasta in three or four quarts of boiling water. When pasta is al dente, drain and quickly add to the bowl with the cheese and egg mixture and toss. Add the hot bacon and olive oil in which it was cooked, and stir to cook the eggs. Serves 4.
Recipe by Life is Meals by James and Kay Salter
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Substitutions: Used turkey bacon in place of bacon/pancetta. Added green onions because Mario Batalli does so in the Spaghetti alla Carbonara at Otto in New York City.
