Restaurant Review
06 Oct 2006

Irish Pub – Philadelphia

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October 5, 2006
Cuisine: American (Traditional), Bar Food, Irish

2007 Walnut St, At S 20th St
Philadelphia 19103 At S 20th St

Phone: 215-568-5603
Website: www.irishpubphilly.com

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Entree I: Old World Meatloaf Melt – Thick slices of original recipe sirloin served on a Brick Oven Steak Roll with smokehouse bacon, melted FarmHouse Cheddar, and Caramelized Onion Bourginone sauce. Served with our house fries and crisp dill pickle slices.

Entree II: Crab Cake Sandwich – A Maryland style crab cake served on a pub roll served with tartar sauce and Honey Dijon Garden slaw. Served with our house fries and crisp dill pickle slices.

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I love bar food. I really do. I think I adore it because my everyday fare lacks hardcore greasy and salty goodness. As I watched the Cardinals bury the poor Padres during game two of the national league division series, I enjoyed the crab cake sandwich. The Astronomer went for my old favorite, the meatloaf melt.

Both sandwiches were super salty, super greasy and thus, super tasty. First up, the crab cake sandwich. I smeared ketchup on my sandwich rather than tartar sauce because I prefer tangy straight up over tangy and creamy. The sandwich was piled high with lettuce, pickles, and a tomato. The “pub roll” was perfectly moist and held the contents well. A regular hamburger bun would not have been able to hold all the fixins nicely. The pub roll came through like a champ. All of the flavors melded together beautifully and I scarfed it down pretty quickly. The fries were thickly cut and decent. I gave most of them to the carb-seeking Astronomer.

The meatloaf melt is a lot like the Double Double from In and Out and maybe even a little better because it comes with BACON! There really isn’t much to say about this gem except that it’s really delicious and hits the spot like few can. Yah, it’s not all that healthy, but who cares? I’m in a pub and red meat rules (and cheese too)!

The “IP” is a three minute walk from my apartment. I’ll be returning the next time the Astronomer wants to watch some cable-only sports and my greasy spot needs its fill.

Irish Pub on Urbanspoon

Recipe
03 Oct 2006

Pesto Brown Bread

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  • 3 cups whole-wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
  • 1/4 cup of pesto sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the salt, the baking soda, and the baking powder. In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and the pesto, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the dough until it is just combined. Turn the dough out into a buttered 9-inch ceramic or glass pie plate and with floured hands pat it into a 7-inch round loaf. Brush the top with buttermilk, cut an X 1/4 inch deep across the top, and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 50 minutes, or until it is golden and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped.

Makes 1 loaf.

Adapted from Gourmet, October 1991

[For Printable Recipe Click Here]

Restaurant Review
02 Oct 2006

Beard Papa's – New York City

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Photo by Roboppy

Beard Papa’s was introduced to me by my Hawaiian friend Liana. The restaurant is a Japanese import that has been in Hawaii for a while and is being franchised across the land. I can’t wait for it to expand to San Diego and Philadelphia. Until then, I will have to keep frequenting the NYC location.

I have been to Beard Papa’s a couple of times and always order the same thing, the eclair cream puff ($1.85). It’s divine and cheap. The chocolate is layered on super-thick and the custard inside is creamy and full of vanilla flavor. The puff is a bit chewy (in a good way), so spurting cream sometimes happens. Just ask the sidewalk outside the store.

The Astronomer ordered the Cheesecake Stick. He said, “it’s mild.” I had one bite and considered not swallowing. A mild cheesecake is a boring cheesecake. The recipe needs more CHEESE! But hey, it cost a buck.

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Beard Papa’s
740 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-353-8888

Beard Papa Sweets Cafe on Urbanspoon