Philly in a day... Photo Essay

Reading Terminal Market

Dutching Eating Place's Apple Turn Over

Dutch Eating Place's Open Face Turkey Sandwich

Dinic's Oven Roasted Pork

Dinic's Pulled Pork Sandwich with Broccoli Rabe

Independence Hall

 Liberty Bell

Frozen yogurt on a cold day

 Jim's Philly Cheesesteak

 

Townhall

Black Jack

Under the managing group as Black's Bar and Kitchen, Black Jack is a bar in Washington DC that is owned by Black Restaurant Group. Upstairs from their sister restaurant, Pearl Dive (also owned by Black Restaurant Group), Black Jack is a whimsically goth/retro lounge. The dark wood tables tattooed with red complements the red ambiance lighting. Their main bar has movies projected onto the brick wall behind the liquor, during my time there they had Beetlejuice playing followed by Edward Scissorhands if that gives you any idea of the bar's atmosphere.

In the back of the bar the mood changes considerably. There are television playing sports games and two bocce courts for those interested in throwing around some heavy balls after a few drinks and riling up their competitive spirit.  The cocktail menu at Black Jack is unique and innovative just like the decor and spirit of the bar. With cocktails like Peep Show and Bull's Blood (pictured to the right) the drinks are as exciting as the bocce ball games. My favorite of the night was The Cigar, a tequila concoction with a huge cube of smoked peach ice and proscuitto to accompany the cocktail. It was the epitome of delicious sweet, smoky and salty all in a cocktail. And honestly, how could I turn down a drink that had meat on a stick? I couldn't.

After a few drinks up front, my friends and I made our way back to the bocce ball courts under the Black Jack sign reminiscent of old Las Vegas. The majority of the crowd was young professional aged 25-35 all looking to have a few drinks and good company. If you're ever in the DC area, check it out because I had a blast. Have a good seafood dinner down stairs at Pearl Dive and make your way upstairs for after dinner drinks.

 The Cigar - Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Lemon, Smoked Peach Ice, Charcuterie

Black's Bar and Kitchen

After three days of binge eating while visiting my friend in the greater Washington DC area, I am going to need a month of dieting to counter this gluttonous President's Day weekend.

On Sunday morning, we had a glorious brunch in Bethesda at Black's Bar and Kitchen. Their seafood buffet was one of the nicest brunch's I have had. This includes New York and Las Vegas. The quality of the food was unlike a typical buffet of mediocre food that is perpetually refilled. All of it had good flavors and fresh ingredients.

They had a wonderful raw bar that was full of oysters and clams, seasoned shrimp cocktail, and assorted seafood salads. The mignonette sauce that went with the oysters/clams was subpar compared to my favorite at Fish. I prefer the vinegar to be more prominent; the sauce should be tangy so it adds freshness to the seafood, not weigh it down. They had a nice smoked salmon with a spread of creme fraiche, cream cheese, capers, onions, and even caviar. My favorite from the cold section of the buffet was the duck liver pate with caramelized onions, spread across their parsley toast point... yum!

Around the corner from the raw bar was the hot food; grits, applewood smoked bacon, breakfast sausage, eggs Pontchartrain. Their omelet station was made to everyone's taste and my friend's omelet was perfectly light and fluffy. Grilled asparagus topped with a beet and grape salad, charcuterie, pasta salad, grilled mushrooms in balsamic vinaigrette, and assorted grilled vegetables were all delicious sides to the craving station. Thick juicy cuts of molasses-peppercorn crusted prime rib with the usual accompaniments - au jus, horseradish cream, caramelized onions; the horseradish cream was divine.

$36 for the buffet only and $48 if you want unlimited champagne cocktails with brunch. A little pricier than I usually aim for brunch but well worth it.

Long Island Wine Tour

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went to the North Fork of Long Island this past weekend for a wine tasting tour. Our group of 11 friends had a fantastic time but of course it was not without a little stress, excitement, and drunken shenanigans.

We got a great deal for the tour, their winter special is $75 for a group of 6 or more. The tour included limo transportation for the day, a stocked bar in the limo, tasting costs at all vineyards, and lunch in the middle of the day.

Pindar Winery (not the clearest picture but a very good cabernet franc)

We took a train from the city into Long Island and a 14-seat white surburban limo picked us up at the Ronkonkoma train station. Of course three of the 11 people missed their morning train so we had to wait an hour for them to catch up with us but luckily the limo was stocked with enough alcohol to keep us entertained while we waited.

also not the clearest picture but the only one of the group

After 3 wineries and a return trip to our favorite vineyard, the day ended with us back at Ronkonkoma station at 5:30 homeward bound. Everyone was exhausted but it was well worth waking up early on a Sunday morning.

Harvest on Fort Pond

Now that the holidays are over.. I'm already thinking about summer. Last summer I had a fabulously relaxing weekend in Montauk just past the Hamptons in Long Island. Highlight of the trip... Harvest on Fort Pond.

My friend and I shared an early dinner on their outdoor patio and watched the sunset across the pond. With a few drinks and a massive plate of  penne with sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and a creamy mascarpone cheese sauce. They serve large sharing portions and the pasta was more than enough to fill us up. The pasta was cooked just al dente and the cream sauce was not overly heavy. Very nicely balanced and the asparagus and tomatoes were fresh and crisp.

A light refreshing platter of food to go with our blueberry mojitos and spiked lemonades. To add to the charm, the cocktails were served in mason jars.

It's hard to complain when you have a spread of delicious food in front of you and a view to match. Luckily I won't have to wait too long before heading to Long Island. This weekend I'll be heading to Long Island. With a group of friends in tow, we are going wine tasting on the North Fork of Long Island. Hopefully the cold weather won't put a damper on the trip. Knowing my friends, it will be a blast regardless.

Starting out.. in life, work, blog

A twenty-something building a new independent life for themselves is a common situation for a post-grad. Place that person in New York City and the divide between those starting out and those who are set becomes even more apparent, so one must adapt.

So with the gall to think that I should be privy to all that the world has to offer and the tenacity to keep trying. I live my life gingerly grandiose to the best of my ability.