Tinto in Philadelphia

I don't like it when a person professes to be a "foodie."  I'm not sure why I don't  like it; maybe because it seems snobby or pretentious?  But if loving food that's creative, unique, a nd beautifully presented makes one a foodie, Tinto has done that to me.

According to this restaurant and wine bar's web site,

Tinto, a colloquial expression used to describe the red wine served in typical pintxos bars throughout Northern Spain, is the ultimate expression of what a Basque wine bar should be.

This pintxos (or pinchos - the Basque version of what more people may know as tapas) bar on 20th Street between Chestnut and Sansom, is a warm (albeit a little dark) space with impeccable service. My experience was very pleasant; my mind was relaxed and my palate was thrilled.

In this Eden of good food, I had a cheese plate as well as an arugula salad with serrano ham, mission figs, and goat cheese to start.  I also had octopus with lemon powder.  My partner also shared her olives, sea bass with cockles (clams) and salsa verde, and a chicken dish.  With the generous tapas portions, we both felt like we had enough to eat.

It's been over week now since we ate there so I can't remember the red wine we had but the server recommended one.  Both were great complements to the food. 

If I were the Lone Ranger I would say, "Go to Tinto, Tonto!"  OK, call me corny.  Just don't call me a foodie.

Jolly at Jolly's

A dueling piano bar sounds old school but the bartender says he gets a young crowd on the weekends.  During the week, an older crowd comes in.  If you like old-fashioned sing-alongs - bumped up a notch with two pianos - Jolly's Dueling Piano Bar at 20th and Chestnut in Center City Philadelphia is for you.

I have passed this place on occasion for several months whenever I rode the 42 bus down Chestnut from University City.  I popped in this particular night because I was killing time before my dinner reservation.  Plus,  I had been up since 4:30am (to get to work by 6am) and...it was my birthday and I wanted to treat myself!

There was just one other patron when I got there at 5:15pm.  The bartender had plenty of time to tell me all about the place and show me the happy hour menu. which is good from 5 - 7pm.  I had a $4 glass of wine (imported and domestic beers are $3 during happy hour and cocktails are 1/2 price) as I looked over the food menu.  The happy hour menu has the standards - chicken tenders, hummus, quesadillas, brushcetta and potato skins - and one twist in the form of chips and pineapple salsa.  All of these are $3 or $4 dollars.  The menu also has small plates that seem worth trying.  (Check out the web site for these.)

There was no music at the early hour I was there and the web site doesn't list the hours.  I do recall there is music every night but some nights it starts at 8pm and earlier other nights...I think.  Interesting, the "duelling" is not what you may think.  The piano players don't "duel" each other; they duel the audience.  This means that money, in the form of tips, is involved and the more money per song means that's the song that starts playing.  I would imagine there's always some patron throwing money around.  But, if not, I can't imagine the pianos remaining silent. 

Call me old-fashioned.  I am looking forward to going to Jolly's to see how it all works.  I'm glad I spotted it while passing by on the bus.

Can We Keep it, Please?!?!

So reminds me of the many times my brothers and I asked this question. Many, many times the answer was "yes."  Dogs - BIG dogs like a huge, male St. Bernard - and dozens of cats. Just realizing today what gifts pets are in childhood.

No Upstares Upstairs

Philadelphians know the corner of Broad and Locust as the location of dual restaurants Sotto Varalli and, just upstairs from Sotto Varalli, the other restaurant called Upstares.  As of today, the 21-year old Upstares is gone and Perch Pub occupies its space.  The menus of Sotto Varalli and Upstares will combine - "Northern Italian seafood with a Mediterranean twist" - in the downstairs restaurant.  In addition, Sotto Varalli is now simply Varalli.

According to City Paper, Perch Pub is

A gastropub of sorts, Perch will pour local craft beer and feature a moderately priced ($1.50-$19) comfort-food-style menu (melts, tacos, braised lamb shank, housemade chips and fries...   

The Varalli website hasn't changed yet so I'm not sure if Perch Pub is open for lunch, but I plan on wandering over there sometime next month to check it out.

Life's Black Holes

A black hole is a region of space from which nothing, not even light, can escape. ~Wikipedia

 

I've been away from this blog for over a month - longer than any time since I started it in late January 2010. I was in a personal black hole, trying to manage a normal routine when facing losing a part of that which I have known since birth.  It's funny how, when feeling heavy with emotion or loss, life truly goes on. Oh, one's own life may feel like it has ground to a halt.  But life around you moves forward as if nothing has changed.  It makes so much sense that that should be but it also feels like an affront...a mockery of sorts.

I've emerged from the black hole for awhile.  I know it's temporary.  But so is everything else...except, perhaps, for the black holes of the universe.