Craig LaBan: Hey there, my hungry online amigos, and welcome back to the LaBan Grill. It is just my luck, I suppose, to follow a chat all about diets. But I can promise you this: Nobody’s getting thinner by listening closely to my subject matter. I know I’m not. Even after walking six miles through the Jacob Javitz Center in New York at the Fancy Foods Show, I still feel full. But it’s a happy full, considering some of the delights I sampled, from fabulous goat cheeses to Italian salamis to peppermint jewels cloaked in chocolate and New Zealand licorice so soft my teeth just glided through. Dang ... I need a diet after just writing that! Has anyone eaten something spectacular? It’s been a fine few days for me, as you might tell from this return to our Crumb Tracker quiz. Whoever guesses all three places I ate them in the proper order wins a signed copy of my book: (1) steamed soft-shell clams (2) subzi mangoli – fresh vegetables in a creamy curried mango sauce; (3) soft-shell crabs fried in puffed rice

Marty: Hey Craig ... love the chats. Last week you were talking wine ... but it's summer ... and that means barbecue and beer. Do you know of any places where there is a unique six-pack selection or even a place you can buy by the bottle? There is Michaels Deli ... but that is all the way out in King of Prussia. I'm looking for places in Delaware County or close to Center City. Cheers!

Craig: Hi Marty - I've heard that Michael's is great, but have yet to actually find it. If you're looking in Delaware County, the Beer Yard in Wayne has probably the very best selection. It's a by-the-case distributor, one of the very best in the area, but there is a bottle store nearby they've recommended to me (I forget the exact name) which shares much of their stock. Also, in Northeast, there is a great place called the Six Pack store (7105 Roosevelt Blvd.) that also fills growlers from three or four taps. In South Jersey, I like the selection at Voorhees Discount Liquor. (Prices are great, too.) But there is no selection I've EVER seen that can compete with the Foodery's new store in Northern Liberteies. Its refrigerator case is a shrine to beer, with something like 700 bottles to choose from - and with a convenient in-store deli/seating area - you can crack one open right there. Nothing is cheap, but it's all quality. And it's like a self-serve bar.

Chris: In Center City, the two Foodery locations (10th and Pine, 2d and Poplar) are the best for beer selection. Tria in Ridley Park has a better than average six-pack selection. It's a far cry from the Foodery, but it's in Delco.

Craig: Chris - thanks for that Ridley Park suggestion. Speaking of Tria (the center city wine bar one, I mean), it looks like their east side location on Spruce Street is quite close to opening.

Kathy: Craig, are you concerned about the sudden spate of restaurant closings? (I'm thinking Passion, Pif, M Restaurant, Astral Plane.) Do you think the Philly restaurant scene is shrinking?

Craig: Kathy, the fact is that this is a tough business, and restaurants (even good ones) come and go. But we've been in an up-boom for quite a while now, so maybe we've been spoiled by the constant expansion of our scene? Really, it has continued to grow at a much faster pace than restaurants closed over the course of the past ten years, at least. Still, I am very disappointed at the places that have closed - each, it seems, for their own reasons. Pasion was a personal favorite, and a real trend-setter - but it ran out of steam in the past few years, and couldn't survive what is obviously a fickle and suddenly fleeting trend (Nuevo Latino). I understand that M has decided to go catering, which, given the great outdoor space, is not surprising. Astral Plane had a great run of 25-plus years, so how can anyone complain about that? It was a funky, fun, genuine place. But it had definitely been surpassed in recent years by more sophisticated options. As for Pif ... (see next message) ...

Craig: Yes, as for Pif, David Ansill long hinted that the BYO was simply where he made his name and reputation, but it wouldn't suffice for any chef who wanted to make a living long term. Thus he started Ansill. Profit margins are tight in BYOs as much as we customers love them. And I wonder if that bodes ill for the longevity of other favorite haunts.

John (Wilmington): Hi Craig. Wanted to also recommend to Marty any of the Total Wine stores in DE or NJ for a great 6 pack selection - I was there last week and they were highlighting all the summer brews from various microbreweries - picked up a great 'summer 6' for under $10 - worth the trip!

Marty: Thanks Craig and Chris! I'm going to take a walk as soon as I finish up work!

Marty: I went to Le Castagne a few weeks ago with my girlfriend. While the food was excellent, the service was lacking. I had made reservations for a Friday night and they seated us right next to the bar under a huge fluorescent light. We asked them to move us and we were met with angst from the server. She then moved us about 2 tables away right by the front door. Since I made the reservations 4 days ahead of time am I right in feeling peeved about this?

Craig: Marty, as I wasn't with you it's hard to really comment about this. For example, if the place was really packed, I can't imagine them having a lot of good options to offer. Still ... I do think making a reservation a few days in advance should pretty much guarantee you a decent seat. (Unless we're talking about a supernova hot new place, which Le Castagne isn't.) If you don't get the table you'd like, and then request to be moved, but only get moved to a similarly uncomfortable spot, I would also be peeved. Then again, maybe it was really busy and there was nowhere else?

Tim: Craig, the place in Wayne near the Beer Yard is called Landis. They make some fine sandwiches there, too.

Craig: Thanks Tim! You chatters are sharp today!

ce: Hi- thanks for chatting; Pottstown PA- any good choices there?

Craig: Hi ce - it's been a while since I've been, but I really liked what chef Michael Falcone was doing over at Funky Lil' Kitchen. Not far away, in Phoenixville, Majolica is still a sophisticated favorite. Ambitious Mosaic Cafe is not that far away in North Coventry. Also, the Sly Fox breweries are worth checking out, if nothing else, for their very fine beers - like the O'Reilly's stout and pikeland pils.

Don/University City: Craig, highly enjoyed your best burgers survey. Now that you've looked at everything from cheesesteaks to food trucks, what's next? How about a roast pork/roast beef sandwich look-see? I wonder if anyone out there can top places like Nick's on Jackson St. or John's Roast Pork, or the brilliant roast beef at Shank's and Evelyn's? Had any good ones lately?

Craig: Hi Don - I actually once did a pork sandwich story many years ago, which was how I discovered John's in the first place. In fact, I ate their pork sandwiches so religiously, I had no idea for several years that they made a great steak, too. Other greats include DiNic's, T. Luke's (which everyone knows), and Porky's Point in North Philly's Golden Mile. And I'm with you on the Jackson Street Nick's. That is some seriously drippy beef. As for another street-food roundup, I'm holding off for a while. These things really take a toll on a guy's appetite, and I'm on burger detox for the forseeable future. Ironically, I received a call within a week of that big burger bonanza from my doctor, who said it was time for a checkup. And I thought I might be able to squeak that roundup past him!

Gregg: Craig, I also enjoyed the best burgers article. Any thoughts of doing a companion piece on best fries? May I suggest Monks, Standard Tap, and Loie as a start?

Craig: Of course, I ate lots of fries with those burgers, and while I'm not really a frites guy, I had some good ones. In fact, the fries were the highlight at Five Guys (not a fan of the burgers). Had some good ones at Grace Tavern. The best might be at Eulogy, which makes some EXCELLENT, thick-cut "fritjes" as the Belgians say. I also loved the haute-fries cooked in duck fat then finished with truffle oil over at Lacroix. They take days to cook, and they're worth it.

Tim M: Craig, checked out Blackfish based on your review, and thought it was excellent. I had possibly the most perfectly cooked strip steak that I have ever eaten, though the sauce was a little sweet - but not enough to overshadow the steak. Also the espresso creme brulee was outstanding!

Craig: Tim M. - glad that's holding up OK. I really liked Blackfish a lot - very talented chef in ex-Le Bec/Vetri alum Chip Roman. Like a lot of these small restaurants, they can be a tad overwhelmed immediately following a great review (and I received a few complaints). But the feedback here is largely positive. Roman is an ambitious guy who hopes to open more places, so we'll certainly be hearing more about him. Hopefully his current spot won't suffer if and when he expands.

Marty: Hi Craig. In response to Doc's question about roast beef: Old Original Nick's Roast beef on S. 20th and on 420 in Springfield Delaware County has some of the best Roast Beef around. (Best of Philly Sandwich in 2004.) Know the lingo though!

Craig: Thanks for the Delco tip, Marty. I'm not sure if those Nicks are connected, but I'm glad to hear it's good.

Craig: Everybody, I've been receiving a number of restaurant complaint-type comments in the question cue today. But for me to put them out there into the chat, you'll need to rephrase them more specifically. You'll need to use your full name (see note regarding this at intro), and also, be specific about what disappointed you, otherwise, there's no way for me to comment.

Marty: [The two Original Nick's Roast Beefs] are connected. Family owned since the 1930s. The Delco location opened its doors in 1998.

Craig: Thanks, Marty, for the extra info.

John/Fairmount: Craig, we had a great meal at L'Oca recently. The Goose Ragu was fantastic and I had a wild boar special that was wonderful. Service still uneven (as I believe you wrote) but I'm still hoping that this place will work out the kinks and be a spot for good italian in our neighborhood.

Craig: John, I hope for you, too, that L'Oca becomes as good as it can be. I found it to be quite a charming space with an intriguingly different menu (a little more Northern Italian), but very little consistency or finesse to its cooking, and a number of service glitches. It could easily step up to the two-bell tier by year's end with a bit more polish. The goose ragu is probably their best dish. The chef loves (and has a nice touch with) game.

John DiPrimio: Went to Matyson on 19th St recently and was dissapointed. Small portions, heavy on the salt, and an untrained wait staff. Have you had a similar experience?

Craig: John, I think you must have hit Matyson on a bad night. In my numerous experiences there, I've found it to be among our very best - most creative, most polished - byobs. They use great ingredients and cook them with style and passion. And I've often felt their front house staff has matured nicely over the years it's been open. I usually find the portions to be quite reasonable for the quality. That doesn't mean Matyson isn't capable of a disappointing meal. (Who isn't?) But that would be an aberration. Did you have a slice of Sonjia's coconut cream pie? It's worth going back for.

Don/University City: I couldn't disagree more on John's assessment of Matyson. Several meals there in the last year have been consistently outstanding.

Ron: Craig, love your work. Are you allowed to tell me if any of your shore places this weekend are in C May? Avalon S. Harbor? Ate at the new Princeton this past week. The first night they said 2 hour wait - we went the next night!

Craig: Hi Ron, thanks for the note. There was very little new down that part of the shore this summer, it seems, so I'm afraid this is the first year I haven't written about a place in Cape May. I can tell you, though, that I loved the U-Bake-Em crab cakes from Back Bay seafood in Stone Harbor, the take-out place next door to Sea Salt, the creative BYO I wrote about last year. Sea Salt's Argentinian chef was spit-roasting lamb shoulders out front for eight hours the day I went to pick up those crab cakes, and I almost took a slice when no one was looking. That's a place worth going back to.

Matt: Craig, is there any chance of convincing 4th St. Cafe to remain open? Is life without their mexican chocolate or butterscotch scones worth living?

Craig: Matt, I'm with you there. I expect homeowners on the north side of Ocean City are going to have a tougher time than usual renting out their units next year without those scones. I actually have the recipe for those scones - though I'm not at liberty to share it. I know there has been a mass-appeal to somehow save the place, but I spoke with the owners a few weeks ago and it sounds like they're heading west. They didn't rule out coming back for a seasonal place ... somewhere. But they're off on a big adventure - to start a winery in Amador County. I wish them well, but hope that somebody can take up the challenge and fill that very big scone void.

Craig: Thanks everyone for another great chat. Even if no one even came close to taking the Crumb Tracker. Maybe next week. Until then, be well and may you all eat something worth bragging about!