Craig: Good afternoon, my hungry friends, and welcome back to the Philly food chat that chews back! What’s been feeding you this week? I’ve tapping the plates from Kensington to West Philly, and have had a great dining week overall. Here’s the weekly Crumb Tracker quiz to give you a few clues about where I’ve been. Guess in order which three places I ate (or sipped these) and win a signed copy of my book: (1) Pike Place roast; (2) Vietnamese “ravioli”; (3) spicy chicken pozole soup with house made tortillas. Ready, set … start crumbing!

Clarafucio: Craig, I am talking about the best fried chicken I have ever had, Debra's Kitchen on Girard. Wow! The mac and cheese could use some work, but everything else I have had there is just amazing home-cooked soul food especially that chicken. You must try!

Craig: Clarafucio, did you just say "best fried chicken"? I might need to put this chat on pause so I can go out and grab a leg RIGHT NOW!! Great fried chicken is so scarce in these parts (not to mention great soul food), Debra's is now on my hot list to check out. Where on Girard is it? Also, can you tell us any more? Is Debra's new?

Dana: Craig, in the articles that came out after the announcement that Le Bec was going "casual," there was a laundry list of rules that had to be met to be awarded five stars by Mobil. Do you have any formal rules to give 4 bells? The one that stuck out was that all towels in the bathroom must be cloth. So long as it's clean and there are no health care violations, I don't much care about that - just great food and service.

Craig: Dana, the Le Bec-Fin situation is an interesting story from many angles, from the basic discussion of a tasting menu institution going a la carte, to the egregiously misleading teases 6ABC ran for two days (with Perrier dabbing his eyes, sniffling, "I'm sad...but it is time”). How many people out there thought the place was going to close? Anyhow, you ask an entirely different, but interesting question in itself. The short answer is no - I have no formal check list of criteria. I'm not saying I don't think cloth towels in the bathroom aren't extra posh, or that my cocktails aren't chillier with solid ice rather than hollow cubes, but that's never been my measure for dining greatness. Four bells means dining magic, a meal to remember for a very long time. Small details often add up to bolster such magic at a place like Le Bec. But for the purposes of my ratings, I don't think that kind of nitpicking in itself is useful or important.

Paulie: Pike Place Roast -- Starbucks! Just tried a cup.

quyenamp: 1. i didn't see you were sipping too! starbucks 2. vietname cafe 3. lolita.

Craig: Good guesses, Paulie and quyenamp! You've got the first two. Today was the debut of Starbucks' new everyday/all-day brew, Pike Place Roast, so I was quite curious to taste it. I'm one of those who are lukewarm on Starbucks' coffees, but drink it almost every day simply because they are so cleverly in my path. The Pike Place Roast, which is getting a marketing blitz unlike any other coffee I've seen, with a mailer card that came with my paper that will give you a free cup every Wednesday until May 28. My verdict? I like it, surprisingly, much better than most of S'bucks' other regular brews, largely because it is a slightly lighter roast than some of the others. You can actually TASTE coffee flavors swirling on the first sip, a bright acidity (which comes form the Latin beans), a soft nuttiness (hmmm ... hazelnut?) and a definite cocoa finish. It's quite drinkable, unlike many of the other house brews, which I find so dark that they are one-dimensional.
 
Craig: As for number 2, yes, that's Vietnam Cafe, the handsome, cute little slip of a room that is a West Philly branch of Chinatown's Vietnam Restaurant. Very nicely designed, with hat box lamps, and red booths along the exposed brick walls. The food is a carbon copy of the Chinatown place - shatteringly crisp spring rolls, chargrilled lemongrass chicken, and those "ravioli" which are rice noodles wrapped around a crumbled pork and mushroom stuffing under a golden hail of those addictive fried shallots. One thing to note, some popular items from the mother menu, like the beef carpaccio splashed in lime, Thai basil and crushed peanuts, are still available at the Cafe - even if they're not on the menu.

Michael: There's been a few restaurant closings lately, 707, Deuce, Kildares (Media). Do you expect many more with the looming recession??

Craig: Michael - I haven't looked deeper into those restaurant closings, but I suspect that if you did, you'd find other reasons unique to those places that ultimately sealed the nails in their closings. The economy will definitely have an effect, adding an extra pressure on all restaurants. But I think each of these had some issues. 707 had major chef issues - nice looking place, with an affordable menu one would assume to be an asset in down economic times. But they changed chefs way too often to get in the groove, and it might have been too ambitious a place to maintain on a tricky block. Deuce surprises me a little. They had pretty good chefs and a uniquely sleek vibe for hipster Northern LIberties. Another place that had good food value. But maybe it was too Old City slick for NoLib? I don't know the story here. As for Kildare's, I've never been to the one in Media, but it's a fairly generic Irish pub concept (lot of potatoes and stout) that lacks much distinction. Media has better pubs.

quyenamp: 3. el vez?
 
mjl: 3) acapulco

Dave: Taco Riendo for the soup

Craig: Dang, Dave ... I've made this tracker too easy. Yes, you've got it. That pozole is a special every day, and it was burning-up-a-bowl-spicy yesterday. Earthy red broth, tender shreds of chicken, and those puffy, dumpling-esque hominy corn niblets (called Pozole) that I just love. Those were good guesses before. Acapulco on 9th Street makes very good pozole (red, green or white - like the Mex flag - on Thursdays). I just happened to have this one at Riendo on 5th street (north of Girard), where they are also making soft, fresh tortillas to go with it. I was pleased to see how busy they were - it's really quite hidden. But it's such a pleasant place (the ever-smiling Nancy at the register is a real gem) even if its flavors aren't necessarily quite at the top of our taqueria heap. Dave, send me your mailing info at claban@phillynews.com, to arrange your book.
 
Allen: I love milkshakes and wanted to give a heads up to those looking for a great milkshake. The banana shake at LaLupe is outstanding and one of the best I have ever tried. Craig, any other great places for a good milkshake?

Craig: Allen - speaking of great taquerias (and their milkshakes), La Lupe is a personal favorite. It's next door to Geno's, and yes, they will take your order in Spanish. Anyway, back to Philly Milkshake-ology 101. There are a number of other good Latin shake places (where they're called 'batidos'), like Tierra Colombiana, Vietnamese shake places (like Nam Phuong at 11th and Washington) where you can get mango, avocado or durian whips. But for good old-fashioned Americana shakes, I love the ones they make at Chink's, the unfortunately named steak place in the Northeast, where they keep the milk in the freezer. Also, Charlie's, the legendary hamburger shack in Delco, makes a mean black-and-white. In town, the Ants Pants Cafe makes some of the best, including a banana, but also a Violet Crumble shake with the famous Aussie candy bar. Other greats include the Franklin Fountain in Old City, and, for a chain, Nifty Fifties does a very nice job. I like mine malted.

Dave: Just send the book to the people who got the number 1 and 2 questions. I won a book last week.

Craig: Dave, when you're hot, you're hot! (Yours is in the mail already.) That's mighty honest of you, but I can only give one tracker award per week, so here's the tie-breaker clue for another dish: salt & pepper prawns. (Only hint, this new Chinese spot is suburban.)

Michael: Is durian that fruit that has quite an aroma to it??

Craig: Yes, durian is that spiky-skinned football-sized fruit that is often referred to as "stinky fruit" - and for a reason. Many Westerners find its aroma repulsive, sort of like cheesey socks. That is why waiters in Vietnamese restaurants often tell me when I first order it - "you don't want that, really." But when I keep nodding yes, and I get past that first wince, a great durian shake is one of the most intense sipping experiences you can find. At its best, it is sublimely creamy and sweet, with that musky undertow always still a presence, but magnetic rather than gross. It's worth a try if you're up for it. But the avocado or mango are better bets for novices.
 
mjl: 3) pf changs

craig: this place definitely had a vaguely PF Chang's vibe going on - a polished suburban experience for a mainstream crowd - but that isn't it.

Paulie: It was great to see James restaurant getting some accolades. Any thoughts?

Craig: Yes, I was glad to see James get that accolade. I think it's well-deserved, as Jim Burke is really talented, and I think other restaurants may have gotten more wider notice last year. It's notable, in part, because unlike some other major awards from big publications, Food and Wine's staff actually has to eat at the restaurant themselves and make their own picks, rather than rely on the local press clippings. That, to me, adds more legitimacy to the nod.

kate haas, ambler: dear craig, i'm a foodie with celiac (no wheat ). by the way, celiac is the new black. dining out can be tricky, asian is often a good choice, more wheat-free options. recently while asking my routine questions of my waiter, i am disappointed to find more and more restaurants using soy sauce with wheat! what's wrong with SOY 100% sauce, it's not unusual, to my knowlege it doesn't taste different. it's such a simple thing to change. why wouldn't you choose the item with less allergens? my husband and i went to buddakan , they had an allergy menu, wonderful!!! none of their sauces or great marinades where included, all had soy sauce with wheat!!! WHY?

Craig: Kate - thanks for bringing up this topic. Unfortunately, I haven't tracked celiac-friendly restaurants yet, but do think it's one of many allergies kitchens are starting to pay attention to. Although these issues are always so much more complicated than they first seem (i.e. your soy sauce example). Many restaurants start out with the best intentions, but quickly realize that cooking for the allergy crowd is trickier than they bargained for, with constantly shifting standards and needs. There are certainly plenty of websites to use as references for dining options. But I wonder if any celiac chatters out there have decided on any (safe) local favorites?
 
Sophie Belle: Craig, I had a delicious desssert at Nectar. They bring out deep fried mini donuts with the three lovely dipping sauces. To die for. I dreamt about them for weeks.

Craig: thanks for the donut tip, Sophie. Those are one of the several direct Buddakan references you'll find at Nectar - which I find unnecessary, because Nectar has plenty of original dishes to recommend. That said, good freshly fried donuts are always a plus. The fresh bomboloni (or were they zeppoli?) for dessert were the best things I ate at Pat Bombino's.

Craig: On that note, I'm going to call this chat freshly fried. Sorry no one got the tie-breaking crumb. Those prawns came from Auspicious Chinese Restaurant in Ardmore. It is a handsome, extremely friendly place. The food? Not so terribly exciting (another similarity to PF Chang's). But I'd take my kids there regularly if we lived on the Main Line. For now, though, if it does anything to reduce the lines over at Sang Kee in Wynnwood, that's a good thing. In the meanwhile, I'll be back next Tuesday with a lot of new dining morsels to dish. Until then, may you all be well and eat something worth bragging about!