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I joined the Inquirer as its restaurant critic in 1998, after a stint covering the food beat for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Having eaten about 500 restaurant meals a year here ever since, I never cease to be amazed by the diversity and sophistication of Philadelphia's kitchens. To travel from its many authentic ethnic neighborhoods to the gastronomic temples of Walnut Street to its beery gastropubs, cozy BYOBs and multitude of greasy-but-great steak joints, is to know this town delivers satisfaction at every level of the food chain. Including online dish.
Live chat: Join Craig at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays in the chatroom.
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Miss Craig LaBan's chat on Tuesday? Here's an excerpt!
- Hunting for good, cheap wine over lunch
- This little piggy went to New York
- Tasty Place in Chinatown
There's just something about the decidedly retro sausage pies at Tony's Baltimore Grill in Atlantic City.
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LABAN REVIEWTasty Place in Chinatown
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Craig LaBan: Down a dank, gray staircase descending into the earth beside a parking lot is an enticing restaurant.
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LABAN REVIEWRusset, in Rittenhouse
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Craig LaBan: Stressing seasonality and sustainability, this couple is off to a good start. But the mains need work.
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GOOD TASTESoft-shell summer on a roll
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Craig LaBan encounters quite a sandwich from chef Nick Elmi at the elegant, new Rittenhouse Tavern.
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Kenneth Volk 2006 Tempranillo
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Penty of that plush Cali-fruitl and it's on sale.
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LABAN REVIEWAmerican Sardine Bar
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Craig LaBan: In Philly's Point Breeze section, a familiar formula built on craft beers, fun bar food, and a casual vibe.
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LABAN REVIEWLaBan reviews Alla Spina
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From Vetri & Co., an essential new restaurant that promises to push our dining scene forward, one pig part at a time.
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Drink: Negroni on tap at Alla Spina
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Just because "Alla Spina" means "from the tap" doesn’t mean those taps only stream with beer. At Marc Vetri’s new gastropub, there are also plans to start pouring kegged local wines on draft sometime soon. But while the official details are still being ironed out, beverage director Steve Wildy decided to make good use of his Cornelius homebrewer soda kegs to start pouring Negroni cocktails on draft, too. This classic Italian cocktail of Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin (Bluecoat in my house) is a favorite summer quaff — because of its simplicity and the quenching smack of good Italian bitters. Proportions, though, can make a difference. With equal parts of those three principal ingredients (plus a dash of Angostura), Alla Spina’s Negroni is a tad sweeter than the boozier version I’ve seen in other recipes, or the double-Campari dose added by some obsessive Negroni-ficionados I know (ahem, Mr. Nichols!) For the extra-picky, Alla Spina’s bartenders still shake a custom Negroni to order. But with one of the restaurant’s giant ice cubes just waiting there in a tumbler, and the garage doors hinged wide open to the summer breeze, I say flip the tap, barista, and let the Negronis flow.Negroni on tap, $11, Alla Spina, 1410 Mt. Vernon St.
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BEVERAGESHeady times for local breweries
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Craig LaBan: Dreams are coming true at a stunning pace from Ardmore to Perkasie, fueled by the entrepreneurship of a down economy, a common pursuit of lower-alcohol beers, and sophisticated tastes.
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Meet the Brew-vitational judges
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Meet the esteemed judges for our third annual Inquirer Brew-vitational local beer competition: Jan Matysiak, our special guest out-of-town brewer, has been the brewmaster at Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn since late 2011. Before that, Matysiak studied brewing science at University of Munich-Weihenstephan, worked for several German breweries, and was most recently managing the brewing operations at Live Oak Brewing Co. in Austin, Texas.
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BREW-VITATIONALThe quest for best beer
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The Inquirer's Brew-vitational gathers 48 beers on the table from 27 breweries in the region. It's anything but a giant game of Beer Pong. See the winners.
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