In Germany, preparations are now in full force. Restaurants are readying beer and brats, stores are selling beautiful dirndls, and hotels are bracing for the five million revelers that descend on Munich for Oktoberfest. It’s the world’s largest fair and this year’s 16-day celebration is slated for September 22 through October 7.
Almost all of my family geneology originates from Germany ... in fact our relatives over there own this brewery, which we visited a few years ago.
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You know that store you run into for one item and leave with a few dozen? For me, it’s Penzey’s Spices in Chestnut Hill. (OK, Target, too.)
Take the short drive to this cook’s playground and you’ll peruse hundreds of spices and seasonings. I’m talking specialty curry powders, salts and peppers, BBQ rubs and baking spices. Seasoning mixes for salad dressings. International blends inspired by Tuscany, Paris and Bavaria. And obscure seasonings like Pakistani ajwain seed, Middle Eastern zatar, and mahlab, the sweet/sour pit of the sour cherry that makes a nutty addition to baked goods.
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If you like cooking and tasting new foods, then it’s time to go beyond the local grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
Don’t get me wrong – there’s an impressive array of international goods in the typical supermarket these days. Fish sauce, naan, rice noodles, and seaweed snacks – it’s all there. But there’s also specialty markets in the Philadelphia region that are geared exclusively towards the culinary offerings of particular cultures.
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Blazing heat, driving rain, hurricanes and an earthquake to boot … If this wild weather summer wasn’t long enough for you, there’s still time to soak in the best that the shore has to offer – especially on the food scene.
Vacationing at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware has been a part of every summer since I can remember. But visiting in the fall, when the kiddies are back in school and cooler weather abounds, the whole area takes on a more relaxing pace. And many of the great food spots and finds are still open for business (with no lines). It’s the perfect time to come down for a long weekend.
Rehoboth boasts an impressive array of chic restaurants, but I’m all about cruising around for nostalgic bites. With this in mind, here’s a round-up of treats for your weekend away:
Dolles
1 Rehoboth Ave
With its enormous red sign looming over the boardwalk, Dolles is hard to miss. Shore-goers line up for buckets of caramel corn, brittle and salt water taffy. Stop in their shop where you can mix and match dozens of salt water taffy flavors – mango, peanut butter, molasses, chocolate - to your heart’s delight.
Gus & Gus Place
15 S Boardwalk
Gus & Gus has been the quick eats spot on the boardwalk since most of us can remember. “Gus & Gus is an old-fashioned favorite,” said Krista Alfonse, who has spent her summers in Rehoboth for decades. “It’s one of my first destinations every year. Anything from subs and cheese steaks to their famous corn dogs are a reason to go and enjoy the salty air on the boardwalk.”
Ice Cream Store
6 Road
Even in the cool autumn breeze, this ice cream shop knocks your socks off. With over 70 homemade flavors, there are some you have to ask for a taste of, like I Can’t Decide, Viagra and Better Than Sex. Flavors that had us coming back night after night were Buttery Salted Caramel, Samoa Cookie, and Boston Cream Pie.
Café Papillon
42 Rehoboth Ave
Be prepared to sneak over to this tiny crepe spot everyday (we almost did). Open for over 30 years, Café Papillon offers a long list of crepes made to order, as well as French pastries and croissants made-from-scratch. In the summer time, the crepe stand is manned by students from France, so it’s also a place to brush up on your conversational French. Open on the weekends through mid-October.
Claw’s Seafood House
167 Rehoboth Avenue
$16.99 early bird lobster special? Yes, please. This deal is offered to diners every day of the week, between 4-6pm, and includes a 1.25 lb lobster and two sides (corn on the cob, dirty rice, hush puppies, coleslaw). Buckets of steamed hard shell crabs are also a huge draw to this spot.
Rehoboth Seafood Market
20238 Coastal Highway
When you want to whip up a dinner at the beach house instead of going out, this seafood mart is an easy to find place for local fish and seafood. We stopped in one afternoon and made an evening feast of local mahi-mahi, scallops and briny oysters.
Fractured Prune, The Donut Shoppe
20214 Coastal Highway
Cruise on past Dunkin Donuts and head to this local create-your-own donut shoppe. Choose from specialty donuts like Black Forest (raspberry glaze, coconut, mini choc chips), French Toast or Banana Nut Bread, or concoct your own with a variety of toppings, sugars and glazes like apple butter, marshmallow and peanut butter.
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One of the wildest culinary trips of my life took place in the chaotic city that is Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. From steaming bowls of unidentifiable phở in the sweltering Ben Thanh Market to dodging motorbike traffic for street food and learning how to make rice paper wrappers, we experienced it all.
Exotic eats at Ben Thanh Market
Since the 36 hour trek to Asia only happens a few times in life – if at all – I knew I needed to seek a place for a Vietnamese fix here on the Main Line.
Enter Le Saigon. Originally located in Frazer, this Vietnamese restaurant has been at its Paoli location for 12 years. Owner Steven Wutram grew up with his family in Ho Chi Minh (formally known as Saigon).
Continue reading "International Find - Vietnamese at Le Saigon" »
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During my decade as a Washingtonian, a favorite fall tradition was driving along the picturesque Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking in Shenandoah National Park, and most importantly, and stopping at as many Virginia wineries as possible on the way home.
Yearning for this pastime, I’m determined to learn more about Eastern Pennsylvania wine.
Turns out, the greater Philadelphia region and beyond is booming with wineries. In the last five years, the number of wineries in Pennsylvania has grown to more than 130, and the number of visitors has doubled, to one million last year.
Within an easy driving distance of Philadelphia are the Brandywine, Berks, Bucks, Lehigh and York wine trails. Picture-perfect rolling hills, brilliant fall foliage and family-run markets are all part of the territory when visiting these boutique wineries.
Planning a trip is easy, too. Just check out The Pennsylvania Winery Association’s website, which offers detailed information and an interactive map.
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With snow storms galore this winter, there’s been plenty of time to tune into numerous food history shows on TV. I’ve watched potatoes turn into vodka on How’d That Get on My Plate?, discovered the secrets of Mexican cuisine on Food Tech, and learned the history of brewing on Modern Marvels.
Lots of great information, but isn’t it more interesting to be there yourself? Well you can. Here’s a list of tours and trips to make as the weather warms up. You’ll find fun, free tastes and much more.
Continue reading "Philly Fare: Spring Trips for Food Fans" »
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