What I Weigh Today

17 days down/14 days to go
Two weeks from tonight, I am going someplace that has either excellent wine or awesome beer.Where should I go? I thought about Tria, which I love, but is a mega pain in the tush if you want to go in the after-work hours and I will be bringing Dan who [...]

10 days down/21 days to go
… And my second alcohol-free weekend is in the bag. Not that weekends present any special challenges for me. In fact, in some ways they are easier.
One thing that drives me bananas about my job is that almost no one appreciates the fact that I work night and day. People [...]

Last night, I had the strangest food dream. My mother-in-law baked this gorgeous caramel cream pie with a luscious burnt caramel glaze. I’ve actually never tasted such a pie, but I love all things caramel and, in the dream, I asked her for slice. She told me I couldn’t have one because I was fat. [...]

I’m feeling a little rough around the edges this morning after a wine-drenched anniversary feast at Bibou. Note to self: two bottles of wine for two people is one bottle too many even if it is a special occasion. Dan and I enjoyed it just as much as when I made my reviewing visits over [...]

I can’t believe it’s already Monday again! Things have been a little hectic since my sister’s arrival. We’ve shared some great meals, at home and out. We went to Osteria last night and enjoyed a vegetarian feast of antipasto, pizza, and pasta. (It’s a surprisingly vegetarian friendly restaurant!) Still on the agenda: lunch at Cafe [...]

I spent a chunk of yesterday feeling my way around the new blog I’m working on and learning to use Flickr with some expert help from the awesomely web savvy and talented Marisa of Food in Jars. It took up enough time that I never ended up getting over here!
Oh, and I also spent part [...]

OK, first of all, that weight must reflect some water retention/bloating from the delicious but indulgent meal I had last night. I was out with a friend and on our way home we passed Brauhaus Schmitz–she is a beer lover who hadn’t been. How could we not stop in for a beer? Then, when I [...]

Yesterday, I visited the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, followed by dinner at Rat’s Restaurant–both of which I’ve wanted to visit for years. If you’ve never been and you live in the area it is seriously worth checking out.
Rat’s, which was selected as this year’s Best of Philly Most Romantic Restaurant, is beyond pretty [...]

When people imagine having my job as restaurant critic, they imagine my schedule last month, when I was visiting two restaurants I was totally smitten with. Both places are run by passionate restaurateurs with big ideas, crystal clear visions, and a solid understanding of what we Philadelphia restaurant goers want.
First up, Oyster House. This spot [...]

I’m back.
Food notes from my travels:
It’s been quite a week. While I was in Pittsburgh reporting on a story, I tried out Pamela’s Diner (strip district location). Loved the homemade chorizo patties; liked the crepe-style pancakes, which were somehow both fluffy and crispy, though they had the distinctly artificial flavor of Whirl or something similar, [...]