Is Your Child a Foodie? Eating Out in Philly
PICKY PALATES OR MINI-GOURMANDS? Children are picky eaters, right? At least that’s what we’ve been told for decades. Just look at the story of Goldilocks–the kid broke into someone’s home looking for porridge and took her sweet little time tasting (and summarily dismissing) each one until she found a bowl that was juuuuuuust right. Was she picky or was she discerning? That’s what we, a nation of casual foodies and serious gastronomes, should call today’s children. They’re not so much picky as they are discerning. What did we expect? As...
Read MoreHan’s Not Solo: Han Dynasty Hits Manayunk
Finally, the trek to Center City is over–Han Dynasty has arrived in Manayunk. OK, truthfully it’s been open for a couple of months now but I’ve been preoccupied with other things, so I just recently decided to forgo the traffic-riddled trip to the original location and try this outpost instead. Every fiber of my being was telling me to avoid this newest endeavor as additional eatery locations are almost never comparable in food or service to that of their flagships. (Sort of in the same way a movie is almost never as good as the book.) I found out I was wrong. ...
Read MoreToque of the Town: Top Chef Kevin Sbraga Debuts in Philly
In a world where the popularity of television personalities is as fleeting as the lifespan of a mayfly, it’s rare that 15 minutes of TV fame translate to real world success. Both loved and despised, reality television is often responsible for dashing the dreams of hopeful fame seekers and putting the kibosh on budding careers–former reality show contestants often find making the transition from the small screen difficult to say the least. That is especially true of reality cooking show alums. Just look at the recent demise of America’s Next Great Restaurant winner...
Read MoreCreative Comfort Food: Marathon Grill Review
Want to see something entertaining? Mention the words ‘chain restaurant’ to a food lover and gauge her reaction. It is almost guaranteed that face contortions and nose-in-the-air snobbery will ensue. A renewed interest in haute dining has nearly put a proverbial nail in the coffin of chain restaurants–even forcing a record number of recognizable national brands to shutter their doors or file bankruptcy. Once a beloved part of the American landscape, chain restaurants have become the poster child for assembly line-produced pedestrian, unimaginative fare. For the...
Read MorePhiladelphia Food & Drink Writers’ Conference: A Recap
Everyone with a laptop and a camera can dub themselves a journalist and, for the most part, that’s a beautiful thing. There’s a staggering number of blogs floating around on the internet, but none is more ubiquitous than the food blog. Dining in a restaurant these days feels like throwing oneself into a pool of paparazzi–the sound of flashes popping and the click, click of shutters are as familiar as the tinkling of forks and knives. Food, food news, and the culinary world in general is enjoying a much-deserved revival thanks to people who realize that food is our...
Read MoreWho is The Palate Princess?
Iris McCarthy is a food writer and author of the popular book Food Lovers' Guide to Philadelphia. This website is where she gets to sound off on all things culinary.