Elevated Southern Food at Rex 1516 in Philly...

Had Brunch the other day at Rex 1516 in Philly.. Elevated Southern Cuisine by Executive Chef Justin Swain on South Street in Philly... 

I was craving a Croque Madame but I got swayed to the Chicken & Waffle Benedict and the Shrimp & Grits because it had Pork Belly... 

Started with a nice dry French sparkling.. 

Comtes de Bucques... 

Chicken & Waffle Benedict...

Fried Chicken atop Belgian Waffles, Poached Eggs & Creole Hollandaise...

Shrimp & Grits with Fried Egg & Pork Belly...

Fried Egg, Roasted Tomatoes, Spicy Cheddar Sauce, Crispy Pork Belly & Blackened Shrimp on Creamy Grits...

Props to Chef Swain... 

Great Southern Brunch with a nice spin on it... Will hopefully get back there to try the Cajun Croque Madam before I head west... So many places to eat still in Philly, so little time...

Panko-Crusted Tilapia with a Lemon Beurre Blanc...

Ingredients:

6-8 Tilapia Filets

Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Lemon

4-6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

Flat Leaf Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Cayenne

Olive Oil Spray

Spray baking dish with olive oil spray.

Lay tilapia filetson top and then season with salt & pepper, I prefer cayenne pepper.

Sprinkle with panko crumbs & lemon zest.

Bake in oven at 350 for approximately 25 minutes uncovered until golden brown.

In a sauce pan, melt butter & lemon juice and then add coarsely chopped parsley once heated through.
Drizzle on top of baked tilapia and serve with vegetable of choice.

Bar Ferdinand in Philly...

Bar Ferdinand is a wonderfully romantic tapas spot in the Northern Liberties part of Philadelphia. It has a really good wine list with unique Spanish wine offerings & great tapas. 

February 2014

Went to Bar Ferdinand for the first time when I was out with my girlfriends for Sunday Funday in Philly. Click here for the details...

March 2014

Did it typical UFM-styles...

Bellied up to the bar again with Matt behind the bar, sharing a bunch of plates while trying to pair wines with the food...

The Wine...

While I enjoyed the Les Sorts Rosat first I then went on to the red Txakoli that we had had the last time... 

👉🍷2011 Ameztoi Rubentis Getariako Txakolina - palate-opening with minerality.. 

I decided that night that I was going to start giving some of the wines that I drink a name. I know this sounds a little crazy but as we were sitting there tasting and trying all of the different wines and trying to describe them, I found that some of the wines had their own personalities.. I know.. I'm strange. But whatever.. you still love me.

So getting back to the wine.. This one, the red txakoli, I called, Lucy...

Lucy Goosey. Yeah.

👉🍷2012 Fuente Milano Verdejo Viura - bright fruit and slight effervescence.. nice ride.. Went great with the Pork Belly.. #ufmrec 

👉🍷2010 El Castro de Valtuille Bierzo Mencia - a little austere with a graphite start and commanding finish... I called her Natasha... 

What can I say? She felt like a Natasha...

The Food...

🍴Spanish Octopus with Fingerlings, Pimenton & Aged Sherry... This was a good dish.. Octopus was very tender and flavor was spot on.. 

🍴Pork Belly Roasted Crispy with Apple Pear Chutney & Bacon Sherry Emulsion... Great Flavor Profile & probably My UFM Fave Dish of the evening... I mean, I am a Filipina & it is Pork Belly served crispy.. C'mon... #ufmrec

🍴Grilled Asparagus wrapped in Iberico Ham with Romesco on the side... 

🍴New York Strip Steak with Organic Fried Egg & Truffles...

The last two dishes were well executed and beautifully prepared but could've used some salt... 

Overall, it was another great experience here at Bar Ferdinand...

Great Wines... 👉🍷

Great Food... 👉🍴

Good Vibes... 👉👍

UFM Meatless Fridays Part 1...

So here is what I ate on Friday...

Avocado Toast with a Mixed Supergreens Salad drizzled with EVOO, Lemon & Freshly Grated Pecorino & Lemon Zest...

I also had a Green Smoothie today...

Pear, Carrot, Ginger, Kale, Spinach, Chia, Cayenne, Turmeric, Spirulina & Raw Organic Honey...

Made Dinner as well...

Panko-Crusted Tilapia with a Lemon Parsley Beurre Blanc side of Roasted Asparagus...
Click Here for Recipe...

New UFM Series: What To Eat on Meatless Fridays for Lent...

Those that know me as the Raptor, know that giving up Meat even for one day is difficult sometimes... 
I mean, just last night, I was talking to my cousin Vince about craving pho today... Since I've been back in Philly, I've been averaging 2-3 times per week eating pho at my go to spot Pho75... 

Yes, I've even been told by my good friend Jennifer that I will turn into a bowl of pho some day!

Even posting this pic is awfully tempting... ugh... 

But no, I will be good and hold off to have my pho phix this weekend...

Question is, what will I eat instead????

That is simple... 

Seafood is not off limits and we will go for sushi instead... yeah!

Take That Pho! lol

So anyhow, getting back to my point, I decided to start a new weekly series on Meatless Fridays but will post on Thursdays to gets self motivated...

Stay Tuned Food Mavens...

Yours In Food...

The UrbanFoodMaven

I'm Making A Comeback...

So What's The Dealio You Ask?

The thing is that I've totally been neglecting this UrbanFoodMaven blog for the quick & easy fix of the UrbanFoodMaven FB Page... I know, I'm sorry! I mean, with all of these changes in the past five years since I made the move from SF to NYC and now Philly delving into the World of Wine for the last year, it just has been difficult to get back to this for a number of reasons, the details of which I will not bore you with right now...

The point is that I've been re-inspired recently and ready to get back into it!

In the Meantime, Check out the New Design and Stay Tuned for UFM posts!

Yours In Food.. 

& Now Wine too...

UrbanFoodMaven aka The Raptor

P.S. In case you didn't know, I am moving back to SF soon...

And now you know...  

NoLibs Sunday Funday...

SUNDAY FUNDAY

February 2014

This Winter was a brutal one... We had not had this much snow since the winter of 1875. It was no joke...  

So that Sunday, was one of the first warm days in awhile so me and the girls made plans for brunch at a place in the Piazza in Northern Liberties in Philly... Unfortunately we had such a horrible experience with brunch that I am debating whether to even mention the place at all at this juncture... 

Anyhow, after said terrible brunch experience, we ended up heading to PYT for drinks and cocktails outside in the sun to appease our discontent. My beverage of choice was a Bacon Bloody Mary as seen below... 

It was super yummy and along with the sun, it started to help things along in a Sunday Funday fashion... 

After a couple drinks we ended up heading to Bar Ferdinand. I had heard many good things about this place and had never been until then...

We were a group of four lovely ladies and decided to belly up to the bar. 

👉🍷 2011 Les Sorts Rosat..

👉🍴Bacon & Duck Empanadas...

👉🍴House-cured Panceta Coca with Baked Egg and Garlic Oil Flatbread...

👉🍷2011 Ameztoi Rubentis Getariako Txakolina... 

Just us girls.. 👉💃💃💃💃

👉🍴Roasted Mushroom Coca with Truffles and Goat Cheese... 

Good Times! 

The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes...

Ok, am I dating myself by naming this post the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes? Do any of you even remember this cult film? Bix themselves sort of made this same reference in their ad as you can see.. so I guess I am not alone...  

Whatever the case, it's about Bix's Heirloom Tomato Cart, which rocked my world back in '08..  See previous UFM post by clicking here.
Well, Today, Tuesday, July 31st the Bix Summer Tomato Cart Returns...

And for my UrbanFoodMavens in San Francisco, I suggest you go and go now.

xo..

R...

5 Tips for Saving Money in Your Kitchen

Stocking your kitchen is probably one of your biggest monthly budget items.  Most people or families usually make at least one grocery run per week.  It can cost a lot of money just to fill your freezer and pantry shelves.  So who wouldn’t want a few tips on how to lower your kitchen costs? These aren’t drastic changes, just a few simple ideas that will lower your grocery bill.  Read on for four money-saving tips for your kitchen needs.

1.              Scope out deals.  Coupon Clipping seems to be a lost art in this day an age.  In reality, you can find huge savings on your every day groceries by using coupons. A new trend of sites like Coupon Cravings dedicate pages to grocery, retailer, and travel coupons, and often offer tips for raising families on a budget. Another trick is to always bring in a coupon for any store you’re shopping at, even if you don’t buy what’s advertised – often times they just have one barcode for all promotions, and this can help you save tons of money.

2.              Buy all your produce in season.  According to GetRichSlowly.org, buying produce out of season means you’ll have to pay more.  That’s likely because it’s not locally grown.  Instead it’s being shipped to your grocery store from warmer climates.  That’s why you should get your produce in season, it will be cheaper, and it might even taste better.  It may mean changing the way you cook based on what’s in season, but it will be worth it with all the money you save on produce.

3.              Get a canning kit.  When you buy produce in season you can get great deals and stock up on your favorites.  But you need to make sure you use them before they go bad, or you’ll have wasted money.  That’s where a good canning kit comes in.  About.com explains that canning your own fruits and vegetables can save you money you would later have spent on these items in the grocery store. 

4.              Use dry milk in recipes.  Dry milk is so much cheaper than fresh.  Most people can taste the difference if just drinking it straight.  However, when you use it in cooking, the other flavors will mask the flavor of the dry milk.  When eating the finished meal, you won’t even be able to tell that it’s there.  Save your fresh milk for cereal.  But use dry milk in your next recipe to cut costs.

5.              Buy cheap cuts of meat for use in the slow-cooker.  Meat prices can be through the roof.  But not all cuts of meat are expensive. Usually you can find various cheaper cuts of meat.  The problem lies in how to best cook them so they are flavorful.  Tipnut.com suggests using a slow-cooker for these tougher cuts.  Give them enough time and they will be fork tender and delicious.

Your kitchen can be the source of a lot of your expenses.  It requires regular purchases to keep it well-stocked.  Remember these cost cutting ideas the next time your pantry needs replenishing.  The savings can really add up.  

A guest post by FrugalDad.com

The 2nd Annual Kulinarya 2012 Next Saturday, January 21st in San Francisco

Yes..

She's makin' a comeback..

I've been asked to go to San Francisco to be a judge for a culinary competition at the 2nd Annual Kulinarya, a Filipino Culinary Event which is being held at the Carnelian by the Bay in San Francisco next Saturday, January 21st. The event is scheduled from 3 to 8pm and will feature tastings from various Filipino chefs & gourmet food trucks around the Bay, as well as a culinary competition, which I will be judging. The featured ingredient is the Pili Nut. Not sure that I've ever had this before but it will definitely make for an interesting time. And it free.. So if you're local, you should definitely come by and check it out or at least come hang out with me!

I'm very excited & actually honored that the Kulinarya event board found me in Greenwich CT a few weeks ago where I've been doing my thing at cb5 restaurant group. My job designing & constructing and opening new restaurants has not allowed me the time to write very much but perhaps this is the inspiration that I needed to jumpstart me...

So, come by to Kulinarya next Saturday and let's catch up! Would love to see you!

Grand Gourmet - The Flavor of Midtown

I attended the Grand Gourmet - The Flavor of Midtown event at the gorgeous Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station.  This was my first Food & Wine event in NYC and I am grateful to my friend Jon for

allowing me to come as his guest.  As he quickly learned, I walked in with my usual determination when

attending these type of events, I usually have a game plan.  The Goal - To photograph and try every single tasting dish provided by each chef/restaurant, and at the same time, try, key word being 'try', not to get too inebriated or full while doing so.  Believe you me, although the portions are small and bite-sized, it all adds up when you have over 40 or 50 vendors.  And prior to this, I prepped my appetite and stomach by having my oatmeal for breakfast and a nice healthy salad.

So I walk in and go to town on the joint, slowly making my way from stand to stand, doing my thang, taking photos, talking to the chefs and trying everyone's tasty,one  or in some cases, not-so-tasty wares, with a glass of wine or cocktail in one hand and my camera in the other.  I swear, sometimes, I could use an extra set of arms or a really good wing person, because as fun as it all sounds, it is no easy task!  Yeah, yeah...  I hear you..  Woe is me!

So...  Anyway!
After I have tried everything, I go back to my favorites for a 2nd round, and I will talk more with the chef about their food to find out what makes ti so special.  I also make mental notes, to go to their restaurant at some point in the near future to try more of their food.

Here were the evening's winners in my book...

The first thing I tried that evening that wow-ed me was a Cream of Mushroom Soup with Gruyere Canapes by Chef Steven Zobel of Triomphe.
Creamy.
Rich.
Yet light enough that the earthiness of the Mushroom came through.
The saltiness of the Gruyere Canape made for a nice complement...
This made for a great First Course...

This was my absolute favorite Dish of the night...
 "Nios-coise" Salad with Traditional Accompaniments

Chef Massimo De Francesco of Nios restaurant at The Muse, a Kimpton hotel, turned it out with this one!  I have to say, that I have been very impressed by the Food at the Kimpton Hotel Restaurants.  I am a huge fan of the Square 1682 restaurant at the Palomar in Philly. Simple yet innovative food with fresh ingredients that really comes through in their Dishes... The Food reminds me of California cuisine crossed with spa food and I love it. 

This Dish was essentially a deconstructed Nicoise by which the freshness of the Tuna coupled with the Sauce which basically embodied all of your typical flavors in a Nicoise, ultimately came through in a hugely successful way.  I mean, the minute it hit my mouth, I was floored.  I am salivating looking at the photos and thinking about it.  Big kudos to Chef De Francesco for knocking it out of the park.  I promptly shook his hand and told him, in a nutshell 'You win.' and that I would be coming into his restaurant to try more of his Food.
Must go back..
For more...
Now.

As for Desserts...

Passion Fruit 'Fromage Blanc' with White Balsamic Macerated Strawberries and Chocolate Nibs Brittle by Chef Stefan Bahr of Charlie Palmer's Metrazur right in Grand Central Station.

This Dessert was outstanding...
And with me not being a Dessert person, this was right up my alley.
Light.
Refreshing.
And not overly sweet...
Perfect combination of flavors with the sweetness of the Passion fruit, the creaminess of the 'Fromage Blanc and the textural element and contrast of the Chocolate Brittle.   Perfection.

Honorable Dessert Mention...

Magnolia Bakery Mini-Cupcakes & Banana Pudding

I mean, who can go wrong with mini-cupcakes, really?
And the Banana Pudding was no joke...

All in all, it was a successful foray into the Food & Wine of Midtown Manhattan and while this was just a small taste of what NYC has to offer, I am anxious to delve even deeper and try more...

Quince Revisited...

One of my last Meals in San Francisco, was a Memorable Meal at Quince with my good friend, Nadia and her husband, Murph, who are as passionate about Food as I am, which is hard to find.
I chose Quince because I had been there before and had such a great experience, that I really wanted to try it again. Another reason I chose it is because Quince will soon be moving into the old Myth space on Jackson Street in the Financial District, so I really wanted to try it once more before they move.

Quince is an elegant yet understated space with low lighting and white table linens. And the staff is wonderfully attentive and impressively anticipated our every move. We really felt like we were special guests.

Jumping right in...
The Dishes are ordered according to which Dishes for each Course were an overall Table Favorite, with the first ones being the best.

The Bread...



The Bread was a surprising Star of the Meal.

Above is their selection of Breads - Bread Sticks with a bit of a Cheesy kick to them, Bread with Star Anise and the wheel-shaped one with Olives and soaked in Olive Oil, which was a Favorite at the Table...

First Course



Squash Blossoms filled with Dungeness Crab, Zucchini, Carrot and Lemon Verbena



Riverdog Farm Asparagus with Uovo Frito, an Egg Yolk that was Breaded and then Deep Fried (brilliant!), Pancetta, Brown Butter and Parmigiano Reggiano



Sformato of Roasted Pepper and Eggplant Bagna Cauda
Please forgive the photo quality on this one...


Second Course



Agnolotti dal Plin Traditional Piedmontese Veal-filled Pasta



Bigoli della Casa with Rabbit, Spigariello Kale and Red Lentil



Egg Tagliatelle with Veal, Porcini Mushroom and Peas


Third Course



Paine Farm Smoked Squab with a Black Cabbage, Porcini Mushroom Strudel and Sunchoke Crema



Liberty Duck Breast and Sausage with Tokyo Turnip, Bordeaux Spinach, Fennel and Blackberry Mostarda



Sonoma Organic Veal with Zucchini and their Blossoms


Dessert Course



Aprium Torta with Golden Beet Leaves, Sorbetto and White Chocolate Crema



Olive Oil Semifreddo with Sbrisolona and Cherry Granita



Murph had the Selection of Cheeses off the Quince Cheese Cart which could give the Gary Danko Cheese Cart a run for its money.

Quince is still as impressive as the last time. I only hope that the new space on Jackson brings the same class and elegance that the Octavia one puts forth. I suppose we shall see upon one of my returns to the Bay...