Effie's is...Iffy?

With all the attention that Cypriot BYOB Kanella has been getting in Washington Square West, we thought it would only be fair to try out Effie's, an unassuming Greek BYOB just a few blocks away. Effie's has a reputation for courtyard seating and decent standards, like octopus and lamb, so we stopped in on a Wednesday to sample the offerings.

They were a little jammed up and grabbing a courtyard table, which seemed relatvely easy for 8:30PM on a Wednesday, was out of the question. As we waited to be seated in a two-top along Pine Street we amused ourselves watching the cooks tackling orders while grill-smoke pouring out of the tiny open kitchen.



The first course of calamari was perfectly done. This was some of the best calamari we've had in a long time; if you've read some of our other reviews, you know that we use calamari as the baseline for judging how much care and attention a kitchen puts into the food.

At first glance, it should be an easy dish to make...pull it from a prep dish, batter/bread and deep fry, then serve...but so many kitchens really blow this one, through bad pre-made ingredient, poorly mixed or seasoned coating or due to innatentively over cooking the calamari into fried rubber bands...oh let me count the ways that you can ruin thee.

Effie's calamari was a perfect balance of light, crispy coating, just salty & seasoned enough with tender squid rings beneath. Served still warm, this was a sign of good things to come.



The sampler platter was a decent smattering of bulgar stuffed grape leaves, an eggplant dip, soem hummus, cheese and peppers...consistency of the dips were smooth and flavors pronounced...a well-done, if not basic, appetizer. Served with pita points, a decent way to pass the evening over a glass of wine.



Mains brought both great grilling and gritty greens. The lamb rack was perfectly seasoned & grilled, albeit a little on the medium side of medium rare. Resting on a bed of mac & cheese orzo, this was Greek comfort food...except for the sand.

The dish was ruined with the ring of gritty greens that had not been throughly washed...my wife's first bite into them yeilded that 'tween the teeth crunch that kills your appetite...she asked me to try another piece to see if it was a fluke, but after one or two more bites from different bunches of greens the slack-luster prep was apparent. She picked her way around the sides while enjoying the lamb.



I ordered Lamb Lemonato, the lemon potato and lamb dish...basically cubed, grilled lamb & roasted potatos drenched in an lemon-oil sauce. The potatos were hit or miss due to their irregular sizes...some over-cooked & withered, other larger chunks on the edge of doneness, an occasional well-roasted wedge...Seems like short-cut prep strikes again.

The lamb mostly appeared in small scraps and was a little gristly..however, those sizeable chunks that could be found amongst the potatos were decently seasoned and cooked...I found myself digging through the cubes of spud in search of those few remaining lamb chunks that were hiding shadows of my plate created by the al fresco street lighting.

Final verdict? Great place for appetizers. They had actually 86'd two of the apps we wanted to try (tomato tart and the grilled octupus, a favrotie from what I can gather), so we may be back to try those and get some more calamari.

We're staying away from the entrees though...seemed like the poor prep went by unnoticed by the chef making it to the plate. Those sides sabotaged what could've been some great lamb dishes.

Most of the other customers leaving seemed happy though, so maybe it was just a fluke or that fact that we ordered at the end of a busy shift and were left picking through our entrees looking for the delicatable bits...but Effie's stuck us as Iffy's.

S&H Kebab House for Lunch

It's no secret that the S&H Kebab House, on P'Unk just off South St., has opened to rave reviews for the grilled skewers & all around well-done Turkish food.



It was a gorgeous summer day when we decided to have lunch at S&H...the part of P'Unk isn't heavily traveled, so you can actually enjoy your meal w/o the car exhaust.



Plus, for $8 you get plenty of satisfying food...both a platter and an accompanying salad or appetizer.

We started with the Tabbouleh salad & the Haydari, a dip made with yogurt, garlic, dill and walnut pieces. The Tabbouleh was well seasoned and full of veggies...diced red pepper, scallions, tomato & parsley. The Haydari, slathered over warmed pita slices, was addictive...the yogurt+dill is a familiar flavor, but the walnut pieces gave the spread a pleasing bite.



The main attraction for us was the news that the lamb kebabs were char-grilled...here's a close-up of the Sis Kebap, marinated lamb cubes. Each platter came with grilled pepppers & tomato, two kinds of rice( a spiced short-grain rice and a buttery medium grain) and a slaw of cabbage & carrot.



The lamb Doner combines hearty char-grilled lamb flavor in delicately sliced portions. The balance of marinated meat flavors and accompanying veg made for a great summer lunch.
Although the desserts looked just as summer-ready, we were stuffed.

As we lunched, passers-by commented to one another about S&H, either pointing out that they had eaten there or needed to drop in soon.

Zucchini Flowers are in Bloom

The first crop of zucchini flowers have begun to open up in the garden.

For a recap of how we cooked these last year, check out our post: http://cephood.blogspot.com/2008/08/fiori-di-zucca-fritti-fried-zucchini.html

Although these blooms don't have a little fruit connected to it, you can still fry them up with some cheese stuffing all the same.

Actually, I prefer to deep fry these blooms because they have the stems, which make perfect handles for dipping them in and out of the oil without breaking the stuffed bloom.

Varga Bar Grand Opening

First off, I should warn you, I'm a WWII history fanatic...and the perfect fusion of art, erotica & history is the nose art on the bombers of WWII planes. Varga Bar is a gastro-pub tip of the hat to the 'Greatest Generation'.



Varga is evocative of the retro...here's a snapshot of the coasters...proof enough? Finger bowls of Chex Mix for snacking.



Foodwise, Varga delivers...here's a pic of the crab & cheese fries; freshness of the crab meat was noticeable...sprinkled in parmesan & white cheddar, these fries avoided the gloppy mess you can run into with cheese topping...perfect pub-grub.



'Battleship Row'...the business end of Varga Bar. I read earlier that VB's shtick was 'ALL-AMERICAN' food and beer and the tap list was a decent balance of west-coast/east-coast/local beers.

Look up for Heavenly Bodies

Here's a shot of the ceiling..I felt like I was in the barracks of a WWII bomber crew...all these lovely ladies smiling down on the crush of opening night patrons. Bonus...the mixed drinks are seasonal and tote the title 'Miss May', 'Miss June' & 'Miss July'...I just hope Miss December is a hot toddy.



Speaking of custom libations, Flying Fish brewers were there to open the festivities...here's a shot of my IPA being poured straight from the firkin.




Varga has invested heavily in the retro B&W combo...plus they've got TONS of outside seating, as well as comfy booth seating, as pictured here.



Oh, and for the beer-hounds out there, they do growlers. Tria has company...Varga is two blocks closer to our abode and a little heartier on the food angle...looks like Washington Square West denizens have yet another gastro option to call their 'local'.



Another shot of the IPA & stylized coasters...I saw two hand-pumps as well on the bar, but I was so focused on the firkin that I neglected to find out what was on pump.



Cutesy touch...the tab was served in a mini Silver Bullet can...and yes, if you want a REAL silver bullet or PBR they've got you covered too.

Italian Market Festival - Bebe's BBQ

Here's a great sight to see at the Italian Market Festival...a BBQ'er hawking the product.



BBQ is the latest Philly fad for pork-based sandwiches. My wife is a BBQ lover and Southern native, so her BBQ taste-profile is fine tuned...disclosure...she's a South-Eastern BBQ aficionado...which means vinegar-vinegar-vinegar...and a hint spice...no sweet sauce.

Here's the final result...BBQ with crunchy smoky bits served on a soft bun...for a brief second we thought we were back in the home.

If you want a run-down of the sides at Bebe hop over to vegetarian blogger Mac & Cheese.

If you want to know what the deal with the main attraction at Bebe's is, then look no further...since moving up to Philly from southern Virginia, we haven't found a BBQ sandwich with the same vinegary-spicy combo. Bebe's is certified southern BBQ pork.

Flea Market Food Gadgets

This is a mug

Pastry-Wrapped Lamb Lollipops w/ Shitake & Salsify Hash

Ok, I didn't quite get the best angle in this thing, but what you're supposed to be looking at are a pair of pastry-wrapped lamb chops resting on a bed of Shitake mushroom and salsify.

The chops we did like any other night...seasoned & seared on all sides, then wrapped in pastry sheets that have had herb de provence pressed into the dough. Popped into a 375 oven until 140-145 degrees in the center, these little guys are like flaky, meaty lollipops...reminds me of an upscale corndog.

The real star of this dish was the mushroom & salisfy saute.



We were in Reading Terminal Market and found some great organic watercress and some fresh Shitake mushrooms from the Fair Farm stand, then we spotted some cigar-like salsify root at another veggie stand. The salsify is called the "Oyster Plant" because it has an oyster like taste, with a tinge of sweetness, like a white yam.

We peeled and cut the salsify into biased wafers, chopped the mushrooms and commenced to cooking.



I had bought some ground lamb, which I mashed into tiny bits and then browned in some olive oil, along with a dash of some mushroom dust I bought at the Spice Corner; this is quickly becoming my crutch for creating instant gravy-like heartiness in a dish.

Next, the salsify goes in to begin cooking down...I've never cooked this before, but it resembles carrots in the way it sweated off...finally the mushrooms and a splash of water to deglaze any of the lamb bits.


Here's yet another bad angle on what turned out to be a decent dish...I should've bought another 3 or 4 salsify roots to keep experimenting with the mushroom/salsify combo.

Strawberry, Cashew & Goat Cheese Pizza

Everywhere you look you see clamshells of strawberries popping up in the supermarkets. We were greeted with a wall of 2.99 per 2lb pack when we entered into Whole Foods. Without thinking, we grabbed a pack and rushed home to celebrate the first strawberries of the season.

Instead of the usual shortcake, we decide to try out a recipe we saw for Strawberry, Pistachio & Goat Cheese pizza. Hop over here if you want the details on this one.



The directions called for a pre-made pizza dough like you see in the refrigerated case, but I went ahead and kneaded up my own...I substituted about 1/4 of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour to give the dough a more refreshing, graham-crackery feeling that you might expect with a dessert-gone-savory pizza.



Bake off your dough in the oven following whatever directions you typically use, then, while it's still hot, dollop on your goat cheese...you could probably substitute a ricotta for a fresher flavor or light cream cheese here if you're watching your weight.

I brushed this dough in olive oil as well to really add some character and avoid dryness, like a white pizza.



Next, crush your nuts...we couldn't locate unsalted roasted pistachio so went with cashews.

Slice your strawberries up, mix in with your greens and drizzle with olive oil...maybe a splash of lemon juice.

Also, shave some Parmesan cheese into small strips.

You're ready to build your pizza!



The strawberry salad is sprinkled liberally about the pie...avoid adding too much to the center so you don't get a sloppy serving with topping strewn about. Here's the final result...a bit heftier than the dainty cousin pictured in the original recipe...I blame the abundance of berries on this overloading.

Next, finish with a few tosses of crushed cashews and the cheese shavings. The strawberries mimic the role of fresh-cut tomatoes while the salad, cheese and toppings complete the salad/pizza effect.

Next thoughts on modifying the toppings include adding oven-crisped prosciutto.

Blogger Birthday

Some random pics from a birthday party hosted by an acquaintance & fellow blogger Gaetano over at Philly Market Cafe.

If you're a regular reader of Philly Market Cafe, then you don't need an explanation...for the rest of us, these are canele, a delicious caramelized and custard-like treat that Gaetano is soon-to-be famous for...in fact, they may be coming to Headhouse Row Farmer's Market if the pastry gods are smiling on him.




For the full story on this bronzed baby, hop over to Gaetano's post.


Ready for the closeup...pork skin...crackly goodness.



While the suckling pig dominated the buffet table, the real star were the Shrimp Rolls...packed with basil and other greenery, here you can see some tasty shrimp tucked away...there was even a bracing bite of pepper hiding out among those leafy greens...a pleasant surprise. I think I stopped at five of these, but only because people were staring.



Here's a good cross section of the food that Gaetano and his 'little lady' (as he calls her) had prepared for their guests...homemade guac, tangy chicken wings, shrimp rolls, a massive canele and even some quails eggs thrown in for good measure.

Thanks again for having Elizabeth & I out to your party G!

Fava Bean Ravioli

After several abortive attempts to make ravioli by hand, we finally broke down and bought a press from Fante's in the Italian Market.


It took us a few moments to figure out how it worked, but the friendly matriarch that mills about the kitchen ware shop gave us a quick lesson on how you used the press, along with a tip to put egg-wash or water on the edges of the ravioli sheet just before you lay them together.



On our way through the market, we spotted some great looking Fava Beans; we picked up some fresh ricotta from Claudio's and then settled on Fava Bean & Ravioli.



Here we've shelled the beans, then boiled them for a few minutes and finally shocked them in cold water before removing them from the husk, revealing that emerald green beauty within.

Meanwhile, our ricotta filled ravioli were all pressed and prepped for the boiling pot of salted water.



Once the beans were shelled, we threw them in a pan with a little bit of olive oil and butter...we've also used pancetta or proscutti & minced shallots or just good old diced bacon and minced onion to go into the sauteed beans...it mostly depends on how much oomph you want to give those beans. I think the olive oil & butter kept it naked and simple so that the fava flavor could announce itself.



Plating was a breeze...ravioli, fava and some grated pecorino romano with a dusting of black pepper.

You could also serve this fava bean saute with gnocchi to get a similar effect without all the hardware.

Lunch @ London Grill

Saturday was a real scorcher for April (90 degrees). We found ourselves up in Fairmount and in need of some lunch & refreshment. I saw London Grill and remembered somebody mentioning their burgers were notable so we decided to stop there.



Lots of outdoor seating there, which was completely packed. We took a table in the bar and put in our order all at once as the waitstaff seemed to be a bit cramped by the hordes of lunchers that the good weather brought out...seemed to be a common problem everywhere that weekend.

On tap were a few interesting options...we ordered a sampler of the Palm Ale, a dry cider which I was unfamiliar with and the Flying Fish Farmhouse Ale.




The burger was a massive hunk of meat...it had a good char-grill flavor. Topped with Boursin cheese and served simply on a English muffin, the flavors didnt' get lost in a cakey bun or muddled amongst the condiments.



The turkey sandwich Elizabeth ordered was like a little slice of Thanksgiving leftovers...a roasted slab of turkey breast served on toasted bun with lots of lettuce & tomato. Fries had all the telltale signs of handcut/homemade.