Vacation Day #2 aka The Gluttony Tour

Friday April 24th

We headed out of Phoenixville around 10:45 a.m. bound for Philadelphia proper. Because we had seen the sights of the city (Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, etc.) our main goal in the city was Philly Cheese Steaks. According to Lacy-Jay (and Rachel Ray among others) the very best Cheese Steaks are found at Jim’s on South Street, www.jimssteaks.com . Far be it from me to dispute that claim. They are nothing like what we know as Philly Cheese Steaks here. Bread that is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, tender round steak, grilled onions and what is known simply as Whiz, never call it Cheese Whiz, even though that is what it really is. Ronnie added banana peppers to his and Lacy added mayonnaise and provolone, Bashar and I had the traditional. So very good, messy, but worth it. We even met one of the line cooks there that was originally from Columbia, S.C.. He immediately picked up on Lacy’s accent and wanted to know where we were from.

After a short walk down Philadelphia’s South Street, we were off to Penzey’s, www.penzeys.com,( great site, be sure to check out the recipe section). They have the absolute BEST herbs and spices available. I have ordered from Penzey’s many times but have never had the chance to visit a retail store before. I loved the chance to walk in and smell the herbs and spices. I bought Roasted Szechuan Pepper and Salt Blend, Vanilla Sugar, Florida Citrus Blend, Hot Chocolate Mix, French Thyme, Grey Salt, Sandwich Sprinkle, Smoky 4/S (Smoky Seasoned Sea Salt)
This store is a cook’s dream.

A quick stop at Starbucks for Passion Tea with Lemonade and we were on our way back to Phoenixville.

By this time the weather was nearing 90 and Lacy and I were loving every minute of it.

Back in Phoenixville we relaxed for a few minutes on the deck with pomegranate margaritas and peanuts in the shell, and then on to dinner and more food.

Lacy had make reservations at Majolica, www.majolicarestaurant.com in Phoenixville. This is a beautiful little restaurant situated in the heart of downtown. Our reservations were for 8:00 p.m. and we waited for about 20 minutes. By this time, we were starving. This eating frenzy began with a chef’s taste of salmon tartar served on a homemade potato chip with fennel. Lacy and I had the most wonderful cauliflower soup. They brought soup bowls to the table with at least a ½ cup of shredded Regianno Parmesan mounded in the center, then poured the hot soup around the cheese from a thermal pitcher. I cannot describe how good this was. I am researching recipes to duplicate this soup and I will share once I get it right. Bashar had the mussels in a Pernod sauce and Ronnie had a spinach salad with goat cheese and molasses vinaigrette. For the table we had a roasted beet salad that even Ronnie who says he doesn’t like beets enjoyed. There were yellow, pink, white and red beets roasted with freshly grated Parmesan, candied hazelnuts and basil. Then came what was Ronnie and Bashar’s favorite, the intermezzo, cucumber and lime sorbet with fresh fennel and course gray salt on top. It was a truly different taste. All this before we got to the entree. Lacy, Ronnie and Bashar all had the rib-eye with potato croquettes and grilled scallions. The potato croquettes were incredible. These were really creamy potatoes rolled into about 3 inch balls and then coated with panko breadcrumbs and deep fried. I had to taste Ronnie’s, they looked delicious and did not disappoint. I had the milk fed pork with new potatoes, cabbage and a mustard broth. It was amazing.

Now, comes time for dessert (hey, it was vacation after all), Lacy and Bashar shared the Earl Grey ice cream with shortbread and lemon curd. Ronnie had the pineapple sorbet with coconut tapioca and macadamia nut brittle. I had the fennel panna cotta without the strawberries but I did have the balsamic drizzle. I would comment on dessert but I have run out of adjectives. Just suffice it to say they were decadent.

So, Until Tomorrow...............
S~~~