Adley Zayan
ARTICLES
Drink of the week
Beneluxx Tasting Room
33 S. 3rd Street
(215) 413-1918
With its comical misspelling, Beneluxx Tasting Room is just one 'x' shy of being 'xxx'. Beneluxx is perfect for all your dating needs - after all, what could be more romantic than fondue, wine, cheese, beer and chocolate?
Just let Cliff, the manager-cum-sommelier, take care of you and you are bound to score.
Drink of the week
Tria
123 S. 18th Street
(215) 972-TRIA
www.triacafe.com
If you must choose one subject in which to beat the curve this semester, why not make it wine?
Pizze al fresco
Philadelphia's barren pizza scene has long needed some manna from heaven. For a city steeped in Italian heritage - not to mention red-and-white-checkered tablecloths - the lack of quality pizza is strange.
Sommelier's Corner
Styled after the Piedmontese Moscato d'Asti (Moscato from Asti), this spritely Australian white leaves little to the imagination.
Passing Marks
Every Sunday, Tria Caf‚ offers its divine triumvirate of wine, cheese and beer at 50% the normal price at its weekly Sunday School.
Sommelier's Corner
Teruzzi & Puthod "Terre di Tufi" 2005 - $15.99
Why not escape Philly and its Philistines with a tastefully titillating bottle of Tuscan white?
Sommelier's corner
Privada 2004, Bodega Norton, Argentina (Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) $13.99 (down from $21.99)
As Valentine's Day draws near, enophiles all over the land ponder which bottle to serve on the special night.
Brewmaster's Corner
The Super Bowl has certain rules that must be observed. Acolytes submit to the orgy of chili, wings and beer.
Sommelier's Corner
As you gobble your way through Restaurant Week, so must you guzzle your way through some appropriately refined wines.
Iffy inventiveness
You could be forgiven for thinking Gayle was a typical Philly BYOB. It is very small, very close to South Street and has a clientele of bohemian foodies and aspiring trendsetters.
Italian oasis
La Fontana opened in January to barely a whisper. With Amada deservedly capturing the rapturous praise and hoi polloi, La Fontana has quietly set about establishing itself as a neighborhood Italian restaurant.
Meet me at le bar
Upon entering Le Bec-Fin, and being led down a winding staircase away from the garish opulence of the main restaurant, I couldn't help but feel like a third-class passenger on the Titanic. This was shortlived, as the subterranean Bar Lyonnais is seductively plush, oozing with class and authenticity.
Riviera on the schuylkill
Highlights:
Early Bird Special, 5:30-8:00 every night
Romantic view of the Schuylkill
Drawbacks:
Dishes loaded with garnishes, and accompaniments often come up short on flavor.
Bistro St.
Django in demand
Django is very in-demand right now, and one hears all sorts of horror stories about how long it takes to get a table.
Sipping in saigon
Time: While there is no set happy hour, Bar Saigon is open Friday and Saturday from 5- 10 p.m.
Drink: The drinks in Bar Saigon are suitably gimmicky.
Mexican Food Ain't Pretty
Mexican cuisine is clearly designed to get diners uncomfortably full, and Taqueria La Veracruzana certainly fits the bill: the resulting doggie bag will be haunting me for weeks.
Italian Elegance
The format of Vetri's menu is instantly revealing. On the first page are about 10 permanent fixtures and on the second, a few more temporary ones contingent to season and to chef Mark Vetri's whims.
Ego
Top 3 Pieces of Japanese Sanitary Technology
The Japanese are renowned for their technological prowess, and it is little surprise that they have applied their acumen to personal hygiene.
Small-town philly
When I set off to Manayunk, it was with the perfunctory objective of getting to Jake's, sitting down to a bounteous brunch, and then getting the hell out.
PennConnects
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