Philly Homegrown...A Few of My Favorite Things

(Thanks for making it over!  Sorry about the clicking-everywhere-thing.  I would explain, but it's not at all interesting.  It's just for this week, and I promise I'll make it up to y'all with some yummy food giveaways starting tomorrow and going through Friday, so be sure to stop back in.)

So remember that box o' delicious food that showed up on my doorstep a few months ago?  Well, a bit after I wrote about it the people responsible--the lovely folks of Philly Homegrown--asked if they could fly me out to see the local food scene in person.  Hmm...a long weekend of touring urban gardens, farms, and markets, meeting cheese-makers, bee keepers, and mushroom growers--not to mention trying some great restaurants and three full nights of sleep?  I was most certainly "in"!

I have so much to say that I'm about ready to burst with it.  But I'm still too busy doing the laundry/kissing the husband/cuddling the baby to be super coherent, so for now a teaser of a few of my favorite things.  Are you ready to be hungry?  Good!

 Say hello to my new favorite coffee drink, the rosemary latte from Talula's Table, a farm-to-table restaurant and gourmet market.  I had to ask how such bliss-in-a-mug was possible.  The answer?  Rosemary simple syrup.  Once I get it perfected I'll share, because this made me happy all the way through my being.

I don't miss the TV, but I'll admit that I sometimes have to pretend not to be puzzled when people mention celebrities and I have no clue who they are.  This taco truck (Guapos Tacos found at the Clark Park Farmer's Market) is the offspring of Jose Garces.  He's an Iron Chef, which makes him a bit of a big deal, even in my hippie, TV-rots-your-brain world.  Unsurprisingly, he makes good tacos.

Apparently, I need to get to know this Mr. Garces a little better though.  Saturday night we ate at JG Domestic, which is one of his restaurants.  It was easily my favorite dinner of the trip...let's start at the top and work our way down, shall we?  

Gazpacho with a sauteed squash blossom...a beautiful jidori chicken...a local scallop...the charcuterie plate...a bowl of hickory smoked georgia pecans (they tasted like bacon and caramel--is it bad that I slipped some into a doggie bag?  You would've too!)...charred fiddlehead ferns...pretty chocolate dessert....  

The scary thing is, there were actually several more dishes.  Over twenty-four hours later, I'm still in a bit of a food coma.

 

And there was a bit of shopping, but very quality over quantity in that department.  We stopped at Terrain, a nursery/home store/cafe/I'm moving in there.  The only location is in Philadelphia (except...oh lordy help me, they have an online store!), but they are a cousin of Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, so who knows in the future.  I do believe it's the first time I've actually been madly inspired by a store.

And, of course, I had to walk off at least a little of the food.  All told I spent three or four hours just wandering the city.  It had a lovely vibe--very friendly for an East coast city.  (Coming from a Midwesterner that's high praise.  We may be flat-as-a-pancake, but we do "friendly" very well.)  I went out once fairly late at night--you could see a few stars.  Even the less conventionally nice neighborhoods had some character.  Philly is a pleasant town.  (And as you can see, even while trying to walk-it-off I managed to find even more delicious food!)

This was another walk-off-the-food moment.  I almost got the avocado, but I settled for the deepest, darkest chocolate gelato I've ever seen.  It's rumored that they will have honeysuckle later this summer.  I hope you won't think ill of me when I tell you that I had time to either see Independence Hall or get gelato...I'm a big ol' history buff, but there's no doubt in my mind that I made the correct choice!

I could go on, but must cuddle baby s'more.  (The smile and squeal he gave me when I got home was even better than the rosemary latte!)  Tomorrow we start with the cheese....

(P.S.  Just to be sure I was perfectly, crystal clear, with only a few little exceptions, Philly Homegrown hosted and paid for my trip.  I believe my opinions are still very much my own, but gotta let you have the full skinny so that you can be the judge, yes?) 

Comments

[Marisa]

Meryl, I'm so glad you had a good time! It was so great to meet you and I'm really happy you had the pecans packed up in a to-go box. It would have been a damn shame to waste them!

[Caroline - Philly Homegrown]

Meryl, your pictures are a delight -- and so are you. I really enjoyed meeting you and finding out about food in your neck of the woods.

[Alethia]

Meryl, PLEASE come back to Philadelphia anytime! And I'm glad you went to Capogiro - Independence Hall is cool, but Capogiro is DELICIOUS!

[Donna]

Meryl - you are a sweetheart and I love all the great pictures. It makes me hungry reliving all of your Philly experiences!

[Meryl]

Thanks--and thanks for showing me such a great time.  Thats a fabulous city you have there!  

[Meryl]

It was delicious!  I kind of wanted to try a scoop of every flavor!  Thanks for the recommendation! 

[Meryl]

Thanks--it was so nice to meet you in person too.  Hope the baby shower went well!

[Meryl]

I know, right?  I took the pecans to work Monday morning and they were much enjoyed.  It was so nice to finally meet you in person too.  Cant wait for the Food in Jars cookbook!