Burger Club PHL: Grace Tavern Edition

I've been hearing about the Burger Club for a LONG time, and have always been intrigued.  What could be better than a group of friends who get together once a month-ish and eat burgers?  And then rank them- for official club business, of course.  Even though burgers aren't on the top of my list of favorite foods, I do appreciate a good one.  Even better, the March meeting was the first sponsored event in the history of the Club,...

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Eataly

This past weekend, we accompanied friends on their first trip to New York City.  We were only there for less than 36 hours (my NYC limit, I think...), but explored so many different neighborhoods and ate about a weeks worth of food.  I requested to make a stop at Eataly, Mario Batali's rendition of an international Italian food and wine marketplace.  I had read a few things here and there about the concept- restaurants interspersed...

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Chicken Liver Pate

Liver was not something we grew up eating.  My parents were both scarred by it in their childhoods, and their stories had us steering clear for years.  However, we're generally adventurous eaters, so at some point we ordered "patè" at a restaurant without actually really knowing what it was.  I was pleasantly surprised by the buttery, meaty paste that was easily spreadable across crispy toast.  Perhaps the beginning of my love...

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Deke's Bar-B-Que

Seems like it's been awhile since we talked about barbecue, right?  Don't worry-- still getting my fix and figuring out which local barbecue place is best.  Next up on the list is a little hidden gem in the fuzzy district between Manayunk and Roxborough (I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins..).  Built into a huge garage, Deke's Bar-B-Que actually has built a considerable name for itself, especially among the residents of...

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Bistrot La Minette

I happen to love French food.  Pates, crusty baguettes, cheese after creamy cheese, lots of butter... sign me up.    Bibou currently holds the top position on my list, but we made plans to give Bistrot La Minette a try.  Tucked off of South Street, the unassuming restaurant has more of a relaxed, shabby-chic cafe vibe than the "Country French" Bibou.  Dining mid-week, it was quiet throughout our meal. Our waitress, though...

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Melograno

Relying on another person's opinion to make your own decisions can be tricky.  I sometimes feel that I live or die by consensus opinions on Yelp or TripAdvisor, but for some reason feel wary of the recommendations of professional restaurant critics (yeah, I know it doesn't make sense!).  However, Craig LaBan's recent roundup of solid-but-not-quite-four-bell-restaurants seemed knowledgeable and fair, and based off of his review, our food-loving...

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