Prawn Heads & Cupcakes & Soups, Oh My! 10/5 Complete (now with my Dining Wish List)!

[nanienamou]

I love the trend of gourmet food trucks. They started appearing in Montreal, 2 hours from here, but where I work, in downtown Ottawa, the only trucks we have are the hot-dog-burger-poutine type. I'm sure I'll find some soon.

I hope food at your dining hall is better than it was at mine, 10 years ago.

 

[Linda67]

Wow, your Philly food looks delicious
I especially like the sound of the Popsicles

 

[sushi candy]

Definitely grabby hands at the strawberry shortcake and the macarons. I absolutely adore macarons and am determined to master making them one day.

 

[deenbrad]

That is so funny that your favorite popsicle was the goat cheese one! That strawberry shortcake looks like something I'd like to be eating now!!

 

[SweetSpot]

My son has a similar view to this from his dorm at Drexel and he couldn't care less. He has no idea how much he would pay for that view in an apartment.

You have expensive tastes for a college student! Both Talula's Garden and Talula's Table have been on my wish list for some time and I've never tried a Stephen Starr restaurant and have looked at Parc's menu many times. I grew up in Philly and we are only a few minutes away from Philly but my DH doesn't want to cross the bridge on weekends after driving over it for work all week.

Food Trucks have changed since I was young. Drexel and UofP food trucks then were basic. You are so lucky! I might take a ride over to just eat at the trucks.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I love the trend of gourmet food trucks. They started appearing in Montreal, 2 hours from here, but where I work, in downtown Ottawa, the only trucks we have are the hot-dog-burger-poutine type. I'm sure I'll find some soon.

I hope food at your dining hall is better than it was at mine, 10 years ago.

Hopefully the food trucks around you get better (although it's nice that there are some good ones in Montreal)!

And the dining hall food might be better than it once was, but it's still nothing to write home about. That's okay though - eating that food helps make everything else stand out.

Wow, your Philly food looks delicious
I especially like the sound of the Popsicles

Those popsicles were fantastic - I would love to stop by that place and have one per day, since they have so many flavors.

Definitely grabby hands at the strawberry shortcake and the macarons. I absolutely adore macarons and am determined to master making them one day.

Given what you've already achieved in the kitchen (from a cooking and photography standpoint), I think you could definitely master macarons! Those things are so good.

That is so funny that your favorite popsicle was the goat cheese one! That strawberry shortcake looks like something I'd like to be eating now!!

That goat cheese popsicle really was fantastic - I could actually order it again, which is a big deal when it comes to 'goat' anything!

My son has a similar view to this from his dorm at Drexel and he couldn't care less. He has no idea how much he would pay for that view in an apartment.

You have expensive tastes for a college student! Both Talula's Garden and Talula's Table have been on my wish list for some time and I've never tried a Stephen Starr restaurant and have looked at Parc's menu many times. I grew up in Philly and we are only a few minutes away from Philly but my DH doesn't want to cross the bridge on weekends after driving over it for work all week.

Food Trucks have changed since I was young. Drexel and UofP food trucks then were basic. You are so lucky! I might take a ride over to just eat at the trucks.

Yeah I got really lucky with the housing selection process this year! Plus, because of how the dorm fees work, my room doesn't cost more than a comparable room with a lesser view. It'll probably be a harsh wakeup call when my first apartment in the real world faces a brick wall.

Oh, I love Talula's Garden, but we save it for special occasions. It can definitely be pricey, but the most expensive entree actually costs the same as the teriyaki steak at Kona Cafe. In fact, trying Talula's has made it harder to justify TS meals in WDW, since we know that same money could go further elsewhere (AP and Jiko are the big exceptions that we still feel are relatively 'worth it'). Talula's Table is on my bucket list.

The best time to try a Stephen Starr restaurant is during Restaurant Week! A lot of his restaurants participate, and lunch is only $20 (dinner is $35). My first Stephen Starr meal was at Alma de Cuba - a student club subsidized our meal there, so I only had to pay $5.

I know what you mean about crossing the bridge. Whenever my mom visits, she normally stays in a hotel in Cherry Hill (since it's way cheaper than being in the city). For the cost savings, it's usually worth it, but driving over the bridge and through all the city traffic can be annoying. And food trucks really have gotten better! They can be a good value, as well - I got that Tunisian tuna salad and a bottle of water for $6.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Your real world Philly food looks pretty amazing!

Those popsicles are definately interesting, but,

the strawberry shortcake...

looks...

amazing!

 

[Krissalee]

I know this is completely irrelevant from my dining reviews, so I apologize in advance. But now that I've been back at school for a few weeks, I wanted to take a break from WDW food and share some pics from the real world. Philly is currently my home, and I've really enjoyed getting to explore the food scene here - it's so much more than cheesesteaks and pretzels! (All of these pictures are from my phone, so I apologize for the quality)

Yum! I love the food scene in Philly. I like Parc as well and have been wanting to try Talula's Garden. I would also recommend the Marc Vetri restaurants. I really like Osteria and Alla Spina. I live at the Jersey shore and only come into Philly once or twice a year, but I always make dining a priority.

Thanks for the WDW reviews, too.

 

[Destructsean]

Working in University City all week, every week, you tend to forget how delicious the food around here is. Thanks for the reminder.

Ever been to Amada? Easily one of the top three meals I've ever had. It's a Jose Garca restaurant. It's out of this world.

Also, one of my favorite Philly food excursions? Reading Terminal. I could gain 10lbs in there on a good day.

 

[SweetSpot]

I know what you mean about crossing the bridge. Whenever my mom visits, she normally stays in a hotel in Cherry Hill (since it's way cheaper than being in the city).

Restaurant Week is a great idea! We have gone to Restaurant Week in Atlantic City but never in Philly.

I hope your mom is taking advantage of some of the great restaurants in Cherry Hill. WDW might have great signature restaurants but I agree with you, Philly and the surrounding area are filled with some of the best food in the country.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Your real world Philly food looks pretty amazing!

Those popsicles are definately interesting, but,

the strawberry shortcake...

looks...

amazing!

That strawberry shortcake was one of the best desserts I've ever had! If the menu wasn't so seasonal, I would suggest that they bring it back and keep it on the menu forever.

As for those popsicles, I just love how creative the flavors are! They also have flavors such as cantaloupe rose, Vietnamese coffee, grapefruit rosemary, and chocolate with salted caramel brownie.

Yum! I love the food scene in Philly. I like Parc as well and have been wanting to try Talula's Garden. I would also recommend the Marc Vetri restaurants. I really like Osteria and Alla Spina. I live at the Jersey shore and only come into Philly once or twice a year, but I always make dining a priority.

Thanks for the WDW reviews, too.

I've never been to a Marc Vetri restaurant before - I definitely want to try one before my time in Philly is up! Agreed about the food scene here - it's awesome, and it keeps getting better and better. In comparison, NYC is full of great options, but getting there by car is a huge pain (there's so much traffic, the drivers and pedestrians are super aggressive, parking can cost as much as an entire meal, etc. ). If you try Talula's Garden, I hope you really like it.

Working in University City all week, every week, you tend to forget how delicious the food around here is. Thanks for the reminder.

Ever been to Amada? Easily one of the top three meals I've ever had. It's a Jose Garca restaurant. It's out of this world.

Also, one of my favorite Philly food excursions? Reading Terminal. I could gain 10lbs in there on a good day.

I'm so glad you liked seeing the Philly food! I think when you're here on a daily basis, the food is less exciting because you develop a standard routine (my routine is 70% dining halls, 20% Chipotle or Sweetgreen, 5% food trucks, and 5% everything else ), but breaking away from the routine can result in some truly awesome food discoveries (like those popsicles!).

I liked Amada (tried it during Restaurant Week), but I wish I'd taken more risks with my choices - I need to go back and pick more adventurous dishes. The aged Manchego with truffled lavender honey is one of the best things I've ever tasted, and the beef short rib flatbread was also absolutely delicious.

As for Reading Terminal Market, I don't spend nearly enough time as I should there, but the food is wonderful. Nearly anything you want (from deli sandwiches to Thai food) for a meal, an Amish pretzel as a snack, or some Bassetts ice cream for dessert? The possibilities are endless.

Restaurant Week is a great idea! We have gone to Restaurant Week in Atlantic City but never in Philly.

I hope your mom is taking advantage of some of the great restaurants in Cherry Hill. WDW might have great signature restaurants but I agree with you, Philly and the surrounding area are filled with some of the best food in the country.

Restaurant Week is awesome. A lot of my friends go to Restaurant Week 4-5 times in total (because they want the good deals), and then they just never eat out for the rest of the semester.

Oh, Cherry Hill. When we're there, we actually really like eating at Wegman's. The prepared food there is so much better than the prepared food we expect from supermarkets, so we like grabbing something and sitting in their little café area. As far as Cherry Hill restaurants, I like Bahama Breeze (the food is solid and it has a fun, tropical atmosphere), but do you have any recommendations? We really like the area, but I feel like we could expand our culinary horizons there.

 

[AvasMommy526]

Thank you DDW, now I must plan a trip to Philly Those bars (even with the goat cheese, I shudder at goat cheese, the texture and taste.... ) macaroons, and yogurt!! And that salad from Fresh Tacos, that's exactly what I would order! Everything you've posted looks wonderful, especially your view

 

[Quin]

Glad to hear Reading Terminal Market is going strong again. It was a great option when I was a student in Philly. I think at that time the Amish had a larger area of the market. They sold things like pretzels and birch beer that the tourists expected but those were mass produced, not even Amish-made (the "birch beer" was a Coke product) but the cakes and pies were wonderful. And if you knew to ask at the lunch counter, you could take home a gallon of true homemade root beer; they kept them in coolers under the countertop for resale. The history goes back forever; when my mother was a young woman working downtown she'd take the train back out to the suburbs balancing packages of meats and bakery items HER mother had asked her to bring home from the Reading Terminal Market.

Of course, that was so long ago that one of the few food trucks that existed was parked on Sansom and was named "Le Bus" because it was an actual converted bus. And it was a huge deal when they then moved into their first storefront sit-down restaurant across the street. Then a bakery opened up a few doors down, and the owner had a white dog. Eventually she started adding lunch food. Yep, the origins of the White Dog Cafe.

 

[jabead]

This 'strawberry shortcake' dessert from the summer was so, so good - honestly the best take on strawberry shortcake I've ever had.

Oh wow...that looks delicious!!! Too bad that Philadelphia is not along our route to Florida, as it looks like we might be driving on our next trip to Disney World.

 

[smile4stamps]

Looks & Sounds like you have a lot of good food choices there!! We have a lot of good food where I am living but hubby has AWFUL food options where he is living. He has started a Hot Dog Cart to try and make some money and then wants to grow it into a gourmet food truck. The problem he is running into is the town has REALLY weird laws for mobile food operations and he is having a ton of trouble getting even the hot dog cart really going.

 

[jedijill]

Thanks for the Philly reviews DDW! I'm heading to Philly in November for work and I'm going to try to work some of these places in.

As for Cherry Hill, have your tried Bobby's Burger Palace at the CH Mall? It's tasty!

Jill in CO

 

[Tracerr00]

Oh my! I love your real world food photos!! You are so adventurous - conquering your fear of the goat popsicle! I would never even taste it I would love to try some food truck food sometime. I think we have some around here in Minneapolis but I don't ever go downtown. I'll just have to suck it up one day and head down there. I hear there is a good cupcake truck!

And the restaurants you talk about sound amazing! I don't know anything about Philly but the food scene sounds fantastic. One day when I win the lottery I want to buy an RV and drive around to do an eating tour. Wish me luck with that!

 

[SweetSpot]

Oh, Cherry Hill. When we're there, we actually really like eating at Wegman's. The prepared food there is so much better than the prepared food we expect from supermarkets, so we like grabbing something and sitting in their little café area. As far as Cherry Hill restaurants, I like Bahama Breeze (the food is solid and it has a fun, tropical atmosphere), but do you have any recommendations? We really like the area, but I feel like we could expand our culinary horizons there.

Wegman's is amazing. Cherry Hill is about 15 miles from where I live. We have only basic food stores. I take frequent trips to Cherry Hill to go to Wegmans, Whole Foods and my addiction Trader Joes.

Cherry Hill has a large Asian population so the good restaurants tend to be Asian. For lunch today we went to Pearl of Asia, a great Indian restaurant. They have a small lunch buffet that is fresh and good and a has a very varied menu at dinner. The place gets packed! We almost went to Coriander Indian Bistro which also has a great reputation.

There's Pho Eden for what I've been told is the best pho around. I'm just not thrilled with many of the spices in pho but will eventually give it a try. Sang Kee in down the road is so good. I am hooked on their soup dumplings and their noodles soup is really good. They have more authentic Chinese and it's made well. Hong Kong Fusion has more American type dishes with more authentic choices as well. It's really good. If you want good Italian Da Soli different the basic Italian you normally find in local Italian restaurants.

You're so lucky! You have so much to choose while in college just within a 10 - 15 miles radius. Much of it fairly inexpensive but really unique and good.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thank you DDW, now I must plan a trip to Philly Those bars (even with the goat cheese, I shudder at goat cheese, the texture and taste.... ) macaroons, and yogurt!! And that salad from Fresh Tacos, that's exactly what I would order! Everything you've posted looks wonderful, especially your view

There's so much awesome food here, and every year the food scene keeps changing in noticeable ways. It's super exciting, and I definitely think this city is worth a visit.

Glad to hear Reading Terminal Market is going strong again. It was a great option when I was a student in Philly. I think at that time the Amish had a larger area of the market. They sold things like pretzels and birch beer that the tourists expected but those were mass produced, not even Amish-made (the "birch beer" was a Coke product) but the cakes and pies were wonderful. And if you knew to ask at the lunch counter, you could take home a gallon of true homemade root beer; they kept them in coolers under the countertop for resale. The history goes back forever; when my mother was a young woman working downtown she'd take the train back out to the suburbs balancing packages of meats and bakery items HER mother had asked her to bring home from the Reading Terminal Market.

Of course, that was so long ago that one of the few food trucks that existed was parked on Sansom and was named "Le Bus" because it was an actual converted bus. And it was a huge deal when they then moved into their first storefront sit-down restaurant across the street. Then a bakery opened up a few doors down, and the owner had a white dog. Eventually she started adding lunch food. Yep, the origins of the White Dog Cafe.

Agreed - I love how much history there is in Philly. Strolling down the cobbled streets of the Old City (and seeing homes that were around before the American Revolution!), or exploring booths at Reading Terminal Market that have been around for over a century, creates a really magical feeling. That's so funny about the Amish booths selling mass-produced food and drinks to tourists - I think they still do that.

And I love the story about White Dog Café! That place is basically a landmark now, so it's crazy to think that it had such humble beginnings.

Oh wow...that looks delicious!!! Too bad that Philadelphia is not along our route to Florida, as it looks like we might be driving on our next trip to Disney World.

Well the good news to come out of your statement is that another trip to WDW could be in the works! As for Philly, it's definitely not on the way from Illinois to Florida, so I completely understand.

Looks & Sounds like you have a lot of good food choices there!! We have a lot of good food where I am living but hubby has AWFUL food options where he is living. He has started a Hot Dog Cart to try and make some money and then wants to grow it into a gourmet food truck. The problem he is running into is the town has REALLY weird laws for mobile food operations and he is having a ton of trouble getting even the hot dog cart really going.

Wow, that sounds frustrating. Hopefully he finds a way to make it happen and establish something 'gourmet', since as soon as one person does it, others will follow. And then voilà - his dining options will improve.

Thanks for the Philly reviews DDW! I'm heading to Philly in November for work and I'm going to try to work some of these places in.

As for Cherry Hill, have your tried Bobby's Burger Palace at the CH Mall? It's tasty!

Jill in CO

Oh, I have a Bobby's Burger Palace much closer than the Cherry Hill one - it's actually a block away from where I live. I don't go there very often, but the milkshakes are awesome!

Oh my! I love your real world food photos!! You are so adventurous - conquering your fear of the goat popsicle! I would never even taste it I would love to try some food truck food sometime. I think we have some around here in Minneapolis but I don't ever go downtown. I'll just have to suck it up one day and head down there. I hear there is a good cupcake truck!

And the restaurants you talk about sound amazing! I don't know anything about Philly but the food scene sounds fantastic. One day when I win the lottery I want to buy an RV and drive around to do an eating tour. Wish me luck with that!

You should definitely check out some food trucks if you're around! The cupcake one is probably awesome.

Agreed on winning the lottery - there's just too many places out there to see! And the funny thing is, I always say "there's too many options" about WDW's restaurants, but that problem is magnified millions of times in the real world.

Wegman's is amazing. Cherry Hill is about 15 miles from where I live. We have only basic food stores. I take frequent trips to Cherry Hill to go to Wegmans, Whole Foods and my addiction Trader Joes.

Cherry Hill has a large Asian population so the good restaurants tend to be Asian. For lunch today we went to Pearl of Asia, a great Indian restaurant. They have a small lunch buffet that is fresh and good and a has a very varied menu at dinner. The place gets packed! We almost went to Coriander Indian Bistro which also has a great reputation.

There's Pho Eden for what I've been told is the best pho around. I'm just not thrilled with many of the spices in pho but will eventually give it a try. Sang Kee in down the road is so good. I am hooked on their soup dumplings and their noodles soup is really good. They have more authentic Chinese and it's made well. Hong Kong Fusion has more American type dishes with more authentic choices as well. It's really good. If you want good Italian Da Soli different the basic Italian you normally find in local Italian restaurants.

You're so lucky! You have so much to choose while in college just within a 10 - 15 miles radius. Much of it fairly inexpensive but really unique and good.

Wegman's, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's are all great. And thanks so much for the restaurant suggestions! As someone who isn't too familiar with the place, I always associate Cherry Hill with chain restaurants. Bahama Breeze, Red Lobster, Outback, Grand Lux Café, Cheesecake Factory - I never really notice much else. But those Asian ones sound really good and authentic, so we'll definitely need to try some of them.

 

[doitforlove]

Loving your reviews of Philly food! I'm terrible and stick to the same places all the time even though I've been living here for almost three years. I want to try one of those ice pops they look delicious and so interesting!

Also I LOVE Bobby's Burger Palace, it's kind of a sick addiction

I live up the block from Bobby's myself! We're probably neighbors