I had another meal at Johnny Brenda’s last weekend before catching a surprisingly fun show. I don’t remember the big back dining area being open the last few times I was there (or maybe it was just dark and I didn’t notice) but it is open now and luxurious and spacious. It’s also away from the main bar and the main noise, so it’s actually a pleasant place to grab a bite.

Johnny Brenda’s doesn’t have a printed menu, as their selections change daily. So everything is written on chalkboards. Note to JB’s, write a little bit bigger for those of us visually challenged. Even with corrective lenses, I had to go and stand right below it to see it clearly. I’ve heard good things about their grilled octopus but didn’t go for it this time. I’ll save that for another day.

D got the cubano sandwich. Since he is a writer, I decided to let him delight you in his own words. “Unfortunately, I don’t remember what was actually IN the cubano. But I know this: it had bread. The bread was good. A little hard but not too hard. Hard enough to keep it from getting soggy. There was a condiment involved. A mayo or cheese. That was it! It had a cheese! The cheese was rather liquidy–hence the threat of sogginess–but tasty. To put it in perspective: it was better than a pot pie. On the whole? Delectable. That’s a fancy blog term, right? The cubano was goodo.”

And me? I got the shrimp kabob. It came on a warm and tasty pita with a yogurty sauce. Some veggies thrown in there too. This was mighty fine. The sauce was surprisingly spicy. To steal D’s words, the shrimp kabob was goodo.

The service here was fine. We were marvelling at the number of Bic pens the waitresses had stuck in her hair. And she kept us full of beers. This was the first time I’d drank in awhile, and man, did I ever enjoy these fine brews. You all know how much I love this place, so look for many more posts about it in the future. Next time, the grilled octopus.

I haven’t eaten much in West Philly, save for a couple of trips to Dahlak and maybe some random visits around campus. I had a delightful meal at Marigold Kitchen last weekend. I can’t stop raving about the place. The place is in a row home, and it’s truly like you’re just eating in someone’s house. It’s sparse, yet warm and colorful. There is a room in the back that looks to be perfect for bigger parties, and then multiple two tops in the main dining area. It’s a byob, so don’t forget to bring a bottle. They’ll provide excellent stemware (damn, I just said stemware in my blog). Marigold got a new head chef fairly recently and the short and sweet menu has tons of southern influences.
J started with the cornbread with collards, ham, egg. Really great actually, and I’m not into greens much. I got the grits and shrimp. Holy crap this was good. I could have eaten a giant bowl. It’s not like I’m all that into grits, heck, I’ve probably tasted it maybe only a couple of times in my life. But when in Rome I say. These were smooth and cheesy with hunks of shrimp in and on top of the grits. Hot diggity. I practically licked the bowl.
For the main course, J went with hanger steak with cauliflower puree, cooked medium. Mmm… this was really good. I don’t even know what else to say. Sorry I can’t be more prolific. I went with the red snapper with rice, asparagus, spring onion. Damn, I’m out of words for this too. The fish was cooked perfectly, so the skin side was slightly crispy. I don’t even know what kind of sauce it was in, but I just love, love, loved it. Again, I practically licked my plate. I would have if there weren’t other diners around.
Marigold serves human-sized portions, as opposed to cheesecake factory portions, so there’s actually room left for dessert. J got the banana bread pudding with coffee ice cream and I got the apple tart with sour cream ice cream. I read that the banana bread pudding wasn’t that great, but screw that, it was tasty! As for my tart, it was excellent. The crust was crunchy yet flaky, and the sour cream ice cream? Does anybody know where I can buy sour cream ice cream? If so, please please let me know. It was awesome, just awesome.

The service here was great. The waitress was helpful, friendly, and attentive. The food came out fairly quickly. All the other diners looked happy to be there and seemed to be enjoying the food. I highly recommend this place to anyone. It’s a nice alternative to the more student-oriented spots in the area. That night, there was plenty of parking on the street, and not at all scary to walk around. So don’t be frightened, and venture out to Marigold for a surprisingly nice meal.

I got to attend another fabulous Yelp happy hour the other night at Spasso Italian Grill. It’s an italian (der) place on Front Street, in old city, and I’ve never heard so many people speak with such strong italian accents! Not even in the italian market!
It was a wine tasting along with some select appetizers. I didn’t partake of the wine as I was still not drinking, but everyone seemed to like the selections.
Bruschetta. Good, but extremely oily. I had to grab a dozen napkins.

Some kind of chicken skewer with a slightly sweet marinade. Didn’t seem very italian at all.

Mussels with tons of garlic. These were the best appetizers they served all night. Loved em.

Not sure what this was… some type of phyllo dough appetizer thing. Wasn’t too crazy about it.

Polenta wrapped with prociutto. Strange, yet good.

Those aren’t mozzarella sticks! This is a classy joint people! Those were actually mashed potato croquettes served with marinara. And on the right? Some kind of doughey ball, possibly with either potato bits or shrimp. I wasn’t sure.

I’ve heard some great things about the regular food here. After this hint of a taste, I’ll be sure to go back there for a proper meal.