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Showing posts from March, 2008

Taqueria La Veracruzana

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Jeff's Take: With taquerias, quality is a crapshoot—it’s usually either going to be really good or really bad (for the latter, see Mike’s review of Taqueria Moroleon). You’ll very rarely be able to figure out what you’re getting just by looking at the place. Luckily, I tried Taqueria La Veracruzana, located in South Philly near the Italian Market, after a trusted friend recommended it. This place isn’t much for atmosphere—we’re talking Mexican wrestling and soccer playing on television and pretty harsh lighting. The important thing is that the place is clean, because many taquerias aren’t. Standard with each meal is a generous serving of crisp, homemade tortilla chips served with two salsas—one jalapeno-based, and one smoky chipotle-based. Both are about medium-hot, and are very different from what most people are probably used to. If you prefer, you can order fresh pico de gallo or guacamole for a few extra bucks—I like to order some guacamole with the chips and then use some on m

Taqueria Moroleon

Mike's Take: Taqueria Morleon is a little hole in the wall Mexican Restaurant on the outskirts of Kennett Square. It is in a shopping strip next to a Capriotti's. My work colleague and I were debating on eating at the Capriotti's or trying this "quaint" Mexican restaurant. Let's just say we made the wrong decision. Taqueria Moroleon's atmosphere was adequate, having all the typically bright painted walls and Mexican flair. The lighting is a bit dim, but the atmosphere and facility is not where Taqueria Morleon stumbles. Let me start off with the highlight of the meal - The tortilla chips and salsa. Chips were good and there were 2 salsas to choose from: a mildly fresh salsa and a waterier spicy salsa. That's pretty much where the positives end, so let's move onto how this was one of my worst restaurant experiences of recent memory. The chips were ok, but the iced teas we ordered were pretty awful. My colleague described them, as "Dirty Waters.

Buckley's Tavern (Brunch)

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Buckley’s Tavern, a bar and restaurant located in a historic former house on Kennett Pike in Centreville, Delaware, offers nice atmosphere for a variety of purposes. The dark, cozy bar is a great place to get some drinks, the downstairs dining room (with fireplace) offers a charming ambiance for lunch or dinner, and the rooftop deck is great when the weather gets nice. Buckley’s also has an interesting brunch policy—dine in your pajamas, and you get ½ off the bill. Enticing, but neither of us did it. Jeff’s Take: I started off with a bowl of mushroom soup—a generous portion of mushrooms with leeks and tomatoes in broth. I’m a big mushroom fan, but I found this soup to be pretty boring. The broth was salty and unimpressive, and after I finished scooping out the mushrooms it wasn’t worth bothering with. The Steak & Egg Grinder (right) was also a disappointing experience. “Tenderloin with sautéed onions, garlic & scrambled eggs topped with provolone on a crusty roll” sounded prett

Food Country: LINK TO US

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Simply Copy and Paste the following code to your Website to Link to us: Links: <a href="http://foodcountry.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Visit Food Country and Read Delaware and Philadelphia Restaurant Reviews" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcXPfLVuWfmAtZgtv7J-hEN3mqP275kV5lt6J5DhPin_HVSzyfVwDl8rNhzF61Tyitq-RjABC27THY7d-pjuksCQDU1eHFomxFG74ot6oST2_qkXAyi62CBSC7dI8XjF0eIiXsJys3Qk/s200/FCflaglinkbanner.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://foodcountry.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Visit Food Country and Read Delaware and Philadelphia Restaurant Reviews" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuskMWR633ez0yhCSbX3-xLKGxHmmxZOkGCQWwwdG7sRIhjCYPhO8FUX6Y2-PKAhk7iWPFz80G9kpeYeHlfWImECENfpL8-mtQx1VDmuvVpwY24v35a_eAlveNhbpXIWKI0YDytj5b1c/s200/food-country.gif" border="0" /></a> Food Country Restaurant Reviews <a href="htt

Greek Lady

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Jeff's Take: When ordering a gyro, it’s always a good sign if there’s seasoned lamb roasting on the counter. There’s a clear difference between lamb cooked on a gyro roaster and frozen lamb strips that have been warmed up on a griddle. The former wins by a mile in the taste and texture categories—with a crispy crust and a tender interior. The latter is what you’ll get at most places that offer gyros on their menus, and it just can’t compare. Greek Lady is known for its gyros and souvlaki, and it’s a place where you can always expect to see gyro roasters in constant use. This popular eatery started out in one of the many food carts around University City , and became so successful that it moved into a much more spacious storefront on 40 th Street , between Walnut and Locust. At this point, the eatery could even expand next door—it’s usually buzzing during lunch and dinner, and it’s a madhouse late on weekend nights, when it’s open until 2 a.m. An interesting twist that Greek Lady a

Main Line Prime

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Jeff's Take: A good sandwich all starts with good meat. And when you want good meat, it’s not a bad idea to go to the source—a dependable butcher who knows his stuff. Main Line Prime, a new shop in Ardmore , PA , offers exactly that. First and foremost, it’s a high-end butcher shop. It carries an impressive mix of fresh, local, organic meats and aged cuts from across the globe. As the owner told me, “we’re not really a sandwich shop.” But Main Line Prime does sandwiches well. Really well. The shop’s menu has a selection of about a dozen sandwiches and wraps, most of which are in the $6-7 price range. The one exception is The Gladwyne, a sandwich that includes seared Kobe steak, and is priced at $99. The price tag is high because Main Line Prime uses authentic Kobe steak. Real Kobe steak is imported from Japan and comes from cattle that are fed beer and sake, and receive daily muscle massages. The result is a tender, well-marbled, and very expensive steak. While many American m

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

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For the past decade, there’s been almost constant development on the Wilmington riverfront. What was once a dull cluster of old warehouses and industrial lots is now home to high-rise condominium buildings, dozens of town homes, brand new office buildings, outlet shops, a minor league baseball stadium, a farmer’s market, and of course, several restaurants. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant appeared on the scene in 2003, in a 9,000 square foot building which includes a small bar area, a downstairs dining room, an outdoor dining area, and a second level with an additional bar and banquet room. What really makes this building special is the on-site brewery, where guests can watch the brewing process. In addition to the Wilmington location, Iron Hill has seven locations in the Delaware Valley area. For starters, the fajita-spiced chicken nachos were almost perfect. So many things can go wrong with nachos, and at most places, they do. It all starts with the tortilla chips—you can tell when

Fogo de Chao

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While we’ve been told that Fogo de Chao means “Fire of the Ground” or “Campfire,” we’re convinced that the direct translation is actually “Food Country.” Fogo de Chao is a churrascaria , a Brazilian-style barbecue where the meats are roasted over an open fire. It has almost a dozen locations across the U.S. , and five locations in Brazil . Its Philadelphia location, at 13 th and Chestnut, is a beautiful space, with high ceilings, huge chandeliers, and walls lined with wine bottles behind glass cases. A meal at Fogo de Chao is like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except the pages are made of delicious, fire-roasted meat. Each person is given a two-sided disk at his or her place setting. Turn it over so the green side is facing up, and the gauchos (on double duty as both chefs and servers) circulating throughout the restaurant will bring fresh, sizzling cuts of skewered meat to carve directly onto your plate. Turn the disk back over to red, and you’ll get some time to clear your pla

Capriotti's

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If one were to give an out-of-towner a tour of the best food Delaware has to offer, a stop at Capriotti’s is a must. This place serves some of the best hoagies in the area—and that includes Philadelphia, which is known for having the best hoagies anywhere. The original shop, located on Union Street in Wilmington, started serving up delicious hoagies over 30 years ago. Since then, Capriotti’s has expanded to more locations around the area, as well as across the country—as far as Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Without a doubt, the star at Capriotti’s is the turkey. While most other delis continue to use processed turkey, Capriotti’s always uses freshly roasted, pulled turkey on its hoagies. You’ll never want regular deli turkey again. In addition to the standard turkey hoagie, Capriotti’s offers The Bobbie, a highly recommended mainstay at the shop, which includes turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo. While Capriotti’s is most famous for its turkey hoagies, there are some other great

Restaurant Review Database

Read Our Most Recent Reviews Food Country Seal of Approval Winners List Reviews: By Slaughter Rating: 1 steak 2 steaks 3 steaks 4 steaks 5 steaks By Star Rating: 1 star 2 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 stars By Dining Category: All-You-Can-Eat , Brewery or Pub , BBQ , Brunch , Burger Joint, Casual American , Cheesesteaks , Greek , Hoagies and Sandwiches , Mexican , Steakhouse By Location: Delaware , Pennsylvania Ardmore PA , Centreville DE , Hockessin DE , Kennett Square PA , Manayunk PA , Newark DE , Philadelphia PA , Pike Creek DE , Wilmington DE By Price: $ - $10 or less Entree $$ - $10-$15 Entrees $$$ - $16-$20 Entrees $$$$ - $20-$30 Entrees $$$$$ - $30+ Entrees

Food Country: About Us

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The idea of Food Country came up almost by accident. When arguing with a vegetarian friend in high school, one of us remarked that she was “a disgrace to our country.” “And what country is that?” our friend replied. And Food Country was born. Food Country has since stood as a symbol of our food ideals. We love meat (or as we sometimes call it, “slaughter”) in its many forms, and believe it should be incorporated whenever possible. We’re not saying that other food groups should be excluded—in fact, they often complement meat well or can even stand on their own. But meat serves as the foundation of Food Country. In addition, we have high standards for our food in general. But we’re not snobs about it. We believe that good food doesn't have to cost a lot. For that reason, we plan to review everything from food carts to upscale restaurants. We started this blog because we love food, and because we want to provide a trusted resource, honoring the values of Food Country, on where to get

2 Fat Guys

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With a name like 2 Fat Guys, this restaurant sounded like it would do Food Country proud. This casual American eatery is located in Wellington Plaza, a small shopping center in Hockessin, Delaware (which also includes Okura, one of the better sushi places in the state). The interior is casual and unassuming, with a small, unpartitioned main dining room and an even smaller bar area in the back. A couple of flat screen TVs adorn the walls (showing The Simpsons and ESPN—nice). The menu is limited to standard American pub fare, so there’s nothing too creative here. The “Award-Winning Wings” are available with a variety of sauces: mild, hot, nuclear, poached pear & molasses BBQ, garlic butter, ginger Thai, and bourbon BBQ. We ordered some hot wings, expecting standard buffalo wing sauce. The buffalo wings we got, however, were covered in what was more like a sweet, milder BBQ sauce. The waiter clarified that this was 2 Fat Guys’ standard buffalo wing sauce. The sauce wasn’t bad, but it