Posts Tagged ‘special’

The Mint Julep

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

It is a life goal of mine to attend the Kentucky Derby. Mostly because I love outrageous hats. And gambling on horse races. But the third reason I would like to attend is of course the cult of the particular tipple the Mint Julep, which now a days is neglected all year long save for today. I know someone who’s been to the derby before and the stories she tells are a-maz-ing. (Well, all the stories she tells are amazing, but the derby ones are particularly a hoot and a half.) Alas, it is a dream deferred for now. Chances are, you may have just found out that it’s derby day, and are wondering how you can get into the spirit. I suggest smashing up some mint and getting smashed at home, as it’s a lovely day for hanging out on stoops, roofs, or back yards. But if you’re feeling social, or not in a self bar tending mood,¬† lots o’ places around town are celebrating by breaking out specials on Mint Juleps. If you are an ambitious drinker, you could plot your course and be thoroughly trashed today. But that wouldn’t be very genteel. (more…)

Snowday Specials

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

The radio and internet are all like, blah blah blah, East Coast crippled in massive snow, and I look outside and see a damp sidewalk. Well, snow day specials are still happening, including this super cute one from Tria: (straight cut-and-past from the email)

TODAY AT BOTH CAFES   Milk and Cookies for Grown Ups
cookie_jarRemember when you and mom baked oatmeal cookies on snow days? You don’t?¬†Well, on this snow day¬†we’re doing our own comforting take on milk and cookies: Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter ($4¬Ω / 16 oz draft),¬†brewed with¬†oatmeal, raisins and vanilla, perfectly paired with a¬†LeBus Oatmeal Raisin Cookie ($1¬Ω). Wine more your thing? Enjoy some gulpable Mother’s Milk Shiraz¬†(specially priced at $7) from Australia’s First Drop Winery.
Sorry, but we have to draw the line at reading you a bedtime story.
  • Thursday, Februray 25
  • Starts at noon at Tria Rittenhouse
  • Starts at 4 pm at Tria Wash West
  • No reservations – just show up

Cute! I will keep this updated as employees send their corporate tweets and update their facebook fan pages.

Snow Day Specials

Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Let it Snow

Let it Snow

I discovered the last time that it snowed that lots of bars and restaurants panic over the loss of business (especially since it seems as though the extreme weather has fallen on the weekends.) To try to lure people out they send out “hey, we’re still open” e-mails with specials. Now, I’m not subscribed to every restaurant mailing list in Philadelphia by far, but here are a few specials I know are happening today. Feel free to leave any others in the comments. Then if you’re hale and hearty, strap on the snow boots and support your local businesses.

Fork Restaurant (306 Market Street) is offering a complimentary “Blizzard” (LaColombe coffee, chocolate mint liqueur, kahlua and fresh whipped cream)! Just mention the e-mail. Valid only with the purchase of a dinner entree.

Tria Rittenhouse Square (123 S.18th Street) and Tria Washington Square West (1137 Spruce Street) – Are both offering Sunday-school style specials today. St. Joseph Syrah ’02 – meaty Rh√¥ne red. $5 Ewephoria – crunchy sheep’s milk Gouda. $5 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout – massive 18% rarity. $5 Starts at noon. Today only.

Brauhaus Schmitz has been open since the early AM for Konferenz Channel which is some . . . soccer thing. They’re offering a German breakfast of Brotchen, cheese, salami, ham, hard-boiled egg, butter and nutella! Specials include $1.50 Koelsch while FC Koeln plays and $4 beer specials for Franziskaner, Warsteiner and Hausbrau.

There is a metric crapton of Super Bowl Specials happening tomorrow, so perhaps people are waiting on this snow thing until it looks like we know what the weather is going to do. Surprised I haven’t heard anything yet from Varga or Foy’s . . .

The Drinkingest Day of the Year

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Legend has it that tomorrow is the day that the most Americans go out and drink in bars. To which I say, huh, really? Not St. Paddy’s? Alright then. Urban legends are so for a reason; who am I to doubt? I did not grow up in a culture where one got trashed the night before hanging out with relatives (rather, the four drinkers in the family generally split 4-6 bottles of wine over actual Thanksgiving), but to each their own. If this is a tradition for you, you probably already have a bar picked out in your home town, and visions of getting wasted with friends from high school are already forming. If you’re new to this tradition and will actually be in the city tomorrow, here are several places with pretty enticing pre-Thanksgiving specials. Because there’s nothing to put you in a grateful mood like a wicked hangover and talking with your parents.

Memphis Taproom- 2331 E. Cumberland St. – on Wednesday November 15th all draft beer is $3 all day and night. Memphis will be closed Thanksgiving, and then open on Friday, November 27, with brunch from Noon-3pm featuring six new and different firkins of Franconian lagers.

Resurrection Ale House – 2425 Grays Ferry Ave. – is offering all drafts for a mere $2 from Noon-2pm, followed by $4 draft beers from 2pm-2am on the 25th. They’re also doing a black Friday brunch from Noon-3pm and more $4 draft beers (all day and night).

The Grey Lodge Pub -6235 Frankford Ave – on both Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Night is offering Dogfish Head Punkin Ale Tapping.

Now, these are all good, wholesome, fun bets for blowing off steam with friends old and new before the stress of family and over eating the next day. If you’re looking more for shall we say, pass out experience, I am hesitantly pointing you towards the 4th Annual Turkey Ball Tavern on Broad 200 S Broad, Corner of Broad and Walnut Beneath the Bellevue $10 in Advance $15 at the Door. OPEN VODKA BAR 9-10 Drinks Specials ALL NIGHT LONG $4 Vodka Drinks $3 Blue Moon and Coors Lights Drafts. Classy. Also, apparently if you email the promoter and let them know you were born in November, you get free admission, lucky you. Here’s the website.

Happy drinking; in the city, in your hometown, with friends, with family.

What to do tonight – Go to the Abbaye

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Somer Ale

Rogue Somer Orange Honey Ale

Now, I’m not going to feign any sort of journalistic integrity. I like to promote the places and things I like. Shocking, I know, but this is a blog. A blog I started to promote the things I like and believe in. Like art. And Bars. Which is one of the many reasons that I’m recommending you do this tonight: Go to The Abbaye.

The Abbaye is one of my favorite places in Philadelphia. I’d be there more often if I wasn’t so poor.¬† There are myriad reasons as to why I heart The Abbaye (see upcoming post) but I’ll give you a teaser reason to check the place out. Tonight, August 5th is u buy the glass night. From 7-9 pm for a mere $10 you receive a Rogue pint glass for keepsies and all you can drink of said Rogue beer. Not that you’re going to go crazy or anything, but I think you can surely get your moneys worth. Here’s a secret: The Abbaye does this every so often on Wednesdays with different breweries. I am particularly partial to Rogue (homestate pride!) The Rogue available will be their flagship Dead Guy Ale, the Yellow Snow I.P.A. and Mom’s Hefeweizen. What’s more, it lets you see the artwork that’s up on the walls. And that’s what it’s all about. Supporting good food, beer, and artists.

The Abbaye
3rd & Fairmount, 19123
U Keep the Glass 7-9 PM.

Critters at Bridget Foy’s

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
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Main Dining - image from myspace

I live near South Street and I work odd hours. Therefor, I have become very familiar with any place that serves a late dinner in the neighborhood. Bridget Foy’s is the partner’s #1 choice for where to eat out close to home. He’s a creature of comfort, and loves their¬† changing beer list and American cuisine. The food at Foy’s is good, mostly meant to be solid without scaring away the tourists. With the sidewalk deck seating it gets a lot of tourists, and lots of locals watching the crowds. They are always packed, so they must do serious business. I would always recommend Foy’s, but I’m not going to gush about it like the partner does, nor do I have any interest in eating there twice a week, as again, he does. We eat there a lot though, if the balance on my rewards card is to be believed.

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Tiny Monkey Painting - image from myspace

One of my favorite things about Foy’s (aside from the sweet and talented waitstaff they have – seriously, the best in the city) is the art. The decor is very contemporary, but the art is all done by Bernadette Foy, whom, one assumes, is the mother of Bridget, who we pretend is the incredibly wonderful hostess who is always there. (I’m not really sure what is fact and what the partner and I have simply decided when it comes to Foy’s. The art may not even be done by someone named Bernadette, that may be made up.) The paintings by B. Foy are awesome. Mostly consisting of monkeys dressed as high society characters and drinking, although there are some charming paintings of friends, clearly done from photographs.

Blurry shot I took from the street of the olive ladies

Blurry shot I took from the street of the olive ladies

My personal favorite is the gaggle of women who have cocktail olives instead of heads. I love these paintings, because they are clearly done by someone with a personal relationship with the restaurant, because they don’t really fit the decor, and are frankly, amateur. But they totally work there. I’ve seen a woman come in to eat there only to realize she was one of the subjects of the paintings. I love how Bridget Foy’s has committed to this art, even through a recent redesign of everything else in the joint.¬† Despite the volume of people that come and go, it cements that this is really a family run neighborhood place, where the waitstaff remembers what kind of beer you like, that you don’t like desert, and will tell you if it’s better that you don’t order the special. Most of the works are available for sale, I believe priced around $500, unframed, although there are some small prints of a few of the original works for $100.

ANYWAY, the point of this post was to tell ya’ll it’s Lobster Fest at Bridget Foy’s right now, and if you just needed an excuse to go see some monkey paintings and drink some fine beer, I think this tasty menu is your chance. Here are some of the highlights of the 8 lobster items on the specialty menu: Tempura Lobster Claws with spicy peanut dressing and chilled noodle salad $12; Lobster Sliders with poblano tarter sauce, $13; Split Grilled 1 1/4 pound Lobster with red curry butter, couscous salad and grilled asparagus $28. Give me a call; we can people watch and cash in some of my points.

Bridget Foy’s
200 South Street 19147
bridgetfoys.com