stellargirl returns

all about the beer

Last night, P'unk Ave hosted another fantastic Junto.  This month's topic was Free Beer. And yes, there was plenty of free beer!  In bottles we had the Chris Matta wheat brew, and from Grain Star Brewery, a nice keg of luscious porter. 

The panel discussion centered around the Open Source movement.  The 3 panelists included: Howard Ross (homebrewer and web developer), Robert Hall (Adobe Community Expert and Flash master), and Tom Boutell (Open Source maniac).  The moderators were Kelani Nichole and Alex Gilbert. The panel discussion focused on the Open Source movement vs. proprietary software development and wandered into the maze of patents (a future Junto) and even touched on recipes: from the very microbrews we were drinking to food recipes.  Engaging conversation all around.  If you couldn't make it last night, check out this photoset on Flickr.

If you are now feeling crazy thirsty for some beer, you're in luck! A new Two Guys on Beer episode came out today!  Drink up!

fork you live: this saturday! dips and dippers!

Come on out to Foster's Homeware this Saturday at 2pm for a fun filled Fork You Live episode featuring the always effervescent Marisa and Scott. Bring your tastebuds for a delightful spread of dips and dippers and all kinds of tips and tricks to make 'em delicious. And Scott might say a funny thing or two!

Hope to see you there!

villa di roma tastes good.

A few weeks ago my friends and I hit up Villa di Roma for a good old fashioned Italian meal.  There are few places in Philly (in my opinion) that top Villa di Roma when it comes to Italian food.  First off, it's smack dab in the middle of the Italian Market on 9th Street between Christian and Carpenter Sts.  Second, the food is truly awesome: chock full of carbs and cheese, the whole bit.  But seriously, it tastes very FRESH and very COMFORTING. 

Going with a group is always fun. It's a good idea to get several carafes of the house red to keep the party going.  Start off with some fried asparagus swimming in a rich garlicky butter sauce - and be sure to save some of your bread for mopping this up this gooey deliciousness.  Save the heart attack for later.

As for me, I am a creature of habit and pretty much without fail consistently order the baked rigatoni. It's probably one of the most sinful foods one can consume.  However, like I always say, you gotta live -- right?

And don't hesitate to order the cheesecake.  You'll thank me.

Villa di Roma
936 S 9th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147-3935
215-592-1295
[map]

your salad has offended me

There's a restaurant (that shall remain nameless) that I've been known to frequent over the last few years for my love of certain dishes they offer, for its location and vibe, for the simple fact that it's a hit with most of my friends, both in town and from out of town. I recently heard a rumor that there had been some management changes and that the place had really gone downhill. I refused to believe that anything could have altered such a great spot. Until I went there tonight...

Now, I don't want to trash the place, and I will probably still go back because it is somewhat local... but my experience was palpably different than recent trips. For one, I don't think I recognized anyone that worked there. And my waiter kept cracking really bad jokes and even dropped some f-bombs. That kinda bothered me for some reason. Just because I may be around your age (probably older) doesn't mean we're cool like that and that you can pal around with me, especially after you screw up my dinner order.

Maybe I am being too harsh on the place, but it was the specials board that was killing me. I couldn't help but read one special in particular over and over again.

Iceberg lettuce salad with tomato, bacon, hard-boiled egg, croutons and Thousand Island dressing. $7

Seriously?

Can I have that with a side of irony? And perhaps a PBR?

At least the salsa still tastes fresh.

i'm not even a food blogger...

...but I was lucky enough to attend last night's Philly Food Blogger Potluck hosted by the effervescent Marisa McClellan, one half of Fork You and a fantastic food blogger for Slashfood.

Marisa's table was piled high with an assortment of cheeses, sweet treats, and a variety of homemade dishes representing many different corners of the world. Philafoodie supplied an array of wines to complement our palates. All in all, it was a delicious evening and I met some really great people (some of which already read my little blog, hooray!).

I would really love to have a complete collection of all of the Philadelphia food blogger's blogs and post it here (as well as add to my feed reader). I'll try and get that together and share it with you!

I lifted this photo from Marisa's personal blog, Apartment 2024 to share a visual of her bountiful table.

best brunch in town: honey's sit'n'eat

Me and my awesome friend E had a delicious brunch at Honey's Sit'n'Eat today.

those krazy kebabs!

The latest Fork You episode is out: Krazy Kebabs! This episode is extra special as it was filmed from my house! Check it out:

what did you have for breakfast today?

everybody loves a dive bar

There's a new sheriff in town, and it's called Bar Diver.  Originating from the city of Denver, CO, Bar Diver is now making tracks in the city of Brotherly Love.  Looking for a new place to drown your sorrows, have a laugh, sample a fine (or not so fine) brew?  Look no further, many suggestions await you at Philly's own Bar Diver website. 

You've got some work to do... besides raising a glass, you need to share your favorite dive bars with the rest of us!  Create an account today to list and review your favorite haunts.  And if you're feeling thirsty, head to my favorite dive, Pub on Passyunk East.

Bottoms up!

my hobby is baking

Lifehacker suggests getting a hobby to increase your energy.  I like to bake... and bake.. and bake... Maybe it's the sugar that's giving me the extra energy.