3945 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
The Girlfriends and I dined at Distrito for the latest Girls Dinner and left disappointed. We had high expectations -- it's a Jose Garces restaurant after all, Amada being my all-time favorite restaurant in the city. Plus, the previous Guys Dinner at Distrito was nothing but positive praise.
We even left the menu selection up to the chef -- whether it was Garces or not we have no idea --by opting for the $55/person tasting menu. What happened?
It started off well. Decor is funky, movie theater-esque, a vintage convertible Volkswagen Beetle houses a table, a large wall of creepy wrestling masks, and the Jack Black movie Nacho Libre playing on one wall. Upstairs, we walked by porch swings and giant-sized wicker booths.
We, of course, started with a pitcher of margaritas ($49). That's right. $49. The margaritas were good, but not Copa good. If you don't know what I mean, go to Copabanana and have a margarita. At that price, we stopped after one. Very un-Girls-Dinner-like. Even the wine list was too pricey for us.
Because it was easier to let someone else do the deciding we chose the Tasting Menu. It was a lot of food. Complimentary peanuts showed up first, limey and spicy, then the food assault began. Jicama and Watermelon Salad, Salsa and Guacamole topped with shredded cheese and crabmeat. Delicious! Next was a spicy Yellowfin Ceviche with mango sorbet. Roz thought it was just ok, but I liked it. Huaraches (pizza) Los Hongos with mushrooms was the best so far. Scallops were tasty but had some grit. Carne Kobe Tacos showed up and were not very good according to my carnivore friends. They thought the lamb chops with bacon had nice flavor. Then fried plantains arrived sweet and desserty. Seemed out of place. Finally, lobsters on the half shell with beans and rice arrived chewy. We deemed it just okay. Dessert was Dolce La Leche, light and fluffy.
We topped off the evening with a recap of how unthrilled we were, and a watermelon margarita that Roz loved so much she "wanted to marry it." If we were to go back, it would be for the appetizers and a drink.
Showing posts with label Mexican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexican. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tequila's
1602 Locust Street, Philadelphia
A work day before a holiday is always a wash, which is why I hate to waste a hard earned vacation day. So, much of my creative team decided to take this opportunity to head out to Tequila's for lunch together.
We were greeted in Spanish by one of their friendly servers. A group of seven had no trouble getting a table. However, even for mid-day the lighting inside was too bright, which is a shame because it's oozing with charm and beautiful architectural details. They had some interesting specials one of which was a shrimp, lobster and crabmeat enchilada.
Try their margaritas which come served in cobolt rimmed Mexican blown glassware. Yummy. Tequila's is edging towards upscale Mexican with a casual attitude. Most entrees are a notch above tacos and burritos. I've been there several times, including for a New Year's Eve with a group and have always had good food. Give it a try.
What others say: here.
A work day before a holiday is always a wash, which is why I hate to waste a hard earned vacation day. So, much of my creative team decided to take this opportunity to head out to Tequila's for lunch together.
We were greeted in Spanish by one of their friendly servers. A group of seven had no trouble getting a table. However, even for mid-day the lighting inside was too bright, which is a shame because it's oozing with charm and beautiful architectural details. They had some interesting specials one of which was a shrimp, lobster and crabmeat enchilada.
Try their margaritas which come served in cobolt rimmed Mexican blown glassware. Yummy. Tequila's is edging towards upscale Mexican with a casual attitude. Most entrees are a notch above tacos and burritos. I've been there several times, including for a New Year's Eve with a group and have always had good food. Give it a try.
What others say: here.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Jose Pistola's
213 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia
We don't typically have to rack our brains to come up with a decent restaurant in Philly. But, it was after a 4 pm Phillies game and we had contingencies...it needed to be walking distance from the train station and had to be casual enough where Phillies t-shirts blended in. We ended up at Jose Pistola's in the old Copabanana II on 15th Street.
Decor is bare, much toned down from the Copa days. Dark. Exposed brick. A few tv's if you want to catch a game.
For a Saturday night, it wasn't crowded, which was fine with us. The beer selection was excellent--80 international and domestic drafts and bottled beers, including next-to-impossible to find Russian River Pliny the Elder IPA. Phenomenal. However, when we noticed the weekday happy hour featuring $2 PBR, Yuengling and Bud specials, the place when down a few notches.
Some friends showed up and they opted for a heaping plate of Chicken Nachos ($11.50) to share. It was loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, lots of cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos. There weren't many chips without something on it.
Good food. Good beer. Worth a visit.
Others say: Yelp, CityPaper, Around Philly,
We don't typically have to rack our brains to come up with a decent restaurant in Philly. But, it was after a 4 pm Phillies game and we had contingencies...it needed to be walking distance from the train station and had to be casual enough where Phillies t-shirts blended in. We ended up at Jose Pistola's in the old Copabanana II on 15th Street.
Decor is bare, much toned down from the Copa days. Dark. Exposed brick. A few tv's if you want to catch a game.For a Saturday night, it wasn't crowded, which was fine with us. The beer selection was excellent--80 international and domestic drafts and bottled beers, including next-to-impossible to find Russian River Pliny the Elder IPA. Phenomenal. However, when we noticed the weekday happy hour featuring $2 PBR, Yuengling and Bud specials, the place when down a few notches.
We decided to get a few things to pick at so we started with the Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and some other pureed green dipping sauce that was a little tangy and sweet. Everything was fresh and flavorful with a nice kick, but not too much.
I heard good things about the Fish Tacos ($5), tempura battered grouper tossed with spicy mayo and pickled cabbage. You get two and they didn't disappoint.Some friends showed up and they opted for a heaping plate of Chicken Nachos ($11.50) to share. It was loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, lots of cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos. There weren't many chips without something on it.
Good food. Good beer. Worth a visit.
Others say: Yelp, CityPaper, Around Philly,
Friday, May 9, 2008
Chipotle
133 W. Lancaster Ave, Ardmore
Since moving out of the city and away from our favorite and regular La Lupe Friday night meal, we have been hankering for a Mexican restaurant to open here, ANY Mexican. Hello Chipotle. Beggers can't be choosers, I guess. We haven't eaten there yet, but on a whim, we tried yesterday when they were giving away free burritos at the Grand Opening. Let's just say, someone put the word out on every nearby college campus. Imagine "free food" being popular among college students. The line went around the corner. Maybe next week we'll give it a try.
Since moving out of the city and away from our favorite and regular La Lupe Friday night meal, we have been hankering for a Mexican restaurant to open here, ANY Mexican. Hello Chipotle. Beggers can't be choosers, I guess. We haven't eaten there yet, but on a whim, we tried yesterday when they were giving away free burritos at the Grand Opening. Let's just say, someone put the word out on every nearby college campus. Imagine "free food" being popular among college students. The line went around the corner. Maybe next week we'll give it a try.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Xochitl
408 South Second St., Philadelphia 215.238.7280
You won't find burritos or tacos at this hip Mexican on Headhouse Square, but you will find an overwhelming list of tequila to chose from and a lot of really good food (but no chicken either!) If it's worth anything to you, Xochitl recently landed at #20 on Philadelphia magazine's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Xochitl has plenty of ambiance: loud, red and dark enough to be romantic, but hard to read the menu if your eyes aren't what they used to be. If that's a problem, let the server know and they'll bring you a mini-flashlight. I swear.
A girls night out Mexican-style can only be kicked off with margaritas. I can't handle lists of liquor, so I decided not to decide and opted for the house tequila. I know nothing about tequila, and quite frankly, don't care. As long as it's not going to give me a hangover, then pour away. The margarita was yummy, but if you love Copabananas tart margarita, then this ain't it.
We started with the guacamole ($7) made to order at the table. YUM. We all agreed that if this was the only thing we ate for dinner, we would have been happy. It was that good. And, we also tried one of the ceviches... Vuelve a la Vida “Return to Life” ($15) with shrimp, octopus, scallop, oyster and onion, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato and avocado. It was served in an oversized martini glass. Personally, I didn't like that it was all thrown together, but I'm weird about my ceviche. I like to taste each piece separately. Regardless, the flavor was nice.
Both girlfriends had the pork shank because they were out of the pork chop. It came on the bone for gnawing, which they were too graceful to do. I don't know what else it came with because it was too dark to see. I had the Salmon con Mole Verde ($20), roasted salmon with green mole, roasted potatoes and cabbage, mushrooms and figs. Again, too dark to see what the sides were. I don't recall potatoes though. It was all slimey, but the salmon was prepared medium rare after all. I know slimey isn't an attractive description, but it was and it still tasted good.
Dessert was simple. Just a couple of churros ($7) with Mexican chocolate and cajeta dipping sauces. They were hot and sugary. Wished there were more.
We'd go back.
Read other reviews here.
You won't find burritos or tacos at this hip Mexican on Headhouse Square, but you will find an overwhelming list of tequila to chose from and a lot of really good food (but no chicken either!) If it's worth anything to you, Xochitl recently landed at #20 on Philadelphia magazine's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Xochitl has plenty of ambiance: loud, red and dark enough to be romantic, but hard to read the menu if your eyes aren't what they used to be. If that's a problem, let the server know and they'll bring you a mini-flashlight. I swear.
A girls night out Mexican-style can only be kicked off with margaritas. I can't handle lists of liquor, so I decided not to decide and opted for the house tequila. I know nothing about tequila, and quite frankly, don't care. As long as it's not going to give me a hangover, then pour away. The margarita was yummy, but if you love Copabananas tart margarita, then this ain't it.
We started with the guacamole ($7) made to order at the table. YUM. We all agreed that if this was the only thing we ate for dinner, we would have been happy. It was that good. And, we also tried one of the ceviches... Vuelve a la Vida “Return to Life” ($15) with shrimp, octopus, scallop, oyster and onion, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato and avocado. It was served in an oversized martini glass. Personally, I didn't like that it was all thrown together, but I'm weird about my ceviche. I like to taste each piece separately. Regardless, the flavor was nice.
Both girlfriends had the pork shank because they were out of the pork chop. It came on the bone for gnawing, which they were too graceful to do. I don't know what else it came with because it was too dark to see. I had the Salmon con Mole Verde ($20), roasted salmon with green mole, roasted potatoes and cabbage, mushrooms and figs. Again, too dark to see what the sides were. I don't recall potatoes though. It was all slimey, but the salmon was prepared medium rare after all. I know slimey isn't an attractive description, but it was and it still tasted good.
Dessert was simple. Just a couple of churros ($7) with Mexican chocolate and cajeta dipping sauces. They were hot and sugary. Wished there were more.
We'd go back.
Read other reviews here.
Friday, October 5, 2007
La Lupe, South Philly
I have never actually eaten in this place, but we ordered delivery from it nearly every Friday night. It was that good. I had to have my La Lupe fix. This is real Mexican. You know it's real when you call and it's easier to pronounce your phone number in Spanish.
My favorite was first the quesadilla pollo, then I took a chance and tried the enchiladas verdes. I didn't need to try anything else. My feeling was that if I didn't order the enchiladas verdes than it was an opportunity missed. We almost always had the pico de gallo with chips. That would prove to have surprise ingredients every time. Sometimes there would be avocado, sometimes not. Sometimes a lot of onions, sometimes radishes. Sometimes the container would be half empty... always exciting. The chips, more often than not, would be delivered warm. You just can't beat that. Jeff would almost always order the bistek burrito. It was huge. Easily enough food for two meals.
My favorite was first the quesadilla pollo, then I took a chance and tried the enchiladas verdes. I didn't need to try anything else. My feeling was that if I didn't order the enchiladas verdes than it was an opportunity missed. We almost always had the pico de gallo with chips. That would prove to have surprise ingredients every time. Sometimes there would be avocado, sometimes not. Sometimes a lot of onions, sometimes radishes. Sometimes the container would be half empty... always exciting. The chips, more often than not, would be delivered warm. You just can't beat that. Jeff would almost always order the bistek burrito. It was huge. Easily enough food for two meals.
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