Local Foodie Moment: Philco Bar + Diner

And the new restaurants of 2013 checklist continues!  Like I said in my last post, my parents were in town this weekend for the football game so on Sunday we went to brunch at Philco Bar + Diner in the Short North.  This was quite a hit amongst the crowd but I wouldn't really say its ideal for a large group (we had seven) since its a small place and their largest table more comfortably fits six but we squeezed in and we were glad we did!

Philco used to be Phillip's Coney Island so they pay tribute to its previous tenants with coney and corn dogs on their varied menu.  Their menu consists of classic diner eats with a modern twist.  This restaurant is also owned by the group that owns Little Palace, El Camino Inn (LFM post on that coming soon!), The Rossi Bar + Kitchen and Club 185.

With seven diners we had quite the selection of plates!  Chris got the Biscuits and Redeye Gravy, buttermilk biscuits with andouille sausage and smoked paprika gravy.  Chris is a biscuit and gravy lover so I asked how it compared to others he's had.  He said it was good, great flavors but different in that the gravy didn't have sausage in it.  The sausage was sliced and layered on top of the biscuits then scrambled eggs on top.

I got the Breakfast Risotto, rice with fresh cream, roasted pecans and honey.  This was very good, not too sweet, it definitely hit the spot after a challenging 90 minute yoga class!  I would have liked some fresh fruit or jam with it but given the season I understand not having fresh fruit available.

My fellow yogi and gal pal Kourtney joined us and she got the Roasted Turkey Sandwich, roasted turkey on wheat with sprouts and pesto and a side of their fresh cut fries.  Kourtney said the sandwich was delicious and just what she wanted after our yoga class.  And the fries were fantastic!  I snagged a couple so I can attest.  Truly what fries should be, thick cut, properly seasoned and cooked just right!

Mitch and his friend Amanda got the Traditional breakfasts, pancakes, eggs and bacon.  Mitch cleared his plate at lighting speed so I'll venture to say it was good.

My mom got the Steak and Eggs, steak served up with a bloddy mary aoili, home fries and two sunnyside up eggs on top.  She said this was very good, she liked the bloddy mary aoili because it added a hint of tartness to the steak.  I gave the steak and aoili a try and Momma was right, great balancing of flavors!  She also liked that the eggs were placed on top of the home fries because she likes weird things like her food touching.

Daddy got the Baked Grits with scrambled eggs on top.  Again, good reviews!  The dishes everything was served in were cute and unique, it added a little classic flare.

We got an order of hushpuppies as well as a coney dog for anyone who wanted to try.  Daddy and I wanted to test the coney sauce since my Gramps was a coney sauce king!  So we wanted to see how Philco's stacked up.  It was a good coney dog, it seemed like they ground their meat a little finer but it had decent flavor and they didn't skimp (as you can see from the picture).

Those that tried the hushpuppies seemed to like them especially with the sauce they are served with.

Overall the service was good, the atmosphere was pleasant and the food was great.  We all left ready for a post brunch nap!  Next time you're in the Short North for breakfast, for brunch or even lunch or dinner, give Philco a try!

This review is featured on urbanspoon!

With the holiday this week Chris and I will be traveling so this is probably it for me this week!  Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!  And as I always say, gobble till ya wobble!  :)

Cheers!
Steph

Weekend Getaway!

Hi everyone!  I'm just getting back into the groove of work and blogging after a long weekend in Winston-Salem, NC visiting Chris' sister, Andrea, and one of my best friends, Coco!  We had a wonderful trip, the weather was great, saw lots of neat spots and had fun with our hostesses!

In typical foodie fashion I managed to mostly take pictures of food rather than the great scenery or fun times we had.  Although Winston-Salem is in the south and they cook up some great southern comforts it doesn't feel like an overwhelmingly "southern" city.  Sparse "ya'll" usage, the occasional accent but nothing as noticeable as other southern states.

Our first morning there we went to a restaurant called Breakfast Of Course.  With our new wedding slimdown challenge I tried to err on the side of healthy with a egg white scramble with spinach, goat cheese and mushrooms. As a little splurge got the side of grits.  These were pretty yummy especially when I spiced them up with a little Sriracha!

Later that night we went to Foothills Brewing for dinner and watched the first NCAA basketball game.  Then we went to a bar called Old Winston Social Club.  They have board games, shuffle board and other tabletop games to play which made it pretty fun!  We ended our evening at a great craft cocktails bar called Tates.  I got a Tom Collins that was perfect; warm weather cocktails are here!  (I know, I live in Ohio and in-climate weather is part of the deal but 40 degrees in April has come close to killing me.)    

Sunday morning we went to Old Salem for brunch at The Tavern in Old Salem.  Old Salem is a cute historic part of town where Salem College for Women is located.  After brunch we walked around town enjoying the weather and the history.  At brunch Chris and Andrea decided to try a Southern favorite, Chicken and Waffles.  I've always wanted to try so I snagged a bite of Chris' and boy does it live up to the hype!  Chris has now decided that he wants this for breakfast every day of his life.  I happily reminded him of our wedding weight loss challenge and that although Chicken and Waffles are delicious and a lovely travel treat there is no room in our waistlines for it as everyday fare.  I imagine we'll be on the hunt for a place here that masters the dish.

For Sunday dinner we went to a nice restaurant called Village Tavern.  They actually have multiple locations, we went to the one at Reynolda Village which we had previously walked and shopped around on Saturday.  We sat outside under a tent that was nicely decorated with twinkle lights for ambiance.  (So romantical for Chris, being on a date with four crazy women, talk about a dream come true!)

In between our meals we walked around Winston-Salem in different parts of town.  Stopped in some vintage shops and stumbled upon a chocolate shop called Haute Chocolate.  Even though we were pretty full from breakfast we found a smidge of room to try these gourmet chocolates.  Chris and I split a Chamborsin and The Dude.  The Chamborsin is made with wine and The Dude is Big Lebowski inspired to taste like a White Russian and was made to look like a little bowling ball!

Chocolates upon chocolates!

Well it's off to catch up on all the things we've avoided (mainly housework!) and get another week of spring under our belts!  We are hosting a sushi night this weekend where I'm testing out a new sushi maker, we will see if it rivals the Sushezi!  I'm also giving a few new recipes a try over the weekend so I'll be sure to share!

Cheers!
Steph