San Lucas Pizza

Just in case you missed my post on Serious Eats, this is pretty much the craziest pizza I've ever had. And the wildest thing is that it's actually good. On Mckean between 17th and 18th, they also sell phone cards and cigarettes.


I kind of expected maybe some canned jalapenos and olives slapped onto a pizza. But this things have real carnitas and al pastor meat drizzled with homemade hot sauce and garnished with cilantro and fresh limes for squeezing. The slices are huge, folded over each one is about as much food as a giant burrito, for 3 bucks.


San Lucas is open 'til 1am on saturdays and only 1 block north of a certain infamous after hours bar. Maybe just stop here and take home some pizza instead of something you'll regret.

San Lucas Pizza
18th & Mckean

Sky Cafe

O was reading the Philly Weekly and Adam had reviewed a new Indonesian Restaurant called Sky Cafe, right by where we lived. I already love that strip of West Ritner, and now I love it even more. I really love a new Indonesian Cafe in the heart of a very Italian neighborhood.

When we got there the first thing I asked was what they liked on the menu. The reply,

" White People like to order this ( points to something )"

Um, yea.

" That isn't what I asked, I asked what do you like to eat here "

So we got the Soto Medan, coconut broth chicken soup with rice noodles. It came with rice and shrimp chips.

Um delicious, the fried potato on top, yum.

So then we were addicted and came back and ordered the Nasi Lemak ( Fried Chicken or Beef Rendang, coconut rice, fried anchovies with peanuts and pickles in peanut sauce) and the Emie ( gravy with lo mein noodles and a hard boiled egg ) Today we had the Kari Bihun, rice noodles in coconut curry broth and a fried egg (which is a fried hardboiled egg, the Indonesian Scotch egg if you will!)

All amazing and delicious, Eddie and Betty are our favorite people.

Here is a sweet description from their facebook page:

"A new Indonesian restaurant just established in the heart of South Philly with the touch of Medan taste. The chef who is originally from Medan ( capital city of North Sumatra ) has more than 20 years experience in catering business. Try our delicate homemade egg noodle, it will bring your memory back as if you are in Medan or Jakarta again."

The anchovies and peanuts teri kacang we bought in a bucket to go because it was the most delicious thing, fried, sweet, peanuts salty, best beer snack. If they started selling the assorted pickles in peanut sauce I would buy that by the bucket too.

 Sky Cafe
 1540 Ritner St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 271-1983
Open everyday 11-8
Closed Thursday

Rock n Rob

I checked out Texas Weiner on Snyder for the first time in a while.
The "Rock n Rob" sausage and broccoli rabe with melted provolone was awesome. Seems like what they were going for with the South Philly Dog at Citizens Bank Park but this is done right.


Also got a regular TW with the greek sauce and cheese wiz.
Love how they split the dogs and smash the rolls into oblivion and everything oozes together. Hopefully they will be around for another 90 years. Get a "blackjack" for your next party- 21 dogs and I think it comes with a free tote bag.


Texas Weiners
1426 Snyder
Philadelphia

P & S Hoagies

Add another to the list of awesome South Philly Hoagies. P&S Ravioli has freezer cases full of homemade meatballs, ravioli and "gavadeels" but the people were all lined up for sandwiches like the Godfather, jam-packed with sopressata and dry capicola on Liscio's seeded bread, with roasted longhots added for 50 cents.


We tried 2 other specialty hoagies, all some combination of prosciutto, various kinds of capicola, mortadella, etc - the meats here all top notch and thinly sliced to order. Also tried a Turkey hoagie which was fine but looked weak next to the jam packed italian specialty hoagies.



They also do hot sandwiches, chicken cutlets and all that but not on Sunday. Don't know if it has something to do with zoning laws or church or maybe the cook's day off. I was dying to try the homemade meatball parm but having to settle for a cold sandwich wasn't so bad since it was 109 degrees. Also every deli side under the sun from pepper shooters and broccoli rabe to macaroni and potato salad.


They have two other shops in the city, plus locations in Havertown and Jersey but not sure if they all do sandwiches. Counter ladies were super nice especially considering our sweaty, hung over state on a Sunday morning. Actually it's pretty surprising they are open at all because most everything else down that way was closed Sundays.

P & S Ravioli and Deli
1722 Oregon Ave
Philadelphia

Torta Cubana

Awesome "Cuban" Torta from Los Gallos. (10th & Wolf)
Breaded beef, shredded pork, ham, refried beans, mayonnaise, avocado, pickled peppers, mexican cheese, etc.
This thing is HUGE.. enough to feed about 2 or 3 people.

Since writing about them a few weeks ago I order from this place at least once a week. Always fantastic plus they deliver.

Los Gallos
10th & Wolf
215 551 1245

Bakery

At 3rd & Wolf, right down the street from Michael's Deli - home of the double philly surf & turf hot dog hoagie - is a small corner bakery with no name. Inside are your standard South Philly Italian bakery cookies but also trays and trays of homemade donuts in sizes and shapes I have never seen before. Smallish, square cream filled things that look like a cross between eclairs and donuts. Then these super thin ring donuts, pretzel shaped black & white cookie-ish donuts as well as more standard donuts.



Convinced I had discovered some wild South Philly regional donut variation with an exotic Italian sounding name I nervously asked- "what are these square things over here?" to which the counter woman replied -"donuts."

"And how about these ring pastries over here?"

"Donuts. They're all donuts. 6 bucks a dozen."





Anyway these were some decent freshly made donuts, with my favorites being the black & white pretzel and the light & airy cream filled small square ones - about 2 or 3 bites each and not too hard to eat 3 or 4 with a cup of coffee.

Bakery
3rd & Wolf
Philadelphia

Michael's Deli - Double Philly Surf & Turf

Another stop in my quest to eventually eat every Philly Combo (aka Philly Surf and Turf) in the city. If you don't know, the Philly Combo is an old Philadelphia hot dog variation that consists of a hot dog and a potato-fish cake on the same bun, usually with mustard and onions, sometimes garnished with pepper hash.


At Michael's Deli at 4th and Wolf - an unassuming South Philly corner store with video poker and a kitchen in the back - this is the only way to get them. 2 smashed fish cakes, and 2 split hot dogs on a hoagie roll, with mustard and onions.

The result was better than I expected. The fish cakes were fresh (not too fishy) and Dietz & Watson dogs were decent. The roll was nothing to write home about, and the option of pepper hash would have been nice to add some moisture to the sandwich. But overall a success.



A tiny South Philly corner store with juice, cigarettes, and a few dusty groceries, walking in you might be surprised that they even serve food, let alone a giant menu with a zillion different hoagies, cutlets, burgers, hot dogs, wings, breakfast, pasta and even pizza. I don't really understand where they keep all the food.. maybe a kitchen or walk-in freezer in the basement?

The cheesesteak we also tried was just OK, but some of the concoctions on the menu have me curious enough to go back.

• Animal Farm
Big pile of Chicken breast, cheesesteak, bacon, cheese, onions...

• Brontosaurus Burger
3 burger patties served with fried onions, swiss, american, and mozzarella cheese.

• The Stray Dog
3 hot dogs on a large italian roll with fried onions, relish, saurkraut and mustard.

• Pizazz Pizza
Another obscure Philadelphia classic. Pizza with American cheese, tomato slices and sweet peppers.

Then for breakfast there's scrapple and eggs, pork roll, creamed chip beef, baloney & egg. And everything is cheap as hell.
Check out the crazy menu here (with music!) -
Michaelsdeliphila.webs.com

Michael's Deli
4th & Wolf
Philadelphia

more fish cakes and pizzaz-

•Drawing For Food - Fish Cakes from Gus's Cart and Bubby's Brisket
•Drawing For Food - Nicky & Pete's Famous
•Hot Dog Of The Week - Philly Combo
•Meal Ticket - Outside The Box (Pizzaz at the end of the article)

Los Gallos

Tipped off by some friends, we stopped here on the way to the Phillies game this weekend. A few tables in the back of a Mexican grocery that opened recently. Clean place, great service, and some of the best authentic tacos I've had in south philly.


Super affordable at 5.50 for three, plain or with cheese (soft mexican white cheese - no tex-mex cheddar nonsense) with the red and creamy (avocados?) green salsa on the side and a roasted jalapeno.


We also tried the huitlacoche quesadilla which was terrific. Great place to check out the "mexican truffle" without breaking the bank. If you want to spend the big bucks, for 10 dollars you can get a bit more exotic with tacos a la plancha with your choice of meats including smoked pork and short ribs, cactus and avacado on the side.

They do tortas as well which I'll have to check out soon. If this place served beer it would be perfect, although this pineapple cider was awesome.



Los Gallos
10th & Wolf
Philadelphia