Sakura (Chinatown, Philadelphia)

Sakura (Chinatown, Philadelphia, PA)
1038 Race St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(215) 873-8338

Soup dumplings; Sichuan bowl/pot of beef, tofu, fish, and veggies; string beans; and half a cripsy duck were ordered at Sakura in Chinatown for dinner tonight.

The Sichuan dish is a four person serving and is the mah-lah type of spicy.  I would advise asking them to tone it down unless you like the mouth numbing heat extra strong.  Sadly, we had to have our veggies redone as they were too salty but the waitress was more than happy to have the chef refire the dish with a lot less salt.  The beans were fresh and yummy both times just oversalted the first time.  To continue with the oversalted theme, the duck was also a bit oversalted but at least it was edible so we let it slide.

As a side note, I didn't have my DSLR on me so photos in this posting are from my iPhone 5. 

Philadelphia's Red Skyline

Philadelphia's nighttime skyline is currently red for the holidays.

Enjoy:

Handsomes and Coffee (Milkboy)

Handsomes at Milkboy (whiskey, muddled ginger root and a splash of club soda) are becoming a center city happy hour staple.  The cocktails are a nice change from beer, well made, and with the happy hour discount not too harsh on the wallet.  What's really sealed the deal for me is the coffee at Milkboy.  Coffee with drinks is slowly becoming a defacto upper and downer / hurt my liver with liquor while healing my liver with antioxidents (coffee) staple.

Evidence:

 

Santacon 2012

Santacon NYC 2012, my first Santacon ever.  Good times, some very confused tourists in Manhattan.

Eagles vs Bengals

Box seats at the Linc are fun.  Sadly the game was a loss and less fun.  Oh well, still lots of fun.

Pho Cali (Chinatown, Philadelphia)

Pho Cali (Chinatown, Philadelphia)
1000 Arch Street (At North 10th Street)
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 215 629-1888

Menu from yelp: http://www.yelp.com/menu/pho-cali-vietnamese-restaurant-philadelphia

Wednesday, I went out with a few friends from grad school.  Now that we're corporate, business card roulette was played at Milkboy, then we followed up Wednesday happy hour with Hop Sing Laundromat.  Drinks are delicious and strong there.  If you haven't been to ether place by now check both out.  They're both jewels of Philadelphia in my opinion.  Photos aren't allowed in Lee's establishment and as I always enjoy myself and his drinks, I will abide as banishment is not worth it.

To sober up/regain our bearings, Bahn Mi or vietnamese hoagies (yes, I'm philadelphian, its a hoagie) was desired.  Unfortunately, QT (a nice little small sandwich shop run by two friends and their adorable grandmothers) was closed.  Luckily Pho Cali stays open later than QT and offers delicious Pho as well.  To relive many a meal from grad school, we induldged ourselves.  It was delicious and I have to agree with Tony Bourdain.  Pho after drinking is delightful, it is not just a morning after hangover cure, although that also fits the bill. 

 

Dixie Quicks (Council Bluffs, Iowa)

Dixie Quicks
Council Bluffs, Iowa  51503
http://dixiequicks.com/
Menu: http://dixiequicks.com/menu/

I made at trip out to the midwest to visit a friend.  I have never been to the midwest.  Now I have.

One of the brunch places I visited over the weekend was Dixie Quicks.  It is a small restaurant that features a blend of Southern Cooking with Cajun, Tex-Mex and Southwest elements.  There is also an art gallery for local artists on display along with the restaurant.  We browsed while waiting for a table for brunch.  It was a nice touch.

The menu changes daily and the items of the day are written on a chalk board daily and items are removed when ingredients run out.  Sadly, I was one order too late to try the eggs benedict but settled with the chicken fried steak with potatoes.

The decor and ambiance were fun and were quite hipster, the clientelle also ranged from midwest local to rather hardcore hipster. (a bit surprising to me as I think Williamsburg or Northern Liberties, not Iowa with the hipster style)

Overall it was a nice fun brunch and it is worth checking out in the off chance you're out in Council Bluffs, Iowa or Omaha, Nebraska.

iPhone Bookcover Case

I saw that one of my friends had a fun iphone cover and had to share. Definitely a potential holiday gift idea.

LowePro CompuDay Photo 150 Messenger Bag

I've been in the market for a bag to carry my dslr camera, charger, spare lens or two, and my laptop.  Namely one that wasn't a backpack. 

I finally settled on the Lowepro CompuDay Photo 150 Messenger Bag.

It fits my DSLR into the side pocket which is handy as you don't have to open the messenger bag flap to get to the camera when you're on the go.  There are numerous pockets and there's a slot for a laptop.  I've tested it with my 13in macbook pro and it fits but anything larger than that might not fit.

More comments to come after i use it for a little bit.  Photos follow below: