Colonial Pizza-43rd and Pine
Not too bad...this would rank pretty high on the list.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Amityville Horror House Up for Sale!
The Amityville Horror House is currently up for sale at $1.15 million dollars. The house while believed to be haunted by the spirits of the brutally murdered DeFeo family, has been in recent years proved to be a hoax cooked up by the Lutz Family, in particular George Lutz. The Lutz's as you may remember were the subject of both the book and subsequent Amityville Horror films.
I am originally from Bay Shore New York, a small shore town on Long Island's South Shore. Amityville is only two towns away and I've always been interested in the circumstances of this whole story. I mean they made such a big deal of it in the book, and especially the movies. The original flick with Margot Kidder scared the hell out of me when I was a kid,
I am originally from Bay Shore New York, a small shore town on Long Island's South Shore. Amityville is only two towns away and I've always been interested in the circumstances of this whole story. I mean they made such a big deal of it in the book, and especially the movies. The original flick with Margot Kidder scared the hell out of me when I was a kid,
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Top 10...or Most Bearable?...Pizza Joints in West Philly: #4-1
Ok drum roll....we are coming to the end of the list and I think you're going to see some surprises in here.
4.Ed's Pizza--Between 34th and 36th and Powelton Ave.
Ed's Pizza doesn't lie when they say they are the most popular pizza joint on campus. Everywhere you walk on Drexel campus you will find the old, rotten and waterlogged boxes of a Ed's Pizza with the jolly old pizza guy painted on the cover. Here we have another Greek-style pizzeria that unlike others has a distinct taste, and unlike other places has always tasted consistent. They have some good deals (look out for the large pie + 20 wings deal) and deliver pretty late. It's a shame that they never go west of about 43rd st. but I always try to catch Ed's if I'm up in the area. Oh, the wings are amazing. More worthy than the above-normal pizza.
3.Allegro Pizza--40th and Spruce St.
It's hard to track down the exact taste of this pizza. I'm not sure if its Greek or Italian style, but either way it's pretty damn good. Always consistent, and they have a great selection of stuff at the pizza counter to choose from. Hands down best pizza delivery in the area. If you're feeling adventurous, give the rest of their menu a try. Also, look at the inside of Allegro and then look inside Best House. Now you know why Best House gets dubbed "Fingernail City".
2.Dock St. Brewery--50th and Baltimore.
There might be some people who read this and who know the area pretty well who will be surprised that Dock St. is only number 2. Well here's why. They have hands down the best pizza in town, its crispy, creative and it just has this ultimate comfort food vibe. That is that the pizza is all this maybe 3 times out of 5. The other two times are when you need either wait an hour for the pizza to get there, or for your order to be taken, or to even pay your waiter. The waitstaff is sometimes so bitchy and careless it can ruin an otherwise great pizza. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some people who work there who are on top of their game. But to an outsider, some of the staff may be deemed as the "typical lazy West Philly hipsters". When the pizza is on...it is fucking on. The Parma pizza with crispy prosciutto and the Flammenkuche (yeah go ahead and say it) with caramelized onions are the BEST.
drum roll please...The winner of best pizza joint in West Philly is....
A TIE!!!!
Lucky's Chinese Restaurant + Green Garden!!!!!!!
PIZZA ROLLS....unlike everything else on this list you get what you expect out of a buck twenty-five fried egg roll with pizza sauce. Never any disappointment because really it doesn't get any lower than this. Lucky's pizza rolls are a necessity when you've had a few too many back at Dahlak and need something to eat.
4.Ed's Pizza--Between 34th and 36th and Powelton Ave.
Ed's Pizza doesn't lie when they say they are the most popular pizza joint on campus. Everywhere you walk on Drexel campus you will find the old, rotten and waterlogged boxes of a Ed's Pizza with the jolly old pizza guy painted on the cover. Here we have another Greek-style pizzeria that unlike others has a distinct taste, and unlike other places has always tasted consistent. They have some good deals (look out for the large pie + 20 wings deal) and deliver pretty late. It's a shame that they never go west of about 43rd st. but I always try to catch Ed's if I'm up in the area. Oh, the wings are amazing. More worthy than the above-normal pizza.
3.Allegro Pizza--40th and Spruce St.
It's hard to track down the exact taste of this pizza. I'm not sure if its Greek or Italian style, but either way it's pretty damn good. Always consistent, and they have a great selection of stuff at the pizza counter to choose from. Hands down best pizza delivery in the area. If you're feeling adventurous, give the rest of their menu a try. Also, look at the inside of Allegro and then look inside Best House. Now you know why Best House gets dubbed "Fingernail City".
2.Dock St. Brewery--50th and Baltimore.
There might be some people who read this and who know the area pretty well who will be surprised that Dock St. is only number 2. Well here's why. They have hands down the best pizza in town, its crispy, creative and it just has this ultimate comfort food vibe. That is that the pizza is all this maybe 3 times out of 5. The other two times are when you need either wait an hour for the pizza to get there, or for your order to be taken, or to even pay your waiter. The waitstaff is sometimes so bitchy and careless it can ruin an otherwise great pizza. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some people who work there who are on top of their game. But to an outsider, some of the staff may be deemed as the "typical lazy West Philly hipsters". When the pizza is on...it is fucking on. The Parma pizza with crispy prosciutto and the Flammenkuche (yeah go ahead and say it) with caramelized onions are the BEST.
drum roll please...The winner of best pizza joint in West Philly is....
A TIE!!!!
Lucky's Chinese Restaurant + Green Garden!!!!!!!
PIZZA ROLLS....unlike everything else on this list you get what you expect out of a buck twenty-five fried egg roll with pizza sauce. Never any disappointment because really it doesn't get any lower than this. Lucky's pizza rolls are a necessity when you've had a few too many back at Dahlak and need something to eat.
Top 10...or Most Bearable?...pizza joints in West Philly:#7-5
If you've already read number 10-8 you'll see that there's not much in West Philly by way of pizza. Not so much a "Top" 10 but who knows? Maybe we'll find a diamond in the rough.
7.Best House Pizzeria-43rd and Baltimore
I know there are plenty of people loyal to Best House, like the bums watching C-Span during the lunchtime hour drinking forties, or the meatheads watching Phillies game drinking Sparks. But Best House will always go under the affectionate title I've given in..."Fingernail City". No, I've never found a fingernail in my pizza. I just wouldn't be surprised to one day find a big toe toe-nail in a slice topped with green peppers and onions. Pizza is always hit or miss here, usually miss. I find the sauce to be way too sweet, almost as if they used Coca-Cola to cook it down. But occasionally they will be stocked with good, albeit expensive six-packs. And they are always good in a pinch or late-night for their 2 slice and coke deal.
6.Pizza Rustica-36th and Walnut
And now you might be thinking, "hey finally we got some good pizza" and yes you may be right. Yes, their pizza isn't bad at all. They've got some great specialty pies and some decent wine. Problem is, it takes FOREVER to get your pizza. Its bad enough when you eat-in, take-out is another story. You can go on waiting for up to 45 minutes during a slow period. And that's not just pizza. I ordered a panini with Capacola and Sopressata and cheese etc, and that took almost half an hour and I was the only one there! So our best tasting pizza so far is doomed to the 6-spot.
5.Fiesta Pizza-Btwn 45th and 46th and Baltimore Ave.
With the exception of maybe Rustica and Best House, all the pizza joints on the list make Greek-style pizza. For the most part, those places are awful. Fiesta Pizza is a winner when compared to those other places at the bottom of my list. The pizza does have that frozen pie crust consistency, but I find the sauce to be quite tasty, and they don't overload on the cheese like Drexel Pizza or Evan's. The pizza is always pretty cheap, althought the ten dollar minimum for cards kinda stinks. Also, there's an awesome Mrs. Pac-Man/Galaga arcade machine in the store that makes the wait for pizza enjoyable.
7.Best House Pizzeria-43rd and Baltimore
I know there are plenty of people loyal to Best House, like the bums watching C-Span during the lunchtime hour drinking forties, or the meatheads watching Phillies game drinking Sparks. But Best House will always go under the affectionate title I've given in..."Fingernail City". No, I've never found a fingernail in my pizza. I just wouldn't be surprised to one day find a big toe toe-nail in a slice topped with green peppers and onions. Pizza is always hit or miss here, usually miss. I find the sauce to be way too sweet, almost as if they used Coca-Cola to cook it down. But occasionally they will be stocked with good, albeit expensive six-packs. And they are always good in a pinch or late-night for their 2 slice and coke deal.
6.Pizza Rustica-36th and Walnut
And now you might be thinking, "hey finally we got some good pizza" and yes you may be right. Yes, their pizza isn't bad at all. They've got some great specialty pies and some decent wine. Problem is, it takes FOREVER to get your pizza. Its bad enough when you eat-in, take-out is another story. You can go on waiting for up to 45 minutes during a slow period. And that's not just pizza. I ordered a panini with Capacola and Sopressata and cheese etc, and that took almost half an hour and I was the only one there! So our best tasting pizza so far is doomed to the 6-spot.
5.Fiesta Pizza-Btwn 45th and 46th and Baltimore Ave.
With the exception of maybe Rustica and Best House, all the pizza joints on the list make Greek-style pizza. For the most part, those places are awful. Fiesta Pizza is a winner when compared to those other places at the bottom of my list. The pizza does have that frozen pie crust consistency, but I find the sauce to be quite tasty, and they don't overload on the cheese like Drexel Pizza or Evan's. The pizza is always pretty cheap, althought the ten dollar minimum for cards kinda stinks. Also, there's an awesome Mrs. Pac-Man/Galaga arcade machine in the store that makes the wait for pizza enjoyable.
Top 10...Or Most Bearable?,..Pizza Joints in West Philly:#10-8
After long deliberation, and hours of disappointment...I bring you the Top 10 pizza places in West Philly.
Disclaimer: I am only basing these ratings on places I've been to a few times. There's a few places that I'll need to go to again to make a good assessment. So if there's anything I'm missing let me know and I will probably be updating this list again.
10.Evan's Varsity Pizza-43rd and Locust St.
Ok this is a strange place, and anyone who has stopped by this little shack across from the CVS with parking lot could attest. Evan's has a special place in my heart as it is the first and only place that would sell beer to me when I was a freshman at Drexel. The restaurant itself is nothing more than two adjacent fridges stocked with a boring selection of beers (except the one time they had Wild Devil) and a pizza counter. There's a little showcase of what looks like day-old pizza and calzones next to the register. And oh wait the pizza...it sucks. It's heavy on the cheese, light on sauce, and clogged to the brim with grease. The crust has a frozen pie crust taste, a problem I find among many of these places, just here it's the absolute worst.
9.Drexel Pizza-33rd and Cherry St.
I guess one can argue that isn't a true West Philly pizza joint, but it is west of the Schuykill so it gets a vote by me. This was the place to go for some eggs and pancakes, maybe a sandwich later in the day. NO ONE should ever eat their pizza. In a pinch you may think that the smell of a pizza after a hard day of class appeals to you, but goddamn you Drexel Pizza. My stomach is glad to be away from your greasy, dirty clutches.
8.Mad Greeks Pizza-36th and Powelton Ave.
Located less than 15 feet away from the far superior Ed's Pizza is Mad Greeks, another Greek style pizza place (which seems to be very common in West Philly, not that its a bad thing, it's just never made all that well). The pizza taste is vomit inducing in a way similar to Evan's, but they get an 8 for at least having a few OK beers in the fridge, and the guy who works there seems to know a bit about beer and is always down for a good beer conversation.
Disclaimer: I am only basing these ratings on places I've been to a few times. There's a few places that I'll need to go to again to make a good assessment. So if there's anything I'm missing let me know and I will probably be updating this list again.
10.Evan's Varsity Pizza-43rd and Locust St.
Ok this is a strange place, and anyone who has stopped by this little shack across from the CVS with parking lot could attest. Evan's has a special place in my heart as it is the first and only place that would sell beer to me when I was a freshman at Drexel. The restaurant itself is nothing more than two adjacent fridges stocked with a boring selection of beers (except the one time they had Wild Devil) and a pizza counter. There's a little showcase of what looks like day-old pizza and calzones next to the register. And oh wait the pizza...it sucks. It's heavy on the cheese, light on sauce, and clogged to the brim with grease. The crust has a frozen pie crust taste, a problem I find among many of these places, just here it's the absolute worst.
9.Drexel Pizza-33rd and Cherry St.
I guess one can argue that isn't a true West Philly pizza joint, but it is west of the Schuykill so it gets a vote by me. This was the place to go for some eggs and pancakes, maybe a sandwich later in the day. NO ONE should ever eat their pizza. In a pinch you may think that the smell of a pizza after a hard day of class appeals to you, but goddamn you Drexel Pizza. My stomach is glad to be away from your greasy, dirty clutches.
8.Mad Greeks Pizza-36th and Powelton Ave.
Located less than 15 feet away from the far superior Ed's Pizza is Mad Greeks, another Greek style pizza place (which seems to be very common in West Philly, not that its a bad thing, it's just never made all that well). The pizza taste is vomit inducing in a way similar to Evan's, but they get an 8 for at least having a few OK beers in the fridge, and the guy who works there seems to know a bit about beer and is always down for a good beer conversation.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Monsters Are Due on Richland Blvd.
Here is a little story I wrote off a prompt from writersdigest.com...I have a few of these under my belt that I will be putting up every now and then.
“You know, when my brother was a kid he had a thunder and lightning response kit under his bed. It had candles, flashlights, bottled water, the whole thing. They should’ve put him in charge of FEMA. He would’ve been on top of his shit I’ll tell you that. I used to make fun of him all the time for it. Well that and his intense fear of the movie E.T. He couldn’t even be near the VHS box for it.”
“Are you going to talk all night?” said Victoria with a bored look on her face just visible past the flickering light of a nearby candle.
“Well what else am I supposed to do? Play solitaire or something?” said Ron, pacing around and wiping the sweat from his balmy palms. “In my family we only played board games when the power was out. Did your family do that too? I can imagine that. Everyone gathered around playing Monopoly, yelling and screaming at each other about the rules.”
“I think you’re scared of the thunder too” said Victoria.
Ron turns around quickly.
“Me? Are you crazy? I’ll go outside right now. You watch. Maybe I’ll just stand under the tree on the front lawn. Oh and hey do we still have those metal hangers? Maybe I’ll just build a helmet out of metal hangers to you know keep my head dry while I’m out there?”
A long pause. And CRASH. A huge burst of lightning slams down nearby and lights up the young couples home like the quick flickering of a strobe light.
“You know, when my brother was a kid he had a thunder and lightning response kit under his bed. It had candles, flashlights, bottled water, the whole thing. They should’ve put him in charge of FEMA. He would’ve been on top of his shit I’ll tell you that. I used to make fun of him all the time for it. Well that and his intense fear of the movie E.T. He couldn’t even be near the VHS box for it.”
“Are you going to talk all night?” said Victoria with a bored look on her face just visible past the flickering light of a nearby candle.
“Well what else am I supposed to do? Play solitaire or something?” said Ron, pacing around and wiping the sweat from his balmy palms. “In my family we only played board games when the power was out. Did your family do that too? I can imagine that. Everyone gathered around playing Monopoly, yelling and screaming at each other about the rules.”
“I think you’re scared of the thunder too” said Victoria.
Ron turns around quickly.
“Me? Are you crazy? I’ll go outside right now. You watch. Maybe I’ll just stand under the tree on the front lawn. Oh and hey do we still have those metal hangers? Maybe I’ll just build a helmet out of metal hangers to you know keep my head dry while I’m out there?”
A long pause. And CRASH. A huge burst of lightning slams down nearby and lights up the young couples home like the quick flickering of a strobe light.
Ewok Hunting Saison
Memorial Day this year will come at the perfect time. A weekend in which I will be off, its my birthday, and there will be 15 gallons of very drinkable Saison to go around. S Lunny had the idea of making two separate 7.5 gallons of Saison, each with different ingredients and then splitting the two into two five-gallon batches and blending the remaining 5 gallons together and adding a special potent souring agent to age for the next year.
It's a crazy amount of beer, especially for me as it is only my second batch I've made so far. I was sure that we were going to be in over our heads, but it all came together nicely, and after yesterday we finally have our two batches bottled, and ready to drink for Memorial Day. I gotta say though that the bottling wasn't easy this time around, as our basement is too dirty and cluttered for a proper homebrew to be made. Too much of my beer ended up on the floor and I am short about 5 bottles from what I expected. The basement needs to get blown up for real and rebuilt and scrubbed the hell down before I make any more beer.
Still, I am looking forward to opening up the first Ewok Hunting Saison in the next couple of weeks.
First Post
Ok so here it goes...here's my new blog, updated from my old one on wordpress. My goal with this is to write a little of everything. Within the next few days I will be posting some old short stories, and other story ideas. I will also be doing several beer and restaurant reviews as well as writing about some films. All in due time though as I try to figure out how to update the layout and I can ditch the plain template. There's not much now, and its hard to think clearly as I am at my parents house right now and their fat tabby cat is constantly howling and cowling at squirrels running in the backyard. Come check back in a few days when the layout is looking good and I can get some old stuff up to check out, as well as some new stuff.
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