Hello Mr. Bourdain – Philadelphia Here

You’re not alone in the skepticism, or perhaps even grudge, you obviously have for Philadelphia. I’ve been here for about 6 years and spent the first half with a fairly similar attitude. On a first impression, it is a place easy to write off. After a weekend of liberty bells, cheesesteaks, and numerous encounters with the local homeless….it is just easier to insist NYC, DC, or Boston as superior. But it’s not a city that can be understood or simply visited in a weekend. This attitude by most of the weekend visitors keeps it off the map and maintaining a certain “freshness” only the seasoned locals can truly appreciate. Anyone that lives here will be quick to explain the city of brotherly tough love mantra.

I found a few quotes you’ve given on Philadelphia during a book signing back in 2007. Sure, it’s easily generalized as the empire of Stephen Starr, and don’t get me wrong his restaurants are often delectable. However, the diva personalities and expensive tabs often found at those restaurants are not where the true Philadelphia lies.

Philadelphia, in comparison to Boston, New York and Washington DC, is the most affordable major city in the northeast. A place where you don’t need to shell out $1,000 a month for a closet sized studio apartment. Historically a working class city, this dynamic pushes a lot of the most well to-do out to the various suburbs, and leaves a total mish-mash of people inside, and along with it an exquisite blend of cultures, histories, demographics, and of course foods.

Philadelphia is often categorized according to is gridlike North/South/East/West quadrants, but often overlooked by the weekender are the cultures that are found in between Ben Franklin’s gridlines. The rich melting pot of people that have settled here, literally since the inception of the United States, has left some of the most incredible sub-cultures found anywhere in any major city in the world.

The large populations of Irish and Italians that still command respect in the city have maintained the infamous Italian Market. This is a place where any morning of the week, the homemade pastas and fresh vegetables could only be rivaled by the imported cheeses and private butchers next door.

Perhaps you are looking for some traditional German fare? There is surely no where else to go other than Brauhaus Schmidt. Less than 6 months old, this traditional bier haus features 20+ imported draft beers from the mother country and 80+ bottles. This is all in addition of course to the authentic German food of the German chef and owners.

A short 15-minute walk north and you are in one of the largest and best China Towns of any city in the U.S. Hosting a blend of Vietnamese, Malaysian, Korean, and Chinese restaurants over a 12 block area, authentic and cheap eats are available round the clock. Restaurants such as Sang Kee serve fresh peking duck, braised squid, and slow cooked sweet and sour pork as good as any I’ve ever had, right next to the likes of Pho Cali, serving consistent and authentic pho and bun.

Then there is the Reading Terminal Market, a love affair location of any foodie I’ve ever met, and personally my favorite establishment of eats in the city. Featuring baked goods brought into the city from nearby Mennonite sects to fresh octopus to authentic soul food this daily market has enough content in and of itself for an entire episode.

Northern Liberties, a revitalized part of the city defined by it’s hipster and scenester culture has become a booming underground of individually held eating establishments. Known for it’s home cooked style, sustainable and fresh produce, and cheap, local brews, it is a perfect example of all that is still going on in this city. Take The Piazza for example, a nearly year old plaza that was designed to emulate a traditional Roman piazza, and is surrounded by bars and restaurants like Rustica, a well known gourmet pizza shop.

And what are good eats without good drinks? The recent Franklin Mortgage Investment Company is an underground abode painted all black and in the appearance of a run down office; but hark, upon opening the door you are welcomed to one of the most legitimate speakeasy’s the U.S. has seen since the 1920’s. They have hired nothing but the Einsteins of the alcohol world and have a menu full of fine cocktails from eras past.

So I can only hope that by this point you are at the least asking yourself, “Is there enough for a show in Philadelphia?”. As the 5^th largest city in the country, I challenge you that it at the least deserves a shot. You better than any know that a city is best seen through the eyes of a local, and Philadelphia is no exception. So join me and see all we have to offer.

Andy Hagerman

http://www.andrewhagerman.blogspot.com/

Vermont and all the hippies, ice cream, sharp cheddar, and beer you could ever need

Vermont, at least in the summer does provide most of life’s great pleasures in one manageable state…well maybe minus the hippies.

After a rather blurred stint in Montreal, we decided to wrap up our Labor Day mini road trip by heading down through Vermont. We left around 1:00pm on Sunday and headed towards the border, after which we quickly realized we had a mere 1.5 hours to get to Magic Hat brewery to fill the growlers we’d brought for just this occasion. We put 90 on cruise and got there with a half to spare. The bartenders were friendly and generous in their never-ending sample giving and we got to taste a number of brews not easily found elsewhere, such as the Brown Rice Lager, the Single Chair Ale, and my favorite, the Belgium Chocolate Stout.

We explored Burlington for about an hour; a town I’ve been to several times before and am always eager to return. It has that small town feel with a lively personality, enriched by the University of Vermont students, restaurants and taverns that cover it. A reminder of the most true beauty of Burlington, however, is seen by looking beyond the street signs and to the enormous Lake Champlain and mountains surrounding it. These are the types of things that typify why Vermont is great if you have even the slightest interest in the great outdoors. This is a place I could spend a few years.

We cruised through the mountains and valleys on an awe inspiring drive south to our home for the night at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in Granville. We stopped along the way to pick up some lobster and ribeye’s to prepare a surf and turf feast, as eating is always top of mind for me. By the time we arrived into the small town my extended family calls home, my uncle had a fire going in the backyard with some monstrous ears of corn roasting in a wet burlap bag. An interesting method that produces an incredible smoky flavor to corn on the cob. We feasted and indulged in our new beer supply, ending the day far less action packed than the night before.

The next day we had an early departure up to Waterbury. We had an agenda. After dining on some Breakfast Burritos (eggs, chorizo, black beans, chilis, guacamole, cheddar in a tortilla) and bloody mary’s at Maxi’s Diner, we moved onto Ben & Jerry’s for their famed creamery tour. And yes folks…it was 10:00am. We took the tour and dined on some Hubby Hubby Sundaes which apparently supported gay rights? Either way it was a bowl of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, pretzels, and chocolate which suits any true Central Pennsylvanian.

Next we moved to the Cabot’s Annex tasting room, featuring a wide variety of cheddar cheeses of the area. We indulged, and then we indulged some more. One might question our ability to consume such a wide variety of heavy foods all before noon but somehow it all worked…and well for that matter.

After draining the East Coasts supply of dairy products turned unhealthy, we decided it was time to start back on our 8 hour journey to Philadelphia. The drive again was gorgeous and set us off in good spirits, ending around 1,200 miles more traveled than we’d been 3 days earlier.

Oh, Montreal…I have no words for you

My relationship with Montreal was short and sweet. But although it wasn’t quite what I’d expected, I find myself asking for another round.

A cliff-note summary of our Saturday night in Montreal:

1. Declined any cover charge to any bar, making our selection quite difficult.

2. Saw a girl flash us several times before eventually pulling off her underwear and urinating in the street.

3. Learned not to talk to unattended Asian women.

4. Went to bed at 5 am.

5. Were declined admission to a latex party, but were invited to give the "kink lifestyle" a try, by way of a business card that was pulled out of a strange man's wasteband.

6. Spent all remaining Canadian money on alcohol.

7. Knowingly hung out on the corner of the sex district for at least 15 minutes.

8. Witnessed a massive bar fight.

9. Learned that service is not included in our beer.

10. Were publicly called out for not leaving a tip upon immediately receiving our change at the bar.

11. Tried to bum a cigarette off a pimp.

12. Were directed to a homeless man for said cigarette, by pimp.

13. Learned that in Montreal, alcohol is done by 3 am. Pills, however, can apparently be obtained by following any man around any corner, although you may end up "sleeping with a dude".

14. Smoked cigars at 4:30 am.

15. Had a bank account compromised for the sake of 3 Molson Canadian Drys.

16. Purchased 3 Gin & Tonics at Love/Hate, totaling $30 Canadian.

17. Went into a pizza shop with intentions of buying a 6-pack, that is, until we found out a 6-pack costs $36 at a pizza shop in Montreal.

18. Learned that, to our knowledge, getting drunk for cheap in Montreal is impossible.

19. Received a legitimate offer to have our chests defecated upon, by a fairly attractive woman, in an elevator.

20. Learned that in Canada, nothing is done in moderation.

*Thanks to Greg for compiling

The Extended Account

It’s been about a week since returning home from a long weekend road trip to Montreal, and it’s taken about that long to come to terms with the fact that I’ve still not the faintest idea my opinion on the city.

I came to the realization it was Labor Day weekend about a week prior and decided it must be taken advantage of. I had 3 days. I had limited funds. I had two friends that would join, regardless of destination. I had a 2006 Hyundai Elantra with about 110,000 miles on it I would borrow from my parents because flights were too expensive already. We had a few choices – Charleston (oysters, mint juleps, sear sucker…tempting); Chicago (the bean, beautiful weather, some friends in the area…hmmm); we opted for the semi-international experience thought and decided to cross the border up to Montreal.

We departed late Friday and arrived around 1am. I was fortunate enough to have some hotel nights to dispose of so we checked into the W Montreal for the weekend which was needless to say a little out of our league as a few bum Philadelphians in Chuck Taylors and backpacks with iPods and cheap whiskey in hand. C’est la vie.

We wandered the city for a couple hours and recognized what appeared to be a pretty hopping night life. We settled in a park for about 8 minutes before being shoed away for a filming of some French romantic comedy. We went to bed intrigued. Saturdy we woke with no particular agenda in mind, and just began wandering. We started in a beautiful Vieux Montreal, or the old part of the city. We came across an infinite number of great little café’s and restaurants along a nice restored waterway. It and its people were very inviting, despite my broken French.

We then strolled up to the Palais de Congres, known for it’s modern take on stained glass, featuring dozens of colorful panels of glass on the wall, that when hit by the sun produces wildly fun colors inside the building. We took a number of pictures before being asked to leave because an artist thought we were trying to copy his artwork. The building is a large convention center though and houses many of the city’s festivals and conventions it is known for hosting.

From there we went through the Chinatown which although it did not feel as if it had developed too organically, did feature a number of decent looking restaurants and vendors, one of which being Pho Cali where we enjoyed one of our favorite comfort foods despite the place we’re in.

From there we ventured into what appeared to be the more working class area of the city. It was a great contrast to the very whitewashed stone and stainless steal façade we’d seen so far. We dipped in and out of several boutique shops and record stores before finding ourselves in the midst of the sex district. Little did we know this would not be our last encounter with the neighborhood. We picked up the cars and headed out to the Olympic park, constructed circa 1960-something. It was impressive but not quite as lavished as we’d seen in pictures. Worth seeing, but probably not worth seeing again.

From this point we headed back to center city and showered and prepared for dinner. We started back in Vieux Montreal again at Trois Brassiers, a brew pub of sorts with great microbrews and fantastic burgers. It was a fun place and looking back we’d probably have stayed there had we known what all was in store to follow. At this point I’ll simply direct you to the cliff-notes above to get an idea of what occurred between 11:30pm Saturday and 5:00am Sunday. In an effort to keep this blog somewhat tasteful, I will stress only the detail of how expensive the city turned out to be. None of us had any factual expectations so perhaps it just came to a surprise, but we were not prepared to spend what it apparently takes in Montreal. The majority of clubs and bars we entered had a $10+ cover and we failed to find any type of pub or more casual establishment to which our tastes most aligned. I supposed if we had stayed at one place the whole night we would’ve missed the other 19 events on our short list of memories, so it all worked out in the end. I’ve determined in all though that Montreal is a great, clean city, but appears to be one of those places best visited with an agenda of places recommended by the locals. I have a feeling we were quick to judge on such a speedy trip, but it was a wonderful city to see least and I think at some point it will have to be examined and visited in more detail and time.

Sunday we headed to Vermont for the remainder of the Labor Day weekend. See the following post to see details…

Philadelphia's Own Japanese Tea House

First off, what is a Japanese Tea House? And better yet, WTF is it doing hidden in the midst Philadelphia?

It was one of those weekends where for whatever reason each night had something to offer a little too enticing to pass up but it just so happened to turn out they all involved drinking...and too much of it. We had set out to tackle some recently opened restaurants and scenes around the city which warrant a post all their own (teaser: Brauhaus Schmitz). Regardless, I woke hazily on Sunday and decided I needed to infuse my life with some culture and balance a bit.

What made me think of the Japanese Tea House I'll never be entirely sure. It was one of those things that nearly everyone sees in all the tourist pamphlets and Lonely Planet guides but I can only imagine about 2% of Philadelphians have actually seen. But that became the task of the day. I recruited several friends and we set off to Western Fairmount park.

The Japanese House & Garden (Shofuso) is designed in a 16th Century style of an upper class member of society, such as a government official, high ranking priest, or scholar. But seriously now...WTF is it doing in Philadelphia? Allegedly the grounds were designed for the 1876 Centennial Exposition. It has since burned down a few times, been rebuilt a few times, and had numerous additions added from other expositions and collectors. That doesn't really explain a whole lot but some things just aren't worth examining too hard.

We called to ensure it was within our price range, and at a mere $3 student/senior rate ($6 otherwise) we decided to splurge. The house is truly beautiful and looks like something out of the Last Samurai - completely open, peaceful, and well kept. It is accented by an immaculate garden and huge coy fish pond. We wandered the gardens and house, and at the suggestion of the ticket booth woman, took some time to relax on the porch and reflect upon our lives.

We were in and out in about 1-1.5 hours making it a sweet day trip. It would also make a great date spot followed by a picnic. Gentlemen...take notes. Enjoy.

Day trips are too short anyway

I awoke abruptly. It was about 7:47am and I was pulling into the Gare de Vaise train station, close to school; Close to the apartment I'd been calling home for the 4 months I'd been studying abroad so far in Lyon, France. I wiped the drool from my crumpled impromptu North Face pillow, grabbed my backpack and ran off the train. No one was in my way; I was the only one.

I sprinted the three blocks to my school. 7:56am. I stopped at the school cafe, threw down 3 euro and got a double espresso. Not the good kind, but the instant kind that comes out of a machine you never see any real coffee beans go into. It worked. The elevator was packed, I took the stairs. Three flights. 7:58am. I ran into my finance class and sat down, one of the last to arrive. 8:00am. The door shuts. Books away, calculators and pencils out. You may start your exam.

26 hours earlier I had awoken. There were 5 of us and we were doing a day trip to the beautiful town of Annecy, France. A simple 2 hour, and most importantly $12, train ride catered to this fantasy. It was sunday and we were trying to get the 6:47am train to start the day early. This certainly was a pipe dream as we missed it by about 20 minutes. 7:47am would just have to do. We got there by 10:00am and started roaming. Indeed it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We rented a boat. We got fondu. We took lots of pictures and ate lots of pastries. We toured the local market, bought some spices and fresh fruit. We toured the historic prison for 1 euro. As the day wore on there was simply too much to take in.

Our 6pm departure train arrived a little too quickly for my now French acquired relaxation. I decided that the massive finance exam I had at 8am the next day was still plenty far removed, so I opted to stay back for the 8pm train, and last of the night back to Lyon. I hiked up the hill and strolled through the massive cathedral overlooking the town of Annecy. A place very unique, but quintessential of all that is gorgeous in the French countryside. I arrived back at the train station with plenty of time to spare, and awaited my train to come. I boarded. We left. I fell asleep and awoke around 9:45. This was ideal as I knew I only had about 15 minutes to arrive at Lyon. But I had awoken to something peculiar. It was a stop, but everyone had gotten off. The train was empty. I mused at how surprising it was no one else was returning to the second largest city in France that night. I later realized this was a logic I should never doubt again.

The train emptied and we started moving again. 3 minutes passed and an older gentleman in overalls came into the car with broom and large, deeply stained, brown work boots on. Startled to see me, he approached and rattled off some French to me. It was too fast so I responded cordially with hello. He slowed his pace and asked where exactly I was going and to see my ticket. I said Lyon, to which one might've thought was the likes of an experienced comedian. The man billowed and announced to me in perfect Fran-glish I'd taken the completely wrong train.

Allez. The train had just stopped by this point and he grunted and motioned for me to follow. We jumped from my train car and immediately began running. I realized we were now in a train yard, surrounded by bohemoth locamotives that were layed down for the night. I dodged in betwen them following the shadowy figure that I pretty much now would've trusted my life with. After a 3/4 mile sprint we jumped into the conductor's car of another train, which at most other moments would've been a cool opportunity. Now I felt like a complex melting pot of James Bond and Andy Dufresne.

This conductor was Swiss and spoke more english. Without any indication as to where I currently was, he told me there were absolutely no trains to Lyon or Paris until late the next morning. He said I could take a train now for about 2 hours, arriving at another station around midnight, at which point I could catch a 1.5 hour train back to Lyon at 6:00am. 7:30am would put me in Lyon in just enough time to get to my finance midterm. I was sold. We jumped from the conductors car and ran another .5 miles and sporatically jumped into a third train. My fearless leader explained to the new conductor my situation and they granted me a free pass. It was very nice of them.

I crashed into an empty seat. Exhausted. Shaken. The people around me had no idea of who I was, where I'd been. In fact it dawned on me I had no idea where I was, nor did anyone else in the world that I knew. It was strangely thrilling. I got up and walked to a map on the wall. There was another boy about my age looking at the map as well who noticed I was American from the Lonely Planet guide gripped close to my heart. I found out he was an amateur mountain climber and high altitude snow boarder on the way back from a trip in the alps. He lived in La Rochelle on the East Coast and offered for me to come visit once I found my way back to Lyon and took my finance exam. I said that'd be great and got his card.

We passed shanty station after shanty station and I anxiously awaited for us to pull up to the one I'd be calling home for the night. I figured this would most likely be the low point of my night, arriving in the equivalent of a bus stop meets grandpas rickety gasoline shed in the back yard. We eventually arrived at a nice station to my luck happened to be mine. I got off and entered the waiting room. I got a double espresso to ease my mind and pulled out my finance...far to jolted to sleep I decided to study. The station was fairly empty at this point and a conductor came in to ask me what train I was taking. I said the 6:00am to Lyon. He gave his regards and left. About 20 minutes later he re-entered, perplexed. He asked where exactly I was staying, to which I gave him a broad gesture of the hard plastic art-deco chairs surrounding me. He chuckled, but realizing I was serious, told me the station closed in about 7 minutes and didn't reopen until 5:45am. We looked at each other for awhile, and seeing the sense of lost in my face he offered to lock me inside the station for the night. He said that no one would be able to get in, but consequently I wouldn't be able to leave either. I had access to the vending machines, the instant coffee maker and the bathrooms. A ridiculous option in most situations, in the moment I felt as if this man deserved a Nobel prize.

I figured at this point it was time to get some studying done for my finance exam in about 8 hours assuming I could get there. I bunkered down on the floor and pulled out my books and tried to relax a bit. Confirming that it doesn't matter where I'm at studying finance, I fell asleep in about 20 minutes. The lights went out on their own and I figured I'd soon be home. I drifted off only to be abruptly woken by stadium lighting that had been activated by a motion sensor when I flinched. This happened periodically throughout the night. I finally got over it and woke for the last time to a man drive by me on a floor polisher. He looked at me, curled up on the floor, and smiled. I nodded, unsure of what he was making of the situation.

At last, I boarded a train and was off. I never really thought through all of this to determine exactly where I was, where I spent this random night in a station, made friends with various characters in the french rail system. I guess the anonymity fueled the adventure a little more. I got a 98% on the finance exam. Sometimes things balance out.

Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps (from National Geographic)

Marketers call you the 'early adopters'...I've settled simply for the 'cool kids'...neither here nor there. Alas, National Geographic Adventure ran a page on the Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps in their last issue and I thought it was solid.

So as if you all aren't already doing things bigger and better than those of us condemned to the corporate world of BlueBerries...here you go. Play on players.

1. Next Flight
Got bumped? Leaving early? Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports and 1,100 airlines. It sounds overwhelming, but you can filter by carrier. $2.99

2. UrbanSpoon
Urbanspoon is the gold standard in the U.S., London, Melbourne, and Sydney: Shake your phone, watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet. Free

3. HearPlanet
Like having a tour guide in your pocket, HearPlanet tells you what attractions are nearby and then plays the Wikipedia description aloud. $5.99

4. Air Sharing
Don’t waste time (and money) downloading docs abroad. Air Sharing lets you save HTML Web pages, PDFs, text files, you name it, for off-line perusal anytime, anywhere. $4.99

5. Tweetie
Finally, a practical use for Twitter. With Tweetie you can send vacation pics and witty comments from afar faster and more easily than with any other app. $2.99

6. IAmHere
Want your friends to know exactly where you are? (Scorpion Bay, Baja!) IAmHere sends an email with a link to Google Maps. In my tests it was accurate to within a hundred feet. $0.99

7. World Customs
Which way to wrap that kimono? World Customs dispenses international dos and don’ts, one for every day. (Kimono? Left over right.) $0.99

8. Wi-Fi Finder
International data rates can be crushing, so finding Wi-Fi is key, especially if you Skype. Wi-Fi Finder tracks over 200,000 hotspots in 135 countries. The only quibble: It could do better at distinguishing free from paid spots. Free

9. The Weather Channel
Weather Bug and AccuWeather come close in the race for full-featured meteorological apps, but the Weather Channel’s gets the nod for customization and the ability to check out conditions in multiple locations at a glance. Free

10. Google Earth
Although slow even on Wi-Fi, browsing satellite images of anywhere from your vacation destination to the top of the Matterhorn is still one of the best ways to get the lay of the land. Free

11. Packing
Become a packing perfectionist with this easy tool. Create lists of necessary items and check them off as you go. The packing application will make preparing for your vacation a breeze. $1.99

12. Room
If you're always forgetting your hotel room number—and modern keycards don't remind you, of course—log it in this free program. Free

13. FlightTrack Pro
Made for busy travelers like you, just forward your airline confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and TripIt flight itineraries will appear automatically in FlightTrack Pro. $9.99

14. Lonely Planet Phrasebook
At $10, it's spendy for a one-language application, but—very cool—it speaks the translated phrase aloud. Perhaps not such a big deal in Mexico, but in tongue-twister countries, such as Morocco, it's a huge plus. $9.99

15. Skype
Break the international calling shakedown—jumping on a Wi-Fi network lets you make free (or cheap) calls. Free

16. WriteRoom
Amazingly, the iPhone comes with no way of syncing text files and its Notes app stinks. This simple word processing tool transfers text easily between desktop and handset so you can leave your laptop at home. $4.99

17. Amazon Kindle
The Kindle's nice, but why carry two devices when you can download e-books directly to your phone? Have an iPhone AND a Kindle? Once you've bought the book, you can read it wherever you want. Free

18. Cheap Gas
Pretty straightforward—shows you the least expensive petrol wherever you are. Awesomely helpful if you don’t know the area. Free

19. Babelingo
Great linguistic value—300-entry phrase book with 11 languages for just $3.99.

20. Where
Shows you what’s around you, from Starbucks to movie theaters and show times. Free

by Steve Casimiro

Great Travel Websites

Planning a trip is made world's easier (yeah, pun intentional and awful) by the plethora of websites out there, but at some point the web got a little too big and tracking down the best ones became a little more trouble than it was worth.

Here are a few of my favorites that might make it a little easier for you:

Kayak
This is, hands down, the first place I go every time I am even speculating a potential adventure. It checks a huge variety of other sites and airlines for the best deals on flights and hotels. As any diligently frugal traveler would, I of course check out other places as well, but this site usually provides if not the best deal, a good baseline for what to compare against.

Well Abroad
WellAbroad® provides comprehensive information to travelers and international citizens concerning the health, travel, and security status of various countries throughout the world. The information is regularly updated to provide the most accurate data.

Trip Advisor
Trip Advisor operates a wide variety of travel related sites and boasts huge audience numbers. Aside from offering options for flights and hotels, the basis is to provide recommendations from other frequent travelers on the best spots to hit and places to go at nearly any location in the world.

Travel Zoo
This site offers a great weekly collection of some of the best travel deals out there. It's automatic, free, and continuously reminds you there are way too many cool places to see.

Lonely Planet
You probably wouldn't have found your way to my blog if you didn't already know what these guys were all about. If you haven't checked their website yet though, I recommend it - a lot of great resources.

Virtual Tourist
An online community for travelers that encourages dialogue and posting of good activities or experiences. Easy to navigate and fun to surf.

Couch Surfing
Couch Surfing...truly a cheap traveling phenom. I admit I haven't tried first hand, but I've heard some great stories and positive feedback from friends that have.

Hostel World
Again...if you don't know what this bible-like website is all about, then you need to plan your first real adventure. You'll never turn back.