Recently I attended Feastival in Northern Liberties, sponsored by Philadelphia Magazine, Philadelphia Arts Program, and Philly Fringe. I couldn’t believe there were that many great chefs under one roof, and they were approachable!
It was a great honor for me to have the opportunity to speak with Chef Jose Garces, the new Iron Chef. He owns some of my favorite restaurants, including Amada and Distrito, among others. He was hospitable and charming.
There was a variety of food at the event, and you can taste the personalities of the chefs in their culinary samplers. The fried pork rinds from Lacroix were delightful, crunchy and served with three dipping sauces, a surprising entry by one of the most traditional classic French restaurants in the city.
I ran into my buddies, Emilio Mignucci, owner of DiBruno Brothers, and his staff member, Hunter. It was a pleasure to see them and tell them how much I enjoy their cheese selection, especially my favorite, homemade Burrata. This is mozzarella cheese filled with mozzarella and cream, which oozes out when you cut into it.
Stephanie from Capogiro Gelateria was making fresh Tartufo gelato by hand. Never had Tartufo? Think of a truffle, it is rich and decadent, and rolled in cocoa powder. It melts in your mouth. I ate a baseball size portion without a problem! They pride themselves on using the freshest ingredients to create their scrumptious gelato. Only locally grown, handpicked, seasonal produce and herbs. The milk comes from local dairy farms where cows are grass fed and hormone-free which are used in the making of their gelato. Because of their superior ingredients, it is pure, natural, and authentic. These artisans are serious about their gelato, their flavors change daily. Taste their flavors on my Food Crawl!
