“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink...” — Epicurus

With a day job that affords me far less free time than I would like, I look at eating on the weekends as a time to reconnect with my husband, friends, and family.  This past Saturday, my husband "B" and I stopped by Adsum - http://www.adsumrestaurant.com/ - to enjoy some of Philadelphia's most delicious and inventive comfort food.

While waiting for our table, B ordered an old fashioned.  B, typically an old fashioned purist, found his cocktail quite good despite Adsum's use of the more modern muddled fruit twist.   I stuck to my old faithful, a glass of Cava, which was delightfully served in a 1930's inspired champagne coupe:

For starters, we ordered oysters on the half shell.  The oysters appear to be accompanied by roe, but are actually garnished with "beads" of a mixture of tobasco, horseradish, mustard, and worcestershire sauce.  The beads provide the perfect pop to each fresh little bite (we dove right in and enjoyed a couple before remembering to snap a shot):

After the oysters we enjoyed an Adsum staple, the foie gras poutine.  Poutine, which originated in Quebec, is typically comprised of french fries covered in cheese crumbles and gravy.  Adsum takes this Canadian comfort food to the next level by using duck fat fries and topping the dish with a piece of perfectly seared foie gras.

My only complaint about this dish is the shallow "bowl" in which it is served.  More than once I almost knocked the entire thing into my lap when attempting to spear a fry off of the side rims.  Despite this minor hurdle, we had no trouble finishing every last bite:

While digesting our starters and waiting on the main course, B and I ordered off of Adsum's electic beer list (which includes Miller High Life Ponies!).  I tried the "Mamas Little Yella Pils" from Oskar Blues Brewery and B the "West Coast IPA" from Green Flash - neither were disappointed.

For our entrees, B chose the fried chicken while I opted for the pork belly tacos.  The tacos are technically listed on the starters menu, but I often tend toward a "tapas" mentality when dining out, ordering an appetizer or two to start and an appetizer as my entree.  The shredded pork belly in these bite-sized tacos is moist, with a nice hint of kick from the habanero garnish.

Despite the clever tactics which amp up many of Adsum's other dishes, the fried chicken is simple, to the point, and delicious. In addition to large cuts of breast and thigh meat, fried until golden crispy in what tastes like a buttermilk based batter, the dish is served with corn bread and collard greens.  Although B wasn't able to clean his plate at dinner, the chicken made excellent Sunday morning leftovers.

After enjoying a great meal at Adsum Saturday night, my friend JEG invited me to join her Sunday morning for a cooking class at La Cucina in Redding terminal.  I am embarrassed to say that this was my first time visting Redding terminal in the nearly three years I've lived in Philadelphia.  In addition to fresh produce and proteins, the market features made to order foods of various culinary persuasions.  If not for the shopping, I will definitely be back for the people watching:

Our class at La Cucina focused on brunch, featuring Eggs Neptune (Eggs Benedict with crab meat substituted for the traditional Canadian bacon) with aparagus, french toast stuffed with ricotta and mascarpone cheese, bananas, and chocolate chips, and an arugala and romaine salad with goat cheese and blackberries.  While other students whipped up the hollandaise, JEG mastered the french toast:

The end product was quite delicious, if I say so myself:

If you're looking to share a fun morning with friends, but you're sick of the typical brunch routine, I would highly recommend the classes at La Cucina: http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/news/article/46  Thanks JEG!