"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus

It seems to have gone from summer to autumn overnight.  Along with a chill in the air came the close of the Phillies' post season.

At the game we had some delicious eats including a hot dog on a sesame bun with provolone and broccoli rabe...

Chicken tacos...

We also had some hot dogs from the vendors.  Some of the people in our row made an intelligent use of their beer bottles...

And there were some awesome hairdos in the audience...

The Phils lost but we had a great time anyway.

The following weekend we took my brother-in-law and his fiancee to dinner at Amis.  We ordered wayyy too much food including buffalo ricotta, baked pecorino with almond honey, prosciutto wrapped figs with fresh ricotta, Sal’s old school meatballs with tomato potato, almond dusted sweetbreads with fennel marmalade, tonnarelli “cacio e pepe” with pecorino and black pepper, rotini with wild boar ragu and pears, squash lasagna, pappardelle with oyster mushroom ragu, veal milanese with arugula and parmesan, and roasted skate with lemon puree and fried brussels sprouts.

The buffalo ricotta, the veal, and the rotini fell a bit short, but everything else was simply fantastic.

[the group]

The next day B and I went to Philly's Blocktoberfest.  In partnership with the South of South Neighborhood Association, South Street West Business Association, and Bella Vista Beer Distributors, Blocktoberfest is a not-for-profit event that features beer, food, and local music, with beer proceeds directed back into a variety of education initiatives tied to area schools and students.  We had some pumpkin ales at the "pumpkin patch"...

And we stuffed our faces, starting with the kimichi burger from the Chewy's food truck (paired with tater tots)...

Followed by a grilled cheese from the Say Cheese food truck...

And finished by a hotdog topped with chilli, cheese, and mashed potatoes from the Dapper Dog food truck.

The grilled cheese was pretty blah but the burger and dog were knock your socks off good.

Fall boots, pumpkin ale, and great food without having to worry about bathing suit weather... fall couldn't have come sooner!

"Hey hey good lookin, whatcha got cookin?" - Hank Williams Jr.

Last weekend B and I stopped by the Headhouse Farmer's Market.  The market runs from 10-2 every Sunday and features delicious fruits, veggies, baked goods, meats, cheeses and more.  Not only can you pick up groceries, but you can grab a tasty taco, lemonade, or sausage.  We picked up some pork chops, rainbow chard, and butternut squash that B used to whip up a couple great meals.

With the pork chops and rainbow chard he made a simple and delicious dinner.  The pork chops he tossed in salt, pepper, and Mediterranean spices and pan-fried in butter before baking. 

The rainbow chard he simply sauteed with oil and garlic.

With the butternut squash he used this recipe to make a delicious soup that made great lunchtime leftovers.

We also made a great brunch this weekend - pancakes for me, breakfast tacos for B.

For these pancakes just take bisquick, add a teaspoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a cup of mini chocolate chips, half a cup of black walnuts, and a cup of chopped strawberries, top with chopped strawberries, drizzle with Mrs. Butterworths and enjoy!

For the breakfast tacos B just pan-friend onions and green pepper, broke up the meat in sausage links and browned that in the pan, and then added eggs and cheese to make a scramble.  In addition to adding the mixture to taco shells, he topped with homemade guacamole:

4 ripe avacado
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes tabasco sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic glove
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and small-diced

Cut avocados in half, remove pits and scoop flesh into large bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Immediately add lemon juice, tabasco, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and toss.  Add tomatoes, mix well and immediately serve.

“I miss the days when summer vacation was about relaxing and hanging out with friends. Now it’s all about working and squeezing your friends in when you can.” Unknown

I love Philadelphia, but one of the major drawbacks about living up north - aside from the winters - is that I do not get to see/talk to my dear high school friends nearly enough.  This September, however, I was lucky enough to have a couple catch-up weekends in a row.

First, a couple of my pals came to visit me in Philly.  Upon their arrival we freshened up and headed to Friday Night Flights, a wine tasting that is held every Friday night at IL Bar in Ristorante Panorama at the Penn's View Hotel.  For $25 IL Bar features half a glass of 8 different wines as well as appetizers and cheeses.  As an added bonus, the sommelier is on hand to explain each flight.  We had a great time and I will definitely be back.

After the tasting we gathered up some of my Philadelphia girlfriends and we headed to dinner at Koo Zee Doo. 

[me and my gal pals after dinner at Koo Zee Doo]
After another fantastic meal, we capped the night with some drinks and a tiny bit of dancing at 700 club.

 [B and I at 700]

 [the girls getting down]

On Saturday after brunch at Farmacia and a day touring around Philly, B and I took the girls to Tinto for dinner.  We had a fantastic meal as always (we were having so much fun I didn't even think to pull out my camera to document the food), and we watched an old classic - David Bowie's The Labyrinth.

Thankfully, our goodbyes were short and sweet because two weeks later I was down south for my high school reunion.  First stop, lunch from Groucho's. 

My favorite sandwich, the all-turkey Apollo, is nothing fancy - just turkey on a fresh-baked roll topped with melted Swiss and dipped in Groucho's 45 sauce (essentially an herb-infused spin on Russian dressing).  That said, it just makes my day.

Next stop, the "kick-off" happy hour and dinner at Terra with some girls.  For starters we split the artisan cheese plate and the BBQ Lamb Shoulder Stuffed Mac & Cheese Gratin.

The cheese plate was nothing out of the ordinary but the mac and cheese was to die for.  Made with bbq lamb, poblano peppers, and fontina and goat cheese and topped with toasted bread crumbs it was rich, creamy, zippy, and delicious.

For dinner a couple of the girls ordered the duck confit pizza and I had the "quack madame."

The duck confit pizza, topped with caramelized onions and port-soaked cherries, was a unique but yummy spin.  The "quack madame" - toasted brioche topped with duck confit, caramelized onion, and a fried quail egg served with arugula salad - was a similarly quirky-yet-tasty take on a traditional dish, here the croque madame.

After dinner we capped the night with a couple of drinks at a local bar, Jake's.

[us after dinner at Jake's]

Saturday one of my pals KNE and I went to brunch at The Gourmet Shop.  In addition to great food, the Gourmet Shop has a pretty extensive wine shop in the back which does tastings every weekend.  Since one of our high school buddies works in the wine shop, we stopped in for a tasting after mimosas and salad plates (chicken, pasta and fruit for me, chicken pasta, and green for KNE).

[professional at work]

After the tasting we headed home to freshen up before heading to Gervais and Vine for the main event of the reunion weekend.  While attendance was a little sparse, we had some good appetizers and a great time catching up with old friends.

[me and my pals]

Capping off a great weekend with friends, my mom, sister, brother and I went for brunch at Motor Supply Bistro.  I had a fantastic buttermilk biscuit topped with creamy housemade sausage gravy and scrambled eggs over grits.

As always, my trip down south flew by too quickly but as always I had a wonderful time.