Category Archives: Food

Loving the Lobster Roll

I grew up in Connecticut, the home of expensive real estate, insurance companies’ headquarters, New Haven-style pizza and the WWE.  One thing that is not native or common to Connecticut is the lobster roll.  Unlike most of the rest of New England, lobster rolls have never caught on in the Nutmeg State as an essential food item.  Maybe it’s because lobsters don’t naturally swim in the Long Island Sound.  Maybe the Connecticut waters are too temperate for their blood.  Maybe Connecticut restaurants are too cheap to import lobsters from Massachusetts and Maine.  Who knows.

All I know is that ever since trying a lobster roll for the first time in Boston earlier this year, I’m hooked.  In their most basic and generic form, lobster rolls are chunks of lobster meat (from the claw, knuckle, tail, etc.) placed in a buttered, top-split hot dog-style bun with some mayonnaise or butter  and perhaps some celery thrown in.  There are variations, including the style of bun, the use of mayo or butter and the spices and vegetables used.

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a kitchen Adds to Now-Bustling 18th Street

Not long ago, the 18th Street area between Walnut and Chestnut had limited options for dinner and drinks.  Sure, during the day, there were establishments such as Tony Jrs. and Wrap Shack, but at night, some restaurant closures left the area somewhat lacking life.

That’s all changed in the past few months.  First, a few months ago, Stephen Starr’s Dandelion added the variety of  an English pub.  Then, in just the past two weeks, there have been two major additions, with the long-awaited Serafina, the new outpost of a New York-based Italian restaurant group, and a kitchen, a new concept from David Fields and Bryan Sikora.

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Why the Roast Pork Sandwich From John’s Roast Pork Is City’s Best

On the occasions I have to drive somewhere in the local surrounding area for work, I try, if possible, to hit up lunch places that I’ve been meaning to try.  One place, though, that I make as repeat visits as I can is John’s Roast Pork in South Philly.

If it’s possible to be both well-renowned and yet relatively unknown, John’s falls into this category.  Considering the place has been serving up terrific food for over eighty years, it may be surprising that it’s stayed under the radar.  Only in the past year have shows on Travel Channel and Food Network featured pieces on John’s.  The main reason, of course, that John’s Roast Pork has received less notice, both nationally and regionally, is accessibility.  It’s located on Snyder Avenue near Columbus Boulevard (right by Lowe’s, IKEA and other stores) and is only open on weekdays from breakfast to mid-afternoon.  You can’t swing by there after work to get dinner or at any time on weekends.  There’s no near notable tourist destinations for increased foot traffic, and it’s not in any residential neighborhood.  And despite receiving increasing accolades for its sandwiches, John’s Roast Pork has no immediate plans to expand its hours from its initial roots of catering to shipyard and area workers.

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