VittlesVamp

I Went To Lancaster And All I Got Was A Pretzel

The title of this post is wholly inaccurate. Even if it wasn't, that was one heck of a soft pretzel. Lancaster's Shot and Bottle delivered on that front.

There is no question that I ate and drank well on a recent trip to Lancaster, PA.

The real win? An Italian spot called Luca. We were so impressed during our dinner there that we promptly made a reservation to return the next evening.

Yes, it was that good. Even my before-dinner drink was stellar...

...a Torino 'Sbagliato' Bianco, combining Antica Torino Bitter with Vermouth Bianco. A refreshing sipper to start the meal.

And, here are just a few dishes that inspired me and my pal to return for "seconds" the following night.

Let's start with a take on the classic Beef Carpacccio...

---in this case, made with wafer-thin slices of melt-in-your-mouth tongue, the meat brined for several days with garlic and peppercorns, and then braised until tender. Served over a slathering of bone marrow aioli, then showered with toasted bread crumbs and fresh herbs, this could have been the dinner's showstopper. Would have been. Except for what came next.

How could you resist this? Housemade Gnocchi with sweet corn, smoky pancetta, shishito peppers, grana pandano cheese, and some slices of summer black truffle to take it over the top.

Try to top that? Well, one way would be with Rabbit and Heritage Pork Sausage, cooked on the kitchen's wood-fired grill and served with summer beans, fennel, olives and cherry tomatoes.

And, what's for dessert? Was too full for a sweet from the chefs, but couldn't resist one from the bartenders...

This concoction is called an Espresso Nonna, a heady, not-overly-sweet meal capper that marries Averna amaro, anisette liquor, fresh espresso, and orange bitters, shaken till icy cold. Strained into a Nick and Nora with an orange peel twist, it went down awfully easy.

As you can see, it was worth a return visit. And, if I am honest, if we'd stayed any longer in Lancaster, there may have been a third visit to Luca. And, if I am completely honest, I would say that there might have been another pretzel from Shot & Bottle on the docket too.

Puebla By Way Of Philly

For those that pay close attention to this blog, you may recall that I took MamaVamp to South Philly a couple years ago to indulge in sublime Mexican food at Chef Christina Martinez's Casa Mexico.

We were more than overdue for some killer Mexican in the City of Brotherly Love. This time around, I took her to a spot called El Chingon.

This place is not just a gem - it's a full-on treasure.

Just take a look at our app above, Remolacha. At the base is Sikil Pak, a creamy, smoky dip made of pepitas. Piled on top are perfectly marinated beets, along with avocado, darkly roasted and sliced thin. Add a bit of goat cheese crema and caramelized sesame seeds, and I promise that you won't give a moment's thought before grabbing one of the crispy Totopos to start scooping it into your trap.

As if that wasn't enough, we had two entrees.

Whoa.

Let's talk about the Tacos Arabes. As pictured below, these were sourdough tortillas filled with pork marinated in fresh herbs, a spoonful of chipotle salsa atop. A few rings of grilled onion sat alongside, a caramelized, sweet addition if desired...

And then there was the Cemita - a classic Pueblan sandwich - which in this case was a Cemita Pierna Adobada.

This was a thing of pure beauty. It started with the bread. That's right. This is served on a homemade roll made by El Chingon's Chef/Owner Juan Carlos Aparicio who used to bake bread at Rittenhouse Square's Parc. This bread was gluten-filled gloriousness. It was stuffed with Adobo-rubbed pork butt, a slathering of ayocote beans, red onions, avocado, a slice of grilled pineapple, and a shower of shaved Oaxacan Quesillo cheese.

To be clear, I plan on eating each and every item that Chef Aparicio offers. It won't happen any time soon. But it will happen.

A birdie told me that he wouldn't say "no" to opening a branch in New York City. Well, I would not say "no" to that.

I have a feeling that El Chignon would fit in with the NYC food scene quite nicely. After all, the name translates to "bad ass." And the food that Chef Aparicio serves is bad ass, indeed!