Dear Adam,

I have to admit it. When I first tuned into this season’s Next Food Network Star I was skeptical about you, our hometown hero. The Smoked Joint, the now-closed barbecue restaurant you owned, was barely a hit. (But maybe that had more to do with its cursed location than the cooking.) And I still remember the restaurant’s use of inappropriate slogans — “Now that’s a great rack” and “Nobody beats our meat” — which hardly inspired me to start your fan club.

But somehow you won me over. Maybe it was your glee when you correctly identified the acorn-rich diet of black Iberico pigs. You graciously credited your education at Amada, where you’ve worked as a server. Maybe it was when you were being constantly cut down for your cooking while other competitors were clearly in worse shape. Maybe my Philly pride got the best of me. No matter. By the season finale, I was enthusiastically rooting for you.

I think you were robbed. I’m sorry you didn’t win your own show, but I’d be happy to see you bring your new celebrity and approachable cooking style back to Philly. Just pick a better location this time.

Sincerely,
Joy Manning

It’s hard not to get swept up in the creative cocktail wave washing over the city. One of our favorites, the Green Day Martini at Table 31, recently came off the menu. Our source tells us it will be back on in a couple of weeks, but why wait? We’ve got the recipe for this refreshing cucumber-infused gin martini.

3 slices cucumber
1 tsp. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
2 oz. Hendrick’s gin
1 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix (available at your area Wine & Spirits Shoppe)
Ice

In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber with simple syrup. Add gin and sour mix. Fill with ice, shake and strain into martini glass. Serves 1.

Prosecco is the name of a white grape and, more deliciously, the light-bodied Italian sparkling wine made from it. Brighter and fresher in style than rich, toasty French champagne, this slightly sweet, fruit-forward sparkler makes a brilliant aperitif or a perfect partner for canapés and simply prepared summer produce. Among proseccos, Villa Sandi’s Prosecco di Valdobbiadene ($9.99) represents a terrific value. As crisp and refreshing as biting into a green apple, this low-alcohol bubbly is a great choice for afternoon picnics.

Back in the April issue, I sang the praises of The Ugly American on Front Street. I recently revisited the place, and I’m happy to report that while the menu has changed significantly, the food is every bit as good as it was back when I paid my initial visits.

I sampled several new items, including duck nachos with black beans and a spicy chili sauce; a trout sandwich with cucumbers and remoulade on house-baked black bread; and a salad of frisée, sautéed wild mushrooms, a poached egg, creamer potatoes and a lemony truffle vinaigrette. I was disappointed to see that the apple pie and cheddar ice cream I loved before was no longer on the menu, but the in-season blueberry buckle with house-made vanilla ice cream was an equally delicious dessert.

Image, Beef on Wick. Photography by Jason Varney

When I go out on a reviewing meal, I strive to keep the situation favorable for accurate tasting and observing. I bring a companion who will follow my ordering instructions. I steer my server to the table that offers the best view of the operation. I eavesdrop on my fellow diners to gauge the crowd. And I sniff, a lot.

Because, as anyone who has ever tried to enjoy food with a stuffy nose knows, smell is 90 percent of taste. Aroma and flavor are inextricably linked. Nothing throws a bigger roadblock up during a review meal more than a nearby diner reeking of perfume or cologne. Diners are asked to follow some rules with regard to smoking and dress codes. Why not a fragrance ban as well?

The tongue-in-cheek “House Etiquette” section on the menu at Midtown Village’s Apothecary playfully remonstrates patrons whose perfumes and colognes interfere with other guests’ olfactory experience. But it’s a suggestion diners should take seriously. For the sake of your meal and mine, I beg you, refrain from fragrance when dining out. It’s enough to make garlic mashed potatoes taste like they’ve been seasoned with rosewater.

Lassi, a cool Southeast Asian beverage based on yogurt and often enhanced with sugar, salt, fruit purée or spices, is almost as good as a milkshake for a chill-down during summer heat waves.

You can find lassis at Indian restaurants or markets. Some of my local favorites include Tiffin’s sweet lassi, a tall drink of sweetened (but still tart) yogurt, and Bindi’s cool and tropical mango lassi. But the best selection of lassis is at Nanee’s Kitchen, an Indian-Pakistani restaurant stall at Reading Terminal Market with a refrigerator full of the cool yogurt shakes in unusual flavors like rose and cardamom.

Image, wikimedia

Distrito, the latest venture from chef Jose Garces — of Amada and Tinto tapas fame — opens today. Can’t get a seat in the custom VW Beetle that promises to be the restaurant’s top table? Try Garces’ recipe for esquites, a Mexican corn dish that Garces serves with tacos, at home.

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Iron Hill Brewery brings New England to Philly with a classic lobster bake. All summer long, $24.95 gets you over a pound of Maine lobster, littleneck clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, steamed fingerling potatoes, corn on the cob, and enough butter to bathe it all in. (For diners with more dainty appetites, they also offer a half lobster bake). Looking for a way to wash down your lavish meal? Iron Hill recommends pairing the meal with a seasonal ale, like their house-brewed hefeweizen or their refreshingly-light Belgian wit. So, kick back and enjoy a taste of Maine — without the eight-hour car ride. — Liz Behler

Image, Iron Hill Brewery

I’m a food fan if not a sports fan, so I was excited to get my first (belated) taste of Citizens Bank Park this Saturday. I sampled a frosty cup of sweet-tart lemon ice from Philadelphia Water Ice, Tony Luke’s famous roast pork with provolone and greens, a cheesesteak from Rick’s, and crab fries from Chickie’s & Pete’s.

The fries were less crisp and seasoned than what you’d get in the restaurant, but Tony Luke’s roast pork sandwich delivered all the garlicky goodness I expected. The Phillies? Well, they lost. At least the ballpark offers craft brews like Victory and Flying Fish to ease the agony of defeat.

Image, rickssteaks.com

There are so many ways gazpacho can go wrong. Summer’s most refreshing, cold soup is usually based on tomatoes and cucumbers, but it’s often made unpalatable with additions like too-salty tomato juice or mushy summer vegetables. Luckily, Rae’s unconventional white gazpacho evades all the pitfalls. Chef Daniel Stern bases his chilled soup on light tomato water and puréed cauliflower, and serves it alongside a salad of thin strands of celery root, plump strips of tomato and bite-size pieces of cauliflower. It’s better than air conditioning on a sticky summer day.