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Get Your Goat

1210176114Most people appreciate an awesome chicken taco, and with Philadelphia’s taqueria era in full bloom these days, many of us have come to love pork tacos, too. But that’s hardly the width and breath of what can be folded into a tortilla.

The Cantina Los Caballitos, sister bar-restaurant to Royal Tavern, offers a goat-stuffed taco in addition to the regular suspects. The unusual meat takes well to a slow braise; it’s shredded into tender bites before becoming part of the final dish. The goat tacos are savory and rich, with notes that detractors might call gamey.

Goat meat is hardly sweeping the restaurant scene, but you can find it in restaurants as fancy as Vetri, where a baby goat is spit roasted, and as casual as South Street’s Caribbean Delight, where the hearty protein gets the spicy curry treatment.

Image, photos.com

 

What to Drink: Danie de Wet Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2006

1194275088Chardonnay is so strongly associated with the toasty, bourbony flavors of oak barrels, few recognize its flavors when it’s made crisp and clean in stainless steel. This South African beauty is crafted in the model of the original French unoaked chardonnays, like chablis, pouilly-fuissé or macon-villages. Crisp apple and pear flavors are accented with smells of macadamia nuts and fresh bread. But, despite the absence of butter and dessert spice notes, this wine’s textural richness screams chardonnay, bathing the palate in liquid custard.

At nearly 15 percent alcohol, this is Limestone Hill chard — $11.99 at Pennsylvania state specialty stores — is a great white for a chilly night, more apt for serving with risotto than with a salad. Try it with white meats, like pork and chicken, or firm-fleshed fish, like snapper or striped bass. It’s viscous texture and understated flavors call for rich recipes that aren’t heavily seasoned.

Image, wine.co.za

 

Restaurant You Forgot About: Tequila’s

1193945496Where to eat dinner when you didn’t plan ahead? A forgotten restaurant, those no-longer-new, not-quite-classic places where the food is still solid and the atmosphere is still up-to-date, but the crowds are gone.

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Special Delivery: Ice Cream

20person_hershey.jpgIf the neighborhood Wawa isn’t close enough for you, it’s now possible to have ice cream delivered to your door. New Jersey-based Send Ice Cream will ship a full sundae social — complete with scoop and napkins — anywhere. “I’ve shipped cakes to Alaska and sundaes to Hawaii,” says co-owner Joe Masters, who marketed the 76ers before turning his attention to ice cream.

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What to Drink: Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve 2004

TD081507.jpgPinot grigio has grown hugely popular over the last decade, but few of its fans have tasted the “original” style, of which the Italian version is but pale imitation. This grape is native to France, where it is called “pinot gris,” and is a particular specialty of the Alsace region along the German border. Here, this grape gets riper and far more flavorful than anywhere else in the world. Pinot grigio may be known for its delicacy, but Alsace pinot gris delivers opulence and flavor intensity.

Among Alsace wineries, Trimbach is not the largest, but it certainly has the greatest reputation. Long a leader in the region, this house is run by the 12th generation of the Trimbach family and honors regional tradition over modern wine fads. Their pinot gris is opulent in texture and displays a hint of sweetness. Aromas of orchard fruits, like peach and nectarine, mingle with floral hints of honeysuckle. A lovely partner for spicy foods, like chicken curry, this $18.99 pinot gris is also outstanding with cold summer dishes like poached salmon or cold roast chicken.

 

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