Capitol Grille

The best steaks around, without a doubt, Capital Grille, their menu consists of high quality beef. Capitol Grille is one of few restaurants in the country that serves dry aged beef and dry ages the beef themselves. Between this 14-21 day process the beef becomes more tender and more favorable. By doing so, Capitol Grill has control over the meat from the time they purchase it to the time they served it. Which is why I highly recommend this restaurant. Besides the fact they serve my all time favorite, Lobster Mac N Cheese, you can top any dish off with fresh lobster or crab. They hold a strong reputation for not only high quality food but also high quality service. I have been to three different Capitol Grilles have always had a great experience.

 My most recent meal was in Philadelphia.

 

 

Located on

1338 Chestnut St

 

I usually always start out big, especially at Capital Grille. They are known for their fresh selection of seafood. I always have the worst time deciding whether I want crab cakes, the raw bar (consisting of raw clams and oysters) or their famous lobster bisque. So to make things easier on myself, I get all three, by choosing the Seafood Tower.

 

Fresh Lobster, Crab Meat, Oysters and Clams

 

 

Every now and then I get a salad, this time I chose the Wedge with Blue Cheese and Applewood Smoked Bacon. It was perfect, my favorite part was the bacon.

 

 

The Wedge Salad

 

 Sometimes I can't help myself and squeeze in a soup , how could I not.















 

French Onion Soup

 

And as for the grand finale, below you see the Filet Oscar, served with lump crabmeat and drizzled with Capitol Grille's house-made Béarnaise. This steak was so tender and juicy, I was completely satisfied.

 

The Filet Oscar

 

I paired my main dish with my favorite, gooey Lobster Mac N Cheese and more Asparagus, cooked to perfection.

 

 

 

And in case you are wondering your answer is No, I did not eat this entire meal by myself, lol. Below is my sister's entre of choice, her favorite is the Filet Mignon topped with Lobster.

 

 

Filet Mignon topped w/ Lobster



 

Capitol Grill is amazing, but I will be honest with you, it is quite pricey, but to me it is worth every penny. Between the dinning experience (the staff makes you feel like royalty) and consistency of fresh, delicious, artfully crafted food, you can not go wrong with Capitol Grille. I would also recommend Ruth Chris and Fogo De Choa a Brazilian Steak House, both are located in Philadelphia.



Teca

I tried out Teca for the first time and it was amazing. Located in the heart of West Chester Pennsylvania, on 38 E. Gay St. Their menu is influenced  from different regions of Italy. There is plenty to choose from on the menu and the service was excellent!

 

This is the first restaurant that offered me both grilled and fried Calamari, I was thrilled.
















Crab Meat Neapolitan, layered with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Avocado, and Mango Salsa

Specialty Arugula Salad topped with cured meat and Italian cheese "Formagio"





Vitello alla MilaneseBreaded veal Cutlet, Crispy Pancetta, Fontina Cheese, Tri-Color Salad, Lemon Olive Oil


 

Gnocchi alla Fiorentina Spinach, Parmigiano and Ricotta Cheese infused Gnocchi, Parmigiano Cream Sauce, this was my favorite. The sauce was so rich and creamy, the Gnocchi's were fresh and full of flavor. What a perfect dish.

Portion sizes are great, you will not leave hungry, great Italian food and awesome atmosphere. I look forward to visiting Teca again soon!

Whit Dog Cafe

 

 

 

I was in Philadelphia when I came across the
White Dog Café.
 Located at 3420 Samson St. The White Dog Café is know for it's contemporary American cuisine and for  purchasing only the freshest ingredients from local farmers. I heard of this restaurant many times and decided to give it a try and this is what I ordered.

I chose the Beet Salad 

 

Crisped slices of granny smith apples, lightly fried tofu, and creamy goat cheese crumbles on top of a bed of fresh organic arugula









and the appetizer special of the day, Oysters on the half shell.

I assumed the Oysters were going to be raw but the black caviar made up for it and they were still a knock out.

 

I later learned that all the restaurants fruits and vegetables are purchased from farms that do not participate in the use antibiotics, pesticides, hormones and other harmful chemicals. HORAY!            I will definitely come back to The White Dog Café, Two Thumbs Up!



Random Seafood Fest Anyone ....?

I was craving seafood and so I decided to have a Seafood Feast. Here you see broiled Salmon, sautéed Asparagus, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Scallops sautéed in butter and perfectly seasoned JUMBO shrimp. It was amazing :-) !

The Food Network's "Chopped".

               The Food Network is my favorite channel to watch. I enjoy watching......


Top Chef

Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsey is hilarious!

and my favorite of all time Chopped. Yes, Chopped.

Panel of Judges

 Chopped is about four chefs, all competing for $10,000.There are 3 rounds and each round is timed.
The first round is 15 minutes and  both second and third rounds are 30 minutes. The competition is fierce the Chef’s must prepare an Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert for a panel judges based on creativity, presentation and taste. Chefs come from all over to compete for the $10,000 prize and of course to become a “Chopped Champion.

The best part is the four chefs must create nearly perfect dishes from a basket of mystery ingredients. The ingredients are usually something you or I have never heard of and wouldn't dare to use. Such  as Japanese Mayo, Black Chicken, Goat brains, Cactus Flower Buds or Durian. Which makes the show so entertaining... you have a group of chef's forced to make outstanding dishes, with limited time and unfamiliar ingredients to a panel judges who are award winning chef's.

BLACK CHICKEN

The chefs have access to a nearby pantry and fridge that is full more common ingredients, such as parsley, onions, apples, balsamic vinaigrette, cereal, flour and so on. In addition the pantry is filled with gadgets, food processors, blenders, a glass freezer, a ice cream maker and much more. So you constantly see the chefs running back and fourth to the pantry for kitchen tools and ingredients. They may run into another, slide or fall, and sometimes they will get mad at each other for using all of an ingredient from the pantry like parsley, or for taking up too much time at the ice cream machine, because there is only one.

The Pantry

In the mist of all this madness they must not burn or over cook their food and most importantly not forget to leave any mystery ingredients off the plate once their time is up. If a chef fails to include all the mystery ingredients on the plate when the clock runs out they will automatically be "Chopped", eliminated. My favorite part of the show is every time the Chef's open the mystery ingredient baskets, when they look inside and their faces look as if they have seen a ghost :-D !They either do not know what the ingredient is, or they do not want anything to do with it, hilarious!

Although what I really love about Chopped is that it introduces me to ingredients I have never heard of or seen before. Some of the ingredients that I may find repulsive are every day ingredients or delicacies in other parts of the world. I also enjoy watching the winner accept their title as "The Chopped Champion", I can only imagine how they feel, how rewarding. And for those of you who have not seen Chopped, give it a chance. You can watch Chopped with anyone, grandma, dad, boyfriend or sister and it will be one of your new favorite shows.

Chopped Champion: Jun Tanaka

My Purpose Behind Creating a Blog

I have always had a passion for food ever since I can remember. Growing up I was always encouraged to try new foods from different countries such as Vietnam, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Jamaica and Mexico. I have always been intrigued to learn and try different cuisines from around the world. I also enjoy introducing these cuisines to friends and family and now you. I created my “Fun Foods with Afia” blog to invite you to try restaurants and dishes you would not normally choose. Many of the dishes I try are authentic and unique. I created a blog that everyone could relate to and something that I truly enjoyed, Food.

 One of my favorite dishes
Vietnamese Grilled Squid.

Pho!

This is for all you soup lovers out there and for those of you who want to try something new, authentic, unique and inexpensive? It’s called “Pho”, a traditional street beef noodle soup from Vietnam.  Pho, like any other soup consists of broth, but it is the flavor of the broth which makes Pho stand out from traditional beef or chicken noodle soup. The flavor is like no other, the broth contains several herbs such as clove, star anise, cilantro coriander seed, fennel, cinnamon, black cardamom, and ginger that makes Pho unique and delicious. It also contains rice noodles and beef or chicken. It then comes with a plate of bean sprouts, lime, jalapeno peppers and Thai basil leaves, which you break into pieces with your fingers and add to the Pho.

 In the past Pho was not as well-known as it is today.  After the Vietnam War, refugees brought Pho to several countries, such as Paris, Canada and Australia. Pho became very popular in the United States in the 1990’s, beginning on the west coast, such as California. Eventually the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam improved and Pho restaurants opened up across the U.S. Today Pho is listed at number 28 on "World's 50 most delicious foods" compiled by CNN Go in 2011.

One of my favorite Pho restaurants to eat at locally is called Anh Hong Pho and Café. Conveniently located at 7036 Terminal Square, in Upper Darby, minutes from the 69^th Street Terminal.  I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone, Anh Hong Pho and Café has been opened for 5 years now and the Pho is amazing. Their Pho is always fresh and I have never had a bad meal. The staff is friendly and attentive, I always receive my Pho within 10 minutes and sometimes less. The prices are extremely fair for the amount of food you receive. The Pho is less than ten dollars and you will not leave hungry.  The restaurant has grown very popular in the Upper Darby neighborhood. Every time I eat here I see a new face, on my previous visit I saw an old high school friend. She was sitting at a table next to me, devouring a bowl of Pho, which I though was pretty cool. This is a great restaurant to meet new friends, catch up with old ones and great for families, even if you have little ones.

When you first walk in to Anh Hong Pho and Café, you will notice it to be a casual atmosphere with beautiful Vietnamese music playing in the background. The pleasant smell of fresh herbs will be present throughout the restaurant. Then you will be  greeted by a woman behind a counter, you will say how many people and she will signal the waiter, the waiter will greet you and seat you and however many people. If they are not too busy you can sit at any table you like. Once you are seated you are welcomed with menus, hot tea and water. The most basic Pho you can order and that I recommend for first timers is the Steak Pho, but if you want to be adventurous you may add other meats like Meatballs. The waiter will enter your food order into the computer, while you are waiting he will drop off a small plate of bean sprouts, jalapeño peppers, lime and Thai basil leaves. When he brings your Pho to the table, you add your side plate ingredients, to increase the flavor.  

                                                             

Don’t be alarmed if your steak looks a little on the rare side, because the broth will be steaming hot and it will cook the meat thoroughly on its own, again to add more flavor. Then once the Pho has cooled down a little you reach for your chop sticks (or fork) and Vietnamese soup Spoon. Holding the chop sticks in one hand, you wrap the rice noodles and meat around the chop sticks, then using your other hand you dip the spoon in your broth, you then bring them together in your mouth for an unforgettable and delicious taste. Then after you have finished cleaning out your bowl (which is likely to happen), the waiter will clear your table and leave you with your bill, or if you want you can go right up to the register to pay.  I am certain you will find this Pho to be very satisfying and as you leave you will have huge smile on your face. And possibly add this restaurant to your list of great places to eat.