Supper on South Street

October 13, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

On my trip to Philadelphia, I had a few precious hours on Sunday afternoon in which to soak up as much of the local culture as possible. After a mad dash to the Historic District to visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell, I made my way to South Street. South Street is an eclectic, bohemian neighborhood which has managed to maintain a historic look through years of gentrification. Some of the building facades with their stripped paint have a decaying quality while brand new structures like the Whole Foods grocery store serve as a focal point for the funky blend of South Street residents.

As I meandered my way past tiled mosaic exteriors, bars and boutiques, I almost walked past Supper. I had not eaten except for an apple at the airport so I was famished. I took a quick glance at the menu posted on the window and instantly knew I had come to the right place. Supper is a chef-owned restaurant that “serves seasonal farm-direct American cuisine.” Through a partnership with Blue Elephant Farm, a privately owned organic farm, they cook with and serve fresh produce grown exclusively for them.

Providence was with me because it happened to be Restaurant Week and Supper was serving a four-course meal for $35.

The Beverage

River Horse Double Wit, a Belgian style wheat brew with orange peel, lemon peel and coriander. Brewed in Pennsylvania.

The Hors d’oeuvre

Sriracha deviled eggs, freshly-baked rosemary bread and sweet cream butter.

First Course

BE Farm greens and herbs salad with ben’s apples, smoked chicken cracklins, cornbread croutons and buttermilk dressing.

Entree

BE Farms farro risotto with butternut squash, caramelized apple and mint.

Dessert

Butterscotch bread pudding with poached pears and spiced whipped cream.

Location

Supper is located at 926 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, in the South Street Headhouse District.

The Streets of Philadelphia

October 11, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

I was in Philadelphia for a business conference the first full week in October. I arrived as early as possible on Sunday and had a few hours of daylight in which to see as much as I could. I managed to visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell. Here are a few highlights.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Collage — Left: Weathervane atop Independence Hall. Right (Top & Bottom): Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber.

Assembly Room Collage — Top: Assembly Room where the delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. Bottom: The black walking stick belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Right: Independence Hall was the site of many key events in American history.

Liberty Bell — The inscription reads, “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof” Leviticus 25:10.

Liberty Bell / Eternal Flame Collage — Left: The Liberty Bell weighs 2,080 pounds, is made of bronze and its strike note is an E-flat. (Source: http://www.nps.gov) Top: A historical building covered with ivy. Bottom: The eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Liberty Bell / Mosaic Collage — Left: A tiled mosaic covered the facade of a building on South Street. Right: The bell last rang in 1846 to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. (Source: http://www.nps.gov)

Ben Franklin Bench @ UPenn — Statue of Benjamin Franklin on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Should you find yourself in Philly, I highly recommend these historic sites. The National Park Service provides information on operating hours and things to see and do. If you plan to visit Independence Hall, you will need tickets. They are free but you have to reserve them.

Nangellini’s in Philadelphia

October 7, 2012April 18, 2014 | Verónica

As many knitters do, I like to buy yarn from places I visit. More than a postcard, it helps me remember a certain place. When possible, I buy local – fibers from local farms, hand-spun, locally-dyed yarns. In a short Sunday afternoon, I made a beeline to Nangellini’s on the hip and quirky South Street in Philly. These are my souvenirs.

Super Something Hand Spun, by Nancy’s Custom Spinning (that would be Nancy, the owner). Made from strands of Merino and a Merino, Mohair, Silk combo plied together; 90 yards, 146 grams, 5.14 ounces. Nancy has a special bartering arrangement with a local dyer. Nancy spins, the dyer dyes and they each keep half of the fiber.

Nangellini’s Best.Batts.Ever are made from fine fibers including Merino, Mohair and Silk with a little Firestar for that hint of sparkle.

This is Nancy, owner, spinner, knitter and overall cool person. She explained that “Nangellini” was a childhood endearment her father used for her. When I asked if I could snap a photo, she agreed and grabbed that skein of hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn for the occasion. (I almost bought that skein). If I lived in Philly, my needles and I would hang out at Nangellini’s.

My memories of Philadelphia will include Independence Hall where the Constitution of the United States was signed, the Liberty Bell with its famous crack, workshops on leadership at the Wharton School at UPenn, a visit to Gettysburg, and yarn from Nangellini’s.

Super Sweet Blogging Award

October 6, 2012October 6, 2012 | Verónica

Such sweetness! Agujas was nominated for the Super Sweet Blogging Award. My teeth hurt just from looking at all that sugar! A HUGE thanks goes to Knitting Revolution for sharing this award with Agujas.

In accordance with the rules, I will answer these five questions:

Cookies or cake? Cake, definitely cake. I love German Chocolate cake, Coconut cake, Italian Creme cake. Cake, cake, cake!
Chocolate or vanilla? It has to be smooth, creamy vanilla. Did you know vanilla comes from an orchid?
Favourite sweet treat? Easy. Cold, sweet ice cream.
When do you crave sweet things the most? Late at night.
If you had a sweet nickname what would it be? Caramelo (in Spanish).

{Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

I am also delighted to nominate twelve sweet blogs for this award:

Now all I need is a glass of milk!

Our Honeymoon in China

October 2, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. — Mark Twain

Walking ten thousand steps is better than reading ten thousand scrolls.
— Chinese Proverb

Our Honeymoon

One dream became reality followed quickly by another. Our first dream turned into the happiest day of our lives on our wedding day. We then embarked on a trip of a lifetime to China. This is a collection of images from that dream-like journey east.

Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai

The Yuyuan Garden dates back to the Ming Dynasty. It covers approximately five acres with winding paths, pavilions, rocks, and water elements.

The Streets of Old Shanghai

Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai

Pudong District

The futuristic skyline of the Pudong District with the Oriental Pearl Tower at its center. We took in the view from the observation deck at night.

Three Gorges Dam

Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric power station. The first picture is one of the ship locks. The water levels are controlled to raise and lower ships passing from one side of the dam to the other.

Yangtze River

Cruising along the Yangtze River through Xiling, the longest of the Three Gorges. We cruised past Goddess Peak along the Wu Gorge. Notice the lone figure standing at the top of the cliff in the second picture, hence the name. At several intervals, we could see coal being extracted from the mountains. The “mist” which gives the mountains an ethereal look is mostly pollution.

We saw farmers plowing along the mountainsides close to the water. We were told that entire villages had been transferred from one side of the river to the other ahead of the rising waters upon completion of the dam. Entire cities would be under water, like sunken ships in the depths. Brand new bustling cities were built to replace the old towns and villages.