Entries from September 2007 ↓

In theory, a good set of knives should be all you need to turn out finely sliced, evenly shredded, and uniformly diced food.

In practice, many of us who own really good knives know that this theory is not bulletproof. In my kitchen, there is no knife that will cut it when the result I’m after is perfect vegetable strands for simple Japanese-inspired garnish or salad. But thanks to a recent purchase of Cook Help, a vertical turning slicer made in Japan by Benriner, strands are literally billowing off my kitchen counter.

The Cook Help slicer looks like the object of one of those late-night infomercial pitches, and its instruction leaflet promises more than I thought this relatively light-weight tool could possibly deliver. Lightweight in this case does not mean wimpy—this is a simple, efficient, and easy-to-use engineering marvel.

There are plenty of online outlets selling the Cook Help for around $50, including fantes.com. If you’re in or near Philadelphia, go directly to Fantes Kitchen Wares in south Philly and pick one up in person. It is a GREAT store that sells absolutely everything you want and many things you don’t even know you want (yet). [Fantes, 1006 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia, PA]

I’m wary of restaurant recommendations that mention the food as an afterthought. In the case of South Philadelphia’s Victor Cafe, my pre-dining research turned up a number of reviews that invariably zeroed in on the off-menu speciality of the house: its opera-singing wait staff. And the truth is, food at the Victor Cafe is decidedly not the draw. But the odd thing is that I left the place last Saturday night feeling it was worth the visit.

Billing itself as the “music lover’s rendezvous,” the Victor Cafe spices up your dinner with arias on the side. The performances are given by the wait staff who respond in turn to a bell, the signal that a musical interlude is about to be served up. The stage is a small landing that bridges sets of steps separating the Victor Cafe’s two dining areas. When the singing begins, accompanied by piped-in recordings, forks go down, table service stops, and for a few brief minutes, the singing waiter is the star. Transitions are seamless: once the aria is delivered, the singer is back in character as your attentive waiter. As the website says, the Victor Cafe is “a unique dining experience.”

In a word, the food at The Victor Cafe is ok. In two words, it’s overpriced ok. But don’t let that keep you away. Order a simple pasta. Enjoy the house chianti. You may even find yourself giving your singing waiter a big bravo and a nice tip.

The Victor Cafe, 1303 Dickinson St., Philadelphia, PA 215-468-3040