Entries Tagged 'Travel' ↓

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

Fresh back from nine days in the U.K., I launch my latest foray into blogging and my return to writing about food. Two days in London and seven in Edinburgh were restorative in the best sense—a time to connect with my husband Mark in holiday mode, to reunite with our friend Susan, and to be part of a fortuitously well-matched group of seven Americans sharing a flat in Edinburgh.

Among our adventures, we got an inside look at Buckingham Palace, enjoyed a scenic train ride across England to Scotland, took in a performance of the oh-so-Scottish Tattoo military music review in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, and celebrity-sited Tom Hanks at afternoon tea in the Balmoral Hotel. And most memorably, we ate some great food—Japanese, Indian, Nepalese, Thai, Spanish, traditional Scottish pub food.

Once we discovered Broughton St., around the corner from our flat on Hopetoun St., it was inevitable that we would also do some cooking. The street is home to some interesting shops and restaurants, but none more appealing than the food vendors. A butcher shop offering Scottish sausages and meats, a small but well-stocked organic grocery, and a fishmonger with a whole window full of fresh fish inspired us to see what we could pull off in our simple kitchen. Continue reading →