Catharis (Or the best way I ever spent a Tuesday night)

Okay, Tuesday. Worst day of the week, right? Yes. Irrefutably yes. Me and science have long agreed on this point.

But. At least for this Tuesday, I found the cure. A People’s Choir. That is, as many people as can fit into a bar singing along to the songs the organizers put on. And not just any songs, but an excellently curated mix of classics and recent hits that you definitely know the lyrics to. (Or at least know well enough to mouth along and bop to, if you have a terrible Dory memory like me)

This month, in honor(?) of Valentine’s Day, the theme, which changes every time, was break-up songs. We began with the ever-classic N*SYNC, sang along to some Alanis Morissette, Paul Simon, CeeLo Green, No Doubt and Toni Braxton (among others) and finished with the most out-of-tune, yet passionate version of ‘I Will Survive’ I’ve ever had the pleasure to sing along with (and awkwardly half dance to).

This is truly the perfect event for anyone who loves Karaoke but can’t hold a tune or fears the pressure of performing. Also, if you’ve recently got so into your shower sing-along jam sesh that your neighbors have complained, I’ve found your outlet.

Upcoming events can be found on Twitter and Facebook. Organizers will suggest a theme, but anyone is welcome to provide song ideas. See you next month?

Eating My Way Through Philly

Philly won my heart because I could tell immediately that it’s a place where people love food and take a lot of pride in what they’re serving you. And it was a breath of fresh air to go on Yelp and rarely see any poorly-rated restaurants because lately I’ve been pretty down on DC’s food scene. Sure, there’s some good restaurants and nice markets, but walking into any restaurant and having a meal is a gamble since the quality varies a lot. And too many of the good restaurants are quite expensive. It’s been a bit of a transition coming from St. Louis, which while probably not generally thought of as a food hot spot among the general public, had a great mix of good restaurants with different cuisines and at varying price levels.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been having this conversation a lot with people, asking what they think about DC’s food scene and trying to understand what makes it a bit underwhelming. Some of the things that come up are: the transience of much of the city’s population and restaurants that cater to tourists or politicians and not to the majority of residents, among others. And as far as I can tell, there’s no real “DC” food or culinary identity, apart from Ben’s Chili Bowl. This article, while almost two years old now, I think really gets at some of the things going on in the food scene here.

Anyway, that was a long-winded way to say that I was stoked to be in Philly with its good food and related traditions. Before going, I got a few recommendations, and people there were equally as generous, offering their opinions on where we could get the best cheesesteaks, donuts, etc. While I didn’t have a bad meal anywhere, the highlights were definitely the meals I had at two of the city’s biggest markets.

Reading Terminal Market

A crazy dessert tower by Chocolate By Mueller, also home of the chocolate-covered onion (maybe next time, I’ll work up the courage to try that…).

A foodie’s dream, this public market located centrally in the city is housed in a former train terminal and has hundreds of stalls of varying types: dessert and candy stalls, Thai food, Indian food, bulk shops, sandwich places, meats, cheese, flowers and anything else you can dream of.

I visited here a few times and had a great turkey reuben from Hershel’s East Side Deli, as well as tried a few sweets from different stalls, but everything looked fantastic. I don’t think you could go wrong. The longest line in the place was Beiler’s Bakery, where you could watch the bakers frosting some of the most delicious looking donuts you’ve ever seen (and this is coming from someone who rates donuts pretty low on my list of calorie splurges).

Italian Market

Paesano’s Arista Sandwich. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go here immediately and eat a sandwich.

What a wonderful place. The day I went, it was freezing, but that didn’t stop the outdoor vendors, selling fruits, meats, fish and more, nor the eaters, who were braving the cold to eat at stands along the street with no shelter from the whipping winds. This whole area was full of tiny markets, like the wonderful DiBruno Bros., that were selling mixes of pasta, cheeses and meat. And places were packed with people eagerly shopping. Definitely a place where people care about the quality of their food.

And speaking of quality: Paesano’s. They claim to be “Philly style sandwiches with Italian inspiration,” but a more accurate would be the simple “Best sandwich ever.” I had the Arista, which had awesomely tender suckling pig, broccolini, Italian long hots and provolone. It was enough for two meals (had I not been starving) and was only $8. Did I mention yet how much I love the food scene in Philadelphia?

Any places I missed? What should be on my must-eat list next time I visit Philadelphia?

A Weekend Getaway to Philly

So last weekend was the last long weekend for a couple of months (going by federal holidays at least), so a friend and I decided to take a getaway to Philadelphia. Neither of us had ever been, and its a quick and painless bus ride from DC (about 3 hours on the way there, a bit longer on the way back because winter.)

Having never been, we considered our housing options. A cheap hotel? A hostel? Try and find something on Air BnB?

Well, after some checking around and price comparison, we ended up staying a really nice hostel with a super convenient location in Center City, The Philadelphia House. From the moment we arrived, it had a really friendly vibe. A bunch of people, staff and visitors, were hanging out on the ridiculously comfy couch chatting and joking like old friends. The woman who greeted us at the front desk was incredibly helpful and spent a good amount of time asking us about our interests and giving recommendations of places to check out. The rest of the staff was equally as pleasant and helpful the whole time.

The location was excellent as well. We took the Megabus to Philly and the Greyhound out, and the hostel was conveniently located on the Market-Frankford line, which meant both were just a few stops away. It was also a quick walk to all of the main tourist attractions (Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, lots of museums and other historical sites), and a number of bus lines passed right by, making for easy transportation whether we were feeling cold or just lazy.

The other pluses: a free happy hour every night (yes, they have a keg refrigerator and Jenga), coffee in the morning, nice rooms and comfy beds each with charging areas, the fact that the staff was always cleaning so it never felt dirty (impressive when you’re at capacity and have thirty-some people passing in and out), a well-supplied kitchen, reasonable quiet hours (SLEEP), and an interesting cast of characters, including lots of au pairs down from New York for the weekend.

It was the first time in a while that I’d stayed at a hostel, and my first hosteling experience in the United States, and I’d definitely stay there again. The only catch was that the reservation and payment through Hostelworld doesn’t include local taxes so that was a bit tricky because you basically lose your deposit. Booking directly through their website is the way to go.

Can I spot a liar? Nope.

3 of these people are honest, one of them’s a scoundrel, and the other’s the host. Can you tell who’s who?

Can I spot a liar? Nope. No way. No how. But as with trivia (which, despite playing for months, and trying really hard, I am currently batting a .00000 at), being remarkably bad at the activity (in this case, spotting the swindler) does not keep me from wholeheartedly enjoying the Perfect Liars Club.

The set up? Four storytellers, all hilarious, take to the stage to recall something that happened to them. Three stories are true…one is not…

And then what? After each spends about 7 or so minutes telling their story, there’s a brief intermission so you can dissect the stories with your companions. Do someone’s dates not add up? Were someone’s eyes shifting to the left a bit too often? Do you just have a gut feeling that Mr. Mustard did not do it with the candlestick in the library like he claims?

Well, good. Go ahead and interrogate the “suspects.” See if their answers to your doubts are satisfactory.

And then? Then you can vote on who you think is the phony. Chances are, you’re wrong.

Think you could get it right? Check out next month’s Perfect Liars Club at the Bier Baron, a charming location with great beer. But only if I’ve got my tickets already. Cause it sells out monthly.