Skeptics swooned when Snackbar’s Johnny Mac left to assume the head-chef position at Dan Clark’s recently opened UK inspired, Pub & Kitchen. I however, am a huge fan of the chef’s work and assumed that he could do no wrong, especially if he brought along the brussel sprouts.

There has been some scuttlebutt in the form of whispers and blog posts claiming that P&K is now offering the best burger in the city. Being a self-proclaimed authority on Philly burgers, I decided it was time to investigate these charges. The fabled ‘Windsor Burger’ is simply written on the menu with the sub-text ‘Pork belly and English cheddar’ and costs a somewhat average $12. I found the use of the term ‘pork belly’ to be strange, because typically in the UK, bacon is made from the side or back meat of the pig.

After settling in and choosing some local microbrews from the ten or so on draft, we ordered the burgers (one cooked to medium, the other medium-rare) and a side of onion rings. The food took about 15 minutes to arrive and the burger was presented in perfect open-faced fashion with bottom bun and patty covered with melted cheese and three strips of bacon, and the top bun with bibb lettuce, caramelized onions and tomato. The accompanying fries were fresh cut and seasoned, delicious but nothing to write home about.

Great presentation aside, the artistry of a perfect cheeseburger lies within the meat itself. The first bite reveals a flawlessly crafted patty, moist and fluffy and literally dripping with juices. We were slightly disappointed after realizing that both burgers were cooked a bit past the temperature we ordered (the medium-rare had only very little red) but the consistency and flavor of the natural, vegetarian fed cattle used just blew us away. Add the perfect crunch and saltiness of the pork belly, sweetness of the caramelized onions and soft, gooey cheddar and you will realize two bites in that this IS the best burger in Philly.

The onion rings were also some of the best I’ve ever tried, seemingly tempura battered, and knowing Johnny’s knack for a slightly eccentric spin, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. I definitely recommend getting over to Pub & Kitchen to take the challenge, and let me know in the comments if you think it’s the best burger in the city. The rest of the menu reads like a gastro tour de force, including Fish & Chips, Lobster BLT and Fried Chicken with biscuits and gravy. I’m thinking a return trip will be happening real soon.

Next Tuesday will mark the return of Ignite Philly. The event which was first introduced in the spring by The Hacktory, P’unk Ave and Make:Philly, features presentations from local forward thinkers in an interesting format. Each speaker has 5 minutes to display 20 slides which transition automatically, making for a very to the point presentation. Josh Kopelman, the original founder of Half.com, Managing Director of First Round Capital and most importantly, Philly-area resident, will be hosting the event.

This is a great place to make friends and network with great people from the Philly area. The last event was a wild success with the entire upstairs of Johnny Brenda’s packed, so get there early, and make sure to come say hi! If you can’t make it, there will be a live video stream which I will post the link for later.

Event Details:

What: Ignite Philly II
When: September 23rd, 2008 - Doors 6pm, Show 7pm
Where: Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
RSVP: Facebook

Glen Macnow of 610 AM traveled around Philly and indulged in a whopping 45 cheesesteaks to find his 10 favorites. Coming in at #1 was John’s Roast Pork and Steve’s Prince of Steaks in a close second. For years I’ve been calling these my two favorite cheesesteak places. Surprised to see Dalessandro’s so low on the list, especially under Slack’s Hoagies which shouldn’t even be on there in my opinion.

I’m honestly concerned about Macnow’s cholesterol levels though…

The week of March 7th-16th is officially Philly Beer Week which is deemed by its organizers as “A celebration of America’s Best Beer-Drinking City”. Check out these interesting facts about Philadelphia from their site:

• Nearly every local craft brewer reported double-digit growth last year.
• We drink more Belgian ale than Brussels.
• Thousands of visitors travel to Philadelphia every year just to hoist a glass.
• It employs no fewer than 16,000 workers, produces $422 million in wages and $122 million in taxes.

Head over to the official site for a calendar of events, festivals and special dinner menus at some of Philly’s best restaurants.

Phillybits has some really cool pictures of the lunar eclipse taken from the city last night. The skies were surprisingly clear outside my apartment and I caught a pretty good glimpse. It’s times like these that I really wish I had a telescope.

Three weeks flew by and I already find myself packing to go back to Philly - work and school. It’s going to be a pretty hectic week as I’m working on getting a NEAT Receipts beta product out to 150 testers and I start classes tomorrow at 1pm.

I enjoyed my time relaxing with old friends and my family. I got to see my niece Lily way too many times (a good thing) and I’m so amazed by how fast she is growing up. As much as I feel hesitant to get back to the city, its just my fear of change and I know I’ll love it once I settle into the daily grind.

Now that I’ll be on a somewhat more regimented daily schedule (ie not drinking all night and sleeping all day) I hope to update this blog more often. I’m going to start carrying my camera with me so I can capture more of my every day life.

Here we go.