Garces Trading

It's been too long, my friend. In the midst of a Neapolitan pizza revolution in Philly, I'd forgotten the companionship and comfort of that most deepest of dishes, Chicago style. Luckily for us, we don't have to catch a flight to Midway to get a taste of Gino's East or Lou Malnati's (though I can verify that the price of the ticket is well worth it). We can get something almost as good as the original right on Locust Street. 

With his Windy City roots, Chef Garces is baking up an incredibly close rendition of the Chicago legend at Garces Trading Co.  I offer the following words of advice: This will not be a quick meal. This will not be a light meal. You will not be able to finish the whole thing - unless you've got several hungry friends.  The pizza will take about an hour to cook, so bring plenty of wine to keep your whistle wet. In the meantime, there are plenty of amazing appetizers to keep you busy.

When you first walk in, you're greeted by the meat counter and the olive oil tasting bar. Don't be shy about helping yourself to some samples of the various oils & vinegars. You can take home a bottle of anything you like. The "house" olive oil served with their fresh bread is better than you're going to see on most tables in this city. A pinch of salt sprinkled ever so lightly over the oil sends your taste buds over the top like dough boys on the Somme. You could simply nosh on this till the pizza comes.  

But man cannot live on bread & olive oil alone. Well, you probably could but there is so much other good stuff to try. Do get yourself a cheese plate. You can order as many cheese as you like for $7 a piece, but the cheaper option is to go with chef's selection - $15 for 3.  We had a great Valdeon, which is a Spanish cheese that is pungent and bluer than Louis C. K.; a soft cow, goat & sheep's milk combo called Rocchetta that was out of this world; and a Tomme Crayeuse that was firmer and tasted a bit like smoked gouda. 

Complimentary Iberico ham for the FoodBaby? Thank you very much. Imported directly from Spain, I started getting flashbacks to Madrid and bar hopping through late night tapas joints. This is the real thing. Literally melting in your mouth with the most luscious, nutty flavor imaginable. This is why I get out of bed in the morning.  

A surprisingly good smoked trout appetizer with apples and fennel escabeche. I say surprisingly because even the wifey liked it - and she's not usually a trout fan. The smoke is not overwhelming, and the skin has a great crispiness to it. Slivers of charred fennel, marinated in vinegar, and slices of granny smith add a tart counterpoint to the delicious fish.

  

Ah, the main event. The deep dish. A proper thick, baked crust that holds it's vertical integrity. Thank god they cut it for you or you'd never be able to get a piece out. The side angle shot lends some cred to the magnitude of this thing. I also love the image of the cheese oozing out the side, seeking relief from the weight of the toppings above. If you plan on having more than two slices, you better wear your eating pants.  Give your pizza a few minutes to cool, and the slices should hold their form.  It's knife and fork time from here on out.

You've got a good selection of toppings to choose from - artichokes, peppers, bacon, chorizo & sausage can all be had. We went with spinach and mushroom and were not disappointed. The tomato "sauce" has an amazing depth of flavor to it - understandable since it's described on the menu as a confit made from San Marzanos. It's thick and chunky, not smooth or runny in the least bit. What seems like pounds of mozzarella and gruyere lurk at the bottom, on top of that perfect crunchy yet somehow still soft and chewy crust. Like viewing rock striations at a geological dig, each forkfull is a near perfect cross-section of pizza mountain.  

There is of course an entire menu of other options at Garces Trading - none of which will take an hour to make. And just about everything on the menu is worth coming in for. The deep dish is pretty stellar though, and worth your investment of time and $30. They serve wine now, but still let you BYO or utilize the in-house wine store to pick up something last minute. The cheese and meat counters are rivaled only by DiBruno's for their quality and selection. Take your time and sample some parma ham, truffled olive oil, or some funky French cheeses.  You really can't go wrong here.

Food Baby Rating:  Triplets!

Garces Trading Co.

1111 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-574-1099

http://www.garcestradingcompany.com/

DiBruno's

Psst...wanna know a secret?  DiBruno's - the greatest cheese shop in all the land - offers private tasting events to anyone willing to plunk down $40. These are after-hours affairs with a "you see it, you can try it" ethos. They don't actively advertise these, you just have to know about it.  Making the night that much cooler and more exclusive.  Even so, they are booked up for months - so you'll have to wait your turn to get in on the action.

It works like this - you pay $200 for the first 8 people, then $40 per person for each additional person. The tasting events are only in the 9th street location and you can bring as many friends as you like, but more than 25 would probably get cramped.  Two or three of the cheese mongers will stick around after their shifts end to guide you through the various antipasti, meats & cheeses. They'll prepare plates of specific salumi and pairings to pass around (goat cheese & roasted beats, duck prosciutto, pork belly come to mind) and let you sample just about anything that doesn't need to be cooked. The antipasti bar is extensive - every type of stuffed olive and pepper imaginable, roasted veggies, pickled everything, all laid out for you self-service style.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the choices? Here's a good strategy. Camp out in front of the cheese section and just start pointing at things. They will unwrap and let you sample any and all of the cheeses. One of the things that they do best at DiBruno's is steering you in the direction of a cheese that speaks to you. They honestly believe that there is a cheese for everyone and they'll ask you questions about what you like and don't like, and find something for your particular palate.

Oh, did I mention it's BYO? Bring as much wine as you like (and remember to share with the cheese mongers). You've got two hours to ingest as much parma ham, taleggio & stuffed olives as your pants will allow.  I'm sure there's a few cases of gout walking around Philadelphia as a result of these tastings.  You also get 10% off anything you buy at the end of the night. It's not a huge discount, but it sounds really appealing after four glasses of wine. "Sure, get what ever you want honey!"  That pile of cheese became a small pyramid by the time we were being rung up. 

The cheese mongers could not be nicer and more accommodating. Rocco & Mike made sure that everyone was well fed. We had some last minute additions show up - so they were probably a bit short staffed. You wouldn't have known it by the amount of food they sent over the counter though. On top of that, they took the time to explain each of the cheeses, sample a bit themselves, and help find something that each person loved.

This is probably the coolest place in the city to host a get together. Forget bowling. A night at DiBruno's would be the ultimate birthday party. Remember when your parents took you to Chuck-E-Cheese when you turned 7 and you were so excited you thought your head would explode? It's kind of like that, but with better food and minus the creepy animatronic mice. 

DiBruno's
930 South 9th Street in the Italian Market
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-922-2876
http://www.dibruno.com/

cheese monger porn

DIY Cheese

I love cheese. Everything about it. The stinky stuff. The raw milk kind. The moldy stuff. I love cheese. I love walking around DiBruno's, talking to the mongers and sampling a great aged goat from Spain, a blue from Neal's Yard in England, a triple cream Brie from France. And now I love making cheese. The process is easier than you think, and with the help of a home kit, you can have fresh ricotta or mozzarella in less than an hour. Seriously. 

The wifey found the Urban Cheese Craft shop on Esty, and I was instantly intrigued. For $25 you get everything you need (except the milk) to craft multiple batches of your own home made fromage in a convenient Happy Meal shaped box. 

One gallon of whole milk makes one batch of cheese - 1-1/2 lbs - you decide if it's going to be mozzarella or ricotta. We chose ricotta for our first batch, since it's quicker and easier.

Step 1.) Heat the milk, salt and citric acid up to 185* in a big stock pot, stirring often to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Once it reaches temperature, the curds and whey should start to separate. Turn off the heat and let it set for 10 mins. 

Step 2.) After waiting the 10 mins, strain out through a cheesecloth lined colander. You have to work the colander around a bit to get all the liquid out. 

Step 3.) Let the soon-to-be cheese rest and drain in the colander for 30 mins. 

Step 4.) With the ricotta fully drained and cooled, it's ready to be scooped out of the colander. This was a little tricky, as it really likes to stick to the cheesecloth. Patience is a virtue with cheese. Trust me though, it'll be worth it. 

Step 5.) Eat! We spread the ricotta on sliced rounds of warm ciabatta. Having cheese this fresh is really fantastic. Rich and creamy, salted to your taste. This is soooo much better than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Pick up a tub at Claudio's and it'll set you back $10 and still won't be as fresh. DIY cheese is absolutely worth the time if you've got a lazy Sunday coming up soon. 

The gallon of milk yielded enough ricotta for our snack above, plus a mean lasagna I made based on a recipe out of Marc Vetri's cookbook. The lasagna had a layer of the DIY ricotta mixed with spinach, underneath a layer of sauted eggplant, pureed with breadcrumbs and an egg. All this between sheets of home made pasta made the Vetri way. By far the best lasagna I've ever made. I'll post the full recipe later this week. 

Check out the Urban Cheese shop on Etsy.  You can buy kits for queso blanco and paneer, goat cheese and other supplies like extra muslin, rennet tablets, and citric acid. Let me know how your own stuff comes out! Yeah Cheese!! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/urbancheesecraft

-T.Kaso