Day Tripper - New York State of Mind

One of the many perks of living in Philadelphia is its proximity to so many snazzy places. Philadelphians are within a two or three hour drive of the mountains, the ocean, and some of the coolest and most important cities in the world. With that in mind, the What is proud to present Day Tripper, our guide to the numerous fun trips you can take in and around the Philadelphia region.

New York State of Mind

 

Taking a day trip up to New York City is always a great time. Last time Day Tripper visited the Big Apple, we kept it touristy and stuck around Times Square. Now it's time to move on and check out another part of NYC. I had been itching to check out the Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum for awhile, and decided to combine the two for a nice walking tour with my pops. What we found along with the two main attractions led to a fantastic day trip.

Subway Serenade
The day began early, as I met my Dad at 30th Street Station around 8:30AM. Making the trip with someone who was just as interested in walking the legen-(wait for it)-dary Brooklyn Bridge and visiting the Tenement Museum definitely added to the fun. We hopped on SEPTA's Trenton line, departing at 8:49 and rolling into the Trenton Transportation Center around 9:30. From there, we hopped on a New Jersey Transit line headed into Penn Station in Manhattan, arriving around 11AM. One short ride on the A train took us to High Street in the heart of Brooklyn Heights.

Checklist - March 2012

The internet is full of magical, mystical things. So much, in fact, that it is sometimes hard to sift through all of the crap to get some decent information. In the interest of providing you with colorful ideas for everyday life, we here at the What present the Checklist so that you may find some helpful information from other sites along with a comic that makes us giggle.

Pizza + Beer = Happy
Mamma Mia Pizza Beer
Two of the greatest things on earth. The two reasons your friends will help you move. The two mainstays of any house party. Finally, they are together as one. A couple from Illinois took homebrewing to the next level when they created Pizza Beer. That's right, pizza-flavored beer. This is probably one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time, so check out their site and order some Pizza Beer!

Common Grammar Mistakes
Lit Reactor
There are more than enough websites, blogs, and such dedicated to poor grammar, but this one from Lit Reactor focuses on some of the more forgotten rules. Even the staunchest Grammar Nazi will be alarmed to find that they have been mistaken. I have probably broken several rules in this column alone. Regardless, check out these 20 Common Grammar Mistakes and improve your ability to correctly communicate.

French Bread Margherita Pizza

As always, the What is dedicated to presenting you with colorful ideas for everyday life. Many of our ideas are food-related, because we love food. Learning how to cook for yourself now that you no longer have your mom or your meal plan to provide your meals can seem like a daunting task. We at the What are here to show you that cooking can be fun, easy, and rewarding by offering up recipes like this from our personal cookbooks. As is the case with most of our recipe-based ideas, this one is simple and delicious, just like us.

French Bread Margherita Pizza

There are few things I enjoy more in life than getting together some fresh ingredients and spending a lot of time in the kitchen whipping them up into something delicious. But sometimes I just want to eat. Luckily, I was able to combine all of these things into a simple, quick, and tasty meal. You'll be amazed at how easy and yummy it is! So, in honor of National Pizza Month, here is the recipe for French Bread Margherita Pizza.

Ingredients
1 loaf of crusty french bread
1 tomato for slicing
EVOO
Garlic power
Oregano
Mozzarella Cheese (Part Skim)
TODAY'S SECRET INGREDIENT IS: 3 leaves fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. NOTE: I have also used the broiler, just keep an eye on the pizza so you don't burn it.
2. Cut the bread into four slices.
3. Thinly slice the tomato.
4. Drizzle the bread with the EVOO (Use 1 tbsp for accurate calorie count).
5. Place tomato slices on the bread.
6. Season with Oregano and Garlic Powder.
7. Sprinkle mozz on top of everything (1/4 cup for accurate calorie count).
8. Tear the basil leaves and toss a few onto each slice of bread.
9. Pop into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Calories: 630 per slice (This could vary depending on your bread. 1/4 of the loaf I use is 300 calories.)

Pizza in the City of Brotherly Love

“Pizza is a lot like sex. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good.” Whomever it was that said this was on the right track. Yet even though bad pizza can still be pretty good, it is still helpful to know where to go for the best pizza. Being that October is National Pizza Month, I felt that now would be a good time to highlight some of my favorite pizza joints in (and around) Philadelphia.

With that in mind, allow me to qualify what I am considering good pizza. To me, a decent pizza has a thin, somewhat crispy brown crust, a sweet sauce, and the perfect portion of mozzarella cheese. There are, of course, variations to this designation as pizza is quite the versatile food and can be served in a variety of ways. I will do my best to cover as much as possible, and I certainly welcome feedback as to which establishments you believe serve up the best pies.

Simply The Best Pizza

When asked what is my favorite pizza joint in Philly, I always immediately respond with Germantown Pizza, located where Germantown Ave. crosses 4^th and Jefferson streets in Old Kensington. Their crust meets the Goldilocks standard: just right. It’s crispy throughout with a nice, doughy edge. The guys at Germantown have found the perfect balance between mozzarella and their tasty sauce. It’s quite delicious. I’ve known several New Yorkers who, while usually snubbing Philly pizza, find the pies at Germantown to be just the way they like it. Aside from fantastic pizza, the staff is super nice and can boast a menu that has never let me down whether I’m ordering pizza, steaks, or anything else. Consider yourself lucky if you live in Germantown’s delivery radius, which stretches to Fishtown, NoLibs, and several other surrounding neighborhoods. If you’re not nearby, make the trip like I did when I lived in South Philly, it’ll be worth it.

Alternative Pizza

Family gatherings are always pleasant for many reasons, but one of the main reasons I look forward to having a bunch of relatives over is due to Marchiano’s Bakery. Marchiano’s is located at 4653 Umbria St. in Manayunk, which just so happens to be around the corner from my grandparents’ house. Nine times out of ten, when they come by, they’re bringing a tomato pie and some specialty breads. There’s just something about the sauce at Marchiano’s that makes it widely regarded as the best in Philly at preparing tomato pie. Furthermore, the talented bakers at Marchiano’s make some amazing breads stuffed with a variety of delicious things like pepperoni, cheese, cheesesteak, and so much more. There are few things more satisfying then scraping up the leftover sauce from your tomato pie with one of these breads. Be sure to swing by Marchiano’s before your next party, your guests will instantly fall in love with the amazing food you provided for them!

Me and Pizza Down by the Schoolyard

Enjoying Eddie's Pizza

When you combine a deep love for pizza with a fair amount of time spent on college campuses, you end up becoming something of an expert on which school has the best pizza. Call me biased, but no other school can lay claim to Eddie’s Pizza, found on the campus of my alma mater, Temple University. Situated in the outdoor food court next to the Tech Center, Eddie’s is the equivalent of heaven on earth for college students. Five bucks and five minutes gets you two slices and a drink for a quick bite between classes. Furthermore, the selection of pies rivals most larger pizza places in the city. I recommend a slice each of their chicken parm and BBQ chicken. In fact, Eddie’s is one of the few places that does chicken parm pizza the right way, with breaded chicken. While Temple may have a ton of potential places to stop for a bite, look no further than Eddie’s.

So Far Away – Pizza on the Edge of Town

With the holiday season fast approaching (don’t act like you haven’t seen the Christmas cards in Target), you may find yourself craving a slice far from Philadelphia and its fantastic pizza scene. Fear not, dear readers, for I have got you covered! For those of you who will make the trip to the Cherry Hill Mall, you’re only minutes from a pizza experience you’ve probably heard about on television but never experienced yourself. At 818 Haddonfield Rd, just around the corner from the mall, is Cici’s Pizza Buffet. For about seven bucks you have yourself unlimited pizza, pasta, breadsticks, salad, desert, and drinks. I first discovered Cici’s while living in Orlando and was beyond thrilled when one finally opened up in the Philly region. Should you decide to do some outlet shopping out in Lancaster county, you’re in luck. Not only are you near another Cici’s (2405 Covered Bridge Dr.), but also not too far from one of the best pizza places I’ve ever been to. In the world. Riviera Pizza is right off of exit 286 of the PA Turnpike on PA Route 272. Everything I said about Germantown Pizza is also true here, but Riv’s has the added bonus of seating. Speaking of added bonuses, if you do stop by and eat in the restaurant, you’ll get complimentary garlic knots with your pizza. To give you an idea of how much I like this pizza, I have ordered pies to go from Riv’s and driven them back to my apartment. In South Carolina. Now that’s some good pizza!

The Wind Cries Pizza

So, yes, bad pizza can still be pretty good, but no one should settle for anything less than the best. Certainly there are many more quality pizza establishments in the Philadelphia area, and you now have my opinion on where to find the best. I welcome any pizza joints you suggest so that I might try them out myself. Even if I didn’t mention your favorite place, give one of these pizza parlors a shot and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Take Me To The Pizza

Germantown Pizza – 215.232.0100 – 1517 N. 4^th St. Phila, PA 19122

Marchiano’s Bakery – 215.483.8585 – 4653 Umbira St. Phila, PA 19127

Eddie’s Pizza – 215.763.8028 – 1835 N. 12^th St. Phila, PA 19122 

Cici’s Pizza – 856.910.2424 – 818 Haddonfield Rd. Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Cici’s Pizza – 717.392.2740 – 2405 Covered Bridge Dr. Lancaster, PA 17602

Riviera Pizza & Restaurant – 717.336.3879 – 1405 N. Reading Rd. Reamstown, PA 17567