October 17th, 2007
Ida Mae’s, located at Norris & Tulip streets in Fishtown, has been open since late March of 2007. Initially open for breakfast and lunch, they briefly opened for dinner but are once again breakfast-lunch only. I’ve heard comparisons to some of the better breakfast spots in the city, and I can’t disagree. Ida’s space itself is intimate and cozy, which might mean cramped if you’re used to the wide open spaces of places like Cheesecake Factory. Every item i’ve tried on the breakfast & lunch menus has been very good, with the highlights being the blueberry pancakes, local meats, and juevos rancheros. The breakfast and lunch menu typically tops out in the $9 to $11 range.
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May 25th, 2005
3401 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19104
(215) 382-2221
Ah yes, Mad4 takes me back to my college years…I think hitting the 4:30-6:30 happy hour here actually made my “going to sleep early” issues worse, because I’d be trashed before the sun went down and in bed by 8pm three or four days a week. Big Ass Margharitas? Cilantro wings? Crappy service from retarded pot heads? aaaah, those were the days…Actually, Mad4 has a decent beer selection (yards and/or victory likely are there, sometimes random odd balls that are favs of mine like rogue or arrogant bastard) and it actually is the only place right now I’ll get wings. But most of the novelty is in the memories….
Bathroom Rating: minus 15 out of 5 stars. Most likely place to see random pee and vomit, most likely bathroom to wait in line or people to use the stall to vomit before you can get in.
Pubcrawler Review
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May 25th, 2005
Corner of Cedar, Norris & Susquehanna Sts.
Philadelphia PA 19125
UPDATE 10-17-07: Crazy Fish closed down months ago, and the building & liquor license, along with the 4-unit shell next door are for sale - package deal is listed for $600k. Lots of potential, but a tough price to get in the current real estate market though.
CF’s strongest point: right across the street from my house. I will never give this bar a bathroom rating because I will never use the bathroom BECAUSE it is right across the street from my house…and on that note, the beer on tap here is surprisingly good, Yards India Pale Ale on a hand tap? Pretty dang fancy for the fishtown/port richmond border. The crowd is normally weird and old and wasted, but CF is NEVER crowded, so its the ideal bar to stop by when you’ve got a small crowd that needs space, there’s ALWAYS space at the Crazy Fish, take over the bar, take over a few a tables, its allll yours. And again, right across the street from my house!
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May 25th, 2005
1201 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
UPDATE 10-17-07: Since the previous review, JB’s has expanded with an impressive upstairs music venue on the 2nd and 3rd floors. 2nd floor includes a bar, the stage, and some mingling room. 3rd floor has a balcony overlooking the stage and some tables with seating. I’ve heard the next project is knocking through to the newly-purchased building next door on Girard, and adding a more comfortable dining space. Oh, and there’s outdoor seating now too!
My favorite things about JB’s: great modestly priced beer collection on tap, lots of local favs like Yards, almost always a Dogfish on hand. Although generally over populated by folks who look a wee bit too old to be pulling off those mini-skirts/art student
glasses/fishnet stockings/cowboy boots whatever outfits they’re wearing, its still better than the Old City holier than thou crowd. By far. Also a joint that would majorly benefit from a smoking ban in Philly, but I digress…the food here is kinda weird and very tasty, also, its SO dark even if you’re kinda creeped out by the octopus or whatever you ordered, you absolutely can’t see it, which kinda takes the edge off. The menu also ranks high for my “foods I wouldn’t eat sober” list, mostly for the random seafood items. Bathroom rating: 3 stars. Not bad. Not great. Close enough to home that if I could hold it I would. No random vomit or pee though.
Philly.com Review
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May 23rd, 2005
632 E. Girard Ave.
Philadelphia PA 19125
215.423.1773
If you like greasy over-cooked eggs slathered with semi-fancy toppings (bleu cheese and bacon anyone?) and super thin nummy pancakes, Sulimay’s can’t be beat. Low prices (like back home over the mountain and through the woods prices) and moderately friendly but prompt staff (and in the land of fat nasty diner waitresses, these ladies are downright cute and cuddley). Also I can walk there. Bathroom rating: I don’t know, I can walk home, yay!
City Paper Review
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May 23rd, 2005
1516 Sansom St. 2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 569-9525
Best. Beer. Ever. Only beer that doesn’t cause Sara a crippling hangover. Never crowded to the point that its uncomfortable or pisses me off, moderately dark and dingey, contains church paraphernalia, friendly service, delish food, Sunday Jazz Brunch, who could ask for more? And for that random midnight drunken urge to try something you wouldn’t eat sober, they have YUMmy mussels (at least I think they’re yummy, I know they’re spicy enough that I accidently touched my eye once and couldn’t see on the way home). Bathroom rating: 5 stars, two ladies’ rooms and I’ve never been walked in on or sat in pee/vomit. Yay!
Pubcrawler Review
CitySearch Review
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