Jeff for America

Despite being away from family for the holiday, this past week has been a real delight. I was grateful to be in the company of two of my closest friends (my roommate Erika and fly-in friend Gina) and had the benefit of Skyping and talking to all of my family back home. Things aren’t the like they used to be, but what is, anyway?

Gina and I made a go of it and left a trail of menus in our wake. Our relationship (like so many of my relationships) is based on food and the joy that we derive from sharing a good meal and conversation. There’s really no better way to capture the week, so here’s a play-by-play of our edible Thanksgiving journey.

Gina got here late Tuesday night. After waiting for me at the airport for a bit (she thought I was picking her up, I thought she was cabbing it over), she figured it out and was at my doorstop by 8 PM. Within the hour, we were at Urban Saloon on Fairmont for a bite. To start things off, I ordered the Tater Tots with melted cheese, chives and bacon. Deadly combo that is literally irresistible. May look gross in print, but it’s delicious on a plate. Trust me. We split Crab Cake Sliders and chatted about everything and anything, from boyfriends to work drama and what ifs. By 10, I could have sworn I was back home.

It was Wednesday morning, and my school traded days off – Veteran’s Day for the day before Thanksgiving. The house was empty and I wanted breakfast. Thankfully, I had prepared for such an event. That morning’s menu had only one item: banana pancakes mixed with crushed cashews and topped with Nutella and dipping syrup on the side. Just the way to start a long day in the city.

Our first order of business was to apply for a PA driver’s license downtown. My CA card expired on my birthday, and to make a long story short (and less embarrassing) I needed to get a new one pronto. We hopped on our bikes and headed for the DMV. To my surprise, extremely efficient and fast. Within 45 minutes, they hole punched my CA license, took a new pic and delivered me a new plastic card. We could learn something here.

By the afternoon, we had grabbed Indian food at Reading Terminal and toured the Philadelphia Fabric Workshop & Museum. The museum was a random discovery but ended up being a highlight of the day – really interesting art and a great venue. Look it up and check out the felt cave installation (literally a small cave made of felt…with stalagmites and all).

Thursday was the big day – Thanksgiving was here. Erika and I had already gathered all the ingredients to make the goodies, so it was just a matter of time. Hanging out on the couch, half-watching Home Alone, we managed to pull it off. I was in charge of the stuffing (family recipe), Gina took care of the potatoes and Erika did everything else (good job, Erika). It was a meal for 10, and there were only 3 of us – but we’ll have leftovers for a while now. I just made a black bean turkey burrito for dinner.

It was a Friday night and we somehow found ourselves in a hip noodle bar in Manhattan. We weren’t planning on it, but Gina’s boyfriend Thomas had worked here during his stint in New York and slipped  a gift card in her luggage for the restaurant. Thanks to Thomas (thanks, Thomas), we picked through the impressive menu and filled up. The restaurant chain also includes a “milk bar” aka dessert shop, so we stopped by on our way out. I tried their marshmallow chocolate chip corn flak cookie and old fashioned donut soft serve ice cream and just about melted. A bit too sweet, but damn good.

But we didn’t go just for the food – we also managed to eBay some cheap orchestra tickets to one of my favorite bands of all time: Guster. They were playing two nights in New York from their most popular album “Lost & Gone Forever,’ and we spent the rest of the night signing and dancing. Most everyone else just stood there. Made us feel special.

The weekend was already here, and we started to feel the distance creeping up. Gina had just one more meal on her wish list: Edamame Ravioli from Buddakan. I’ve posted about the ravioli’s before and named them one of my favorite things in 2008. I still love them and am determined to make them at home one day. All in all, a perfect ending to a perfect week.

Gina left this morning, albeit a bit late. We slept through the alarm and she missed her flight. She somehow managed to get on the next flight (just an hour later) and arrived home safe and sound. And full.

- Jeff