Philadelphia is My Home

14
Jun

Sonsie in A.C.

Author: Momish, Category: Atlantic City, Dining Out, Jersey, The Shore

Here’s a little tidbit about me - I was not born in Philly.

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No, I was actually born in Atlantic City. My mom’s side of the family is from there. So, naturally, I am one of those people that take off for the shore every weekend I can get away. Considering AC is practically Little-Philly-On-The-Beach and summer is finally here, I thought it would be good to tell you about a great place we ate at last weekend.

I don’t know if you have had a chance to check out the new pier at Caesar’s, but there are tons of great shops and restaurants there. We wondered around for a bit before we decided to eat at Sonsie.

I had never heard of this place before, but apparently the original restaurant is in Boston and has quite a reputation. It ended up being an excellent choice and I will definitely be heading back there again. Here’s why:

First off, the service was exceptional. Everyone was courteous and attentive beyond our needs. And that was despite our jeans and constant queries of “how much is that” or “what does that cost”. They didn’t even scoff when we sulked and pouted like small children because we wanted a booth with a view. (Plus I refused to eat my dinner staring at a blown up picture of some woman’s nostril. If you go there, you will see what a mean. They call it “art work”).

Anyway, dining out is all about the food, right? Well, that and the wine. In both instances, Sonsie shined. The food was great! It was flavorful and different, yet not too fancy to the point where it makes your head spin. I hate walking into a restaurant and agonizing over the menu because all the dishes include some ridiculous combination of flavors that have no business being put together. Why ruin a perfectly good fillet of fish by baking it in a mango and coconut chutney sauce, then drizzling it with olive juice and laying it over a bed of chili basted polenta?

Sonsie’s menu was diverse and unique enough that it was hard to chose a dish, and none of the entrees were the typical foods I would have been able to make in my own home. The wine list was just as impressive. Yet, surprisingly, the prices weren’t jacked up beyond the usual gouging. My husband, the wine snob, left there perfectly content, which speaks volumes (no pun intended).

Finally, let me just say that no one at our table was able to finish their meals. The dishes weren’t piled high diner style, but were hearty enough. If I hadn’t eaten three rolls, a half a pound of calimari and a salad, my main entree would have been just the right amount. Next time we are going to check out their wine and cheese happy hour. It sounds great.  If you’ve tried it, let me know!

Other Info:

• Contemporary American Cuisine 
• Entrees range under $30
• Dress is casual elegant (you can get away with jeans, but probably not sneakers)
• Website: Sonsie 
• Website:  The Pier at Caesar’s

14
Jun

Hello From Philly!

Author: Momish, Category: About Me, General, Introduction

Hello from Philly! Land of the soft pretzel, Italian water ice, the Liberty Bell, the nation’s first zoo and the best cheese-steaks in the world, among a gajillion other great things.

This is my first post, so don’t expect too much. I am getting my feet wet here.  Creating my niche, finding my voice and all that.  Just wanted to jump on right away and say hello, then introduce myself, cause that would be the polite thing to do.

My “name” is Momish. If you decide to bypass my profile, then you will miss out on the nitty gritty stuff like how I recently became a mom, wife and stepmom, not to mention how I love really good bread and never climbed Mt. Everest. 

Anyway, let me just say here that I am a seasoned Philly resident.  I grew up and still live in South Philly and tend to stick around this hood for the most part, other than my excursions into Center City.  Therefore, due to my egocentric nature, most of my Philly writing might lean heavily towards these areas.  So, I am making it a point to tell you right here, right now (oh, you’re gonna love this) that you should feel free to chastise me if I ignore your particular corner of the city and what is going on.  Given a good wag of the finger, I just might venture out a little more and see what the other parts of this town have to offer.

Which brings me to the other point I want to make here.  I want this to be a well rounded Philly blog even if I am not a well rounded Philly resident. It’s a big city, even though our many neighborhoods produce that small town feeling.  Please feel free to email me at phillybloggeratcomcastdotnet with any interesting places you have been, news bits about what is going on in your sector or area of interest, a topic you would like to see discussed, or a question you might like to throw out there for your fellow residents.

I welcome the input and I welcome you to Philadelphia is My Home!