the west philly standard

September 19, 2010
by kellie

A few weeks ago, Stephanie and I sojourned to West Philly for a meal, some tree viewing, and the backyard EP release show for Cranes Are Flying.  We chose The Gold Standard Cafe at 4800 Baltimore Ave. for dinner, which is owned by the same people who once ran Abbraccio’s just a few blocks over.  (Hence the name of the website – www.abbracciorestaurant.com.)

Situated on a triangular stretch of land on the southwest corner of the street, I had only ever gone there for breakfast, because it’s one of the few places in the city where you can get a bagel with hummus and avocado.  (For a gal who loathes cream cheese, a coffee shop that has hummus is a huge score…)  There’s a fair amount of outdoor seating, so it took about a year’s worth of visits (which are fairly few in number, given that I don’t live or work on that side of the river) to realize that the small front room, which holds the coffee counter and a few chairs, isn’t the only indoor space – there’s actually a decent sized, slightly more formal dining area in the back.

Another great thing about Gold Standard, in addition to the hummus and avocado bagels, is the fact that it’s a BYOB, so you can save a few pesos while still getting your buzz on.  Unfortunately, due to quite the bender the night before that took a while to recover from (my recovery time seems to grow in direct relationship to my increasing age), Stephanie and I decided to fore-go the booze.  However, a part of me couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous of the couple that was sipping on some pink champagne, because it reminded me of my days at James Madison University, when I regularly made party while double fisting $4 bottles of pink Andre.  And, let’s be honest, it’s extremely rare that I don’t have a desire to drink champagne, regardless of how cheap and/or disgusting it is.

Stephanie went with the vegan summer garbanzos (stewed chick peas with sundried tomatoes,
squash, preserved lemon and tabouleh), which she was totally into,

beans!

while I partook of the sea scallop salad (seared scallops, bean salad, barley and bulgar pilaf), which could have used a scoch less dressing, but was, all in all, a pretty tasty dish.

We ordered coffees to go, still needing caffeine to balance out our sluggish and hungover bodies (if you’re lucky, someday I’ll tell you the horribly embarrassing story of the previous night), and headed to the show, which once again took me back to my days in basements and yards listening to local bands in The Friendly City.  I realized while I was listening to Cranes Are Flying (it was my first time hearing them, and I think I need to listen to their recorded stuff before forming an actual opinion about whether or not I’m a fan) that anyone who struggles to understand the difference between hipsters and indie kids need only attend a local, backyard show to clear it up once and for all.

But I digress…

The Hipster Hunters

March 28, 2010
by stephanie

Inspired by our recent purchase of matching Three Wolves Howling at the Moon t-shirts, Kellie and I embarked on an anthropological exploration of sorts – to study hipsters in their natural habitat – and, hopefully, re-connect with our younger, hipper counterparts via the shared cultural experience of good food and drink.

Modeling my Three Wolves Howling at the Moon T-Shirt

Of course, I allowed Kellie to be the lead investigator and cultural broker for this experiment, given her familiarity with the study site (South Philly) and her clear-cut uber-coolness, as evidenced by her hot-orange, vintage hunting jacket and low-top Chuck Taylors.

Our Lead Investigator

For those of you who don’t know, parts of South Philly have been undergoing a “hipster” renaissance of sorts.  Gone are the old-world days of green awnings, fake flowers, and Virgin Mary statues (well, that’s not completely true, as Kellie and I discovered during our brief walk through the neighborhood).

Neoclassical Architecture in the Heart of South Philly

Nowadays, you are more likely to experience its uncomfortable juxtaposition with skinny jeans, coffee shops, and post-modernist thought than the Mafioso that made South Philly notorious.  East Passyunk Ave. is the ultimate example of this renaissance and was the site for at least half of our jaunt into the somewhat unknown.

Kellie and I started out at 1601 at 10th and Tasker – a cozy local pub offering updated versions of various comfort food classics.  I, of course, choose a PBR pounder as my drink of choice (I was trying to fit in with the locals, after all)

Pabst Blue Ribbon: Hipster Water

and went with the fish tacos, which were pretty disappointing and bland.  (note from Kellie – I’ve had the fish tacos twice before, and they’re usually quite tasty.)  Kellie tried to enjoy her Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Fried Tomato (BLAT) sandwich sans mayo; however, it came out with mayo and had to be sent back.  The delicious Parmesan pomme frittes and free stout for the mayo mix-up more than made up for these small missteps, though.  While Kellie and I dined, drank, and discussed socialism (again, we didn’t want to stick out too conspicuously), we studied the sociological mashing of old and new:  the weathered old man donning Nike and playing Megatouch; two hipsters waxing philosophical over “the nostalgia of analog recordings” (a direct quote); and, Nick Drake playing faintly in the background while March Madness dominated the flat screens over the bar.  As our own conversation devolved into more tawdry subjects (not to be shared here), so did the conversations of the natives.  (Did I really hear je ne sais quoi and the f-bomb in the same sentence?)   Seeing all there was to see, we decided to take our study to the next level and travel down the street to the what many would deem hipster Mecca right here in Philadelphia – Pub on Passyunk East aka “Pope.”  I learned quickly, though, never, ever to actually call it by its real name as that is as sure a social death as leprosy.

I was intimidated and nervous as we entered into the lair –  would I be fingered as an imposter?  A sell-out working for “the man” who is as removed from my “activist” days as Sarah Palin is from reality?  With Kellie by my side sipping on her “WTF” porter (even the beer names had the air of cool superiority) and a “G&T” in hand  (Gin and Tonic, folks…a required hipster drink), we settled into a dark corner and tried to blend into our surroundings.  Thankfully, those surroundings included a jukebox, which I was sure would be my redemption (one thing I know is good music) but even I was sad to learn that my musical lexicon was not nearly as eclectic as the jukebox offerings.  The best we could collectively muster was Metallica’s “Fade to Black”, some Al Green, Gang of Four, the Beach Boys and The Pixies, among others. (note from Kellie – the jukebox was a bit too sparse and indie, a dangerous combination.)

With our social experiment nearing it’s end and both of us still starving, Kellie and I decided to venture to the bright lights of cheesesteak row at 9th and Passyunk.  Being Pat’s girls through and through (Geno’s is so 2000 and late), we chowed down on a “Wiz Wit,” Lady and the Tramp style, while enjoying the early-90’s musical stylings coming from the nearby South Philly Bar and Grill. (Rhythm is totally a dancer!)

A Wiz Wit: Heaven and a Heart-attack on a Roll

Ultimately, my quest to understand this often misunderstood species and enjoy some good food along the way re-awakened that little voice deep, down inside that whispers ”Damn, the Man!” and yearns for the day that little yuppy boys and girls can coexist peacefully with their hipster brethren.  Can I get an amen?!