Burgers worth the splurge | Let’s Eat

If you’re ordering a burger in these inflationary times, get your money’s worth. We run down the economics as we’ve updated the list of our 20 favorite burgers. Also this week, we tell you about the return of a Jersey Shore pizza whisperer, a Philly winemaker competing on a reality series, and a cool new bar in Fishtown.

— Mike Klein

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Memorial Day and the start of grilling season got us to thinking about burgers. As we updated our guide to our 20 favorites, Erin McCarthy took a deep dive into the economics. At one of our top destinations, Spot Burgers in Brewerytown, the price of the 6-ounce signature burger shot up from $7 before the pandemic to $12.75. Ouch. How much is “too much for a burger”? Read on and see what everyone’s saying.

Pizza maker Mike Fitzick is back at the Shore, working his artisan magic at a new parlor in Ocean City. Our Amy Rosenberg caught up to him on the eve of Bakeria 1010′s soft opening. Ever a perfectionist, he is making one concession to practicality and it involves his sandwich rolls.

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To Nicholas Ducos of Fishtown’s Mural City Cellars, his current stint on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience to give Philadelphia and the urban wine scene that’s happening here a national platform.” Ducos flew to London earlier this year to compete in entrepreneur-based challenges on Fox’s Shark Tank-style show, hosted by Lisa Vanderpump and Gordon Ramsay. There’s $250,000 at stake, and Ducos said that would come in handy as he and partner Francesca Galarus recently dropped a bundle renovating an auto-body garage into a permanent home at Frankford and Berks in Fishtown. “We’re just trying to give people in Fishtown more places to go hang out that actually have a sense of soul and a sense of community and aren’t just like a big company coming in and just trying to cash in,” Ducos said. Join the Wednesday-night watch parties keyed to the show’s 9 p.m. start.

“Garbage Can” is not the prettiest name among the 17 ice cream flavors in Jeriah Askew’s case at Marlei’s Sweet Tooth, her parlor at 433 W. Girard Ave. across from Northern Liberties. She mixed butter toffee ice cream with peanut butter and rainbow sprinkles in partnership with Terrill Haigler, the city sanitation worker turned freelance cleaner-upper known as Ya Fav Trashman. He’s trying to raise $10,000 to buy a used trash truck, and $1 from each sale of Garbage Can on Saturday will go toward that. You can get scoops in a cone or a mini garbage can.

Schmear It, the bagel outlet that took over the Philly Bagel shops last year, will add a West Philly location at the former Lil’ Pop Shop (265 S. 44th St.), serving bagels, schmears, Rival Bros. coffee and espresso, and drinks. In a cool twist, the Lil’ Pop’s popsicles are still there as the new Schmear It store soft-opens with pops and Weckerly’s Ice Cream sandwiches Wednesday-Sunday. When bagels and coffee are added in coming months, the store will be open daily. The West Philly connection: Schmear It partners Dave Fine and Brett Weinheimer are Penn alumni.

An izakaya called Izzy’s is on the way to Ardmore this summer, intended as a tiny supplement to the Ripplewood two doors away. Peter Martin, who also owns Ardmore Music Hall nearby, tells me he’s modeling this 24-seater on the SG Club in Tokyo, with distressed tiles and a coffered ceiling. Where the Rip is all about whiskey, Izzy’s will focus on sake and offer a few handrolls. Follow along on Instagram.

There’s a speakeasy vibe at the new Margolis, a vibey cocktail bar tucked above the Fishtown cabaret Fabrika, but as manager Michael Sobolewski says: “Speakeasies that have signage outside are hardly a speakeasy.” (That and the fact that Margolis is licensed, unlike a true speakeasy.) Sobolewski said they’re aiming to be “the coolest living room you’ve ever been in,” with low lighting dancing off of the brick walls, floor plants, and comfy furniture; six specialty cocktails; a meat-and-cheese board to nibble; and a roster of DJs after 10 p.m., such as Kimshi, shown below.

Margolis, 9 W. Wildey St. Hours: 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Chef Douglas Rodriguez, the godfather of Nuevo Latino cuisine behind the now-closed Alma de Cuba in Rittenhouse, is returning to Philly on June 4 to cook with Yun Fuentes, Alma’s executive chef. They’ll share the kitchen at Fuentes’ Puerto Rican restaurant, Bolo (2025 Sansom St.), for the launch of Mesa Bolo, a monthly series of collab dinners. The menu, with seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. ($95pp), includes three Alma specialties: Oysters Rodriguez, royal palm dates, and smoked marlin tacos. Reserve via Resy.

Dish It Up, Women Against Abuse’s 16th annual culinary philanthropic event, will be June 6 from 6-9 p.m. at Vie (600 N. Broad St.). Includes bites from top restaurants, open bar, DJ, and photo booth in support of domestic-violence survivors. Tickets ($75 and $150) are here.

Carlos Aparicio, chef/owner of El Chingon, is hosting a Philadelphia newcomer — chef Tim Dearing of Little Owl — for a collab dinner on June 10 at El Chingon (1524 S. 10th St.). Menu includes includes pink shrimp with mole blanco, pine nut, and charred chilies, as well as steamed catfish with huauzontles (Mexican broccoli), stewed beans, and chili butter. Open seating from 4-9 p.m., $100pp. Details are here.

Chef Olga Sorzano’s Full Moon Feast series — her fun, monthly, family-style experiences at Baba’s Bucha in Phoenixville — continues 7 p.m. June 21 themed to the strawberry moon. Menu includes wild salmon cakes with green strawberry salsa and cedar-smoked chicken thighs with chipotle strawberry glaze. It’s $125pp, with details here.

Art in Age spirits’ new distillery license means it’s “taking over the world,” as owner Steven Grasse told Jenn Ladd. A big expansion is in the works.

Little Gay Pub out of D.C. has signed a lease for a Center City location.

Bing Bing Dim Sum and Cheu Fishtown are preparing to close.

The owner of the shuttered Ristorante San Marco near Ambler pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining nearly $1 million in COVID-relief loans, and she’s facing prison.

Retired Philadelphia Eagles star Fletcher Cox visited the recent Italian Market Festival to judge what kind of contest?

A) cheesesteaks

B) pretzels

C) hoagies

D) roast pork sandwiches

Find out if you know the answer.

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