Notes from the Weekend: February 3

Notes from the Weekend is a feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday. Adam took the weekend off so it's just caroline chiming in this week. We'd love to hear all about YOUR weekend eating adventures in the comments. Go for it! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.)

Adam Erace: AE

Caroline Russock: CR

Friday night was relatively uneventful, pretty much just a few gin and tonics on the couch plus takeout from Francoluigis - a large pepperoni, plus sides of meatballs, sausage and broccoli rabe.—CR

Weekend eating did not get off to a good start on Friday night with dinner at Monsu. I've always like McAndrews' gutsy Sicilian BYOB but I was already rethinking that affection after my 8:45 reservation wasn't honored until 10. The place was packed, and we were finally shown to a table without so much as an apology. We asked for bread three times. A manager eventually admitted they were out of bread, seeming annoyed that we expected any at all. Some of the food was delicious (gnocchi with crab), some of it merely ok (arancino), but everything was presented with the sloppiness of a rushed kitchen, crusts and globs of old food stuck to the bottoms of the bowls. They sent out two free sides as an apologetic gesture. Not nearly enough.—AE

Saturday we swung by Texas Wieners for a late lunch, crazy good hot dogs with the works, chili cheese fries and birch beers. After a nap and a few cocktails at home we headed up to Cafe Soho for Korean fried chicken, pineapple soju (served in a real pineapple!) and some super cheesy-spicy dukbokki. Back in the city we headed upstairs to Red Lounge for karaoke and plenty of Tokyo Iced Teas.—CR

My expectations for a celebratory birthday dinner on Saturday at the stalwart Saloon were pretty low. But I was presently surprised by the elegant fennel/grapefruit/apple salad and a staid med-rare strip steak with Marsala-ed mushrooms. It was my first time here, and I'd always figured the place for something of a dying masouleum to Old South Philly. The vibrant bar scene and diverse clientele proved me way wrong. But the staff still looks like a bunch of extras from Mob Wives.—AE

The Sunday plan was to make our way south on 95 to The Chicken House, a Peruvian restaurant in Wilmington. This place was totally worth the drive to Delaware with frothy pico sours, big plates of ceviche studded with crunchy fried hominy and a mixed grill of flank steak, chicken thighs, pork chops and sausage served with a heaping side of fried rice.—CR