The Morning After: Hangover helpers from the pros
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Commonly known as holiday season, the 62-day period between Halloween and New Year’s Day is also the time of year when the biggest concentration of hangovers occur. And the malady, a combination of painful symptoms brought on by, oh, let’s say having a little too much fun, is never a good time.
Although the effects of overindulgence are commonly felt, the hangover itself is poorly understood and manifests differently in each person. How bad you feel the next day has to do with a lot of factors — everything from how much and how often you drink to the combination of cocktails you enjoyed to personality type, genetics and age.
Jersey neurologist Mike D’Ambrosio refers to the hangover as a multi-organ injury, which sounds pretty severe, but he quickly follows up by saying that most people recover fully within eight to 24 hours.
With the hangover season well underway, we decided to tap some fun-loving food folks for their go-to, morning-after remedies. Some are doctor-approved: Pedialyte is a “reasonable choice,” according to D’Ambrosio. Dr. Herb Avart, a rehab specialist practicing in Broomall, is a big fan of the helpful electrolytes in kombucha. Other popular remedies, such as a morning-after stromboli, made the good docs blanch.
Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly — some favorite hangover helpers to get you through this holiday season.
Scott Schroeder
chef, South Philly Tap Room & American Sardine Bar
“I always want sushi or ceviche when I’m hung over. I feel like the raw fish protein contains an essence that helps to restore my soul. I don’t know who serves it for breakfast, though, so I usually just go to M Kee (1002 Race St.) for noodles. Soup or congee. The conch and chicken congee is a good one. Lots of chile oil. The worse the hangover, the more the chile oil."
Shawn Darraugh
co-owner, Cheu Noodle Bar
“My go-to hangover cure is … a bacon-and-cheese omelet with hash browns, bagel [with] cream cheese and can of Coke. I am fully cured after!”
Ben Puchowitz
chef/co-owner, Cheu Noodle Bar
“Bacon, egg and cheese on bagel. Both are from Little Pete’s (219 S. 17th St.)!”
Jesse Cornell
bartender, Sbraga
“I’m a firm believer in the hair of the dog. If I’m not working that day and I wake up feeling like I want to die, I’ll get up, take a shot of whiskey, grab a big glass of water then head back to bed. Usually works like a charm. That being said, some hangovers cannot be cured with this method and require a more proactive strategy. While the Bloody Mary is one of my favorite drinks of all time, my go-to, hungover-brunch beverage is a 007 (orange vodka, orange juice and 7-Up or Sprite). Food-wise, the Uncle Joe stromboli from Santucci’s (901 S. 10th St.) has been a lifesaver on more than a few occasions.”
Drew Lazor
food writer
“The ‘good ol’ potato and egg’ from Fitzwater Cafe (728 S. Seventh St.) is the best a.m. hangover zapper around. Sarcone’s roll, scrambled eggs with American and Parmesan, piled on top of crispy, garlicky breakfast potatoes. Makes the pain go away fast and it’s enormous, too, with what seems like an entire hen house worth of huevos inside. I actually feel like it gets bigger every time I order it."
Adam Erace
food writer
“Fast food is my go-to hangover helper. When I’m finally feeling mobile, I usually beeline it to Delaware Ave. for a crispy chicken sandwich with pepper jack, waffle fries (value size, of course) and extra Polynesian at Chick-fil-A.”
Casey Parker
co-owner, Jose Pistolas & Sancho Pistolas
“My favorite has always been two Tylenol, two Aleve, and an ice-cold can of Coke. Seems to always work like a charm. The can of Coke gives you sugar, caffeine and also something really cold to put on your forehead. I do not condone the hair-of-the-dog method. It only gets you more drunk.”
Natalie Maronski
chef, Volver
“My personal go-to is to chug a Pedialyte and wander down to Five Guys (1527 Chestnut St.) for a junior-sized bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce, with some Cajun fries, of course. Hitting up Pho Ha is a close second, but requires a bit more energy than I’m usually willing to put out!”
Mariel Wega
sommelier, a.bar & a.kitchen
“My hangover cure isn’t too revolutionary. Obviously, rehydrating is key. Sometimes I even set an alarm to wake up super early and chug a bunch of water, then go snooze a little longer. Once I’m up for the day, nothing cures me better than a big bowl of pho. And seltzer. Something about the bubbles helps it go down.”
Pat Szoke
chef, Alla Spina
“Depending on the day, I might start off with a Michelada from El Vez (121 S. 13th St.) to get the cobwebs out of the head. Next, I usually move on to Pho 75 (1122 Washington Ave.) and get a pho ti and a Vietnamese iced coffee. One gets the fluids back in you and the other wakes you up a bit. If I’m really feeling under the weather I get on GrubHub and get a few sandwiches from Paesano’s (1017 S. Ninth St.) in the Italian Market or Mexican food from Plaza Garibaldi (935 Washington Ave.). Other than that it’s the typical — lots of water, delivery food and a can of Coke to wake you up a bit.”
Andy Ferrell
brand director, City Tap House
“Pickles are pretty magical. Eat a couple prior to a night of drinking … perhaps a shot of pickle juice in the morning to chase a few Advil … that brine will help keep you hydrated. When’s Gatorade Arctic Pickle coming out?”
Keith Raimondi
bartender, Townsend
“Very easy, a Grace Tavern burger and a bottle of Gatorade! I used to live next door to Grace (2229 Grays Ferry Ave.) and nothing felt better after a long night of drinking than grabbing a Gatorade and hitting up a Grace Tavern burger. I always got the Kennett with bacon added. It’s a little greasy and juicy and perfect!”
Lauren Harris
manager, Townsend
“My personal hangover fix is to slam a bottle of kombucha and not just any kombucha — I’m obsessed with Food and Ferments’ kombucha. Perhaps it’s psychosomatic, but it works like a charm (in minutes) every time to detoxify me. I’ve only discovered this in the past six months and I’m sorry it took me so long. My 20s could have been a whole lot easier.”
Danya Henninger
food writer
“Cosmi’s Deli (1501 S. Eighth St.) runs one of the best bodega kitchens in South Philly (see their cheesesteak for proof), but the truly good news as far as tough mornings go is that they’re on GrubHub. Even if Eighth and Dickinson isn’t more than a few blocks from your house (ahem), having a hoagie roll overflowing with a mess of scrambled eggs and American cheese show up at your door is like a gift from the gods. Skip the addition of bacon or sausage and you can scarf it down in less than five minutes. Quickest, easiest route to salvation I know.”
Lucio Palazzo
chef, Taqueria Feliz
“With regards to the hangover matter, I gotta give a big shout out to my BFFs Ben and Cris-tina at South Philly Barbacoa (Eighth and Watkins streets), in particular, the pancita. They take the innards from whole lambs, rub them in red chile and garlic, sew them in the stomachs of the lamb and steam the packets in sweet, fragrant maguey leaves. They chop the pancita up on fresh tortillas from San Roman and I hazily stumble over to get their cazuelas of cilantro, onion and fiery habanero rajas. I find a seat on a stool they pulled down from their apartment, or slump myself over on the curb like the drunken dog that I am. Five minutes later, after a Coca-Cola, of course, I feel human again.”
Brian Kane
beverage director, CookNSolo
“I’d advise a Kelly burger from Grace Tavern, coffee ice cream from Insomnia cookies and bottles of sparkling water.”
Phoebe Esmon
bartender, Emmanuelle
“If it’s a real, honest-to-God-name-me-your-size-and-I’ll-spit-you-out-a-sweater hangover, the only real cure is time, food and hydration. Time: The duration depends on the damage inflicted. Food: I usually go for something eggy and potatoey, or tacos (Loco Pez, 2401 E. Norris St.) is my go-to. Hydration: Smartwater. If all else fails, ginger beer, saltines and sleep.”
Vincent Stipo
bartender, Vernick
“I find there are two approaches to the terrible hangover. Either the healthy, reviving route: fresh-pressed juice (grapefruit, carrot and ginger), paired with a solid breakfast (hopefully, sometime after 11 a.m.). Or the salty, fatty, delicious route: I go straight to a hoagie (ham, salami, barbecue chicken, Muenster, lots of butter, cucumber and alfalfa sprouts) from Old Nelson (2000 Chestnut St.), a bag of Funyuns that will be layered into the sandwich, obviously, and an ice-cold can of Coca-Cola.”
