Alison Barshak details the trials and tribulations of arranging tables and getting set for online reservations. For some reason we have  dorky fascination with OpenTable.

I Have Some Reservations About This [Alison's New Restaurant]

Alison two gets a floor and things are happening fast. Restaurant construction is a strange and oddly fascinating endeavor that we can’t get enough of. Check out Alison’s blog for the details as the ball gets rolling downhill and fast.

Pouring the Flooring [Alison's New Restaurant]

Alison Barshak may have been gallivanting around Europe but the construction continued at her Alison two as all the sheet rock was hung. Check out the photos on her site as well as the ordeal that even paint can become.

We Seem to have Some Shrinkage [Alison's New Restaurant]

Elisa Ludwig stops off in Blue Bell for some top notch Korean BBQ at Gaya.

The DIY barbecue offers your choice of pork or beef cuts, including pork neck. We opted for soy and chili-marinated short ribs, which the server cut from the bone with a pair of scissors at the table. While the meat and garlic cloves and onion slices sizzled on the grill, we readied our plates with the cornucopia of fixins: lettuce and cabbage, bright leaves of kale, carrot sticks, cucumber, jalapeño peppers and a dense, rich soybean paste.

The Grill of your Dreams [City Paper]

Strong beers and great food is the tag line of the 2nd annual Winterfest at the General Lafayette Inn & Brewery.

Just how strong are the beers. There’s a shuttle from a the brew pub to a local hotel, that’s how strong.

The event is on Saturday, February 16th from 12 to 3:30 pm and tickets are $45 in advance, no tickets will be sold the day of the event.

More details after the jump.

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Craig LaBan can’t resist a litany of kosher puns in his review of Max & David’s, the new kosher restaurant in Elkins Park.

But Max & David’s is more than just a mensch amongst unmensch-ionables. With a menu that ranges from five-spice roasted duck to Indian-curried chicken and ice “creams” made with coconut and almond milk, it is a coming-out party for the possibilities of kosher cookery.

Two Bells – Very Good

Max & David’s [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Maz & David’s [Official Site]

Craig LaBan likes Bluefin in Plymouth Meeting even if he thinks it getting the same food rating as Morimoto is a bit insane.

It’s an obvious case of Zagat-flation, where a core of devoted zealots have gotten carried away with love for their local haunt. That’s not to say Bluefin isn’t a worthy neighborhood destination for sushi. This plain little room has plenty of virtues, including a good selection of high-quality fish for a fair price, a few notable signature rolls, and a lively young staff that is friendly and efficient.

But let’s put it in a fairer perspective. Bluefin is more solidly in the upper middle class of the local sushi scene than one of its elite destinations, such as Morimoto, Fuji or Sagami, whose rare ingredients or master craftsmanship set them apart.

Two Bells – Very Good

Bluefin [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Alison Barshak is adding a second restaurant in Montgomery County.

She’ll take over the old Marita’s Cantina at 424 S. Bethlehem Pike in Fort Washington, which is at the end of Pennsylvania Avenue near the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Fort Washington exit, four miles from Blue Bell. So far, the concept is hazy and the name is not final. It’s certain that the restaurant will have a bar, private dining and 100 seats, which means walk-ins will be easier to accommodate than at Alison at Blue Bell, which has 65 seats indoors.

A second from Alison Barshak [Food and Drinq]

Wednesday at Capone’s in Norristown is going to be Victory Day. in celebration of the Victory Brewing Company’s recent medals at the Great American Beer Festival their turning all the taps over to Victory.

Expect 12 different Victory beers on tap.

Victory @ Capone’s [Beer Radar]

There aren’t many places around that can celebrate 275 years but the General Lafayette Inn can. And it will be tomorrow at noon. There will be food, and entertainment and General Lafayette 275th Anniversary Ale.

Tickets cost $40.

General Lafayette to toast its 275th year [Philadelphia Daily News]
Joe Sixpack [Official Site]
General Lafayette Inn [Official Site]