Shank’s & Evelyn’s is “relocating” from its South Philadelphia location of almost 50 years and considering a spot near the Union League at 15th and Sansom. Rick Nichols visits the institution now in its final days at 932 S 10th Street.

On the Side: Transplanting Shank’s [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Table 31 is dropping out of the the steakhouse arms war and is going Italian. Rick Nichols has the reasons behind the change.

Steaks rarer at Table 31 [Philadelphia Inquirer]

When Tony Luke announced he was going to be marketing microwavable versions of his sandwiches it certainly had us cringing. Rick Nichols, being the consummate professional he is actually decided to eat the sandwich before weighing in. And of course, prose to swoon over.

Luke’s uses juicy, U.S.-raised basic ribeye on the flat-top grill, not the imported cow meat some use.

But here’s the thing. It doesn’t travel. Let that cheesesteak (or Luke’s signature roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe) start steaming in its paper wrapper, and say goodbye to good eating. It gets wet. It gets soggy.

It’s meant to be eaten right then and there – under the harsh lights, in the unheated alcove, with the bad fries and cheap pickles, your feet planted on the cold pavement.

Yo, you may be frozen.

But at least you’re not eating a frozen cheesesteak.

Tony Luke’s frozen? How good can that be? [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Tony Luke’s [Official Site]

First Person Arts is presenting a walking tour of Polish eateries in Port Richmond. The tour will be led by Inquirer writer and Foobooz crush object, Rick Nichols.

Experience Polish delicacies like goulash, cheese and cherry babka, potato pancakes, pierogies, sauerkraut sausage stew, Lech beer and more.

The tour is on Saturday, March 28th and tickets are $85 per person. $75 for members.

Edible World Food Tour [First Person Arts]
The waiting game in Port Richmond [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Rick Nichols visits Jose Garces’ Chifa and tries to put his finger on just what Peruvian-Chinese cuisine is.

Expect the unexpected at Chifa [Philadelphia Inquirer]

What’s with all the sandwich talk around here? Last week in the Metro we discussed our Pantheon of Sandwiches, then this week Unbreaded is unveiled and Rick Nichols goes all gaga for the Arista at Paesano’s as well as sandwiches from DiNic’s, Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich and Cafe Estelle.

On the Side: Best Philly sandwiches since sliced chain bread [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Unbreaded [Official Site]

It’s been three months since Foobooz last mentioned our endless and unconditional love for the best food writer in town,  Rick Nichols.

Since the boss is on yet another of his glamorous trips abroad, the Advisory Panel is manning the Foobooz ship for a few days, which means it’s going to be ALL RICK, ALL THE TIME! Squeal!!! Eeeek! Swoon!

We jest, but can you deny the deft and mighty pen of the master? In today’s Inky, Rick meditates on how the recession is affecting local restaurants from the grand dames (burgers at Le Bec) to the lowly “red gravy joint” on Passyunk Ave. (free jug wine), but it’s here that the Nicholsian touch is most evident:

The gossip attending the bumper crop of new steak houses grows thick with gleeful schadenfreude: Did you hear about the steak-house opening that had to be catered because its ovens were on the fritz? About the steak house that’s luring off-duty strippers to happy hour with free drinks and meals? The steak house that can’t make proper steak tartare?

Wowzers. Do you see how he managed to work that gleeful gossip (and strippers!) right in there without saying who each one was? Masterful.

On the Side: Mon dieu! A burger and fries at Le Bec [The Inquirer]

Jason Dilks grew up enjoying the tomato pies of De Lorenzo’s Pizza. Today he pays homage to the Trenton institution with SliCE in South Philadelphia. Rick Nichols tells the story but doesn’t explain SliCE’s weird capitalization.

Satisfying his hunger [Philadelphia Inquirer]
SliCE [Official Site]

Rick Nichols details the Fair Food Farmstand that aims to take over Rick’s Steaks location at the Reading Terminal Market.

So by spring – if Fair Food nails down its end of the financing – it will move from the market’s deepest interior to its big-windowed “front door” along 12th Street, its baskets of potatoes and parsnips and fiddlehead ferns reminding passersby that, yes, though an Amish rib stand and Golden Bowl Chinese, Pearl’s Oyster Bar and Bassett’s Ice Cream counter look out on the sidewalk here, this is still – in its DNA and best aspiration – part farmers market, and not just a place to eat lunch.

Making a stand [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Rick Nichols checks out the cheap and fancy grilled cheeses at Chick’s Cafe & Wine Bar.

Our favorite of the ones we tried was a diced dried fig, dulce gorgonzola and caramelized onion (with a dash of balsamic) job that toggled nicely tangy and sweet.

Tuesday Blues Plate [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Chick’s Cafe & Wine Bar [Official Site]