Food & Wine’s new Cocktails 2009 book lists these cocktail bars and lounges as Philadelphia’s best: Tequila’s, Southwark, APO Bar + Lounge and Chick’s Cafe. [Via MenuPages]

Jose Garces is one of “120 Reasons to Love Being Latina” in Latina Magazine. He’s among four “culinary masters” saluted.

Esquire’s Philadelphia based-writer Francine Maroukian won an Ellie at the ASME Awards for her work on The Esquire Almanac of Steak. A hat tip goes out to her, especially since we know she reads Foobooz! She’s also featured this week on Unbreaded.  [ASME]

Swine flu and drug wars have you wary of heading south of the border? Then take up The Bite on its suggestion, a Mexican staycation.

No need to travel for a Mexican fix [Metro Philadelphia]

Taste Daily finds Tequila’s to be as good as they remembered.

t’s the food that completes the visit. The recently tweaked menu includes a mix of traditional what-you-would-expect dishes like carne asada and chiles rellenos and upscale twists like enchiladas filled with crab and shrimp and bite-sized chicken breast pieces smothered in a chile de arbol sauce and served in a lava-rock bowl.

Restaurant You Forgot About: Tequila’s [Taste Daily]
Tequila’s [Official Site]

Philadelphia Weekly’s Field Guide this week focuses on Philadelphia’s best margaritas rating them in 7 categories.

• Xochitl
• El Vez
• TGI Fridays
• Mexican Post
• Los Catrines Tequila’s
• Lolita

Lovely ’Ritas [Philadelphia Weekly]

With Cinco de Mayo just about upon us we have just one question.
[Poll=16]

Rick Nichols gets pressure from David Suro of Tequilas to try his latest dish, grasshoppers.

In a warm tortilla slathered with creamy avocado, they taste great, providing a crackling chew and hit of salt and garlic. (Priced at $15.95 for a heaping ounce with avocado, lime and two soft tortillas.)

A grasshopper is, it turns out, all about flakiness and crunch – an initial sensation of the Spanish peanut’s flaky skin; then the hollow crunch of fried pork rind.

The flavor? Well it’s like anything oil-fried in garlic and lime, salt and chile, geared to maximize the lust for beer or, perhaps, a snifter of the bar’s high-end, blanco tequila.

A big leap into grasshopper gastronomy [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Tequilas