Top Eateries For Leftovers
"Why is there enough pasta on my plate to stuff a moose?"
"Because it's cheap", says the waiter.
Ever walk away from a restaurant with three doggy bags and you don't even have a dog? It's a common event, especially if you're walking away from Italian, Latin, Chinese and Sports Bar eateries. But this is a good thing. When you get it all home and get creative, those restaurant leftovers could yield days of delicious eats that even the original chef wouldn't recognize. So, here's where, what and how to deal with the venerable schlep sack of restaurant leftovers. -- Jay Lloyd
FIREBIRDS
SEVEN STARS
Prime Rib is king at Suburban Firebirds restaurants and the iconic Seven Stars Inn. Reasonable eaters should have some tasty bits left over from Firebird's tender, wood oven roasted one pounder. At Seven Stars, a two-plus pound robust rib almost lapped over the platter. And truth be told, I was sorely tempted to gorge. But then I thought of breakfast and a Dutch staple I frequently craved while living in Holland - the Uitsmiter. And so, home went a substantial portion to create the ultimate open face sandwich. Here's how. Take a fresh slice of rye bread, layer it with thin slices of rare prime rib and top with a fried egg. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. You have an Uitsmijter.
CUBA LIBRE
I guarantee there will not be a drop of broth or a morsel of seafood left in your bowl that held Cuba Libre's signature Levanta Muerto (raise the dead). This enjoyably spicy Caribbean seafood chowder can be the pinnacle of a tapas brunch. But do order some to take out because it has great possibilities for home expansion. In your own kitchen, experiment by adding diced tomatoes, homemade chicken broth, thinly sliced chicken, adobo rubbed thin sliced pork or shrimp, spiced with Cajun seasonings or adobo. Find your favorite blend of flavors to make the dead, dance.
CHICKIE'S AND PETE'S
I've salivated over Chickie's and Pete's mussels in garlicky red sauce on this page before. But what I didn't say is that we get more mileage out of them at home than at the bar. Together Mary and I have ample leftovers from a single bowl between us, much less one apiece. But we like a lot of leftovers. At home, the doggie carton contents are slow oven heated and then augmented with steamed shrimp and clams for another 2 meals. The combo is addictive. Then any leftover leftovers go straight into a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup for yet another treat. Then a return to C & P's.
IMPERIAL INN
146 N. 10th Street (Chinatown)
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Is it possible I've been scooping Chow Mein at the Imperial for 50 years? I think so. It's a dish I craved as a kid in New York. It's also a dish that has a lot of creative possibilities when the heaping amounts at the restaurant turn to heaping leftovers at home. I usually get the chicken or pork version. But at home add shrimp, pimentos or roasted red peppers, extra stir fried onions, bean sprouts and celery. Expand the volume and make it the meal that keeps on giving.
TAQUERIA LA MICHOACANA
301 E. Main Street
Norristown, PA 19104
I like the Taqueria in Norristown because it reminds me of a favorite little place in Matamoras and it's only a few blocks from the KYW Suburban Bureau. But truth be told, you will find versions of the classic Spanish rice in every area Mexican restaurant and it comes with nearly everything you order, whether you want it or not. But as a doggy bag staple, it has more uses than a Swiss knife. It finds its way home where, with added petit diced tomatoes and a pinch of chili powder, curry or adobo it makes a memorable side dish. Add a chicken breast (on the bone) braised in tomato sauce and you have a simple and delicious Arroz con Pollo.
OSTERIA
Evansburg, PA
Now about that pasta. There is an abundance of incredible Italian restaurants in our area, and a few named Osteria. Sauces (gravy) may taste different in each, but each has a quality of its own. Few of us have just a single favorite. One of my go-to places when craving your basic spaghetti and meatballs with marinara is Osteria, the one in Evansburg. A meatball rarely sees a doggie bag. But the remains of a pound of pasta does. At home, it provides a treasure trove of side dishes. But a favorite add-on are chicken livers and mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil and finished with a bit of Madeira wine. Then add it to the pasta. It was said to be Enrico Caruso's favorite dish. Who was he? Ask an opera lover.
