Unbreaded

I never did get to experience the old Twenty Manning. However, after a complete interior redesign and the introduction of an almost-entirely new, affordable, American bistro menu and a variety of burgers, I had to go. I met with Chef Kiong Banh, who has spent 10 years within these walls, and is excited for some change.

Taking feedback from over the past year, Banh and owner Audrey Claire Taichman re-invented the concept of Twenty Manning from the ground up. Banh invested a lot of time in receiving feedback to create a selection of dishes at a price that would keep customers coming back, adding a bistro feel and a slight modification to the name. Though his background is a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese, Banh’s culinary focus is primarily French and Italian. He’s truly excited about the breath of fresh air that has been introduced to the restaurant and looks forward to serving the neighborhood as a destination with a focus on local, fresh and organic ingredients.

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Apparently eating 40 cheesesteaks, and 60 Italian hoagies wasn’t enough for 610 WIP’s Glen Macnow. This morning “The Professor” announced his Hot Specialty Sandwich Safari, an adventure to take down as many sandwiches as possible by June.

So what constitutes a “hot specialty sandwich”? In Glen’s eyes it’s anything besides cheesesteaks, grinders, burgers and hot dogs – roast beef, roast pork, meatball or chicken cutlet and others are all game. Macnow has already kicked it off with eight sandwiches; including some of our favorites like Paesano’s Arista, Bubby’s Brisket at Honey’s Sit N’ Eat, and the Chicken Cutlet from Tony Luke’s.

Macnow is taking user submissions, so head over to the official Sandwich Safari page and lend him your sandwich expertise. We’d love to know in the comments here what sandwich you submitted!

There’s certainly no shortage of fatty-tastic burgers in the city, nor a shortage of great, innovative kitchens. In honor of National Hamburger Month, we took a look at some burgerless menus and decided to challenge some of Philly’s best chefs to create a unique burger worthy of their menu space. Each week in May we’ll hit you with an exclusive interview and review of each handcrafted burger.

Up first: Chef David Katz, owner of rustic-casual restaurant Mémé (2201 Spruce Street).

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It’s true. Although our extensive research has yet to produce the origin, or original person who proclaimed it, we’ve been informed by several sources that May is National Hamburger Month. What better way to ring in the summer, than with a celebration of burgers?

For the rest of May we tip our hats in salute to the almighty burger; we’re grilling up some really fun posts, so stay tuned! Is there a burger we must check out, have a recipe you want to share, or any other great ideas for burger related content you’d like to see this month? Let us know in the comments!

Since the opening of The Wishing Well on 9^th and Catharine early this month, we have been receiving emails directing us to the burger that got kicked out of Atlanta for being too rib sticking.

The SHAME burger was invented by chef Carmen Cappello at his southern location, where he improvised on Pennsylvania tradition in creating this enigmatic creation.  A bit of background- the restaurant is part of the Slow Food Movement – meaning that they pledge to bring ingredients in that are grown within 100 miles of their location, contributing to the local economy and respecting the environment.  The Burger is made of local Lancaster sirloin, bought fresh right down the street in the Italian Market.  It is topped with house-made scrapple, American cheese and a runny fried farm fresh egg. Yep. It’s ridiculous.  Carmen calls it a “gluttonous treat that you can feel good about eating” and we definitely agree.

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We don’t typically post about fast food here on Unbreaded. This post will be atypical and unusual. Full disclosure: I have an odd fascination with fast food unicorns. They’re the mythical creatures of the commercial dining world. I enjoy the novelty of limited or rare offerings. I remember going out on Burger King crawls just so I could catch the remaining Western Whopper or Rodeo Cheeseburger before they reached the end of their limited runs. By the time Homer Simpson was chasing down the Krusty Ribwich, I had already lived a whole lifetime of chasing down limited, rare or new fast food offerings. Even when I was in LA a few months ago, I had to snag a McRib after being delighted by it’s return to the menu.

When news started surfacing about the reality of KFC’s Double Down, I knew I’d be trying it. There was no question. Touted as “man’s greatest achievement or evidence of our civilization’s impending doom” by The Consumerist, the Double Down employs humanity’s own curiosity as a passive marketing tool.

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• Last week was the official start of baseball season, and our friends over at The 700 Level taste tested the three specialty hot dogs featured at Citizens Bank Park. Head over to find out who they crowned the winner for the Phillies’ signature hot dog. [The 700 Level]

• The Burger Lab takes a highly scientific approach to recreating one of our favorite sandwiches, the blue cheese bomb at April Bloomfield’s Spotted Pig. [A Hamburger Today]

• This poor man suffered from a dislocated jaw after ordering double the meat and cheese on a sandwich that already features five different kinds of meat and three cheeses. Punishment for gluttony? We smell a PR stunt. [Aol. News]

• Tim Hayward introduces us to the “Shooter Sandwich” a mouth watering combination of steak, mushrooms, horseradish and Dijon, all stuffed into a bread bowl. You must check out the photo slideshow. [The Guardian submitted by Marisa McClellan]

When hunting for a great salad at lunch time, we’re usually stuck with the run of the mill chain that offers bland lettuce and overripe tomatoes grown on the other side of the country. That won’t be the case for much longer. Although there’s been reports that Garces Restaurant Group had inked a lease transaction deal for two floors of the Cira Centre, we’ve just been informed that another project will sideline that one for now.

Our tipster has informed us that Garces is personally focusing all of his energies on a salad cafe concept. The name: Lechuga.  After studying recent lease filings at the Philadelphia Department of Records, we’ve found that Garces Restaurant Group has obtained the space at 1760 Market Street, ironically the former location of Salad Works. Lechuga will feature a long list of salads, taking inspiration from all the far corners of the globe. Based on Garces’ previous work, we’re likely to see incarnations based on Spanish, Asian/Latin American fusion, European and New American cuisine. In honor of his Chicago roots, we’re most looking forward to the “Deep Dish Pizza Salad” we’ve been briefed about.

Along with the expansive, all you can eat salad bar, we’re told that GRG is working with a world renowned mixologist to develop an awe inspiring cocktail menu. Much like the salads, all drinks will be made with fresh local herbs and produce; a pickled beet martini is said to be the crown jewel of the bar.

Check back here on Untossed for more details, and an exhaustive review of Lechuga’s salad offerings.