The First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art kicks off Tues., Nov. 3 with the Foobooz Burger Cruise, a tour of Center City burgers led by Art Etchells of Foobooz.  The tour will sample some of the best burgers and beers from bars and restaurants – along with stories of the people behind it all.  Stops include Pub and Kitchen, Good Dog, Barclay Prime, and Noble: American Cookery.

First Person Arts transforms the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experience.  Founded in 2000, First Person Arts believes that everyone has a story to tell, and that sharing our stories connects us with each other and the world.

The First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art is their biggest event of the year, and the only festival in the world dedicated to memoir and documentary art. They promise to feed your soul and your stomach, entertain and engage your spirit, and take you beyond the borders of your own life experience – with artists as your guide.

Discounted tickets are only available until Sunday, October 25th, so purchase them this week. (Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended, 35 person limit.)

On the web: 8th Annual First Person Arts Festival

Barclay Prime is no stranger to decadent sandwiches, with its $100 cheesesteak and buttery kobe sliders, but the new pub menu’s dry aged burger may very well surpass them all.

Served as a couplet of square mini burgers, slightly larger than the sliders, the burger patties consist of ground NY strip, kobe strip, ribeye and kobe filet.  The result is by far, the most flavorful burger we’ve ever tasted. And though we are loath to part with $19 plus whatever else from the overpriced beer list, we would, in fact, go back for the deeply satisfying, explosive flavor.

The firm but soft twin burgers are plated on homemade bread with translucent onions sauteed with mustard and just a bit of aged cheddar that did not overpower the meat.  A light smear of Russian dressing on the bottom bread offers a hint of creamy sweetness that balances the rich and juicy medium-rare burger.

Rather than fries, the pub burger is served with a dish of homemade mini tater tots that were as fun to eat as they were delicious.  Also on the plate were sliced pickles, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce, which we believe was a statement of humor and irony as opposed to a genuine culinary pairing.

Aside from lightening the wallet a bit more than we’d like, our only complaint was that the burger came presented wrapped in paper, perhaps a tongue-in-cheek reference to the White Castle sliders it somewhat resembles.  It was more of a detractor and an annoyance than an enhancer, a speed bump on the road to an otherwise brilliant burger.

Barclay Prime
237 S 18th St Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Google Map)