Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Philadelphia Food Musts


Philadelphia is a great food city. What I appreciate about Philadelphia so much are the many unique local food experiences that you can have. You won't see chain restaurants on every corner downtown. Instead you will find many one-of-a-kind places that your won't find elsewhere in the country.


   
Reading Terminal Market is a great place to experience local Philadelphia cuisine. Sandwiches, seafood, cheese steaks, chocolates, cheeses, and pastries are everywhere. I recommend having a cannoli from Termini Brothers.


  
Ofcourse Philadelphia is famous for their cheese steaks also. No visit to the city would be complete without heading down to Pat's and Geno's where they compete head-to-head across from each other. Although if you want the best cheese steak in the city head down to Jim's Steaks on South Street.



For another uniquely Philadelphia food experience you can try Chickie's & Pete's. Their crab fries (fries with crab seasoning) with cheese dipping sauce are delicious and addictive.



Another thing I love about Philadelphia is their beer selections. Draught beer selection usually consist of local craft beers, and not Budweiser, Coors, and Miller. If you're not from the East Coast then you'll have a chance to try some Yuengling.



Finally, Philadelphia offers food with history. Places like Franklin Fountain, where you can have a Philadelphia-Style chocolate egg cream from an antique soda fountain. No stop to the city would be complete without taking in some of the cities distinct historical sites.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Axiom 55: The Survivor Guide to Success


By no means am I a fan of the television show Survivor. It was entertaining the first couple seasons, but has long since run its course for me at least. However, what I did learn from the show was from its tag line, "Outwit. Outplay. Outlast". It is those three simple words combined that embody what it takes to be successful. 

Let me explain...

Outwit - You must find a way to be smarter than your competition. Competition could come in the form of a co-worker going after the same promotion as you, or another company going after the same customers as yours. You should always be learning as much as possible so that you can be quick on your feet and outsmart your competition.

Being able to outwit your competition means that you will have to draw from you life experiences as well as your basic ability to think on your feet.

Outplay - If you can outwit your competition you still have to outplay them. You have to work harder than them and think strategically. It's not good enough to just be smart. You have to apply that knowledge into a plan of action.

Outlast - If you can outwit and outplay your competition you still must outlast them until you are victorious. You must be willing to be patient and go the extra mile. Some battles take years to win. You must let your competition know that you will not give up. Wear them down until they quit.

If you look at successful CEOs and business people you will find that they most likely mastered the ability to outwit, outplay, and outlast to get where they are today. You must learn how to succeed at all three if you want to truly be successful. 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

DiNiC's - The Best Sandwich in America?


Deep inside Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market sits Tommy DiNiC's Pork and Beef. They recently gained notoriety by winning Travel Channel's "Best Sandwich in America" for their roast pork sandwich. Check out the video here.

So is DiNiC's roast pork sandwich the best sandwich in America? I went and had one myself to find out.



I arrived about lunch time and the place was packed. It looked like a good mix of locals and tourists in line. My mouth was watering in anticipation as I placed my order. I got the roast pork with broccoli rob and sharp provolone (the exact same way as the winning sandwich on TV).



The moment of truth was here. As I took my first bite I was disappointed. The sandwich was good, but far from epic. The ingredients themselves were of a very high quality, but the ensemble of them all together did not work well. The pork itself was watery and tasteless. The provolone cheese was good but too overbearing to complement the other flavors. The broccoli rob was bitter and took away from the overall taste. However, the bread was quite good.

The overall flavor of the sandwich was not well balanced. The texture (bite) and temperature of the sandwich were quite good. Overall all I was not impressed and would skip this sandwich next time.

Final thoughts - I could see how the flavors in this sandwich might really appeal to some people. This is one you'll need to go try for yourself and decide.