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| Photos from the Taproom on 19th anniversary party in Philadelphia, PA. |
Taproom on 19th in South Philadelphia celebrated one year under its new ownership (Michael Strauss, Pete Fry) on Saturday, November 8, with special musical guests The Gin Canaries and the crew from Pigheaded BBQ. Taproom on 19th chef Christina De Silva and sous chef Chris Myers presented pub menu items including Mac and Cheese with Fontina cheese and bacon, and Anniversary Venison Chili. Delaware-based Pigheaded BBQ created a pop-up menu featuring its Fatties (the region's only hand-rolled sausages stuffed with bacon mac-n-cheese), pulled pork nachos and a brisket sandwich.
Taproom on 19th and Chef De Silva already serve up bountifully appointed items such as a burger with Lafrieda beef, collard greens, and black pepper bacon from 1732 Meats. The additions of macaroni and cheese and chili were perfect pub food on a chilly Fall night. The Mac 'N Cheese with bacon was surprisingly light for how creamy the Fontina béchamel was. The large, dense, Anniversary Venison Chili had a great spiciness to it, with the queso (a Mexican white cow's-milk cheese) and house-made corn chips adding extra layers of flavor.
We had heard of the Pigheaded BBQ crew – retired Philly Police diver turned pit-master Ron Templeman and his family – but hadn't experienced how unique their version of barbecue was. The pulled pork nachos platter was served with Kettle cooked potato crisps, slow-smoked pulled pork and brisket. From there, pork-studded baked beans, cheese sauce, home-made barbecue sauce, sour cream and jalapenos were added on top for a gooey, chunky mess, and we mean that in the very best way. The packer cut brisket – rubbed with salt and pepper, then slow-smoked with peach wood for 12 hours – was a solid, traditionally served (with white bread) BBQ meal. The Fatties were something special: Pigheaded house-rolled sausage stuffed with a mix of bacon and mac-n-cheese in the center, then coated in barbecue rub and smoked with peach wood for several hours. Served in thick rings, the Fatties had a slightly sweet smokiness.
Taproom on 19th is located at 2400 S. 19th Street (cross street Ritner), Philadelphia, PA 19145. For hours and info visit TaproomOn19th.com or call 267.687.7817.
Photo collage, clockwise from top-left: Taproom on 19th staff members Chris Myers, Christina De Silva, Michael Strauss, Pete Fry; the Pigheaded BBQ crew; Venison Chili; Fontina Mac 'N Cheese; Fatties. All photos ©Reese Amorosi 2014.
Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2014
