Blackbird Pizzeria: Philly's 1st Vegan Pizza

Why it has taken us more than a year of living in Philadelphia to get to this gem of a restaurant is beyond me. Yet, as I often stress in this teensy corner of the blogosphere, I do believe all in its right time.  Everything happens for a reason and there must be a reason why it has taken us this long.

Coming from a love of Cafe Viva in New York, Blackbird Pizzeria takes the proverbial cake (I mean pie).  Clean.  Delicious.  Eco-friendly (they actually compost their compostable disposable cutlery, cups and plates!).  Nice bathroom.  Soy-free friendly (the vegan cheese used on pizza is scrumptious, even the Wolfman said he couldn't tell the difference except a little bit of texture, AND I can eat it because it is soy-free!).

Did I say delicious?
That everything we ate tonight was delicious?

That everything included:

• Harvest pizza
• plain pizza
• sauteed greens
• full basket hand-cut fries
• creamy sweet potato soup
• root beer bbq wings with pineapple salsa
• mint cream whoopie pie

Did I say the staff was friendly, kind, courteous, patient with our questions regarding soy ingredients?

Just a ditty of other reasons why Blackbird is AMAZEBALLS

• They filter their tap water!  (we're good with plain 'ole, but whoo hoo on the filtering!)
• The whole-wheat crust is tasty, tasty, tasty!
• Ample healthful choices of pizza that even our children loved!
• Amazeballs sauteed greens as a side.
• Even more amazeballs hand-cut fries.  ("Oh, they're just fried in canola oil," said a nice chef.  Just.  JUST.  On this vegetable-oil laden east coast we live in, this is a soy-free mama's dream!)
• It's kosher*!
• They have a washing cup at their sink (for kosher folks this is a huge plus)

*naysayers, feel free to scroll down to the bottom for my comments on that

Can we just order the whole menu please?

Yeah, we'll take that, too.

I know these blurry menu photos don't do it justice, but every.single.thing.on.the.menu is outta this world!

And now at the end of this blog I address you, the Kosher naysayer.  Here's what I got to say, and I put it small because it is not to deter you from eating at Blackbird...a REAL gem of a place that any smart kosher consumer who likes delicious, wholesome, and yes kosher food should patronize:

Stango and I are all good with the "questionable" hashcacha.  Yes, we are well aware that the "IFC" which is what certifies this joint is akin to a mail-order Chinese bride.  Ok, ok, not really.  But you get my point.  No, there is no on-site maschkiach there.  Already we are now way outside the mainstream that we're good with that.  Do I really need to rant on my feelings about the kosher politics out there?  Or should I say politricks?

We need to come together in these dark days, not separate, in order to get towards the light!

The composting of their items is a huge boon on my book...what kosher place have you ever seen that does this?  (I mean, on the east coast, and in the mainstream frum world?)
Of course I believe fully their food is kosher.
The issue of bishul akum, pas yisroel, and insect-checking in vegatables are, well, issues, but that doesn't stop us from eating at Blackbird because, well, because we are very comfortable with the standards held by the proprietors.  We also keep in mind that the frum world at-large has taken on more and more chumras and general stringencies.  


Blackbird Pizzeria

507 South 6th Street  Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 625-6660 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (215) 625-6660      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Upcoming Phamily Phun in Philadelphia!? With DJ Scribe

now *this* is a fun, chill, inexpensive phamily phun event in philly!  Sadly, the Whole Phamily will be unable to attend but I encourage each.and.every.one.of.you who lives in Philadelphia and is looking for something to do in a week or so to GO GO GO!!!  DJ Scribe looks fully funkadelic.  Check out DJ Samson, too, cuz word on the street, yo, is that pisher can spin some mad wax!

While we currently have no plans on attending, I saw this ad in Philadelphia's The Jewish Exponent for the upcoming Jewish Heritage Night at a Phillies game which jumps on the"PH" bandwagon.  I can't speak to previous years since I am a recent New York transplant, but did they market the event this way in the past?Or, did a wise person at Philadelphia Federation (ahem, Phederation) stumble upon this blog and dig my vibe?  In all of my humble modesty, though, I am currently humming the words of Carly Simon to the tune of  "You're So Vain."

My sister Reba calls me an internet jewish cosmic freakazoid.  Would anyone else pick up on this advertising detail other than me?

pre-game phamily phestival.  The Whole Phamily is happy to join you if we are invited.   Partnerships are good.  Laminates/guest lists/VIP treatment are even better.

I have my feelers out already with their marketing folks, so I am curious what the story is...

Meantime, check out Carly from 2 years ago.
Remastered/remixed classic song from the excellent year of 1972.
Now, that is one very fine vintage.
I speak from personal experience.
Dig the whole Morningside Heights and Columbia University vibe.
If that isn't Butler Library, I don't know what is.
And a chassid vibe, to boot!
The fever is spreading.

Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

It was news to me when we moved to Philadelphia last summer that Goldenberg's Peanut Chews are a local product.

Since I'm a sucker for 70s nostalgia (makes me feel 6 years old again), I naturally love this current ad campaign.  Not quite the same font, but reminds me of the video in this recent post about a classic 70s movie.

Kind of funny that the company has been around since 1917, and yet it has the 70s look it.  If they were really going old school, wouldn't they have invoked flapper (1920s) or art deco (1930s) imagery?

I guess they were at a loss for what would be Old School 1917.

For the Kosher among us, I do know that it was a sad day in the late 80s or 90s when they went from parve to dairy.  They were a favorite handout at my Jewish day school by one of the rabbis.  I heard through the grapevine that he was very sad about that.  There were no longer a reliable and readily available non-dairy sweet treat in every drug store.

I was never a big fan, but I like their ad campaign.

It's a Rainy Day in Philly

The Wolfman's Brother's response to this classic Sesame Street segment is:

"Yes you can go outside if you have boots."




Oh, that intelligent 4 1/2 year old of mine.

From Rihanna to Eddie Murphy in 30 Seconds Flat...Mama Say What?!

(disclaimer: if you really want to get it done in 30 seconds, do not watch the embedded videos!)


 Yesterday, towards the end of spin class, Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" came on the speakers.  Ever so conveniently placed, indeed I didn't want the music to end, since I was finally getting my spin groove on.  I am not very contemporary with popular music, so I owe much of my knowledge and exposure to it via my excellent spin instructors.  In truth, I don't connect much to the music:  the beat seems somewhat empty to me.  I am a classic rock and Jam band type of mama.  I don't like how women are objectified.  I certainly don't want my children watching this video.  Stango would definitely not be into it.

Rihanna is beautiful despite the fact that I don't agree that she uses her body, sex and overall image to sell herself.  Isn't that Hollywood, though?  She has made a career out of it, and I give her that.  I am sure she is a hard worker.



Ever interested in connections, I love how she borrows from Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" when she says "mama say mama sah mama makusa"




Ever thirsty for knowledge, I researched that phrase, which, according to this Wikipedia entry, has its roots in Makossa music, which is popularized in Camaroon cities.

Call me an ignorant American, but I don't know much about Camaroon.

Except for this classic scene from "Trading Places," where Eddie Murphy pretends to be an exchange student from Camaroon.






Which leads me back to the City of Brotherly Love, where this film is largely based.

It is my new city and it is a good one!

The Purple Phanatic

With all this recent purple discussion, it was funny to see the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team mascot all decked out in Superhero purple on this children's book I saw at my local 5 and 10 Mapes Store, a real gem and relic if you ask me.  Go there for toys, party supplies, office stuff (not bulk, though, but for hard-to-find items they have it!)

Good thing I didn't buy this book, though, since it cost  $6.31!

I guess that is where licensed products get ya...more pricey.  Call it brand recognition.  Though from this cover you pretty much don't see any Phillies logo branding...

Anyway, that price of $6.31 is cool because if you reverse the last two digits you get $6.13 which is the number of mitzvot there exist in the Torah.

Talk about finding numerology stuff at a 5 and dime store.   Now, that is fitting!

Is Suzy Greenberg a Cultural Stereotype?

 Suzy Greenberg is the name of a ficticious girl and the title of a classic old-school Phish song.  Without a doubt, she is Jewish.  I think many Phish heads aren't particularly into it because they have heard it so many times or perhaps they aren't impressed with its musicianship.  However, from the moment I first heard this tune, I couldn't help but make the direct connection to Carole Kane's character in Annie Hall.

 It is almost as if the songwriter had this clip in mind when writing Suzy:

please advance to :48



(thank you, Mr. Woody Allen, for creating such iconic Americana on the silver screen)


Here is an old performance of the song:






Some reflections on the lyrics:

•  Growing up, I was sometimes called "Loony bin"
• I am not a sociologist, rather an American Studies major (at Brandeis, like Woody Allen's cultural stereotype)
•  "She's out of her mind and she's not of this earth."  Hmm...I have been told this blog is too Loony.
• "An artist she may be, but a genius she is not."    I am not an artist, but my sister Reba is. Most definitely not a genius.
• I might walk the streets like I'm the "queen of the town" only because my Jewish/Hebrew middle name is Malka which means queen.