Michelle "Cupcake Queen" C.'s Profile

There comes a point in time where enough is enough with the unpredictability of Philadelphia's taxi system. When I recently needed a ride to 30th Street Station, I got in touch with The Classy Taxi via Twitter and booked an appointment. One minute before my pick-up time, a white cab came whipping around the corner and I was speeding away in the backseat seconds later. I dare say it was the first time I ever arrived to the station without heart palpitations and anxiety from running late.

A few days later I again booked Jack's services and was not disappointed. With baseball in the background, we chatted about this and that. It won't be long before my next appointment.

Lost Society was a fun place for my girls and I to have a few drinks while checking out the DC scene on a Saturday night. The first level you come across is like a swankified sports bar. There were a bunch of people watching basketball in this area. We proceeded upstairs, which had a small room with a DJ and a bar along the wall. An attached deck with an awning and a separate bar area filled up quickly.

We staked some real estate at the inside bar and ordered drinks. The prosecco was fine, and I probably should have stuck with that, but I was in the mood for a mixed drink. I ordered an Absolut and club with a splash of cran. On first sip, I could taste the tap water from the club. You know how some tap water tastes fine while some tastes like weird chemicals? This was the latter. I asked for another splash of cran to mask the taste. At $9 for a drink, I think Lost Society should spring for some bottled club soda.

Keep an eye on your bartender if you want a brand other than the house swill. While ordering my second drink, I turned my gaze away and when I turned back I saw the bartender putting a bottle of shit vodka back in the well. I don't think he did it intentionally - I think he just wasn't really listening/paying attention. I let it go even though I cringed at the initial rubbing alcohol taste.

If you're in the mood for checking out pretty people while grooving to some funky beats and getting hit on, Lost Society is a good time. Skip if you'd rather enjoy a good cocktail and quiet conversation.

My lovely friend and hostess with the most-est, Jess, booked our foursome a table at Ulah Bistro on Saturday night. When we arrived at 8pm, the place was packed. We noticed a table in front of the service station that was set for two being transformed to a four-top. Knowing this table was being prepared for us, my friend asked that we be seated elsewhere. We did have a reservation, after all.

After a drink at the bar, we were seated at a more suitable table. The restaurant was extremely noisy but we were on an endcap of the seating area so we at least had an unoccupied side.

Famished, we over-ordered on apps and selected a sandwich, salad and shared pizza for our entrees. Our server dropped off some bread - kind of like a pizza dough crust with some baked-on cheese and olive tapenade. We didn't see much of our server beyond that.

Appetizers were delivered fairly quickly. Crab dip, hot and abundant, was very good. The tuna tartare was nice as well. I didn't try the beet salad or charred octopus but my friends seemed happy. A few bites into our starters, more food runners arrived, only this time they had our mains. Since our server had asked if we wanted everything in two courses, we were needless to say very surprised that everything was being dropped off together. It wasn't as though we had been taking our time over the appetizers, either. They had barely made their rounds about the table before these other plates showed up.

The manager stopped by to check in and we expressed our surprise about the food situation. His responded somewhat excitedly and not a bit apologetically that the kitchen was slammed. As if that makes everything okay? Since we hadn't seen our server in some time I asked him to grab me a beer. I was thoroughly pissed.

My burger was decent but the bacon was kind of hard and chewy, not at all crisp. My friend's salad did come with dressing on the side as she asked, but the dressing was not what she had requested. Again, we didn't see our server at any time during our meal so this was never rectified. My friends who shared a pizza said the crust was good but the pizza itself wasn't mind-blowing.

The service we received at Ulah was so terrible that we left a 15% tip (my suggestion - I almost never leave less than 20%). I'm so tempted to make this a one star review because I'm getting angry just thinking about our experience, but the decent food was enough to warrant two.

Congratulations on your ability to turn four tops in an hour, Ulah. But you'll be hard-pressed to get my business (or the business of my three friends) again.

First off, the happy hour is awesome. From 5-8pm, a selection of cocktails, wine, beer and sushi rolls and other small plates are offered at dramatically reduced prices in the bar and lounge area, which has ample seating. The mango martini was delicious and strong. We ordered a few sushi rolls and they were decent. Not the best sushi in the world but satisfactory.

For dinner, we were offered a more expansive cocktail list but the prices were much higher. So not a bad move to arrive early and get your drink on then take it easy over a meal.

I started with the spicy chicken soup which was actually really delicious. The broth was thick like an egg drop soup and contained shreds of chicken and some wonton-y pieces that had a nice chew.

For my main course I ordered a couple more sushi rolls. One was tuna with scallion and cucumber and the other had tuna, scallop and shrimp tempura. Both were great. We also shared an order of horseradish mashed potatoes that were pretty delish.

Oya definitely isn't cheap but taking advantage of the happy hour will help. I'd recommend it for a girls night out and would go back myself.

This is one of the most beautiful parks I've ever enjoyed. Winding paths, multi-levels, fountains, reflecting ponds and an abundance of flora are omnipresent about the park.

Enjoy the people watching at DuPont; enjoy serenity at Meridian Hill.

A Yelp friend once told me that she occasionally gets her nails done at this place so I decided to give it a shot. I was looking for something a little more low rent than my usual highfalutin places. At $45 for a mani/pedi, Rittenhouse Manicure & Spa isn't cheap, but that ten extra dollars gets you better services and a nicer environment than most of the quick and cheap spots.

The pedi chairs were mostly full when I arrived around noon on a Thursday, but there were still two that were open on the other side of a half wall. I actually preferred this area to the larger room; it was more relaxing. I grabbed a rag mag and tried to relax while also bracing myself for what was sure to be a painful pedicure. I have very sensitive skin which is one of the reasons I normally shell out mad dough for nice salons. Fortunately, Lee was very gentle and the pedicure was actually enjoyable.

Next up was the manicure. I normally ask to skip the cuticle cutters but my nails were in such bad shape that I just let it happen. And since Lee was so careful during my pedicure, I trusted that my hands would make it through without any bleeding. I think I had maybe one small nick when all was said and done but my nails look great so I'm not complaining. I only wish that she would have painted a little closer to the cuticle, since there is a small gap between the polish and cuticles. Why does this always seem to happen at certain salons?

As my nails were drying, I received a shoulder massage which was practically worth the extra money on its own. My nails look great and I'll likely return whenever I don't have the extra cash to plunk down on my fancier spots.

I'm glad I gave Sowe a second chance after my first experience, which was just for drinks. We dipped in for a nightcap on the evening of the soft opening. We were seated at a high top near the bar that was only inches from the next high top. The place was super loud even though it wasn't packed. The acoustics definitely need to be softened somehow. Either everyone was screaming or it just sounded like they were.

I chose the cheapest glass of wine on the menu, which was $9. Even Tria has glasses of wine less expensive than that. Meanwhile, several of the beers were also way overpriced (some have been adjusted since but they are still high for the neighborhood). Cocktails are all around $9, which is fine even if it isn't inexpensive. I left unimpressed.

Fast forward a couple weeks and we tried again for dinner. We were seated inside at one of the tables in front of the bar. It was close to 7, but we had missed happy hour, which is from 4-6pm. I'm not sure I know anyone other than myself - because I work from home - who could take advantage of this happy hour, anyway.

Our server, Julian, was cheerful and helpful without being on top of us. One thing I noticed about the menu on this visit that I hadn't noticed before was that there are a few cocktails with calories listed. I ordered a Skinny Mo, which is a lighter version of a mojito. At first sip, it reminded me of a drink I'd get at an all-inclusive. It was made with Malibu rum, after all. But at a mere 51 calories per drink, I was just fine with the tropics. My companion's bloody Mary was made with bacon vodka and had a bacon rim - genius! Normally, I don't like bacon vodka but the kind they use didn't taste like rocket fuel. It just had a nice, subtle bacon flavor.

For apps we went with the buffalo shrimp, which are served around a blue cheese and arugula salad. The shrimp preparation is comparable to shrimp pil pil, with a hint of heat but some sweetness. I'd like a little more buffalo flavor but they were still very good. We also had the mussels, which were in a somewhat heavy coconut broth. I prefer mussels marinara but anyone who likes this style would probably dig these.

At the suggestion of Julian, I ordered the crab cake sliders as my main and the bf tried the duck. He was pleased with his entree and my sliders were very nice as well. The fries were especially delish, though I tried not to eat too many. Summer is coming.

With two drinks, two apps and two mains (one from the sandwich side, one from the entree side), our total came to almost $100, before tip. Now, we normally don't order that much on a normal night but we did want to try an array of dishes. That said, while the food at Sowe is definitely good, I'd be hard pressed to spend that kind of cash on any given weeknight. I get that this place is not trying for a Sidecar or Grace Tavern vibe. But I still think the prices are way high when compared with similar neighborhood spots like Resurrection (which admittedly can get expensive as well), Pub & Kitchen and Rex. The product that Sowe puts out is most definitely worthy of four stars, but the prices keep them at three for now.

I checked out Brodo on day two and while there are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out, I anticipate that this will be a solid spot for lunch in center city. I knew I wanted a salad but I also wanted a taste of one of the delicious-sounding soups. Fortunately, they have a combo option where you can do a half sandwich or salad and a cup of soup. I did the salad/soup and with a largish bottle of diet Snapple, the total setback was just over ten bucks. Not too shabby!

My lunch partner and I had arrived just after noon, right before the rush. As we collected our utensils and parked ourselves at a table, it was clear that there was going to be some major back up with regards to the amount of customers and the time it was taking to get orders out. We didn't have to wait too long but there was a large crowd of people waiting for the rest of our lunch. As we waited, I noticed the Boylan's soda fountain. Nice!  

The half and half combo is the perfect size for lunch. The Maryland crab soup was average but did the trick (admittedly, I chose it specifically for the "LF" insignia, meaning low fat, but there are plenty of richer options), and the cobb salad had crisp romaine lettuce and just the right amount of toppings and dressing - not too much but not lacking.

It seemed like table wipe-downs were being overlooked in the rush, but other than that and the small wait for our lunch, my experience was solid. Hopefully in a few weeks, Brodo will be running like a well-oiled machine.

I enjoyed my brunch at Square Peg so much that I suggested it as a late night spot after an outing last week. I had heard that they were offering a late night happy hour, so it was a no-brainer to walk a few blocks out of the way to check it out.

When we arrived, there was no one in the main reception so we just went straight to the bar. It was kind of obvious that the people who were there were friends with the bartenders. The bartenders themselves made no effort to welcome us or make eye contact. We stood around awkwardly until I was finally able to get someone's attention. When I asked about the late night happy hour, I was told it had already ended. It was just after 11pm at this point. Turns out, their late night happy hour is from 9-11pm. Okay. So I requested a menu to order some snacks. The kitchen closes at 11. And after checking out their website, I've discovered that the bar closes at midnight on weeknights.

With so many spots open until 2am and with late-night kitchens, it's unlikely that I'd choose Square Peg for a nightcap. And honestly, even if I'm not hungry, I'll still head somewhere that feels a little more welcoming.

Again, I really did enjoy my brunch a few weeks ago so I'm going to combine my four stars for brunch with my two stars for this lousy experience and average out to three. There's a chance that I'll return for a meal but it's highly unlikely that I'll go back just for drinks.

Kraftwork is Sidecar's Northern sibling. The beer list is great, and you can see what's on deck after any particular keg is kicked. The look of the bar is industrial and a lot of the materials were salvaged and re-used, which makes for a cool space.

We stopped by for some beers and a bite on a Sunday afternoon. The bartender was nice enough to let us sample a couple different beers while we made our decisions. We shared the beer can chicken sandwich, which was pretty tasty. The bun is really big and it's easier to just eat the thing open-faced. The fries that came with were delish and especially good with the mustard dipping sauce. The parmesan truffle popcorn was a bit of a let-down. Definitely not as good as the version at Royal. But probably a lot healthier.

I wouldn't go out of my way for Kraftwork, and that's probably because I'm lucky enough to have Sidecar around the corner from my apartment. But when in Fishtown, it's a solid choice.