Cortex + French Fry + Philly

August 20, 2009 2:18 PM

Cortex and French Fry are gonna be in Philly! September 18th. Let's eat, drink, and be merry.

desuetude mentioned tacos, which sounds like fun. Who is down?

(PS, Cortex, French Fry, if y'all know what part of town you're staying in that may be helpful as well.)

posted by piratebowling to MetaFilter gatherings at 2:18 PM (86 comments total)

desuetude has offered to put us up in a guest room, so she can answer the where better than I can.

We'll be driving down from Boston, I'm guessing we'll get into town early afternoon, 2-3 or so (but French Fry is driving, so it's probably more his place to guess about that).
posted by cortex at 2:21 PM on August 20

Alright, well she's in South Philly, which has some awesome taquerias. I still have not formed rock solid opinions about those places, so I'll wait for her to jump in and suggest an awesome place. Or for others to jump in and suggest something else entirely. Either way, we'll get this hammered out.
posted by piratebowling at 2:33 PM on August 20

Cortex and French Fry are gonna be in Philly!

Is cortex also bringing beer?
posted by special-k at 2:52 PM on August 20

Taquitos de Puebla.

That is all.
posted by desuetude at 3:34 PM on August 20

Wait, wait.. Cortex, you're going to be in Boston? What's your threshold of meetups?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:51 PM on August 20

Wait, Wait... robocop needs to learn to scroll down? What's that all about?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:53 PM on August 20

more like robocop is skimming amirite
posted by cortex at 3:56 PM on August 20

So, we should pick someplace in South Philly for the post-taco drinking. I'd favor Lucky 13 for atmosphere, but it's not a big place. Devil's Den is crawling distance from my house (let's minimize how far cortex and french fry have to stumble, shall we?), but it's a little pricey. POPE can get really freaking crowded, now that you kids are all over my lawn. Cantina is Cantina.

We could beercrawl again, of course.
posted by desuetude at 7:42 PM on August 20

Really wherever the Philly folks like best is fine by me. I've not spent a lot of time in south philly so I have no real ideas. I know cort and I both love a good taqueria, and the idea of not needing to drive further that day is very appealing.
posted by French Fry at 8:04 PM on August 20

Royal!
posted by ludwig_van at 8:16 PM on August 20

I'm open to Royal, but okay, but if some goddamn dude with overgrown hair and questionable fashion sense stands in the doorway and knocks over my beer, I'm going to expect you to kick his ass, ludwig.

French Fry, I live in food and drink heaven. You won't even need to walk far enough to burn the calories you'll consume.
posted by desuetude at 8:38 PM on August 20

Maybe I will come to this. Been looking for an excuse to visit a friend at Penn and hang out with you clowns.
posted by hermitosis at 9:01 PM on August 20

But hermie, I'm not at Penn. Silly!
posted by piratebowling at 4:28 AM on August 21

Why is everything cool happening the week I'm at the shore?
posted by chihiro at 5:50 AM on August 21

Wow, this may be the one that ends my meet-up not-going-to string.
posted by Mister_A at 6:36 AM on August 21

This might be my last chance to actually go to a meetup sans baby or it might be my last chance to *plan* on gong to a meetup and then not go sans baby.
Tacos sound yummy, though.
posted by zorrine at 8:35 AM on August 21

I have decided, because this whole meetup-planning-for-a-time-when-I will-no-longer-live-in-Philadelphia, that I will leave a cardboard cut out of myself so that I can continue to attend Philly meetups in effigy. Who wishes to take care of such a cardboard cut out? And what pose should I be in? I'm thinking wink-and-point, but I could also be convinced to do anything featured on Asian Poses.
posted by greekphilosophy at 11:04 AM on August 21

I'm actually going to vote *against* Royal - I love the place, but it's not big enough for big-groupness, and while I normally love the jukebox, it's not talky-conducive. My first vote is for Cantina or POPE, but I'm not that picky.
posted by Tomorrowful at 11:18 AM on August 21

I am quite partial to POPE, and if people aren't wedded to the idea of all sitting at the same table, lucky 13 would work fine as well. I think Cantina would probably be a hot mess with all of us.

Sidenote to desuetude, how veggie friendly is Taquitos de Puebla? From their website I see a couple veggie options, but some of them are untranslated or half translated. I don't want to derail the food choice, though, so I can figure something out if the options there are limited.
posted by piratebowling at 2:59 PM on August 21

piratebowling: Limited, yes. And uh, choriqueso is not vegetarian. Queso con Champiñones is, though, and they have great guac.
posted by desuetude at 3:31 PM on August 21

Taquitos de Puebla = awesome.
posted by scalefree at 10:26 AM on August 23

Okay, I'm gonna call it for Taquitos de Puebla for dinner, and since the bars are all so close to each other, why don't we start at Royal earlier on before it's crowded and just see if we need to find someplace different later on? It's gonna be a Friday night and pretty much every bar around there will have a lot of people, there's no avoiding it.

What time do people want to meet to start the taco fiesta?
posted by piratebowling at 1:25 PM on August 25

Hope that it's a gorgeous weekend and everyone heads down the shore.

For utterly selfish reasons, i say early. Like how early can you people get to SoufPhilly early.
posted by desuetude at 10:15 PM on August 26

Depending on the shift I get, I can be down asearly as 4 or as late as 9:30.
posted by piratebowling at 7:57 PM on August 27

I'll arrive whenever someone Skypes me in.
posted by greekphilosophy at 10:59 AM on August 28

i vote six packs in desuetude's back yard. bars are too hot and social and pricey.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:29 PM on August 30

I like the back yard idea, but only if desuetude is cool with that.
posted by piratebowling at 9:28 AM on August 31

Philly MeFites, I'm technically in South Jersey but live near a Patco station, so I'll be coming if you'll have me!

I could potentially be there around 7-8:00pm, I have weightlifting practice and then would need to go home, shower, and Patco/walk it over.
posted by schroedinger at 3:29 PM on August 31

Hmm, interesting. I will raise this idea with mister desuetude. Protip: Do not call him this. Ever.

Are there any objections to having a meetup at my house? I do have a lovely and spacious backyard, if I do say so myself.
posted by desuetude at 8:21 PM on August 31

I for one have no problem with that. Easy commute.
posted by cortex at 9:00 PM on August 31

I was really looking forward to trying out some of the South Philly bars, since I've never been to Royal or P.O.P.E. or any of the others, and trying the taquerias. Is there a way we could combine the two, like start out in your backyard, desuetude, then go to bars or vice versa?
posted by lagreen at 11:19 AM on September 1

I agree with lagreen A combination mini-pub-crawl and lawn party could be a good time. Is this feasible given our location and the timing?
posted by French Fry at 7:05 AM on September 3

French Fry, there is no lawn. My backyard, like most backyards in South Philly, is a concrete slab. Mine just happens to be lush with edible plants.

Okay, why don't we stuff ourselves with tacos, hit a few of the local watering holes, and then wind up in my backyard? This would be basically what happened last time I facilitated a pub crawl in my hood...just that only 31d1 and ludwig_van could hang out late and drunk enough to make it to my house.
posted by desuetude at 5:59 PM on September 3

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that the Padre Pio Festival starts on the evening of the 18th. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, just imagine everything wonderful and everything completely fucking horrifyingfrightening about South Philly, and put it all in the same place at the same time.)
If we really want to show Cortex what South Philly is made of, this is a timely opportunity.
posted by 8dot3 at 7:34 PM on September 3

Oh, for Pete's sake... I've missed 3 of the last 4 meetups due to family obligations, and this one manages to fall on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, when I'm definitely expected at my parents'. Hopefully I can join up partway, after I make my escape...
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:16 PM on September 4

So what's the deal? Where does it start, etc?
posted by Mister_A at 1:16 PM on September 4

Desuetude is our resident cruise director: D, what say you?
posted by 8dot3 at 2:51 PM on September 4

Why don't we say 5:30 or 6 at Taquito de Puebla for tacos, then beer afters.

I'm going on vacation this week and won't have much e-mail access, so don't freak out if you don't hear from me. I'll be back on the 14th.
posted by desuetude at 5:13 PM on September 4

I just noticed this meetup was happening, and in my own neighborhood no less. I've never been to a Philly meetup, but was a regular at the NYC ones a few years ago.

What are the latest details?
posted by splatta at 7:08 AM on September 8

6pm at Taquito de Puebla, then wandering aimlessly for beers is what it looks like so far. Taquito de Puebla is on 9th between Ellsworth & Federal.
posted by 8dot3 at 12:53 PM on September 8

I am going to do my best to get there. How long will people be at Taquito before the beer crawl starts? I'm going to go home (to Delco) after work and am not certain I can be there by 6.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 2:00 PM on September 8

I may join in later in the evening, I'll ping deswehtood for yous whereabouts.
posted by The Straightener at 4:46 PM on September 8

I am thinking about going to Philly and joining you guys on Friday. Not sure what time I'll get off the train or in what mood (this used to be my commute and there's nothing like the downtown A train to the Friday NJ Transit train from NY Penn Station to the SEPTA train to the trolley to the ... you get the idea).

I may require beer and cosseting.

But mainly beer.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:49 PM on September 10

I'm back in town! Let's start loosely planning again!
posted by desuetude at 10:43 PM on September 11

So, what neighborhood drinking joints do you folks most want to visit before we retire to my backyard? (I can go whenever i want, obvs, so this can be all about you people.) Perhaps Royal and POPE? Anyone got any special requests?
posted by desuetude at 4:49 PM on September 12

I vehemently request NOT Royal. I do like the place, but if there are more than 3 people AND it's a Friday night, we'll be crowded into the runway while waiting for beer/tables. I've spent way too much time doing that there, it rarely ends well.
POPE can get crowded, but there are several distinct areas in which to hang, as well as the outside tables.
There's Ray's, which is small but cheap and real local.

Thoughts?
posted by 8dot3 at 7:51 AM on September 14

I agree that Royal is too small and crowded. Ray's and POPE are both good ideas.
posted by orme at 10:31 AM on September 14

Sciencegeek: I always thought cosseting was... well let's just say that I looked it up and am relieved. See you Friday!
posted by 8dot3 at 12:37 PM on September 14

I can't do Ray's, sadly. Six months of being sick with chronic and acute sinus infections mean no more smoky bars for me, ever.

I mentioned Royal because ludwig_van lurves it and lagreen mentioned it. It might be okay really early, but yeah, I don't want to stand in the runway either. Lucky 13 is also small, but that back area is often underutilized. Maybe we should list neighborhood (nonsmoking) bars (that we would even consider i.e. not Triangle), north to south:

Royal
Devil's Den (large enough, beer geek heaven, not cheap tho.)
Lucky 13
POPE
1601 (also not big)
Cantina
South Philly Tap Room (a bit of a hike)

...
posted by desuetude at 7:01 PM on September 14

I won't be there til a little later. I won't cry if nobody wants to go to Royal. I like Pope okay.
posted by ludwig_van at 8:51 PM on September 14

I was planning on bringing a friend to this meetup, and she's dying to try Royal. But I figure she and I could very easily try it another time; I didn't realize it was a small place that's not really suitable for a meetup. I'm good with any place that serves beer, really, so I'll let those who know the area do the planning.
posted by lagreen at 6:18 AM on September 15

Agh, didn't mean to be all bossy and shit. We can totally include Royal, especially since there are those who love it and lagreen's friend is excited about it. I'm forgetting it's a beer crawl, not a get-a-table-order-some-dinner-and-camp-out-for-the-evening kind of deal. I didn't know Ray's still allows smoking so I am fine leaving that out, yuk.

I know we are trying to keep this on the cheaper side of expensive, so my house, which is basically in between Royal and Cantina, can be a stop on the crawl as well. You can compare my container garden with Desuetude's and tell me why my tomatoes are still all green.
posted by 8dot3 at 6:42 AM on September 15

Dear Peoples,

As of right now they're forecasting rain all day and night on Friday.

Wuv,

Captain Buzzkill
posted by The Straightener at 6:49 AM on September 15

What is this rain crap? Doesn't anyone here have control over the weather?

Also, 8dot3, I look forward to an explanation of what you thought cosseting meant.

I have no opinion on bar choice other than being less enthusiastic about bars with smoking and a dislike of karaoke (they don't do karaoke in South Philly, do they?).
posted by sciencegeek at 7:38 AM on September 15

They do karaoke to Mario Lanza and Frank Sinatra on the sidewalks using broom handles as stands for invisible microphones.
posted by The Straightener at 7:55 AM on September 15 [1 favorite]

Lucky for you, the only place I know that does karoke on Friday's is also the one that allows smoking, so you are completely off the hook.

I wasn't going to cosset you anyway (as I defined it), since I took down the safety harnesses last year.
posted by 8dot3 at 8:06 AM on September 15

8dot3, you didn't plant them in late April, i bet?
posted by desuetude at 10:03 PM on September 15

If by 'late April' you mean 'early June', then yes, I did!
posted by 8dot3 at 1:54 PM on September 16

The proper term is "shockingly late April", fwiw.
posted by cortex at 1:59 PM on September 16

In the ground or in containers?
posted by desuetude at 5:38 PM on September 16

Containers. Did the same with the eggplants and I've had a small but yummy harvest of those, though.
posted by 8dot3 at 8:08 PM on September 16

Oops, I totally missed this thread. I can't stay out too late Friday night (or I'll turn into a pumpkin / miss my bus to New York the next day) but I haven't had a taco in really long time.

So... we're meeting at Taquito de Puebla at 6pm and then wandering to various bars?

Please correct me if I've skimmed the thread too quickly.
posted by polexa at 10:29 PM on September 16

filmgeek has basically dared-slash-bribed us to try and be in town by noon or so, which sounds like it's both impossible and worth trying to manage, so we'll see what happens there in terms of pre-meetup hijinks.
posted by cortex at 11:10 PM on September 16

Hey, it looks like it won't be raining. Apparently some of you guys do know how to control the weather.
posted by sciencegeek at 7:46 AM on September 17

We don't so much control the weather as we maintain a healthy and open dialogue with it that makes finding mutually-satisfying compromises with it possible.
posted by cortex at 1:44 PM on September 17

I'd like to go, but the earliest I could make it out there would probably be 7 or 8 . . . Do you all know where you'd be by then? I'd be taking the PATCO over and footing it.
posted by schroedinger at 2:31 PM on September 17

We don't so much control the weather as we maintain a healthy and open dialogue with it that makes finding mutually-satisfying compromises with it possible.

cortex, it's Philly. We don't do all that "I statement" stuff with the weather here, we grandiosely threaten it and then tell it to STFU and it decides that this is what it wanted to do all along and also ow! stop it! it says.

I can't take off out work early, so I suppose I'll trust filmgeek with you until I get home.

polexa: Yep.

schroedinger: check your MeMail.
posted by desuetude at 4:00 PM on September 17

Schroedinger, I won't be heading down that way until maybe as late as 9 and I'll be coming from Center City so if you're running late and want to catch a ride we might be able to coordinate that depending on when you get in. I can also drop you off wherever you need to catch the train to get back home later on so don't sweat the logistics.
posted by The Straightener at 6:12 PM on September 17

Should be noted: Saturday is Talk like a Pirate day. If we stay out past midnight, we can talk like pirates.

Actually we can talk like pirates any time we want to, but after midnight it will be officially sanctioned.
posted by sciencegeek at 7:28 PM on September 17

Desuetude: Thank you!

The Straightener: That would be great. I'll Mefi mail you my phone number so we can coordinate tomorrow.
posted by schroedinger at 7:38 PM on September 17

We could stop at East Lyme, or we could keep heading for Philly. Road trip decisions, they are hard.
posted by cortex at 4:03 AM on September 18

Lyme, CT home of the discovery of Lyme disease.
posted by sciencegeek at 6:05 AM on September 18

Will someone be updating this thread in realtime to tell us where you all are tonight? It looks like myself and a few others in this thread aren't planning on going out until 9ish.
posted by splatta at 8:47 AM on September 18

I think we can manage that, yeah.

Right now we're in the Township of Ewing, for example.
posted by cortex at 8:57 AM on September 18

At P.O.P.E. now, if anyone needs to know.
posted by piratebowling at 5:21 PM on September 18

I just stuck my head in and you guys are definitely there. Taking my dog home then going back.
posted by splatta at 5:49 PM on September 18

confidential to ludwig_van
posted by cortex at 7:11 AM on September 19

A trend is clearly evident
posted by ludwig_van at 10:18 AM on September 19

Great meetup, I enjoyed meeting everyone and visiting The Best House In The World.
posted by schroedinger at 11:11 AM on September 19

Photos are up!

A trend is clearly evident

2/15,000 is clearly defensible, especially when recalled as such, and it's no use moving the goal posts like that regardless. Now you don't have to go home but you can't OH GOD DAMMIT
posted by cortex at 2:07 PM on September 19

Lovely meeting you all. and cupcakes.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:42 PM on September 19

I'm just gonna go on record as saying: I MISS YOU GUYS! *MOAN!*

Great pictures. The new answer for any AskMe dealing with headshots is going to be "go to a Philadelphia meetup, where someone will take an awesome picture of you."
posted by greekphilosophy at 5:32 PM on September 19 [1 favorite]

I'll post my pictures as soon as I get my home internets working again (stupid Verizon).
posted by desuetude at 7:11 AM on September 21

Photos posted!!
posted by desuetude at 8:28 PM on September 25

I just popped in to offer the sad news that our beloved Magic Kingdom of Dough has Closed. :(
posted by Deathalicious at 9:11 AM on September 30

Well. That settles it, I'm never moving back to Philadelphia. Then again, polexa kept mentioning surprisingly good things about Dim Sum Garden. Bus exhaust is apparently very good for making dumplings.
posted by greekphilosophy at 12:01 AM on October 1