No, Mama’s Vegetarian Is Not Back, Says Original Owner

Mama’s Vegetarian / Photograph by Alex Tewfik

Howdy, buckaroos! And welcome back to the weekly Foobooz food news round-up. With Labor Day weekend behind us, Philly’s restaurant industry is starting to gear up for the fall season. But here, in this weird, abbreviated week hung halfway between the close of summer and the approach of autumn, we’ve just got a few quick things to get to before packing away the beach tents and settling into our Halloween prep. We’ve got news from the Chef’s Conference, a couple very cool events, an update from Nok Suntaranon and Kalaya, and a bunch of other small things that you should know about. So let’s begin with …

Mama’s Drama

Last week, we talked (briefly) about the new restaurant open in the old home of Mama’s Vegetarian at 18 South 20th Street. It’s a falafel shop with fries and sabich and is operating under the name Mama’s Falafel. It’s understandable that some people could be confused into thinking that the old Mama’s has come back to life.

But that is not true, and the owner of the original Mama’s wants everyone to be very clear about that. According to a pretty scathing release that just crossed my desk, “Despite appearances and advertisements asserting that they ‘are back,’ this new establishment is in no way related to the Mama’s Vegetarian Philadelphians remember and love.”

It goes on to explain how the original owner, Haviv David, retired when the building that housed the original Mama’s closed for renovations. An acquaintance and former regular, Yariv Noyman, came to David looking for advice on opening a new falafel restaurant in the old Mama’s location, which David offered. He was even willing to sell his equipment to Noyman at a discount. But the name and his recipes? David was keeping those in case he or his family ever decided to reopen.

So he was a little pissed when he saw the new place open with the Mama’s name, in “a scheme to take advantage of the popularity of its predecessor and trick loyal customers into believing their local favorite has returned,” according to the release. And the story being told that Noyman got David’s original recipes from a former employee? Not so much. “Like Coca-Cola, my recipes have never been shared with anyone, not even employees. There is no way they could have been copied,” David says.

So there’s some drama there. And some bad blood. I don’t know yet how this is all going to shake out, but it’s important that the legacies of these beloved Philly institutions be protected, so I’ll be keeping an eye on whatever happens next.

In the meantime, David had this to say about the new spot and the future: “I am happy there is a new falafel restaurant where Mama’s once stood, especially one that accommodates those with vegetarian and kosher diets. Personally, I would have retired and closed Mama’s Vegetarian even sooner had there not been such a need in the community for an affordable kosher and vegetarian lunch spot. But while I hope for my former customers’ sake that the food at Mama’s Falafel is at least as good as my own, I want to make it clear that Mama’s Falafel is in no way related to Mama’s Vegetarian, and despite their claims, Mama’s is not back. It is my hope that those who once loved Mama’s continue to remember it as fondly as I do, and that this new restaurant that seeks to take advantage of its reputation doesn’t tarnish it in the process.”

Which is about as gracious as anyone could possibly be considering the situation. Well said, Mr. David.

The Best Cheesesteak Ever, Now Permanently in the ‘Burbs

Nick Moccia and Anthony Billetta of Mangia Mobile / Photograph courtesy of Mangia Mobile

Yes, it’s better than Ishkabibble’s. Yes, it’s better than Joe’s and Jim’s and John’s. Barry’s and Dalessandro’s come close but can’t quite match it. And the only real contender left is Angelo’s; and I’d still say that, on its best days (which is most days), this one is better.

The only problem? Until recently, the only place to score one of these champion cheesesteaks was West Chester, just off campus, across from Anderson Hall. Mangia Mobile made their bones serving wood-fired pizzas and absolutely amazing cheesesteaks (and chicken cheesesteaks, and impossibly good fries) to the college crowds. The thing is, there’s not a lot of traffic on campus when classes aren’t in session. So all throughout the summer, they’ve been expanding their reach, bringing the truck to breweries and other locations, setting up shop, and blowing the crowds away. Levante, 2SP, a winery, some weddings and festivals. They did it all. But toward the end of August, they started showing up a lot at one spot in particular: Sunset Hill Brewing Company in Gilbertsville. And just recently, they made it official.

Instagram-official, anyway.

Partners Nick Moccia and Anthony Billetta haven’t made the announcement yet, but some gentle snooping around the ‘gram shows that they’re partnering up permanently with Sunset Hill, slinging steaks, pies, and fries alongside the brewery — and no longer calling West Chester home.

A couple things …

First, this is great news for anyone within driving distance of Sunset Hill. Because when I tell you that these are the best cheesesteaks I’ve had, that is coming from a place of no little authority. One does not spend 13 years writing about food in Philadelphia without becoming something of an expert on BYO culture, asinine liquor laws, hoagies, scrapple, pretzel dogs, Citywides, and, of course, cheesesteaks. By my own conservative estimate, I have eaten roughly eleventy billion cheesesteaks since first signing on with Philly Mag — many as part of my job, many more purely recreationally. I am more cheesesteak than man at this point. And Mangia Mobile’s cheesesteaks are just stellar — soft, seeded rolls, densely packed with chopped ribeye, all glommed together with Cooper Sharp, with big chunks of caramelized onion for those that want them. These things are heavy. Just the right amount of grease. Big enough to be a meal for now and a snack for later. And their chicken cheesesteaks are actually better, in my opinion, than their steak steaks, which are just bonkers because I don’t really like chicken cheesesteaks from anywhere.

Second, Sunset Hill is fast becoming one of my favorite local breweries, too. Not only do they have the distinct advantage of having Mangia Mobile’s truck now parked outside, but they also have a deep menu of really excellent craft beers that shifts and changes like the weather, a small indoor tasting room, a huge outdoor seating area overlooking a pond, a bunch of ducks, two scrawny cats, and a parking lot that never seems big enough for everyone who wants to be there. They also play the best music that any GenX beer-and-cheesesteak enthusiast could wish for. Last time I was there, the playlist included Ministry, the Pixies, Harvey Danger, and Iggy Pop, followed by some really shitty U2, which only served to remind me why I can’t stand U2. It was perfect.

So anyway, a match made in heaven. And absolutely worth the drive. My only fear is that the place will get so popular that I’ll no longer be able to find parking, but that’s okay. I work from home now. And technically, going out drinking at 2 in the afternoon while I wait for the cheesesteak truck to show up is part of my job description. So I’ll be fine.

But y’all should definitely check the place out. You won’t be disappointed.

Now what’s next?

Nok Suntaranon Adds “Author” to Her Resume

The cover of Nok Suntaranon’s new cookbook Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen. / Photograph by Michael Persico

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon has led a fantastically interesting life. She’s sold shrimp paste in a market stall in Thailand, went to high school alone in Bangkok, worked as a phone operator, a flight attendant, flew back and forth across the world a thousand times, sold jewelry and smuggled purses and truffles and lobes of foie gras, ran restaurants, and became a chef. And now, to that dazzling CV, she gets to add “author” because her first cookbook, Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen, is coming out on November 5th.

Unsurprisingly, it looks great and is incredibly thorough. I got the chance to take a quick look through it over the long weekend, and in addition to the expected chapters on breakfasts, curries, soups, and desserts, she includes long sections on stir-fry, deep-fry, and wok-fry, grilling, baking, and braising, how to set up a Thai pantry, the building blocks of sauces, curries, and spice blends, meal and menu planning, and a long introduction about who she is and how she got here — all of it done in Nok’s distinctive voice. For example, this brief note attached to a recipe for yum hed ruam (seared mushroom salad), which I flipped to completely at random:

“I use local assorted mushrooms, but use whatever mushrooms you can find. You will feel so proud of yourself for making this salad and still have time for your self-care. But before your self-care, imagine me screaming (gently) at you: ‘Never wash your mushrooms!’ Just brush the dirt off. Please and thank you.”

Love that. You can pre-order copies of Nok’s book here.

Philly Chef Conference Returns for Its 10th Year

The original Philly Chef Conference — which we have covered here extensively — is coming back to Drexel on October 13th and 14th. Now in its 10th year, this professional conference has always been a way for students in Drexel’s Food and Hospitality Management program to get together with professionals at all levels of the industry.

There have been years when it was more industry-facing, years when it was more public, or more focused on national trends and concerns within the hospitality industry. This time around, it is aimed squarely at students, with a heavy Philly focus, which is good. There aren’t a lot of opportunities for those still coming up in the industry to rub shoulders with working chefs, producers, and suppliers, but the Chef Conference has always been a place designed to make that happen.

The agenda is still coming together, but taking a look at what’s already on the books, you can see how seriously they’re taking the professional development aspect this year. With alumni panel discussions featuring chefs and cooks from High Street, the Comcast Center, the Four Seasons, My Loup, and the James Beard Foundation (plus some marketing and food science folks thrown in for kicks); workshops covering pan pizza innovation, ethical sourcing, food entrepreneurship, and kitchen gear; and panel discussions on media training, mutual aid, food security, legal issues in food service, vegan desserts, and the future of pizza, they’re really covering all the bases.

Seriously, though. If you’re looking at the restaurant industry as a career option, this kind of exposure can be invaluable. It offers the wisdom of real, earned experience from those who’ve had skin in the game for a long time. And having the opportunity to discuss real issues with experts who deal with them every day is not the kind of thing young cooks often get.

So, if you’re down, registration for this year’s conference is open now. A full schedule of events should be released very soon, at which point you can decide for yourself which is more important: learning about zero-proof cocktail menus, vertical farming, or “The Blended Meat Revolution,” which is not only a very real title for one of the October 14th concurrent sessions but also the name of my new band. We’re gonna be huge.

Now who’s in the mood for some leftovers?

The Leftovers

At The Table celebrates their 1-year anniversary by moving to a new location and getting a liquor license. / Photograph by Gab Bonghi

Jasper House is “a home to design-forward apartments and artist studios, united around a community garden and BIPOC food business incubator,” according to its own press. Basically, it’s a modern apartment building. With restaurants attached. But what’s interesting about the place is which restaurants are taking space there.

For starters, it will be home to the first-ever CornerJawn storefront from Christa Barfield of FarmerJawn. Event design and boutique tableware supplier Citrine will be there. As will Win Win Coffee, with its sustainable sourcing and commitment to the flavors of the African diaspora. And to celebrate their collective move to these new digs, all three operations are throwing a collaborative, 13-course dinner on Friday the 13th (of September) right in the Jasper House courtyard at 1825 East Boston Street in Kensington. Citrine will be designing the tablescapes. Win Win has the coffee handled. FarmerJawn is supplying the produce. And Liz Grothe (of the upcoming Scampi) will be handling the menu, with cocktails courtesy of Dad’s Hat Rye.

The menu looks killer: house-made cornbread with churned butter, heirloom tomato salad, country ham with raw peaches, mussels escabeche, beef tartare, summer squash arancini, sweet potato culurgiones, crespelle z’herbes, pork with pumpkin, and braised cabbage with maitake mushrooms. For dessert, maple ice cream with pepita, apple-pecan tart, and tiramisu.

Sound good? Of course it does. Tickets for the Friday the 13th dinner party will run you $135, and you can get yours right here.

Meanwhile, remember Flakely Gluten Free? The Manayunk bakery that designed its own pastry ATM and launched it on South Street at the beginning of the summer?

Yeah, well, that first one did well enough that owner Lila Colello is getting ready to install a second one — this time at the Free Will Collective at 31 Cricket Avenue in Ardmore.

The new gluten-free pastry ATM isn’t ready yet, but it should be up and running this fall. We’ll let you know when Colello is ready to cut the ribbon.

Speaking of life in the suburbs, Alex and Tara Hardy’s At The Table restaurant in Wayne is celebrating the one-year anniversary of their move into bigger, better digs at 118 West Lancaster Avenue. One of the big reasons they made the move? It allowed them to get a liquor license for their formerly-BYO operation. And now, at the one-year mark, they’re celebrating by debuting an eight-seat bar where guests can enjoy a nice glass of wine or a craft cocktail from off their carefully curated list. The bar opened on September 1st. It seems like as good a reason as any to stop in and have a drink.

“Bird of Tröegs” by Josh Stolberg is the winner of this year’s “Art of Troegs” contest. / Photograph courtesy of Tröegs

And finally this week, the votes have been cast, and we now have a winner in the annual “Art of Tröegs” contest.

For nearly 20 years, the Hershey-based brewery has been having an annual art contest where it asks anyone who’s interested to create a work of art inspired by Tröegs beer. And they’ve gotten a lot of really interesting entries — from a miniature version of their brewery staffed by Smurfs to a video game, a multi-tiered cake, and an embroidered jean jacket. And every year, the brewery throws a party-slash-gallery-opening featuring a selection of that year’s entries plus the grand prize-winning piece.

This year it was “Bird of Tröegs” by Josh Stolberg, created using a variety of Tröegs packaging materials — including bottle caps, cans, six-pack carriers, pop-tabs, and corks. It took him years to create. And I think it was totally worth it.

The gallery opening is on Saturday, September 14th. That’s where Stolberg’s piece will be revealed in all its glory. It’ll also mark the start of the first-ever Tröegs Art Market, which will feature work from various local artists, including Art of Tröegs alumni and past Nugget Nectar First Squeeze poster artists. You can get more info on the contest winners (and the Art Market) here.

Or you could just show up on Saturday the 14th and check out the art for yourself.