London Grill: Red tide or not, we’re not passing up on this lobster deal from London Grill available for the entire month of August. For $7, you can get lobster bisque or lobster panna cotta; $13 gets you a New England lobster roll; $18, a full-on lobster bake—half a lobster with chorizo, clams, corn on the cob and potatoes; and $26 gets you the whole enchilada, a.k.a. the lobster dinner—a whole 1 ½-pound lobster with potatoes, corn on the cob and drawn butter. 2301 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia; (215) 978-4545, londongrill.com.
World Café Live: Three shows of The Charlie Hunter Trio are slated for August, accompanied by three Beer Dinners that feature their own prix fixe menus created by executive chef Matthew Babbage. Take a look (à la carte menu items also available):
Saturday, Aug. 2:
Lost Abbey mussels, spinach, gouda and caramelized onion-stuffed chicken, Lost Abbey cheesecake and Belgian endive salad, featuring three 12-ounce glasses of Lost Abbey Brewery’s Lost and Found, Red Barn Ale and Avant Garde ($40)
Friday, Aug. 8:
Tripel Horse steamed clams, Summer Blonde braised short ribs and Special Ale ESB poached apples, featuring three 12-ounce glasses of Riverhorse Brewery’s Special Ale ESB, Summer Blonde Ale and Tripel Horse ($30)
Friday, Aug. 15:
Hop Rod Rye battered shrimp, Duck leg confit and Big Bear Black chocolate cake, featuring three 12-ounce glasses of Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye, Big Bear Black and Racer 5 ($40)
Shows start 9 p.m. and cost $18/person. Free beer samples 7-8 p.m. in Upstairs Live lobby. 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia; (215) 222-1400, worldcafelive.com.
Also at World Café Live: Executive chef Matthew Babbage will host Harvest Week Aug. 4-10 at noon. The menu looks pretty yummy:
Salads:
– New Jersey tomato and red onion salad with roasted garlic mayonnaise and sea salt ($10)
– Bell & Evans (Fredericksburg, Pa.) duckling confit with Lancaster Farms mixed greens, Jersey tomatoes and grilled Jersey sweet corn with olive oil and aged balsamic ($12)
Appetizers:
– Telford sharp cheddar cheese (Winfield, Pa.)—no additives or preservatives and aged 60 days—with dried fruit and assorted flat breads ($10)
– New Jersey sweet corn chowder with Amish dairy cream ($8)
– Petite lump crab cake with N.J. sweet corn, and N.J. plum tomato puree and mixed greens ($10)
Entrées:
– Char-grilled Bell & Evans certified organic 1/2 chicken with roasted Yukon gold potatoes and baby carrots ($21)
– Talluto’s Pasta, from South Philadelphia, made daily and will change throughout the week, but will be cooked to order and tossed with Jersey tomatoes and basil ($17; add grilled chicken breast for $3)
– Grilled Hatfield Farms (Hatfield, Pa.) pork chops with South Jersey white peach salsa, mashed red potatoes and a fresh, locally grown vegetable (selection will change daily) ($20)
– Three Crawford County farm-fresh brown egg omelet filled with Telford cheddar and ripe tomatoes, Yukon Gold home fries and Hatfield bacon ($10)
Dessert:
– WCL house-made Hammonton blueberry cobbler with Amish dairy whipped cream ($8)
– Capogiro gelato (selections change daily) ($8)
3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia; (215) 222-1400, worldcafelive.com.
Teikoku: On Thursday, Aug. 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Teikoku will host an evening of wine on the deck with Heather Wright, wine educator and consultant from Cellar Door Imports. The evening’s tasting menu and wine pairings include:
Sushi: Plum cucumber roll, Aburi salmon, sea bass, and yellow tail served with the traditional accoutrements; 2008 Arabella Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa
Tuna Tataki Salad: Seared bigeye tuna and mixed greens with a white onion salsa; 2007 Banyan Gewurztraminer, Monterey County, CA
Pan Sautéed Scallop with Brown Butter Sauce: Sautéed scallop with a French-style citrus, veal stock and brown butter; 2007 Hyatt Chardonnay, Rattlesnake Hills, WA
Grilled Peruvian-style Beef: Marinated Black Angus beef with Peruvian salsa; 2006 Hobo Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, CA
$35/person. All inclusive. Space is limited. Reservations required. 5492 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square; (610) 644-8270, teikokurestaurant.com.
Trattoria San Nicola: As part of San Nicola’s continuing dedication to promoting fine arts in the local community, it will be hosting a series of Opera Evenings beginning Wednesdays, Aug. 20, Aug. 27 and Sept. 10. Along with a six-course family-style meal from chef Vito Giannandrea, guests can unwind with a Bellini (first created in honor of Italian Renaissance painter and maestro Giovanni Bellini) and enjoy arias from local opera singers. The special menus pay tribute to opera, as well, featuring favorite dishes of divas, maestros and some of the greatest opera masters of all time, and include Linguini Pavarotti, an original favorite recipe of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti. For dessert, guests will be served an authentic Opera Cake, the classic seven-layer delight with origins dating back to the Roman Empire. The grand prize, a getaway to New York’s majestic Mohonk Mountain House, will be awarded Sept. 10. $49.50/person, exclusive of tax, gratuity and alcohol. A flight of wines to complement the meal is available for $15/person. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Opera Company of Philadelphia. One seating each night at 6:30 p.m. Call for reservations. Trattoria San Nicola Paoli, 4 Manor Road, Paoli; (610) 695-8990, sannicola.net.
