Dinner in Philly – El Vez

We had a nice dinner with friends this weekend in Philadelphia.  We went to a place called El Vez which is popular for Mexican dishes.

We had a delicious “BAZOOKA” LIMON guacamole as an appetizer.  It is made with goat cheese, pistachio, chile flake and roasted tomato.

We tried the pulled pork tacos with slow roasted pork, avocado salsa and smoked jalapeno vinaigrette and sea bass tacos made with sweet potato puree, grilled scallions and fried jalapeno.  Delicious!

For dessert we enjoyed the El Vez flourless chocolate cake, peanut custard with caramelized bananas, chocolate sauce, peanut butter ice cream.  Also, the tres leches cake and orange flan.

Also pictured are shots of Philadelphia City Hall and a local landmark known as The Union League which was established in 1862.  The “League” was founded to suppress the rebellion of the American Civil War and to preserve the Union.

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Turtles, turtles and more turtles!

We went to the Natural History Museum in Philadelphia, PA recently.  They have many exhibits featuring dinosaur bones and such.  But they also have live turtles, bugs, honey bees and butterflies!

The honey bees actually had a hive indoors with an access door through a window to the outside so they could do their business.  The hive was in a glass enclosure which made the hive visible for viewing the inner workings.  The butterflies had a habitat that you could walk through to see them in their natural state.

The turtles were really cool.  We saw an Eastern Box Turtle a Yellow Bellied Slider and a  Diamond-Backed Terrapin.  We had a great day and they were a joy to visit.  Here are some pictures of the turtles.  Do you know what the unnamed turtle is?

Yellow Bellied Slider

Do you know what I am?

Diamondback Terrapin

Diamondback Terrapin

Diamondback Terrapin

Eastern Box Turtle

His Master’s Voice

The Victor Talking Machine Company (1901–1929) was an American corporation, the leading American producer of phonographs and phonograph records and one of the leading phonograph companies in the world at the time. It was headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Talking_Machine_Company

The building where the company was located is still standing in Camden NJ.  It was converted to apartments and is now called The Victor Lofts and is home to many students at Rutgers University-Camden.  The view across the river is the Philadelphia skyline.

Look closely at the photo below and you can see the stained glass at the top of the building with the dog and the talking machine.  Very cool!