Small Bites

Little Vittles

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Published: Apr 3, 2007

The latest innovation in beverage technology is a self-heating plastic container that stays at the ideal drinking temperature — 145 degrees — down to the last drop. How's it work? The portable mug is lined with a hidden pouch of calcium oxide, quicklime and water. When you pop off the metal bottom and press the heat-activation button, the mix gets all jiggy and lotsa techno-geek action takes place. The Hillside mugs are available in eight flavors, including hazelnut and mocha latte, chai tea latte, and hot chocolate with marshmallows. They're great for camping, long subway rides and business-meeting hell. Available at all Pathmark and ShopRite locations throughout the Delaware Valley. —Amy Strauss

If you need yet more proof that chocolate's better than sex, knock yourself out with the chocolate marquise at Old City's Philadelphia Fish and Co. (207 Chestnut St., 215-625-8605). The uber-rich, dense chocolate mousse, bejeweled with ruby raspberries and laced with a raspberry coulis, is Chef Justin Rambo-Garwood's best-selling dessert (and our latest addiction). —Termeh Mazhari

Only since 1999 has a reformulated Zubrowka become available in the United States. (Previously, the FDA had placed a ban on the liquor's staple ingredient, bison grass, which contained a toxic compound of coumarin.) Wonderfully complex and mysterious, the green-tinted vodka possesses grassy, herbaceous aromas like thyme and lavender, and swaps the coumarin for citrus and vanilla additives. Each bottle arrives with an emblematic blade of grass (presumably not a poisonous one) and is best served over ice and apple juice, or even a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Available at PA Wine & Spirits, 1940 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-271-1908, www.pawineandspirits.com. —Amy Strauss

Commonly found in Cali meadows and growing along roadsides, yarrow is a determined little perennial, capable of surviving poor soil and noxious truck fumes. Nicknamed "old man's pepper," "nosebleed" and "knight's milfoil," it's a valuable medicinal herb and antibiotic that, when dried, produces an aromatic tea that takes on the zestiness of sage. It's used in blended wines, namely ginseng-pumped German whites, and as a base in soups, buttery white sauces and as a chopped bitter in salads. Available at Natural Goodness Market & Cafe, 2000 Walnut St., 215-977-7749, www.naturalgoodnessmarket.com.  —Amy Strauss

Leave it to a bunch of Vermont hippies to make ice cream political. Ben & Jerry's latest scoop swirls caramel and fudge-covered chunks of waffle cone into their signature vanilla. The red-white-and-blue carton is inspired by Comedy Central's media man of steel, Stephen Colbert, and B&J founder Ben Cohen says it's the "most patriotic flavor" they've ever made. But seriously, folks, they're down with the pugnacious political pundit's activist-y beliefs. In fact, proceeds benefit the Stephen Colbert AmeriCone Dream Fund, which supports food and medical assistance for disadvantaged children. Available at Acme Market, 6601 Roosevelt Blvd., 215-338-4700, www.benjerry.com.  —Amy Strauss

Rubbed with ginger and garlic, marinated in red chili paste, and topped with sliced green jalapeno peppers, the hot and spicy chicken at Kim's (5955 N. Fifth St., 215-927-4550) packs serious heat. The Korean eatery offers whole and half orders, plus varying spice levels, for most of its barbecued dishes, including bulgoki and beef ribs. (That it's so customized makes sense: Guests cook the food themselves at a charcoal-fueled center pit.) The sides are just the icing: doenjang (salty soybean paste), curried kimchi, dried sardines, bean sprouts, rice and large woven baskets piled with Romaine lettuce.  —Amy Strauss

 

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