The Box Misery Came In

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

This is Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.  As you can see, the place sure is creepy...so creepy, in fact, that it was featured on Ghost Hunters.  

I totally thought this was a dentist chair.  Luckily it was a barber chair.  Still incredibly fucking eerie.  The goddamn walls fell apart, but the chair's still there??

This is the remains of the surgical center.  Really, the entire place looks like something out of a nightmare.  Also, you (okay, fine, I) occasionally get extremely nervous while walking the halls.

The reason this all looks so crazy is that the place deteriorated for over 20 years as it sat abandoned.  Fortunately, the historical society has taken on structural stabilization.  They aren't renovating, but instead keeping it in the state it is currently in and avoiding further deterioration.

This is "The Hole."  A tall man could not stand up in there, and there were no toilets or sinks.  People were sometimes sentenced there for 30 days.

This wing is not structurally sound, so no one is allowed in there, but it looks like the sort of place that a serial killer would bring his victims.  If you're ever in Philly, this tour is totally worth the money.  Oh, and the audio tour features Steve Buscemi, which is even more awesome.

End of March Update

I haven't posted in nearly two weeks, because I have been pretty damn sick.  I went a really long time without being sick, and then, BAM!  So, anyway, now I'm back.  As I've been sick and boring, there isn't much to really blog about.

I did get to eat these fine pancakes.  That was awesome.  Also, I've been doing a lot of (not) exciting schoolwork.  

Billy has been driving everyone in this house crazy.  He chases the dogs' tails (even when they are in their crates).  He jumps into the bunny cage and plays with the bundiks' hay.  He randomly tackles the other cats.  He's really been making us pay for taking his balls.

I pulled back a blanket recently and caught Mr. Biff and his arch-nemesis, The Captain, cuddling while holding hands.  Mr. Biff is not pleased.  However, all the furless dogs are super happy that the weather is finally warming up.  Furlesses hate being cold.

Lastly, Eddie is still evil/cooler than everyone.  

Dac Hoa Review

Dac Hoa is a Vietnamese restaurant on Monroe Avenue.  They have been around for a long time, and have a pretty good following.  One of the things they're known for is their daily fresh made BBQ.  We ordered the BBQ pork appetizer, which was tender and incredibly tasty.

My dad was really excited about the Pho.  It's a big bowl of broth with meat, bean sprouts, rice noodles, and spices.  He ordered the chicken, and tossed the rest of the BBQ pork on top for extra flavor.

This is what came on the side of the Pho.  He tossed this stuff in the broth and seemed extremely happy with the meal.

I really should have written down the name of my dish.  I have no idea what it's called, but it's from the Vietnamese portion of the menu.  It's rice noodles with beef and a fried spring roll topped with nuts.  

Mine was served with this fish sauce.  The fried spring roll was awesome dipped in this.  The entire dish was very good, and under the surface I found a salad!  It had bean sprouts, cucumbers, and lettuce.  Odd.

My dad's friend had the roast duck Pho.  Roast duck is actually the other thing Dac Hoa is known for.  This is clearly a family owned restaurant, and I have no complaints.  If you dig Vietnamese food, check out Dac Hoa: 4 stars.

Sophia's Buffalo, NY

If you google "best breakfast in Buffalo, NY," you are likely to find Sophia's as a top result.  We did, so Fancy and I headed over there to see what all the buzz is about.  We were not disappointed.

I went for the Giambotta, their signature skillet breakfast.  It came with homemade Italian sausage, peppers, onions, garlic, home fries, and eggs (I upgraded with some cheddar).  The waitress recommended I get a half portion unless Fancy and I were splitting, so I did that.  Seriously, pictured above is the half portion.

Fancy got the create your own skillet with bacon, feta, eggs, mushrooms, peppers, home fries, and onions.  Again, she went with the HALF portion.  Awesome.

These skillets were AMAZING.  The food was extremely flavorful, and it was clear that the ingredients were fresh.  Every forkful had a new flavor combination, and everything was cooked perfectly: the bacon and potatoes were crisp, but the veggies weren't over cooked.  The portions size was incredible, especially for the price - around six bucks.  Neither of us could finish, and okapis have huge appetites.

Did I mention that the skillets come with homemade bread?  No?  Well, it does, and that bread is delicious.  Turns out this place was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  One of the things they show is the bread making process.  It is easily the tastiest white bread I've ever eaten.

We love breakfast dessert, so when we go out we usually grab a short stack of french toast.  This was unsurprisingly delicious.  It was crispy on the crust with a soft, sweet center.  I especially liked how they didn't put the butter right on top.  The place was slammed, but the staff was extremely helpful, fast, and courteous   Five stars - if you find yourself in, around, or heading through Buffalo, stop at Sophia's.  You won't regret it.