Hospital Stay at CHOP

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Blog

I recently stayed as a patient at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a clinical trial to benefit the research and studies to help find a cure for the rare disease I have been faced with- Friedreich’s Ataxia. In a short version, Friedreich’s Ataxia or FA, is a debilitating, life-shortening, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder. About one in 50,000 people in the United States have Friedreich’s Ataxia. FARA is the research alliance group that conducts these clinical trials.

My doctor is a brilliant, individual based out of CHOP at UPenn. I am so fortunate to be local to the Philadelphia area because he is the “go to” person. With this disease being so rare (15,000 people worldwide), it is important to be connected and up to date with the news on any research because things are changing daily.

During my clinical trial, I was required to stay in the hospital for three days. Dr. Lynch is an easy-going person that loves to connect with his patients. Since he knows that I write for a food blog, he asked if I could write a food blog on the hospital stay! He even added to make suggestions if any! So here you go :)

I mostly had to be in my room throughout my stay because of testing and all, so my mom and I ordered “room service” for all our meals except for before I was omitted and the last night of our stay.

Before I checked-in to the hospital, I was allowed to have one last meal out. So my mom and I went to Gia Prontos, which is right across the hospital. Gia Prontos is a café that serves of variety of salads, pizza, paninis and café items. My mom and I each got a slice of artisan pizza and it was out of this world! Then afterwards we got a treat at Ben & Jerry’s :)

The “room service” selection of my stay was not so bad! The food always arrived in a timely manner and the quality and quantity of food was just right! I have to say my favorite meals were the breakfast portions! I loved the banana pancakes and omelet with the potato stars (hash browns)!

The presentation of the food and menu was adorable! Since, I was at a children’s hospital, everything was very cute and fun to entertain the kids! The menu was very feasible to order from and adorable with all the pictures and drawings of cartoons. The only issue I have is that almost every time my mom and I ordered food, an item was missing in our order.

Every day to get a change of scenery, we went downstairs to the café to get our afternoon pick-me-up. Or, we would go to the Library for some coffee, tea and afternoon snack.

All my mom and I feel like we’ve done this hospital stay is eat! We were overall satisfied with the hospital food, but by the fourth day we were running out options!

Banana Pancakes with Side of Fruit

 

Chicken Quesadillas with Side of Pears

 

Pasta with a Side Salad

 

Build Your Own Omelet with Potato Stars (Hash Browns) and Fruit!

 

Chicken Stir Fry

I thought I'd be healthy the last day and get Fruit & Yogurt with Granola!

 

Cute menu :)

Toast Philly

Toast

Toast has always been one off my favorite places to go to for either breakfast or brunch. Toast is a cozy cafe that offers local roasters, breakfast and lunch in Midtown Village. I love it here and will always return.

When I come here, I usually have one of their Egg Toasts, which is what they are mostly known for. All egg toasts include a homemade English muffin,  hollandaise sauce and poached eggs served with a side salad that typically has fresh fruit in it. 

I wanted to change it up though this time and I got the french toast topped with mixed berries because I love french toast. This meal was very comforting and the fruit  was very fresh! I definitely will be back to try more variations because you can get french toast with caramelized bananas or apple cinnamon! 

  Toast has great coffee and lattes too,  so if you are a big coffee drinker, you won't be disappointed!

Santa Fe Meets Ireland

Moriarty's Pub

Moriarty's Pub on 11th and Walnut is a Logan staple and one our favorite places to go. With it's great atmosphere, food and drinks and service, you can never go wrong with this Irish bar! My family always returns here because of those reasons and it is always one of our "go-to" places to eat..

This time, I thought I'd try something different and get the Santa Fe Burger. This burger  has monterey jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce and tomato served with french fries. I haven't had a burger in a while and was craving one. This one definitely hit the spot!  The meat was so juicy and what made this meal was the fresh guacamole. It gave the burger a refreshing, lively taste.

If you haven't gone to Moriarty's yet, I highly suggest  that you make a point to! They are voted best wings of the city and have a great list of craft beers!

Zavino Has It All!

Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria

Located on "restaurant row" of 13th Street in Midtown Village, Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria is the place to be! This restaurant offers daily specials of authentic Neapolitan pizza, homemade pasta, and meats and cheeses all incorporating seasonal items. These seasonal items are fresh and local ingredients that make the restaurant so unique.

I recently went to dine at Zavino Wine Bar Pizzeria with my mom and sister for lunch one day. We've always been wanting to try it there. They're aren't that many pizza places in downtown Philadelphia, so we were excited to see what Zavino had to offer!

My mom,  sister and I each got our own pizza because we  weren't sure of the size of the personalized size pizza. We thought it would be the right amount for one person. But two people can definitely share one of these pizzas! 

My mom and I each got "The Stache" pizza which includes: whole wheat crust, pistachio pesto, mozzarella, parmesan, lemon vinaigrette and baby arugula. My sister got the "Garden Pizza" which is the chef's seasonal selection. My mom and I loved the pistachio pizza and my sister loved the freshness of the seasoned vegetables.

We will definitely be back to try more of Zavino's creations! Now is the perfect time to go as well because with the warm weather. You can dine outside enjoying the beautiful sights of Philly and people watching!

Best Chicken Parm

Little Nonna's

I am so fortunate to live in an area full of amazing bars and restaurants! I am also lucky that Little Nonna's recently opened on the same block as me. Little Nonna's is owned by Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, which owns the restaurants and shops on 13th street, such as: Barbuzzo, Lolita, Open House and many more!

Little Nonna's is an Italian American restaurant that seats 40 and has an outside garden for seating as well. Little Nonna's offers traditional Italian dishes and has a setting that you're enjoying Sunday dinner at your Italina grandmother's house.

I love to treat myself after a long week of work. So I recently went here for lunch with my friend Matt to catch up. I've been here for dinner before, but my friend Matt has never been. So I suggested we go here because I knew he would love it!

I got the Chicken Pepperoni Parm Sandwich which included: buffalo mozzarella, sarcone’s seeded bread, roasted peppers, pepperoni marinara and basil. Now I am a huge fan of chicken parm and this has to be by far the best I've ever had! What I loved most was the bead because it was fresh garlic bread and the pepperoni because it added so much flavor! Matt got the Roast Pork & Sharp sandwich which includes: herb crusted pork shoulder, sharp provolone, horseradish aioli, rabe and sarcone’s seeded bread. Both sandwiches were served with rosemary fries.

I will definitely be back to Little Nonna's again! You get such a great deal for the value and quality. It's a great place to go to for a home-style, comforting meal!

Comfort Food Meets Barbecue

Devil's Alley

Ever have the cravings of a childhood favorite known as chicken tenders? I recently went to Devil’s Alley and had a dish that brought back those memories.

One day after work, my family surprised me and took me out to dinner. It was such a nice treat after a long week of work! We went to Devil’s Alley, because it is near my work and my younger brother loves it there because of their burgers.

Since the restaurant is located near Rittenhouse Square, the interior incorporates the look of the park with an edgy feel to it. The cuisine includes American comfort food mixed with barbecue type food. This is how I got my chicken tenders. But not ordinary chicken tenders!

The entrée I got was Walnut Breaded Chicken Tenders which is crispy tenders with spicy fries, coleslaw and jalapeno apple jelly. The chicken was cooked just right and very tender. What made this dish out of the ordinary are the spicy fries and the jelly to dip them in. Both fries and jalapeno apple jelly had a nice kick to it.

Next time you’re in the mood for some comfort food, definitely go to Devil’s Alley!

Stephen Starr never fails!

El Vez

If you’re from Philly, you know Stephen Starr! One of his best and well-known restaurants is El Vez located in Midtown Village. El Vez offers contemporary Mexican cuisine in an inviting atmosphere. Inside the restaurant has fun décor such as a photo-booth, oversize velvet couches and a motorcycle in as a center piece of the bar.

I recently went with my sister, mom and great family friend, Beverly for dinner one evening last week. We had a lovely time catching up over great food with great company!

I got the Black Bean Enchiladas which entails caramelized onions and chihuahua cheese in a smoked yellow tomato sauce. The cheese and sauce is what really made this dish because you’re not used to seeing both items! The smoked yellow tomato sauce gave the dish a nice spice and kick to it.

My mom and Beverly got the Chicken Enchiladas Suizas and my sister got the Mexican Chopped Salad which is always a favorite of ours. We have been to El Vez plenty of times before and will always return because we love the authenticity of the food!