(uplifting music) - Hi, I'm Kae Lani Palmisano.

Each week, three different guests recommend their favorite restaurants, then try each other's picks and come together to tell us what they think.

Right here on "Check, Please!"

(uplifting music) Hi, I am Kae Lani Palmisano, and welcome to "Check, Please!," the show where regular people from all over the Philadelphia area recommend and review their favorite restaurants.

So here's how it all works.

Every week we have three guests.

Each guest recommends their favorite restaurant and then the other two go check them out to see what they think.

This week when psychotherapist Amy Keresztes is in the mood for some comfort food, she heads to this hip Polish spot in Port Richmond.

But medical fundraiser Callie Levin is a big fan of the Stick to your Ribs British Fair at their all day Center City spot.

First up, public affairs director and socialite Ken Grant is a regular at this neighborhood pizza joint, serving up some of Delaware's most creative pies.

For pizza and more, he heads to Pizza by Elizabeth's.

(upbeat music) - It is kind of fun whenever I tell somebody I own a pizza restaurant, you know what they're picturing, right?

Red and white tablecloths and, you know, jug wine and everything.

And then when you walk in, you're kind of blown away.

(upbeat music) The way this restaurant started, I had a really good friend, her name is Elizabeth, she goes by Betty, and I go by Betsy.

We started talking about, what do we need in our area?

And I said, well, a pizza restaurant.

Hello, there's no good pizza in Wilmington.

And she was like, "Okay, well what if we had a restaurant?

How would we do it?"

We decided that our pizza was really better than a lot that we had tasted, and we decided to do it.

(upbeat music) About 18 years ago, this restaurant was in a different location, it was a lot smaller.

So we decided when we got bigger to just make it really glamorous and knock your socks off.

(upbeat music) We make every single thing here from scratch.

The coolest thing I think that sets us apart from most pizza restaurants is we want you to do it your way.

You like pesto with broccoli, then get pesto with fresh broccoli.

When we opened 32 years ago, we actually opened suggesting a glass of wine.

All of our pizzas go with a certain vintage wine.

We only have vintage wines.

I just think that sets us apart too.

I grew up in a big family and my mom was a really good cook, but very basic.

We always sat around a table, and meals were really important, and it just made me love food and creating food.

(upbeat music) I hope people feel surprised and delighted.

They could not imagine it was going to be that good, and that they can't wait to come back.

(upbeat music) - Ken, these are not your average pizzas.

Why did you pick it?

- Pizza by Elizabeth's is just a great place.

My wife and I have gone many, many times.

We enjoy the atmosphere, we enjoy the food, the ambiance, everything.

- And since you've been many, many times, what are some of your go-tos?

- There was a time when I would just go in and go through the create your own phase, and just pile on so many different meats, cheeses, vegetables, everything, and stuff that you, again, normally wouldn't find in another pizzeria, whether it's feta cheese with some gluten-free options for the crust, to pine nuts.

But these days I stick to some of the different options they have there.

The Shue, named after Elizabeth Shue, occasionally The Queen, named after Queen Elizabeth, they have a lot of fun with the names there.

- Yeah, that's what's fun.

It's like, it's Elizabeth-themed as well.

Callie, how did you kick off your meal?

- I picked the cheeseboard, which I think that had a great variety of cheeses that were friendly to people who are not into funky cheese, to people who were into more sophisticated sort of cheeses.

It came with a grape chutney as well as an orange marmalade for spreads, and a couple of different biscuits from sweet and savory.

- I kept it really simple with just the field green salad.

I knew that it was gonna be a carb fest, so I wanted to get some veggies in there.

It's just a nice simple salad.

- And what were your thoughts on the pizza?

Because it's not like, this is a pizza town, we're very obsessed with fluffy crusts and lots of, you know, chew, maybe some leopard spotting, but like this is more like flat pizza style, which maybe people have opinions about, but how did it work out for you, Callie?

- I prefer a flat crust, so I was very happy about that.

I did feel like there was a bit less sauce than I was looking for.

I do love a saucy pizza.

Definitely great quality cheese and great quality dough.

- Which pizza did you get?

- Choose your own with kalamata olives and ricotta cheese.

I thought that the kalamata olives were very rich and savory, and umami, and I thought that the ricotta cheese helped really cut through that and gave a nice creamy refreshing taste.

- As a pretty lactose intolerant person, I was thrilled to see that there were multiple kind of dietary restriction friendly offerings at Pizza by Elizabeth.

So the vegan mozzarella.

It is what it is.

It's never gonna be the same as the real thing, but if you want that pizza experience and you don't wanna suffer, I was glad to have it.

So it melted, it was, you know, it it did well with the crust.

It was kind of light.

It wasn't a super heavy gooey pizza, but it did what it needed to do.

I'm a crust person, so really what I'm there for is the crust anyway.

And I thought the crust was nice.

I like a really dark bake, so I'm a little unusual.

- So this last time around, we were there for Sunday brunch, so enjoyed a quiche pizza.

- Very good.

I know, I had never, I didn't even know such a thing existed until that day.

But yeah, that nice thin crust for the pizza part, and then on top the more of a fluffy quiche sitting there, and it was very good, very savory.

There were mushrooms, onions, I can't recall if ham was included or not.

- It was very savory brunch pizza You had the Shirley Temple.

For people who have never tried it, I know it's a very classic one.

Walk us through the ingredients.

- So that's a great question, because there's actually multiple popular takes on a Shirley Temple and you never quite know what you're gonna get when you go to a new place.

Some places use Sprite, some places use ginger ale.

I'm a Sprite fan, and I was very happy to know that the people at Pizza by Elizabeth's had the good sense to use Sprite.

Sorry to any ginger ale lovers.

So it was a Sprite, grenadine, and maraschino cherries drink, and can't go wrong with that.

- Did anyone have room for something sweet at the end of their meal?

- My go-to is the tres leches.

- Tres leches.

- Yes, that creamy, milky spongy kind of thing there, which they serve with a nice layer of whipped cream on top, and it's very good.

In the past, I've enjoyed the Kentucky butter cake.

It is absolutely incredible.

- So that's what I chose for dessert, 'cause I saw it all over the internet, and I thought even with the lactose intolerance, it's worth a bite.

And it was delicious.

Dense, moist, a little hint of vanilla, highly recommended, just a classic kind of gooey yellow cake.

It was very delicious.

- And when you walk in it's very open, it's very like vast, it's got lots of windows, great sunlight, and lots of Elizabeth Decor.

Callie, what did you think of the decor?

- Every single time I thought of an Elizabeth that I hadn't seen in the restaurant, yet I would turn a corner and I there she'd be.

They're very thorough.

They cover all the bases.

- Kelly, what did you think of the prices?

- I thought that it was very standard for a sit down pizza experience.

I think that I paid about what I was expecting to, and I think that for the quality of food and the quality of ingredients, definitely fair pricing.

- Ken, this was your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- Pizza by Elizabeth's is a great place to take your family, enjoy fresh ingredients, good food, and a great atmosphere.

- And Amy, what's the big takeaway?

- I would say quirky, very feminine, classic, glamorous space, and lots of great options for eaters of all types.

- And Callie, what is the final thought?

- If you think you're going to miss out on an Elizabeth, you're wrong.

- Try out Pizza by Elizabeth's located at 3801 Kennett Pike in Greenville, 302-654-4478.

Reservations are accepted and the average tab per person without drinks is $35.

Amy Caresses is no stranger to Port Richmond's Polish food scene, but her personal favorite is this easygoing spot, for pirogis, kielbasa, and more, Amy recommends Mom Mom's.

- Mom Mom's started almost 13 years ago now as a food truck.

Here we are now in Port Richmond where mama was born 103 years ago.

We're proud to be here and continue representing Polish American food.

(upbeat music) I grew up with my grandparents in my house until I was eight years old.

Being both Italian American and Polish American, we had a really rich food heritage.

(upbeat music) I describe the restaurant as being Polish American comfort food.

Pirogi are why we've been in business for 12 years.

(grill sizzling) (upbeat music) Our kielbasa's awesome.

Everything pairs awesome with beer, but my favorite thing that we makes our golumpki, which is a leaf of cabbage wrapped around a blend of beef, pork, veal, rice and onions, and it's in a rich tomato sauce, and it just like true Polish comfort food.

My mom's 103 and still kicking.

My mom loves it.

She's couldn't be prouder.

It's awesome.

We're proud to, you know, pay homage to her and pay homage to our grandparents that aren't here too.

(uplifting music) We're not claiming to be authentic Polish food, but we're excited to represent what it means to us to be Polish American.

(uplifting music) I want it to be super chill.

I don't want it to be pretentious.

Here's your meat and potatoes, have a beer, talk with your friends, make a mess.

Just have fun because that's honestly what it's all about for me.

It was literally those Sunday dinners, waking up early and smelling the garlic cooking made me want to do this.

We couldn't be more proud to be Polish American and kind of represent what Mom Mom started 100 years ago.

(uplifting music) - Amy, Mom Mom's has the like Polish grandma food.

It's just so comforting.

Why did you pick it?

- That's exactly why, it's so comforting.

It's hearty food, it's extremely high quality, and it's always consistent.

So the first time I went I fell in love with the pirogi, I fell in love with the pickle soup, I fell in love with the kielbasa.

And every time I've gone back, it's been exactly the same, just as good.

- What is something that first timers need to order?

- The pirogis are just phenomenal.

They're the best I've had in the Philly area, really tender, supple dough, really flavorful potato filling, very fresh ingredients, and sauteed to perfection.

Brown in the pan, slightly crisp in butter.

It just doesn't get any better than the sour cream and applesauce on the side with some caramelized onions.

You actually can get a platter, you can get a Mom Mom's plate or a Pap Pap's platter and get sort of a sampling of pirogi, kielbasa, some rye bread, some pickles.

So I think that those would be my recommendations for a first timer.

- And one of their low key popular things, aside from the pirogi, is the pickle soup.

And Callie, you tried some pickle soup.

- I did try some pickle soup, and I will continue to try more pickle soup.

I'm a big pickle lover and I feel like this was just totally unique.

It was fantastic.

It really satisfied that umami vinegarette craving that I am always having when I go to places, and I just loved it.

- This is the pickle essence in soup form, and there's also like a little bit of dill in there.

- I think that the dill was just a great compliment of freshness to the vinegary sort of flavor.

I think it really brightened it up.

- Ken, you got both the Mom Mom and the Pap Pap plate.

- Okay, not by myself.

(all laughing) No.

My wife got the Mom Mom plate and I got the Pap Pap plate, and you're absolutely correct.

It was just this great variety, this way to be able to enjoy so much of what the place has to offer.

It was all delicious.

Your mouth is enjoying a symphony there, a Polish symphony of taste and flavors, and the pirogis, so good.

The kielbasa, cooked just right, it was really a great meal.

Around this time of year, I kind of end up with a craving for kielbasa for some reason.

And this fit it perfectly, but yes, it was flavorful, a little salty, and just that right amount of bite.

- And it comes with a few things that you can kind of put on- - Dip it, right.

- The mustard.

- The onions, the mustard- - Sauerkraut.

- [Both] Sauerkraut.

- Yes.

- And then there's also golumpki, How was it?

- That is one of my favorite dishes.

I'd never had it before.

Going to Mom Mom's, it's sort of, it reminds me of a stuffed cabbage.

It has veal and it maybe a couple other meats in it.

It's very hardy and savory, tucked into cabbage and heated and sauteed in this sort of buttery tomato sauce.

Really tender cabbage so your fork just slides right through it.

That's a really nice ingredient to the meal if you're gonna have a large and hearty meal, it makes a really great addition.

I had the spicy pickles last time I went, and, you know, as a fellow pickle lover, they were perfectly crisp, juicy, tart, very spicy, and a really nice compliment to the kielbasa.

Some of the hardier more kind of unxious dishes.

So I really recommend the spicy pickles too.

- Amy, how was the grapefruit cake?

- It was nice.

It was a grapefruit and ginger cake.

It was one of the specials, I think it was just offered maybe seasonally or offered that day.

And I'm not a huge dessert person when I go to Mom Mom's, because there's just so much savory stuff to get through first.

But it was a nice, sweet, delicate way to finish the meal.

So yeah, it was a good, a good way to wind down and transition from the savory to the sweet.

- And they've partnered with Carbon Copy Brewery, so that's what's on tap there.

Did you get a chance to try any beer?

- I tried the cider.

Very good, crisp, just the right- - [Panelist] It's a plowman cider.

- Exactly, yes.

- That's cool.

- The carbon Copy pairing is just so ideal.

I think this type of food really needs a cold, crisp beer to wash it down.

So I'm a big fan of their tender IPA, and I just think it's a really beautiful collaboration, and I think it will continue for many years to come.

- And Callie, was it a good bang for your buck?

- Absolutely.

I think that they definitely, in comparison to how much prices are rising in a lot of restaurants, I think you got an enormously filling amount of food.

And personally I left with some leftover pirogis, and for a very good price I think.

- Well Amy, this is your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- Hardy, comforting, savory home style Polish fair in a beautiful comfortable space, the highest quality ingredients, and a place to return to many times.

- Kelly, how would you sum it up?

- You can't beat a beat.

(panelists laughing) - And Ken, what's the big takeaway?

- If you're looking for a taste of Poland and Philly combined, this is the place to go.

- Check out Mom Mom's for yourself located at 3124 Richmond Street in Port Richmond.

Reservations are accepted, and the average tab per person is $30.

Callie Leaven has a soft spot for anything British.

From pup culture to doubledecker buses, Callie is all in So you know you can count on their pick for some serious British fair.

For fish and chips or bangers and mash, we head to The Dandelion in Rittenhouse.

- The Dandelion is a sophisticated homage to the British pub.

(upbeat music) We offer beloved classics in addition to contemporary takes on popular UK dishes.

British food and the influences that make it what it is.

Layering of flavors, spices, something that is very seemingly simple is anything but, and when you work with British food you learn that.

The traditional Sunday roast is something we do phenomenally and very much embodies what The Dandelion is because it is very traditional.

Seasoned ribeye served with watercress salad, Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, beef gravy, beef fat roasted potatoes.

Historically, it was a tradition built around family and sharing a meal.

(upbeat music) The dandelion is very unique by design.

(upbeat music) The Victorian dining rooms, the eclectic dog room, the bar, the windows, the pub, all of it feeds into this experience of a traditional British pub.

I think the magic really the dandelion is down to the food, the food, the authenticity of the classics that bring people home.

It's inspiring and a learning experience for those who don't understand how complex British and UK cuisine can be.

We see a feeling of belonging with just friends needing for a meal, a quick snack, a light bite, a drink.

When a guest leaves the dandelion, I hope they feel happy, comforted, and already thinking about their next time back.

(upbeat music) - Callie, this is truly a taste of England in Philadelphia.

Why did you pick it?

- I think that there's a personal connection for me in college.

I studied abroad in London, and it was a really formative time of adventure and independence for me.

And the dandelion is really reminiscent of all of that.

I think they really nail that homey but adventurous and relaxed sort of vibe all at once.

- Oh, do you have some go-to dishes?

- My absolute favorite thing to get there is their shepherd's pie, which they do make with lamb, and I really love their bangers and mash as well.

It's great onion gravy.

It is a sausage paired with a mashed potato and a savory onion gravy.

- I tried the rabbit pie, which was very good.

But I gotta say, I brought along a friend who's from Britain and I wanted to kind of get his thoughts and feelings of about the entire experience.

When he was done he said, yes, it's like they just picked up a British restaurant from London and moved it right into a Rittenhouse Square.

So he was very impressed.

- I went seafood forward for this meal.

So my friend and I started with some oysters.

We also did the little gem Caesar salad, which had anchovies, and both were very umami, salty, flavorful.

It was a really nice way to wet our appetites.

I do think there was a lot of salt and umami on the salad, so maybe a little too much for me, but it was a beautiful presentation.

I thought the plates were really pretty.

And the oysters had a cucumber mignonette, which I never had before, and it had a nice sort of briny sea funk about it that I really enjoyed on the oysters.

- I will sing The Dandelions praises all day long, and I've never had anything there I didn't like, until in preparation for this appearance, I tried their mac and cheese.

I was not a huge fan of it.

I think that it had a little too much of a strange sort of floral taste.

It was almost cardamomy.

That's almost the least British thing on the menu, and it really showed in how it was not something that seemed in their wheelhouse.

So definitely stick to kind of the pub classics I'd say.

- And what were some other pub classics that you tried?

- The rare bit, which I'd never had before, but it was very good.

Kind of that mustard cut through everything, and very tasty, very savory.

- Amy, how was the fish and chips?

- It was nice.

It was served on a little wooden plank and it was sort of a minimalist deconstructed fish and chips with a nice hunk of fish, really crisp batter, and a little cup of chips standing upright.

They were deeply browned, they were soft.

They weren't particularly crunchy, but they were really flavorful, and they worked well with the very crunchy fish, and the tartar sauce I thought was excellent.

- Every time I go there I get their sticky toffee pudding.

I find it really hard to break away and get a different dessert, because for me it's the perfect dessert.

It's paired with a sour cream ice cream that I think that they make in house, which is the only time I've ever had that.

And it lends like a perfect sourness that cuts through the sort of sickly sweetness at times of like a, of a sticky toffee.

And it's just a fantastic pairing, and it's really addictive.

And then also two soft textures.

They pair it with a crunchy sort of candied walnut, and that also just like breaks it up, and makes it super varied and addictive.

Ooh, Ken, did you try any desserts?

- I tried the same as well as the chocolate bits, and both were absolutely incredible.

It was a great way to finish off a meal.

- I think we're three for three with the sticky topping thing, because I had to try it as well.

Brought my lactate and it was, it was really good.

I like the crunch of the nuts in contrast with the sort of luscious smoothness of the ice cream and the pudding.

- Callie, you tried a Shirley Temple here as well.

- I'm a Shirley Temple fanatic, what can I say?

I think that of most places that I've tried, The Dandelion actually has one of my favorite Shirley Temples.

They use really high quality ingredients.

I could be wrong, but I think that they might use like a bordeaux cherry syrup instead of like a maraschino cherry, because it just has that sort of deeper taste to it, and it's just wonderful.

And it also like comes very visually stunning.

It doesn't look like that artificial red.

It's like a very deep blood red.

So very gorgeous and very sophisticated for a Shirley Temple.

- I think the drinks menu was the strongest element of The Dandelion.

It was really hard to choose.

The cocktails in particular were really creative, really thoughtful ingredients.

I was able to try both the Pims Deluxe and the Queen Pea, and both were super fresh, elements of cucumber pea, herbs, nice and bright, not too sweet.

I really liked both those cocktails.

- Did you have a favorite among the two?

- I would say the Pimm's Deluxe.

I think it just went with the classic fish and chips and everything else that I was going for.

For my first time, it was a perfect cocktail.

- There are so many restaurants in the Rittenhouse neighborhood, and this one stands out architecturally.

It's really unique and different from the outside.

Inside, there's all of these different nooks and crannies and rooms.

It's like a British auntie's house.

Whereabouts do you like sitting when you visit the Dandelion?

- My favorite is what I like to call the dog room.

I'm not sure it has a formal name, but it's head to toe dogs, all kinds of dogs.

And I think that it really evokes that sort of British hunting atmosphere that's very kitschy in the way that I love there.

And yeah, I love all the different art and how curated it is in there.

- Amy, what did you think of the prices?

- I thought they, you know, it's not a cheap place.

It's definitely a bit of a splurge, but I think for the ambiance, especially the cocktail quality and just the general vibe and experience of the place, it's special, and I think it's worth a little bit of a splurge.

- Callie, this was your pick.

Sum it up for us.

- Severe-looking hunting hounds and sort of austere architecture.

And yet, it's so welcoming.

- Amy, what's the big takeaway?

- Cozy, unique space.

Lots of nooks and crannies.

Would love to return for a full English tea.

And if I had a British grandmother, I would love to take her there.

- And Ken, what are your final thoughts?

- I will echo the thoughts of my friend Alan, that it feels like a place that was just transported into Philly from England, and just a great place to hang out.

- Have a couple at The Dandelion, located at 124 South 18th Street in Rittenhouse, 215-558-2500.

Reservations are accepted, and the average tab per person without drinks is $50.

So on this week's show, we featured Pizza by Elizabeth's in Greenville, Mom Mom's in Port Richmond, and The Dandelion in Rittenhouse.

Special thanks to my guest Ken Grant, Amy Keresztes, and Callie Levin.

Join us next time for three new guests recommending their favorite restaurants right here on "Check, Please!"

And don't forget to find us on Instagram and TikTok.

We're @checkpleasephilly.

I'm Kae Lani Palmisano and I'll see you next time.

(glasses ding) (uplifting music)