2002 FORK SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: AWARDING CULINARY CREATIVITY

This past winter, Fork friends, new and old, came together to raise more than $4,000 at the 3rd Annual Silent Auction to benefit the Fork Scholarship Fund. Administered through the non-profit organization Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), the scholarship assists inner city high school graduates in pursuit of post-secondary education in the culinary arts.

The event was also a celebration of the release of From Our Restaurant's Kitchen, our self-published cookbook featuring recipes and artwork from Fork and its talented staff. The cookbook is available at Fork for $35; one hundred percent of the profits go toward the scholarship ($20 per cookbook is tax deductible). Our goal is to raise $30,000, enabling even more City of Philadelphia high school students to get a good start to a successful culinary career.

The scholarship is awarded based on financial need as well as academic achievement, culinary ability
and initiative. Those applying for the Fork Scholarship must submit an essay describing what motivates and inspires them in the culinary field and a detailed plan describing their future careers. Final candidates are interviewed by Fork's selection committee, which includes members of our kitchen and
front-of-house staffs.

This year's winner is James Davis of the Jules E. Mastbaum Vocational School, part of the School District of Philadelphia. James is to attend the Community College of Philadelphia this summer and Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island in the fall. We are proud of his accomplishments and wish him much success!

Cookbooks make great gifts and can be ordered online at www.forkrestaurant.com or by calling 215.625.9425. Shipping is available.
 

DON'T LET THE WARM WEATHER SLIP AWAY

As the afternoon unwinds and the evening's festivities get underway, where can you go to meet friends, grab a snack and enjoy a refreshing beverage? Looking to cool down after a day spent discovering the galleries of Old City? Fork's midday menu offers a variety of tantalizing treats to satisfy any appetite as well as an array of delicious summer cocktails to lift all spirits. Fork offers the midday menu Monday-Friday after lunch hours, 2:30 pm until 5:00 pm, and Sunday after brunch from 2:30 pm until 4:30 pm.

Enjoy Fork's newly opened outdoor café anytime including late night. On Thursdays through Saturday, our extended hours can help beat the late night munchies. On Thursdays, we serve until
12 am and on Fridays and Saturdays until 1 am.

One of our favorites to cool down with is featured below:

Lemongrass Lemonade

4 Parts Ketel One Vodka
11/2 Parts Lemongrass simple syrup
1 Splash of fresh lemon juice
Combine all over ice, shake and serve up in a martini glass, Garnish with a lemon.

Lemongrass Simple Syrup

1 bundle lemongrass with stems cut off and smashed
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup corn syrup

Cook all the ingredients over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Strain syrup into chinois.
 

COMING UP ... FORK TURNS FIVE

Fork it over! Believe it or not, Fork celebrates its fifth year this October! We want to hear about your best meal at Fork over the past five years. Send us your stories at forkrestaurant@aol.com or via mail to 306 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Those who share their experiences will be entered into a drawing for dinner for two. Five winners will be chosen.

SPECIAL DATES

• Celebrate the birth of our nation at Fork with dinner or drinks before the Two Cities Two States fireworks on Saturday, July 7th as part of Sunoco's Welcome America celebration. Fork will be closed during the afternoon of July 4th, but for those who want to celebrate our country in Old City, its birthplace, Fork will be serving dinner beginning at 5:30 PM.
• Comemos! Enjoy an authentic Mexican Beer Dinner featuring Victory Brewing Company's award winning brews on Monday, July 15th.
• Enjoy great music in the outdoors at WXPN's Singer/Songwriter Weekend on July 20th and 21st at Penn's Landing. The weekend highlights great independent music.
• August 30th starts the beginning of the Sixth Annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival in Old City. See avant-garde theatre and performance art from all over the world in unique neighborhood venues. Fork offers a 10% discount to Fringe Festival members.
• On September 23rd, join Fork in welcoming Max McCalman, maître fromager from the renowned Picholine Restaurant in New York City, for a memorable cheese and wine pairing.
  

MEXICAN BEER DINNER WITH VICTORY BREWING COMPANY
  
On Monday, July 15th, Fork will host an authentic Mexican dinner featuring selected beers from award-winning Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. This festive evening is the third in a series of Fork beer dinners featuring regional microbreweries such as Dogfish Head Brewery in Lewes, Delaware, and Nodding Head Brewery in Center City, Philadelphia.

Brewmaster Bill Covaleski will be on-hand to share his enthusiasm for seasonal beers and explain how best to appreciate their ability to contrast and complement food such as Spicy Gazpacho, Homemade Tamales, Enchiladas with Zucchini in Goat Cheese Sauce, Shredded Beef with Jicama Slaw and Whole Pompano with Lemon-Thyme Salsa. Victory beers are an excellent pairing and serve to enhance the ethnic flavors of the food. Established in 1996, Victory was recently named Brewery of the Year by Malt Advocate Magazine.

The cost of the evening is $65 including beer, tax and gratuity. Call for more information or reservations.

SAY CHEESE!
  
The European dining custom of having cheese after dinner has taken off at Fork with our new artisanal cheese plate! Savor those last sips of wine with great cheese. Fork's menu offers variety in origin, texture, taste and aging. The menu is constantly changing in order to offer access to unusual cheeses.

The resurgence of cheese stems from the American public's interest in "real" food, which includes local farming, organic produce and other high quality ingredients. Many of the cheeses offered at Fork are farmstead cheeses, which are produced right on the farm using the milk of the animals that are raised there, or other hand-crafted artisanal cheeses.

To continue to enhance our cheese plate, this September 23rd, Fork will host maître fromager, Max McCalman, of New York City's renowned Picholine Restaurant and author of the recently published book, The Cheese Plate. Max will partner with Wine Director Roberto Sella and local cheese vendor, Downtown Cheese, to create a unique pairing of cheeses and wines, madeiras, ports and sherries. Informative and tasty, this event is sure to be a sell out! Stay tuned for more details.