And Angus Was All Like / iAngus

December 2020 Camera Gear Check 2020-12-27

2020-12-27T11:21:00.003-05:00

December 2020 Camera Gear Check 2020-12-27

Sharing what I'm mostly shooting with as 2020 comes to a conclusion.

Primary DSLR Camera:

Body: Nikon D7500

Lens: Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM

Grip: Peak Design CL-3 Clutch Camera Hand Strap with Arca Plate and Peak Design Anchors

Compact & Pocketable Point and Shoot Camera:

Pocket Camera: SonyRX100MK3

Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod

Desk Tripod:

Neewer Desktop Tripod

Work From Home / Home Office Gear Recommendations 2020-12-27

2020-12-27T11:07:00.015-05:00

Work From Home / Home Office Gear Recommendations 2020-12-27

It's been quite a year with COVID-19 and the global pandemic. For the nonessential workers that have been fortunate enough to be able to work remotely, this is a list of devices/gadgets that may help your work from home experience as we go into 2021. These are merely some of my recommendations to improve your setup as this is likely going to be the new normal for a while and/or going forward.

Webcam: Unless you have a nice built-in camera. (Apple webcams aren't that good) get a Logitech 4k or 1080 HD webcam. 60fps is a nice addition but not required.

Mic: Get a Blue Yeti mic. It handles voice, music/instrument recordings, podcasting (anything you can throw at it). (Default laptop Mics do reasonably well on laptops or from your headset so this is definitely a splurge if you're not recording anything).

Keyboard: For any purists, a mechanical keyboard can significantly improve your typing situation.

Mouse/Trackpad: I'm currently using a fancy Logitech MX Master 3 but get something that fits your hand and doesn't cause discomfort. If you're adamant about using a trackpad Apple's Magic Trackpad is a good option.

Monitor: Get something as large as can reasonably fit your desk space. Your eyes will thank you. Multiple monitors are a plus for those who are used to them. 4K resolution is probably overkill but 2K/1440 can be quite nice over 1080p/HD.

Melograno Dinner 2020-01-04

2020-01-05T18:49:00.005-05:00

Melograno Dinner 2020-01-04
Rittenhouse
2012 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-875-8116
https://melogranophilly.com/

Melograno is an Italian trattoria with a Roman-born chef in the kitchen.

Testaroli - Cast Iron Cooked Crepes Baked with Spinach, Bechamel, Truffled Egg

Squid Ink Pasta with Seafood

Bistecca - House Cut 20oz Grilled Ribeye, Truffle Parmesan, Potato Fries, Mustard Crema

Ginger Creme Brulee

Dan Dan Dinner 2020-01-01

2020-01-05T18:43:00.005-05:00

Dan Dan Dinner 2020-01-01
Rittenhouse
126 S 16th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-800-1165
http://dandanrestaurant.com/locations/philadelphia-center%20city

Dan Dan is a Chinese restaurant in Philadelphia focusing on Taiwanese and Sichuan cuisine.

Spring Rolls

Scallion Pancake

Scallion Beef

Dan Dan Noodles

Carlo's Bake Shop / Bakery 2019-12-29

2019-12-30T15:45:00.001-05:00

Carlo's Bake Shop / Bakery 2019-12-29
Rittenhouse
2101 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267-551-2511
https://orders.carlosbakery.com/carlos-philadelphia/menu

Gingerbread Man Cookie

Mr. Wish Bubble Tea 2019-12-29

2019-12-30T15:42:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wish Bubble Tea 2019-12-29
Rittenhouse
2100 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-999-2130
https://www.mrwishusa.com/

If you're in the mood for Chinese/Taiwanese beverages, check out Mr. Wish for their spread of offerings. They allow you to customize the sugar levels and ice levels. Do note that the boba (tapioca or pearls) have sugar in them. I went with low (30% sugar) this time.

Pearl Milk Tea - Taiwanese Bubble Tea with Boba and Milk Tea

Mix Pizza 2019-12-29

2019-12-30T15:36:00.003-05:00

Mix Pizza 2019-12-29
Mix Bar and Grill
Rittenhouse
2101 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-268-3355
https://mixbarandgrillphilly.com/

Mix offers Bloody Marys for $4 as a special. Grabbed a plain large pizza and mozzarella sticks on this visit.

Bloody Mary

Mozzarella Sticks

Plain Cheese Pizza

Parc Lunch 2019-12-28

2019-12-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

Parc Lunch 2019-12-28
Rittenhouse
227 S 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-545-2262
https://parc-restaurant.com/

Steven Starr's Parc in Rittenhouse is based on French bistros with food, wine in the heart of Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square. It pays tribute to French cafe culture with a large bar inside. The restaurant also offers sidewalk seating.

Sidecar Cocktail

Bread Basket

Escargots - hazelnut butter

Extra Bread for the Escargots

Tuna Carpaccio - leek vinaigrette

Steak Frites - seared hangar steak, maitre d'butter

Trout Amandine - haricots verts, lemon brown butter

Pennsylvania Ballet's Nutcracker at the Academy of Music 2019-12-28

2019-12-30T15:10:00.005-05:00

Pennsylvania Ballet's Nutcracker at the Academy of Music 2019-12-28

Some photos from the Pennsylvania Ballet's performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. No photos are allowed during the performance but the Academy of Music is quite a nice venue.

Philadelphia City Hall 2019-12-28

2019-12-30T15:00:00.002-05:00

Philadelphia City Hall 2019-12-28

A few snaps while walking by Philadelphia's City Hall.

Ferris Wheel at City Hall

Carousel at City Hall

Peak Design Travel Tripod Unboxing 2019-12-27

2019-12-27T23:43:00.004-05:00

Peak Design Travel Tripod Unboxing 2019-12-27
Product: https://www.peakdesign.com/products/travel-tripod

I joined the Kickstarter for Peak Design's Travel Tripod in early 2019, forgot about it, and then received my travel tripod before the close of 2019. It's designed by Peak Design and manufactured in Hong Kong. Now that it's been made, shipped, and cleared customs and in my hands, my unboxing photos are below. Review and feedback pending after I find opportunities to try it out.

Package from Hong Kong

Opening the Box

Peak Travel Tripod Packaging

Opening the Top of the Container

The Travel Tripod comes in a nice travel case

Opening the Travel Case

Aluminum Peak Design Travel Tripod and Case

Opening the Tripod with 2 segments extended

Peak Design Slide Lite Strap 2019-12-27

2019-12-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

Peak Design Slide Lite Strap 2019-12-27
Product: https://www.peakdesign.com/products/slide-lite

It took me a while to find a camera strap that I enjoyed using with my gear. I've tried a few other straps and have finally found one that suits my needs. Enter the Peak Design Slide Lite Strap. This strap has been updated and enhanced by Peak Design, I am currently using an older design of the strap but it suits my needs perfectly.

Peak utilizes its custom Anchor Link system that enables the user to quickly connect the strap to their camera. Once you get used to the system, you can detach and reattach the strap to different anchors and devices. As I have an older version of the strap, my anchor mount on the bottom of the camera is significantly larger. It does work with peak design's capture mount though.

Even though the slide lite is billed for mirrorless and light DSLR cameras, I prefer it over the slide as the thickness of the strap is much slimmer. Dual quick-adjusters allow easy reconfiguration of length. For anyone who fiddles with their strap length and shifts between using it as a neck strap, sling, or shoulder strap, peak design's straps are very versatile.

As I generally like to use it as a shoulder strap, the anchor mount on the bottom of my camera enables this functionality best. The strap comes with a hex screw for the times where I need to remove the anchor mount to use with a tripod. With the anchor link system, I can easily reconfigure the strap to be used as a neck strap.

Pricing is a bit high but after using peak design gear for a while, the convenience of being able to switch straps amongst gear and configure it to suit my needs on the fly, it's worth it.

Peak Design Slide Lite Strap

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G 2019-12-27

2019-12-27T21:24:00.003-05:00

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G 2019-12-27
Product: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/camera-lenses/af-s-dx-nikkor-35mm-f%252f1.8g.html

I've been shooting with my phone and a compact camera of late and have made a conscious effort to shoot on my Nikon DSLR a bit more. Along those lines, I'm going to make a more concerted effort to use a prime lens and force myself to move around a bit more instead of just zooming.

I shoot on Nikon's DX (APS-C) line of cameras so I'll be looking to use the 35mm f1.8G lens for this "homework" assignment. It's a highly embraced DX lens in the community and is quite economical (sub 200 dollars). It is a G lens and is made of hard plastic. As I mostly shoot casually when out with friends the f/1.8 aperture is perfect for low light photography in evenings and allows me to avoid using as much flash.

The lens itself is quite small, very light, and has a lens hood, soft lens cover, and uses 52mm thread filters. For those newer to the DX line of Nikon cameras, this is the first prime lens to get for most shooters. You'll read online that 50mm is the preferred lens but that is for full-frame (FX) shooters. On Nikon's DX line with the crop factor, the 35mm lens is the DX lens that fits the bill best as it approximates the zoom of a 52mm FX lens on your DX camera. Lastly, 50mm on FX is revered because it most closely approximates the viewing angle of the human eye.

If you shoot Nikon DX DSLR cameras, this lens is one of the quintessential lenses for your kit.
If you shoot on Nikon FX DSLR there is a separate 35mm FX lens. DX lenses are wasted on FX cameras.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G

Black Cat Tavern on 12th 2019-12-26

2019-12-27T16:49:00.001-05:00

Black Cat Tavern on 12th 2019-12-26
South Philly
2654 S 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
Phone: 267-519-3574
http://www.blackcattavernphilly.com/

Black Cat Tavern offers a large selection of craft beers on tap, bottles, cans, mixed cocktail and a food menu featuring house-made pierogis, kielbasy, and other bar fares. Owners Marlise & Tom are art school Philadelphians who host community art galleries, exhibits, and events in their neighborhood watering hole.

The focus of my first visit was on the pierogis and kielbasy. Various pierogis were eaten alongside kielbasy and Kopyta (polish gnocchi). Definitely worth checking out for the pierogis, kielbasy, polish food, and beer in South Philadelphia.

Coffee Stout

Polish Sampler - smoked keilbasy, two potato & cheese pierogis, two sauerkraut & mushroom pierogis, served with caramelized onions, house beer mustard, and sour cream

Kopytka (Polish Gnocchi0 - caramelized onion cream gravy, scallions, and kielbasy

Seasonal Pierogi: Sweet Potato Pierogis with Pork

House-Made Potato & Cheese Pierogis: mashed potato & cheese with caramelized onions, scallions, and sour cream

House-Made Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogis: slow-cooked sauerkraut, mushroom, caramelized onions, scallions, and sour cream

Complimentary Brownies

K'Far Dinner 2019-12-23

2019-12-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

K'Far Dinner 2019-12-23
Rittenhouse
110 S 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 267-800-7200
http://www.kfarcafe.com/

K'Far is a cafe and bakery from Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook. The executive chef is Camille Cogswell. I stopped by for dinner and didn't get to try or sample any of their baked goods or all-day menu. Dinner was delightful and the service from our waiter Sean was very excellent. The staff and kitchen sent a few extra dishes our way to round out the meal. K'Far is a welcome new addition to the dining scene in Philadelphia.

Ucciali - Rye, Campari, Bonal, Coffee

Winter Playlist - Bourbon, Carpano Antica, Atxa Dry, Cardamom, Angostura (Similar to a Manhattan)

Complimentary Latkes for Hanukkah

Moussaka - Eggplant, Potato, Celery Root, Kashkaval Cheese, Baharat, Tomato

Sent from the Kitchen: Smoked Trout Toast - Fried Egg, Cucumber, Labneh, herbs, Kubaneh Toast

Make sure you break the fried egg

Foie Gras Toast - Date Molasses, Tehina, Sicilian Pistachios, Kubaneh Toast (Definitely on the sweeter side)

Chraime - Spicy Moroccan Cod and Pepper Stew, Shishito Peppers, Fried Shallots, Mint, Cilantro

A better view of the Cod in the Chraime

Freekeh "Risotto" - Freekeh with Maitake and Shiitake Mushrooms, Pumpkin, Green Wheat, Almonds, Cilantro

Almond Olive Oil Cake with housemade whipped cream and mandarin orange

Kitchen Complimentary Experiment: Passion Fruit Sorbet with Pommengranate

Tria Taproom 2019-12-14

2019-12-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

Tria Taproom 2019-12-14
Rittenhouse
2005 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-557-TAPS
https://www.triaphilly.com/location/tria-taproom/

Tria Taproom is the neighborhood wine bar with draft beers, wines, cocktails, ciders, kombucha, and assorted elevated bar food.

"Fries" - crispy smashed fingerling potatoes with truffled taleggio fonduta

Fried Cheese Curds - pickled peppadew peppers, malt vinegar, pickle aioli

Kennett Square Flatbread - fontina, wild mushrooms, zucchini, red onion, red pepper flakes, truffle cream

Capital Grille Dinner 2019-12-03

2019-12-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

Capital Grille Dinner 2019-12-03
Center City
1338-46 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-545-9588
https://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/pa/philadelphia/philadelphia/8013

Steak Night occurred at The Capital Grille with cocktails and plenty of desserts.

GCDC Lunch 2019-11-30

2019-12-26T09:44:00.001-05:00

GCDC Lunch 2019-11-30
1730 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-393-4232
https://www.grilledcheesedc.com/

GCDC is a grilled cheese bar in Washington DC serving sandwiches, mac and cheese, tots, and cocktails. If you're a grilled cheese fan, I'd recommend checking it out.

&Pizza Washington, DC 2019-11-29

2019-12-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

&Pizza Washington, DC 2019-11-29
1400 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-558-7549
https://andpizza.com/

Maverick - classic tomato, mozzarella, salami, pepperoni, sausage, basil pesto, parmesan

Moonstruck - mushroom truffle, garlic ricotta, mozzarella, musrhoom , grilled onion, goat cheese, fig balsamic

Pizzeria Vetri 2019-10-25

2019-12-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

Pizzeria Vetri 2019-10-25
Fairmount / Art Museum
1939 Callowhill Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Phone: 215-600-2629
https://www.pizzeriavetri.com/

After cheese and drinks, I visited Pizzeria Vetri in the art museum area for dinner with brussels sprouts, various pizzas, Rotolo, and dessert.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts - caper honey mustard with parsley

Rotolo - pizza dough, mortadella, ricotta, pistachio pesto

Crudo Pizza - prosciutto crudo, bufala mozzarella, parmigiano

Harvest Pizza - delicata and butternut squash, walnut, romanesco, maple spiced pepitas, charred kale, microgreens

Wild Boar Pizza - eight-hour braised boar rubbed in cocoa, red wine-soaked cherries, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley

Fennel Sausage Pizza - roasted fennel, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano

Affogato - flordilatte soft serve with a shot of espresso

Urban Farmer Cheese & Drinks 2019-10-25

2019-12-26T09:27:00.001-05:00

Urban Farmer Cheese & Drinks 2019-10-25
Center City
1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-963-2788
https://urbanfarmerphiladelphia.com/

Grabbed cheese and drinks at Urban Farmer to close out a workday. Pretty decent platter of cheeses and curated accompaniments.

Sang Kee Peking Duck House Chinatown 2019-10-26

2019-12-26T09:20:00.002-05:00

Sang Kee Peking Duck House Chinatown 2019-10-26
238 N 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-925-7532
https://www.sangkeechinatown.com/

Sang Kee Peking Duck House has been in Philadelphia's Chinatown since 1980. They offer take out along with sit-in dining. Duck is their specialty but the Chinatown spot also does soups, noodles, and many dishes very well.

Wonton Noodle Soup with Tsa Shao (Pork)

Scallion Pancake

Duck Roll

Roasted Duck Rice Platter with Green Vegetables (Jia Lan / Chinese Broccoli)

Marmont Steakhouse and Bar Dinner 2019-10-12

2019-12-26T09:10:00.001-05:00

Marmont Steakhouse and Bar Dinner 2019-10-12
Old City
222 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-923-1100
http://www.marmont.net/

Marmont is a steakhouse in Old City. The venue has a lively bar and is dimly lit within a smaller area where tables are close together. Marmont is a more casual steakhouse with pleasant cocktails, wine, steak, and dining.

Crab Bisue

Steak

Asparagus

Nom Wah Tea Parlor Dim Sum 2019-09-29

2019-12-26T01:21:00.002-05:00

Nom Wah Tea Parlor Dim Sum 2019-09-29
Chinatown
218 N 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 267-519-2889
https://nomwah.com/philadelphia/

An expansion of the original Nom Wah in New York City to Philadelphia provides Philly's Chinatown with an additional dim sum spot. At Nom Wah, orders are placed on tickets instead of having dim sum carts. Taste and flavor skew towards traditional Cantonese style of dim sum.

Alice Pizza 2019-09-28

2019-12-26T01:14:00.000-05:00

Alice Pizza 2019-09-28
235 S 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-545-2020
http://alicephilly.com/

Alice pizza offers a spread of Italian food and pizza by weight similar to bistros in Italy. You can also get pastries, gelato, coffee, and they have a full bar.