Watkins Drinkery, Part II: Nacho Boogaloo

Watkins Drinkery
1712 South 10th
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 339-0175







Chinese Firecracker Nachos

Wild boar, fried wonton chips, napa cabbage slaw, sriracha

Price: $9.95


According to Wikipedia, "Nachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal... Sometimes French fries, potato chips, or popcorn are used instead of tortilla chips." First off, reading the entire Wikipedia entry is more bland than the first nacho platter I reviewed on this site. Second, and more importantly, I had no idea that "French fries, potato chips, or popcorn" could officially be used instead of nixtamalized corn chips when creating a platter of nachos. Well, if Wikipedia says it's so (especially within the first couple sentences), I certainly feel more tolerant about the fried wonton chips used in these Chinese Firecracker Nachos.

Sike. I'm actually a delicious warthog.

For my loyal reader(s), you will notice that this is the second time I've visited Watkins Drinkery. Word on the streets of Philadelphia was that they recently changed their menu (which they will do multiple times a year) and unveiled a brand new nacho platter. So, of course I had to wrangle up the motley crew of nerds, order some pints and awkwardly sit at a group of tables right next to the bathroom AND kitchen for maximum "in-your-wayness". I am proud to announce on this blog that I have never had nachos like these before. The fried wonton chips made an excellent crispy foundation for the chunks of succulent wild boar. The sriracha sauce (a favorite for people with taste in condiments or without working taste buds) topped the crispy napa cabbage slaw which was sweet, sour and certainly something that would not work on any other nacho platter. Overall, a unconventional combination of popular (and semi-exotic) American Chinese flavors that I truly enjoyed. It may not be something I consider to be on the "comfort food" side of the nacho spectrum, but certainly a unique and tasty experience worthy of a lip smacking.      

• Presentation: 6
• Assembly: 6
• Uniqueness: 9
• Value: 7
• Taste: 8
• Overall: 7.2

Watkins Drinkery

Watkins Drinkery
1712 South 10th
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 339-0175










Duck Molé Nachos

Oaxaca cheese, salsa verde, spicy black beans, house cut tortilla chips

Price: $9.95


As a friend of mine recently pointed out, and I wholeheartedly agree, I need to eat more nachos. More importantly, I need to enjoy more nachos of the local variety. Skip the corporate chain restaurants and re-discover the neighborhood flavors. Armed with a ten-spot, a passion for cheese, and a friend that illegally jams cell phones and is willing to eat a can of pig brains for fun, we ventured over to a local watering hole. Watkins Drinkery, which is just a few short blocks away from my nacho-less apartment, certainly has a claim to fame which made this excursion even more exciting.

Once the Duck Molé Nachos were ordered it only took T-minus half-a-beer for our meals to arrive. Honestly, it seems like it took more time to snap a picture of the nachos (due to the overly dim romantic lighting we were enjoying) than it did for them to materialize. I proceeded to take my first bite - distinctive and delicious! My second bite - tasteful and satisfying. By my third bite - enjoyable yet confusing. Something just wasn't right. Everything worked well enough on it's own, but just wasn't working together as a whole. It was the Westeros of nachos. All the flavors were competing, but there was nothing to bind them together as a single entity. There was the tang of the salsa verde, the cluster of succulent duck, the dribble of warm and mild Oaxaca cheese, the "spicy black beans" distributed around the platter, and the slightly salty tortilla chips. Sounds wonderful, right? Right?     

• Presentation: 4
• Assembly: 4
• Uniqueness: 7
• Value:6
• Taste: 6
• Overall: 5.4