Jump to content

Dining in Philadelphia


Recommended Posts

We were in Philly for the Penn Relays this past weekend and dined at:

Osteria: One of my favorite places. We were fortunate to snag a table Friday evening in the glassed-in patio area I mentioned up-thread. We shared warm dandelion green salad with pancetta, fava beans and pantaleo goat cheese; robiola francobolli “postage stamp ravioli” with royal trumpet mushrooms and thyme; east coast mackerel with grilled spring onion, asparagus and baby zucchini; and the special spit-roasted pig with oven-roasted potatoes. Everything was very good. For me, the pig was a standout -- a generous portion of full-flavored, moist meat. My only quibble is the plating is remarkably dull, with brown pig pieces and brown potatoes. It could have used some garnishment; my preference would be to chuck the boring potatoes and substitute greens. My only other quibble for the evening was the long wait between antipasto and prima. Otherwise, we had a great time.

Parc: We plan to visit Le Diplomate some time. Saturday night we sampled its older sibling. Lively doesn't begin to describe this place. The host stand was manned by 4 people and every one of them was needed. Folks were constantly arriving and it was obvious the hosts had fallen behind in seating people. We were on time and waited at least 15 minutes for our table. The bar was packed, so we just hung around the entry-way until we were seated -- at which point we were graciously thanked for our patience. Our table was also near the entrance and we were well entertained watching the parade of humanity arriving and departing. We noted a significant number of parties consisted of 3 or more young, fashionably dressed ladies (Oh the shoes!) -- alert to you eligible bachelors. As for the food, it was what you would expect -- very solid. We enjoyed a sampler of 1/2 dozen oysters on the half shell (Washington State, Massachusetts, Long Island) which had a nice range of brininess, salad Lyonnaise (good, nothing remarkable), salade verte (same), scallops (excellent quality, cooked perfectly with a nice sear on the outside, still slightly pink in the middle), and duck confit (the meat was moist and falling off the bone, the sherry vinegar jus induced another dip into the wonderful bread basket). To drink, I had a glass of ‘Brut’ Marquis de la Tour with the oysters, which was just OK. With the duck I had the Cote-du-Rhone Vidal Fleury, which complemented the food nicely. Over all, it was a fun evening and certainly satisfied my craving for classic bistro fare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vetri is arguably Philly's best but as noted by LauraB above my first choice would be Amada-which we have driven to from Reston. Twice. Just for dinner.

There is a food counter in the rear of this where everything is prepared. You are literally a few feet from where dishes are assembled and then set down for staff to serve. We've ended up with 12-15 courses on both trips just trying dishes that would come up and couldn't resist.

One of the best Spanish restaurants in the United States.

Tony Luke's: I am only a fan of the original. They've opened several outposts in the suburbs and to me, they do not have the charm or character of the orginal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dropped into Bistro 7 -- a well-regarded BYOB in Old City -- Saturday night and ended up having what I've come to expect at well-regarded Philadelphia BYOB's: a very good but not great meal in a comfortable setting for -- given that you bring your own B -- a reasonable price.  I was disappointed that they do not offer their $65 vaunted tasting menu on weekends, as it apparently slows turnover, but a friend and I  cunningly schemed to order enough of the menu that, by sharing, we ended up with a mock tasting menu for what turned out to be exactly the same price.

A chilled green vegetable soup with buttermilk stuff and tomato sorbet may have been the big winner, though my companion pronounced the relish garnish "too sweet."  Gnocchi was fluffy, fried and accompanied by a fresh vegetable ragout, and worked.  And foie gras with a cocoa marshmallow may be an idea whose time has come.  Jacketing oysters in quinoa before frying probably isn't.  Entrees were fine.  The peach and blueberry thing with cinnamon pastry crust would have been excellent at a more earthy-crunchy place; here it seemed to lack refinement.

The setting was small and pleasant and very green, the service perfectly fine. A decent spot if you're in walking distance.

Sunday, I had dim sum for the first time in ages at Ocean City Chinese Restaurant, 234 N. 9th, .and enjoyed it thoroughly, although the selection seemed limited and, as for the Chinese broccoli my friend had a taste for: "It coming later."  Or, maybe never.  As one who seldom dim sums, I will say assign little weight to my words, but I think it's worth a trip to what's left of Philly Chinatown, as did a a virtually all-Chinese crowd.* get there early, it opens at 10.  And remember, there are no Thrasher's fries at Ocean City.

*A gruesome debacle at Mr. Tang's in New York's Chinatown taught me that a room full of ethnically-appropriate diners is no guarantee that the dining at an ethnic restaurant will be any good. But, thought he head is skeptical, the heart likes to see extended families spread around tables and chopping into their sticky rice.  And, unlike intrepid reviewer Mike G , I like to feel like I'm in a foreign country sometimes when I go out to eat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in Philly overnight this past weekend, my first trip to the city.

Upon arrival, we went to John's Roast Pork for cheesesteaks only to find it closed for vacation so we landed at Tony Luke's instead. I was utterly unimpressed with the cheesesteak although I will give the caveat that we may have ordered "wrong". The roast pork at Dinic's was better, but still pretty uninspiring to me. I liked the bitterness of the broccoli rabe with the pork and cheese, but the meat by itself was quite dry and not that flavorful imo. I much preferred my corned beef Rachel from Herschel's (also in Reading Terminal Market). It's hard to ignore ordering one when you can watch the meat being sliced fresh in front of you. The sandwich itself was piled high with the corned beef, along with a slightly sweet mayonaise-y slaw, 2 slices of cheese, and a healthy dose of dressing and then pressed in a panini machine. SO good.

Also a must stop while in the market, Valley Shepherd Creamery. Located in New Jersey, they raise their own cows, goats and sheep for milk for their cheeses. They had some really creative and delicious cheeses and the staff was very friendly. There's also a coffee place, Old City Coffee, with 2 locations in the market that roasts their own beans. I only had a chance to grab an iced coffee so I can't say too much about quality, but the iced was very good.

After exploring the historical sites that afternoon, we headed out for dinner with a stop first at Vintage, a wine bar that also has a full selection of cocktails and beer. The staff here was incredibly friendly and drinks were good. It was a perfect spot for our large group of 10 to start the evening (and apparently end it, they do stay open late).

For dinner a smaller group of us headed to Fork. We started with cocktails at the bar. My earl gray tea infused gin cocktail was tasty and refreshing, which was what I needed having spent the day walking in 90+ degree heat, but the star of the cocktails imo was the bourbon drink from the citrus section (they don't name their cocktails): bourbon, fernet branca, mint, grapefruit, peychaud’s.

At the table, the 5 of us shared 2 duck feasts for two plus several additional items off of the menu. We started with the Sea Scallops with parsley kimchi from the raw bar and the Vitello Tonnato, a veal carpaccio topped with precisely cut squares of raw tuna and melon and a tonnato sauce. Both of these dishes were outstanding. The Charred Octopus with sweet & sour glaze and thrice-cooked potatoes was a big favorite of the table although I wasn't as enamored as I was of the raw dishes. Still, the octopus was cooked well and I would happily eat it again. The one dish we probably would not order again is the Crispy Chicken Nuggets with spicy mustard and agrodolce from the bites section. This basically amounted to chicken nuggets with honey mustard sauce and while good, as a friend said, "there's a ceiling for how good a chicken nugget can be".

The apps were followed by the duck feast, which starts with them presenting the whole roasted duck to your table. They quickly whisk it away and suddenly a group of servers appear to drop off the dishes. A large board contains the star of the show, the sliced duck breast, cooked perfectly medium rare with crispy skin and a really tasty szechuan-pepper sauce on the side. The duck meatballs topped with a tomato sauce with bits of duck liver & cheese were surprisingly impressive, improved by a textural component that I'm unsure of (maybe something as simple as breadcrumbs?). The confit with broccoli rabe is a tasty play on a roast pork sandwich and the bitter greens with duck heart and prosciutto was a nice palate cleanser, even if the duck heart got lost in it. We also supplemented by ordering one entree, Roasted Skate with clams, smoked fingerlings, chorizo, and parsley sauce. Another outstanding dish with perfectly cooked skate and the chorizo playing a supporting role crumbled on the plate rather than in slices.

As if we hadn't eaten enough, we ordered 2 desserts off of the menu to share as well. I chose the Eggplant Cake with charred eggplant, chocolate crème, creamed orange sorbet, which I was so enamored with that I can't even remember what the second dessert was (okay, so the wine may have had something to do with that as well :P). Speaking of wine, the server was very helpful and patient as we tried to settle on 2 bottles of red wine to share. We ended up with a burgundy and the Tete-a-Tete from La Terre Rouge, the latter of which turned out to be a nice pairing with most of the duck dishes. They were happy to bring us appropriate glasses for each wine so that we could enjoy them side by side with our dishes. Service across the board was outstanding, from my conversations with Justin on the phone ahead of time (he was happy to explain the duck feasts to me so that we could determine if, well really how many, we should reserve) to the bartenders to our fabulous server.

All in all, one of the most outstanding meals I've had in terms of their being no low points and a lot of really high points, especially when we all walked out of there for about $120 each.

After dinner we headed to Franklin Mortgage for a cocktail. We had a short 5 minute or so wait before being led upstairs to a dark, cozy booth. Definitely worth a stop with an interesting cocktail list. Most of us were drinking bourbon cocktails at that point and while all were good, I have to say that the Manhattan was probably the best drink at our table with the Pickleback Mountain close behind.

While I'm posting, I just have to mention that I adore the Philadelphia Museum of Art and wish I had had much more time to explore it. I loved the fact that the whole building is made up of lots of tiny rooms for you to explore and get lost in, sometimes leaving you dead-ended in dark corners. They also have a lot to offer beyond the expected framed paintings and sculptures, including entire rooms from historical houses and a wonderful armor exhibit. Do stop if you have time, and on the first Sunday of each month it's pay what you'd like.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in Philly overnight this past weekend, my first trip to the city.

Upon arrival, we went to John's Roast Pork for cheesesteaks only to find it closed for vacation so we landed at Tony Luke's instead. I was utterly unimpressed with the cheesesteak although I will give the caveat that we may have ordered "wrong". The roast pork at Dinic's was better, but still pretty uninspiring to me. I liked the bitterness of the broccoli rabe with the pork and cheese, but the meat by itself was quite dry and not that flavorful imo. I much preferred my corned beef Rachel from Herschel's (also in Reading Terminal Market). It's hard to ignore ordering one when you can watch the meat being sliced fresh in front of you. The sandwich itself was piled high with the corned beef, along with a slightly sweet mayonaise-y slaw, 2 slices of cheese, and a healthy dose of dressing and then pressed in a panini machine. SO good.

...

For dinner a smaller group of us headed to Fork. ...

That's the bad thing about John's; not just when they're on vacation but, because they don't cater to tourists or downtowners at all, they close at 3pm each day and often run out prior without any way to predict. Good sandwiches though. One of those places that doesn't give a crap whether anyone likes their hours or policies but makes a damn good roast pork sandwich. Classic South Philly.

Sounds like your experience with Tony Lukes mirrored mine from year ago. That said, hard to imagine but their outpost at the ballpark sounds like it was a bit better than what you had.

Thumbs up on Fork here too. Sounds like you had a fun trip; very cool. Next time you go, check out the Barnes exhibit since you love the main museum. Only relocated downtown earlier this year after a monster-sized legal conflict, the history of the collection is as fascinating as the quality and breadth of the collection. Really worthwhile and fascinating also just to compare and contrast the new venue from it's longtime location in Merion, PA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, there were people in my group who enjoyed both sandwiches far more than I did, but there was also a lot of disappointment expressed. I know I enjoyed the cheesesteak I had in Dewey Beach last fall far more than the one I had from Tony Luke's even if the former wasn't "authentic" in any way. I'm bracing myself for chastisement for not being a good enough connoisseur of cheesesteaks. :P

Thumbs up on Fork here too.  Sounds like you had a fun trip; very cool.  Next time you go, check out the Barnes exhibit since you love the main museum. Only relocated downtown earlier this year after a monster-sized legal conflict, the history of the collection is as fascinating as the quality and breadth of the collection.  Really worthwhile and fascinating also just to compare and contrast the new venue from it's longtime location in Merion, PA.

It's on my list. I had considered going on this trip, but decided against it because I wasn't going to have time to really explore it. I would actually like to do the docent led tour - you can stay after to explore further on your own. It's got a hefty price tag ($45) but for someone like me who enjoys art but doesn't know *that* much about it, I think it would be a nice intro to what sounds like it can be an overwhelming experience otherwise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enjoyed my visit to the Barnes. On a Saturday afternoon, I was told I have to wait until my scheduled time so I had a beer in the restaurant. Afterwards I had a beer in the downstairs cafe. It's much cheaper in the cafe.

Since I was staying around Rittenhouse Sq., I brought my rollerblades and was able to get around the city quickly and cheaply. The Kimpton (Palomar) is wonderful for pet owners - no pet fee but I can hear the screaming drunks in the middle of the night even with ear plugs (my room was on the 4th floor). Other freebies include coffee, tea, papers, and wine during wine hour, and wi-fi (if you join Kimpton's free membership program). I just read in Travel & Leisure that if you "like" "Kimpton In Touch" on Facebook, they post special passwords for more freebies.

I had lunch at The Dandelion Pub, where I had a terrine of guinea hen, ham hock, and foie gras. It was good but I tasted no foie. The fish and chips was a nice piece of cod, better than the crap I recently had in Ireland. A pint of cask beer is $10 and the temperature was much warmer than anything I had in Ireland. On a hot day when I'm sitting outside (because of the dog), I would've liked the beer a little colder. All it all, it's a pretty proper pub.

For dinner I went to Tinto. The lobster with the flavorless uni emulsion was also mostly comprised of a flabby claw for $21. The seabass and cockles were properly cooked. I thought the fish was perfect, a little crispy but not overcooked at all. Too bad I find the lemony salsa verde otherwise bland. Lastly I had the Gatxuxa, Basque for shitty paella. I ate the head on shrimp and the two pieces of dried rabbit. The rice was bland and unfortunately mushy as usual.

After a disappointing dinner, I was drawn to the packed Shake Shack next door. So after a Kastel Donker at The Foodery, Blueboy and I ventured out for a burger (my first ever Shake Shack burger). The sizzling of beef smelled wonderful. The thin beef patty was seared crispy on the outside, which I kind of liked. The burger came with an overpowering thick slab of onion, as well as a hefty slice of tomato. I love onions but I thought the proportions were out of whack.

The following morning I met some friends at Reading Terminal. They wanted breakfast food so we ate at Molly Malloy. I did pick up a muffaleta from Beck's for the drive home but I gave up after a few bites.

post-4391-0-78659900-1374107849_thumb.jp

post-4391-0-58296100-1374107864_thumb.jp

post-4391-0-46089400-1374107878_thumb.jp

post-4391-0-60352100-1374107891_thumb.jp

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two places where we've enjoyed brunch are : Cochon -- we were there this past March and really enjoyed our experience.  A meat-centric menu and very delicious.  I believe it's closer to your hotel than my other suggestion, Fork -- this has a more typical brunch menu and a more upscale ambiance.  Had brunch there within the last year and would definitely go back.

(I don't know what happened to the formatting here.  It wasn't double-spaced when I typed it.)

Edited by LauraB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone been to Matyson or Marigold Kitchen recently? What about Bibou? Am taking a quick trip to Philly this weekend and want advantage of some of the great BYOB/prix fixe deals that the city has to offer.

Bumping, anyone know if Marigold is still one of the better BYOs in town? We'd go back to Matyson but are staying in University City...hard to see traveling across town with our 5 month-old sans car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were in Philly this past weekend. I'd like to do a more in depth post, which may still happen, but until then here are a few quick thoughts:

Fork - Love it. One of the best meals I've had this year anywhere.

Amada - We enjoyed it, but have a couple of caveats. One, we went with the tasting menu in part out of ease of ordering. It was quite good, and started off fantastic, but the last couple of dishes (the lamb, for one) were the weakest dishes of the night. Two, service started out wonderful, but go extremely slow as our meal wound down. I believe this was because our server simply had too many tables (this restaurant was absolutely slammed, with new tables being seated after 10 pm). Regardless, not a positive.

Franklin Mortgage and Investment - Enjoyed it a great deal. Great drinks, cool space.

Hop Sing Laundromat - Also enjoyed it a ton. Drinks were fantastic, the service was wonderful (I like that they have a much bigger bar space than Franklin, allowing you to interact with the bartenders). The whole entrance concept is a bit contrived (ringing the bell, having them "interview" you about how you found out about the place, etc), but we really enjoyed our experience after that fact. I'm curious how well they're doing, however, There were about four other parties seated in a quite large space when we arrived.  When we left around 8:30 we were the only people in the whole place.

Dinic's - We enjoyed the roast pork sandwich quite a bit, but I'm far from an expert on how it compares to other roast pork sandwiches in Philadelphia. Reading Terminal Market is fun.

The Dandelion - Had lunch here and enjoyed it. We then enjoyed it again that afternoon when we were stuck in the absurd amount of rain Philadelphia got on Sunday (most in recorded history). Good beer list, and had the Gold Cup final on the television with sound.  Not how we planned on spending our afternoon, but perfectly enjoyable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/5/2005 at 4:29 PM, bookluvingbabe said:

{Don--I know this is off-topic but I'd like to hear what people I trust think about the Philly dining scene... Delete if you must!!!! unsure.gif} [(*)]

They've extended the Dali exhibit and I've got tickets for 9:30 on the morning of the 20th. A good friend is meeting me there from NY.

We may add in a trip to the Barnes or the Constituion Center but right now I'm just thinking about lunch.

We probably go to Philly once every 18 months or so and have pretty lousy luck with dining. Before we default to cheesesteaks (which we often miss if the parking and traffic is too bad...) I did discover I can get a table at the following places:

Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel

Morimoto

Le Bec Fin
Buddakan

What's a girl to do????

Thanks!

Jennifer

---

[(*) Little did you know that almost eight years later, your "Delete if you must' imperative would result in a brand new forum!]

I try!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in Philly for two nights next week.  Night one I'm having dinner with friends, who made a reservation at "The Love."  I know nothing about this place...will we have a good meal here?

Night two I'm solo and don't have reservations.  Was thinking of walking in somewhere early where I otherwise wouldn't be able to get reservations.  Does Zahav have a bar?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/16/2018 at 11:37 AM, Rhone1998 said:

I'm in Philly for two nights next week.  Night one I'm having dinner with friends, who made a reservation at "The Love."  I know nothing about this place...will we have a good meal here?

Night two I'm solo and don't have reservations.  Was thinking of walking in somewhere early where I otherwise wouldn't be able to get reservations.  Does Zahav have a bar?

Yes, they have a bar, but getting a seat is very difficult on account its one of the hottest spots in Philly. I recommend trying to go early if you can, like right when service begins. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, curiouskitkatt said:

Yes, they have a bar, but getting a seat is very difficult on account its one of the hottest spots in Philly. I recommend trying to go early if you can, like right when service begins. 

Same deal with Vernick, which I highly recommend.  I've had wonderful experiences eating at the bar solo, but you have to get there early, too.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hour and half in Philly Foodie Tour (aka a love letter to Michael Solomonov)

12:30pm – waiting for my “lunch” meeting to end so can begin my lunch adventure.

12:40pm – finally, meeting over, I head out in Center City (aka business district) to my first stop.

12:45pm – back track because google maps sent me the wrong way.

12:48pm -  Steve’s Prince of Steaks off 16th St. Despite Eater, Philly Magazine, and Yelp reviews – this is probably the worst philly steak sandwich I’ve ever had in Philly. There is a lack of well-known/dedicated philly steak places in Center City. The problem here I should have known was how my sandwich was ready in only a few minutes. The cashier was calling out names of others so I figured like past experiences, my sandwich’s meat was being cooked to order. Nope, it was pre-cooked and not good. On top of that this place (and apparently the well-known Geno’s among others) doesn’t chopped up the meat after it is mostly cooked but rather give you big rubbery slices of steak. I guess I’m more traditional in line with Pat’s that chops. Also not enough onions. The only saving grace was the good Amorosa roll but every place in Philly uses those.  Not worth a return trip.

1:03pm – I walk the few blocks to Sansom St, the foodie mecca where Michael Solomonov has packed in 5 of his restaurants within a short 2 block radius. Today, he is my savior and redeemer (almost all of the rest of the restaurants here are part of his group).  First stop, Federal Donuts. It is a small shop with limited seating but just enough. I order a 3 piece fried chicken basket (drum, thigh, and breast) with optional zaatar dry seasoning which comes with a honey-accented cake donut. I also want to bring some donuts home for the family. I am disappointed when only the made-to-order hot and fresh sugary donuts are available because apparently they sold out already of all the fancy glazed donuts in the morning. So I only order a half dozen. Well while waiting for my chicken, I’m pleasantly surprised to see the resupply delivery come in. The very nice cashier is now happy to sell me another half dozen glazed donuts. The chicken is fresh, hot, crispy. I’m not sure if I’d go for the zaatar spice again as it only added a bit of extra flavor – maybe one of the KFC-like glazes next time. The honey donut is spot on and nice contrast to the chicken.

1:30pm – I walk across the street to Dizengoff humuseria but decide to pass today. (We already have good humus at Little Sesame in DC and in my/your kitchen.)

1:32pm – I go up to Goldie looking to get vegan tehina milkshake but the line is out the door. No worries, I go to its basement into the Rooster, which is where the leftover Federal Donuts chicken parts go to make delicious Yemenite-spiced matzo ball soup. It is actually a quaint Jewish deli with a nice bar and small tables. (note almost none of these places are fit for a group – better for 1 or 2). The soup hits the spot with a nice soft matzo ball (despite what my wife and her family say – real matzo balls float and don’t sink). Still thinking of ending on a sweet note I head back up to Goldie and my luck struck again, no line. The friendly lady explains the shakes are made from soy and almond milk with added tehina. She offers me a taste. They have a softserve machine that they mix up for shakes and if desired add more flavored syrups too. I’m sold on the original plain tehina shake. It is cold delicious and I’m not missing the dairy.

1:45pm – I jump in a cab and finish up my shake on the way to the train station.

I will note the fafafel and fries at Goldie would be a great option too. Also the sandwiches at Rooster looked scrumptious. The one Solomonov place on the street I didn’t mention is Abe Fisher, upscale nouvea eastern European Jewish cooking, is right next to Dizengoff but only open for dinner. I almost got some soft pretzels from Philadelphia Pretzel Factory to bring home but passed as I heard their only good hot and I was already burned by one Philly classic dish today. For those more pretzel-inclined, they are ok (I’ve had them before), and it is a chain that is also right nearby the other places on Sansom St and there is a stand near the train entrances in the main hall of 30th St station. The only thing missing from Sansom St is Solomonov’s Israeli upscale restaurant Zahav which is a short drive away in another part of town.

2:05pm – I make it to the train station to find out my train is 15 minutes delayed. I guess I could have gotten those schwarma spiced fries at Goldie.

3:00pm – I pass out with mini-food coma nap on the train.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can attest that the schwarma fries (with, I believe, homemade ketchup) are delicious, and they go super well with the Turkish Coffee tehina shake (with halvah crumbles on top!) from Goldies. Had both about three weeks ago and they made for a perfect lunch. I assume the fry spices contains a bunch of turmeric, as they were very golden in color. Next time I try the falafel!

Dizengoff is also worth a stop, as the hummus toppings and homemade pita bread are delicious.

I was a tad disappointed in the "fun flavors" of Federal Donuts (I tried lemon-something and salted caramel, I believe). They were just so, so overly sweet. Next time I'll get something simple like honey.

Besides a Solomonov place (where Zahav remains one of my favorites places to eat in the whole country), I had a very tasty cheesesteak from Cosmi's Deli in East Passyunk (south of the Italian Market). They even have a choice of regular or seeded rolls. Anyway, one steak even made it back down I95 and was still good reheated in the oven a few hours later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, JoyS said:

I was a tad disappointed in the "fun flavors" of Federal Donuts (I tried lemon-something and salted caramel, I believe). They were just so, so overly sweet. Next time I'll get something simple like honey.

I tried 5 different flavors still. I definitely liked the sugared ones better - oreo and cinnamon sugar were great. Strawberry lavender sugar was a nice idea but the special flavors are rather muted. I did like the key lime glazed but it is pretty strong. The apple cinnamon was rather sweet - I wouldn't get it again. The caramel latte was good but its coffee flavor wasn't my thing. I did like the maple pecan - it wasn't as strong a glaze and the crushed pecans on top mellowed the sweet factor. The simplest may be the best - the honey one that came with the chicken. All the more reason to get the chicken 🙂 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://oysterhousephilly.com/buck-a-shuck/

This was fun. I had amazing fish stew, some okay house wine, and fun conversations with the shuckers. I was trying to explain the divine experience of dive bar oysters in New Orleans, but these guys take oyster's (too) serious. The "bar" is very, very long so if you are dining alone, it's a nice spot (I was). 

I did meet other tourists. One couple went to the Phil Museum of Art only to RUN UP THE STeps like Rocky. They didn't go in!!! WTF? It's a fantastic museum. Yes, I did judge them harshly for that. 

Another thing I did alone was go to the Barnes. That is a weird museum. Lot's of nude women; lot's of reclining, nude women. Lot's of people where the perspective is totally off. 

https://www.barnesfoundation.org/

It's 30$, poorly laid out and has a diverse set of objects. Much of it is low-light and the gallery guides have teeny tiny type; torture.   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am on a mission to expand our content for the Philadelphia forum, and I stumble upon this gem. It was last updated in 2016, but this gives me a good starting point.  I will try to make more trips to Philly and report back on my findings. 

Although Chowhound has an active forum about Philly, I find it to be clunky and inundated with ads. So therefore, I think I need to venture out and do the research myself. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will just throw out some recommended spots from our last visit to Philly (12/17):

Wm. Mulherin's Sons (Fishtown)

Parc (Rittenhouse Sq)

Dim Sum House (UPenn area)

Bakeshop on 20th (Rittenhouse Sq)

Cleavers (Center City)

John's Roast Pork (E. Snyder Ave, funky industrial area)

Dutch Eating Place (RTM)

We are going back next weekend for a family meetup (my brothers are also trenchermen of some repute) and will post some more names (good and bad but hopefully none of the latter).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

I will just throw out some recommended spots from our last visit to Philly (12/17):

Wm. Mulherin's Sons (Fishtown)

Parc (Rittenhouse Sq)

Dim Sum House (UPenn area)

Bakeshop on 20th (Rittenhouse Sq)

Cleavers (Center City)

John's Roast Pork (E. Snyder Ave, funky industrial area)

Dutch Eating Place (RTM)

We are going back next weekend for a family meetup (my brothers are also trenchermen of some repute) and will post some more names (good and bad but hopefully none of the latter).

Thanks, Bob Wells - I linked to your restaurants as well as I could (we have several of them as threads here) - it would be wonderful if every single one of these had its own thread, but that will only happen over time.

Cheers!
Rocks

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently was at the Famous 4th St Deli, and let me tell you it was glorious. Portions are gigantic, and matzo ball  soup enough for 2 but so good, each person at the table order one. The whilefish salad is what I always crave, and it was a home run with choice of toast or bagel. I should have ordered a knish to be able to report back, but honestly I barely could breath on account I was so full. The charming means in the way they  present the check with a housemade chocolate chip cookie is simply adorable.  The case of desserts and items to take home are both enormous is size as well as variety. How is it that I have not been here until now? I encourage you all to visit. The setting is charming too boot with the black and while tile floors , egg creams, and placard and photos of famous patrons. Its a treat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...