Monday, September 30
[from my e-mail to the Phoenix in response to a call for restaurant recommendations]
erm, so as it turns out I have a lot to say about Philadelphia restaurants. Print what you like - I particularly think people should know about the first five or so. I don't know if you're interested in this, but for the record I don't particularly recommend Astral Plane, Guru, Cibucan, or that place on Market and 4th or something which played Prince when I was eating there.
love,
Ross
Tampopo 104 S. 21st, between Chestnut and Sansom
Criminally overlooked fast-food-style Japanese joint that I discovered one evening when Gianna's was closed and all the Cuban and Italian places in the area just seemed too expensive. Superfast, supercheap, and plenty of tasty food for your money. Mix and match combinations of noodles with gyoza, tempura, rolls, salads, etc. all in individualized compartments. Take-out or eat in. Also features a nifty retro-mod aesthetic with a dandelion logo and racks of Japanese pop magazines.
Beau Monde 624 S. 6th at Bainbridge, 1 block south of South
They may not have gender agreement in their name, but otherwise it's well-chosen. This from my journal: "Eve drove us into the city for dinner at a fabulous crêperie, attempting to squeeze every ounce of black-wardrobe hipness out of its old-world-elegance decor and m.o., whose bartendress identified my glasses frames. Jenny met us there and we split three-ways for a simply scrumptious meal: sweet-potato bisque with some cream/rum thing on top; one ratatouille-goat cheese crêpe and one grilled veggie-feta; and the dessert crêpe I lobbied for, lemon curd-lemon sorbet-mixed berries. Mmmm." If you go, ask them if they've found my hat.
Pink Rose Pastry 640 S. 4th at Bainbridge, 1 block south of South
Old-school pastry shop and teahouse with pink tablecloths and decor as elegant and decadent as the dessert offerings. Their milieu is limited but they know what they're doing. I went to pick up some pastries for my birthday party last year and left with seven or eight different pieces because I couldn't decide.
Samosas 1214 Walnut, between 12th and 13th
For $8.88 (dinner) or $5.84 (lunch) - who knows how they came up with the prices - you get a fantastic cafeteria-style buffet of vegetarian Indian food. I think theoretically you're not supposed to go back for a second round through, but I always have to go get just a little more curry or a few more pakoras. Help yourself to pitchers of water, and don't forget to take some of those great anise candies when you leave. A center-city standby.
La Bohéme 246 11th, between Locust and Spruce
Utterly charming little self-proclaimed bistro français with reasonable prices, nice portions, and superb if perhaps unadventurous french cuisine (un peu nouveau.) Swell for a date (a one-month anniversary commemoration, say), but check the hours, because it's been closed the last few times I was there on Mondays.
Alma de Cuba 1623 Walnut, between 15th and 16th
My favorite so far of the famed Stephen Starr restaurants, which also include the over-the-top Buddakan and the ultra-modern white conveyor-belt-chic of sushi capsule Pod. As always with Starr, the atmosphere here is a lot of fun - evocative of the faded old-world splendor of Havana, if Havana had any faded old-world splendor (does it? i've never been). Perhaps more importantly, the food is outstanding. Daily fish and ceviche specials, and endlessly inventive garnishes and sides, including foie gras flan, which makes an excellent tongue-twister. It's far from cheap, though, so a good place to get your parents to take you. And call ahead! I called on Monday and couldn't get a reservation for Saturday before 9:30.
Penang 117 N. 10th at Arch
A pre-Trocadero-concert favorite, conveniently located just three blocks from Market East Station. Cheap and plentiful portions of Malaysian specialties, and awesome modernist sheet-metal decor, with high chairs. The first time I went the waiter told me, firmly, what to order. Save room for Chendol, a unique and not unsatisfying experience described in the menu as "green pea flour stripes and sweet red beans topped w. shaved ice and coconut milk"
The Continental 134 Market at 2nd
An early Starr effort, divided into half martini bar with trendsetting jetsetters, half restaurant with booths and fewer people (when I went anyway.) The aesthetic is airport-lounge-kitsch-retro-global, and the menu is pan-world in the most excessive way imaginable. Food is served tapas style, but it's hard to do it up right when the dishes average between $8 and $13 and you're supposed to get probably at least two or three per person to share. It is a lot of fun though.
Kingdom of Vegetarians 129 N. 11th, between Arch and Race
A longstanding tradition among Swatties. Frankly, it's not as good as everyone seems to think, but it's still a fun experience. The deal: you pay $10 and they just keep bringing out food, theoretically until you tell them to stop. In my experience (eight or so visits), the group is never able to make it past one specific round, where they overload you with about six pansful of dumplings all at once. (I propose this as the venue for gluttonbowl 2 - if anyone can make it past that round, they will have earned my respect.) I'm particularly fond of the sesame noodles and the scallion pancakes, but the restaurant's raison d'être is their dim sum, which as the name suggests is all vegetarian. As a meat eater, I will attest that it isn't a particularly good imitation, but that doesn't mean it isn't good food. You can also order á la carte, but why would you bother?
Taj Mahal 1903 Chestnut, at 19th
It took me a while to find this. It would be nothing spectacular in some cities, but it's the best Indian food I've had so far in Philadelphia. Standard-issue Indian restaurant name, standard-issue sitar-heavy background music, standard-issue menu with only a few variations in transliteration from my hometown favorite (the India House in Rochester, N.Y., if you care.) Disturbingly irrelevant U.S. president paper placemats.
Azafran 617 3rd, between South and Bainbridge
from my journal: "Dinner was at Azafrán, a charming little Venezuelan restaurant at 3rd and South, where, although overpriced and underportioned, the food was really spectacular. Joel and I shared the double ceviche del dia plate - one little dish of flounder with a cilantro garnish, and one of wasabi'd salmon with tasty cucumber/citrus salsa - as well as an entree of atún served over mashed platanos with a molé-ish sauce and fresh salsa, and a side order of rice and beans. Mmm. That really is the kind of food you want to eat in large quantities, which was the only problem, but it was great to mix together. They also served some nice bread with super-garlicked olive oil."
erm, so as it turns out I have a lot to say about Philadelphia restaurants. Print what you like - I particularly think people should know about the first five or so. I don't know if you're interested in this, but for the record I don't particularly recommend Astral Plane, Guru, Cibucan, or that place on Market and 4th or something which played Prince when I was eating there.
love,
Ross
Tampopo 104 S. 21st, between Chestnut and Sansom
Criminally overlooked fast-food-style Japanese joint that I discovered one evening when Gianna's was closed and all the Cuban and Italian places in the area just seemed too expensive. Superfast, supercheap, and plenty of tasty food for your money. Mix and match combinations of noodles with gyoza, tempura, rolls, salads, etc. all in individualized compartments. Take-out or eat in. Also features a nifty retro-mod aesthetic with a dandelion logo and racks of Japanese pop magazines.
Beau Monde 624 S. 6th at Bainbridge, 1 block south of South
They may not have gender agreement in their name, but otherwise it's well-chosen. This from my journal: "Eve drove us into the city for dinner at a fabulous crêperie, attempting to squeeze every ounce of black-wardrobe hipness out of its old-world-elegance decor and m.o., whose bartendress identified my glasses frames. Jenny met us there and we split three-ways for a simply scrumptious meal: sweet-potato bisque with some cream/rum thing on top; one ratatouille-goat cheese crêpe and one grilled veggie-feta; and the dessert crêpe I lobbied for, lemon curd-lemon sorbet-mixed berries. Mmmm." If you go, ask them if they've found my hat.
Pink Rose Pastry 640 S. 4th at Bainbridge, 1 block south of South
Old-school pastry shop and teahouse with pink tablecloths and decor as elegant and decadent as the dessert offerings. Their milieu is limited but they know what they're doing. I went to pick up some pastries for my birthday party last year and left with seven or eight different pieces because I couldn't decide.
Samosas 1214 Walnut, between 12th and 13th
For $8.88 (dinner) or $5.84 (lunch) - who knows how they came up with the prices - you get a fantastic cafeteria-style buffet of vegetarian Indian food. I think theoretically you're not supposed to go back for a second round through, but I always have to go get just a little more curry or a few more pakoras. Help yourself to pitchers of water, and don't forget to take some of those great anise candies when you leave. A center-city standby.
La Bohéme 246 11th, between Locust and Spruce
Utterly charming little self-proclaimed bistro français with reasonable prices, nice portions, and superb if perhaps unadventurous french cuisine (un peu nouveau.) Swell for a date (a one-month anniversary commemoration, say), but check the hours, because it's been closed the last few times I was there on Mondays.
Alma de Cuba 1623 Walnut, between 15th and 16th
My favorite so far of the famed Stephen Starr restaurants, which also include the over-the-top Buddakan and the ultra-modern white conveyor-belt-chic of sushi capsule Pod. As always with Starr, the atmosphere here is a lot of fun - evocative of the faded old-world splendor of Havana, if Havana had any faded old-world splendor (does it? i've never been). Perhaps more importantly, the food is outstanding. Daily fish and ceviche specials, and endlessly inventive garnishes and sides, including foie gras flan, which makes an excellent tongue-twister. It's far from cheap, though, so a good place to get your parents to take you. And call ahead! I called on Monday and couldn't get a reservation for Saturday before 9:30.
Penang 117 N. 10th at Arch
A pre-Trocadero-concert favorite, conveniently located just three blocks from Market East Station. Cheap and plentiful portions of Malaysian specialties, and awesome modernist sheet-metal decor, with high chairs. The first time I went the waiter told me, firmly, what to order. Save room for Chendol, a unique and not unsatisfying experience described in the menu as "green pea flour stripes and sweet red beans topped w. shaved ice and coconut milk"
The Continental 134 Market at 2nd
An early Starr effort, divided into half martini bar with trendsetting jetsetters, half restaurant with booths and fewer people (when I went anyway.) The aesthetic is airport-lounge-kitsch-retro-global, and the menu is pan-world in the most excessive way imaginable. Food is served tapas style, but it's hard to do it up right when the dishes average between $8 and $13 and you're supposed to get probably at least two or three per person to share. It is a lot of fun though.
Kingdom of Vegetarians 129 N. 11th, between Arch and Race
A longstanding tradition among Swatties. Frankly, it's not as good as everyone seems to think, but it's still a fun experience. The deal: you pay $10 and they just keep bringing out food, theoretically until you tell them to stop. In my experience (eight or so visits), the group is never able to make it past one specific round, where they overload you with about six pansful of dumplings all at once. (I propose this as the venue for gluttonbowl 2 - if anyone can make it past that round, they will have earned my respect.) I'm particularly fond of the sesame noodles and the scallion pancakes, but the restaurant's raison d'être is their dim sum, which as the name suggests is all vegetarian. As a meat eater, I will attest that it isn't a particularly good imitation, but that doesn't mean it isn't good food. You can also order á la carte, but why would you bother?
Taj Mahal 1903 Chestnut, at 19th
It took me a while to find this. It would be nothing spectacular in some cities, but it's the best Indian food I've had so far in Philadelphia. Standard-issue Indian restaurant name, standard-issue sitar-heavy background music, standard-issue menu with only a few variations in transliteration from my hometown favorite (the India House in Rochester, N.Y., if you care.) Disturbingly irrelevant U.S. president paper placemats.
Azafran 617 3rd, between South and Bainbridge
from my journal: "Dinner was at Azafrán, a charming little Venezuelan restaurant at 3rd and South, where, although overpriced and underportioned, the food was really spectacular. Joel and I shared the double ceviche del dia plate - one little dish of flounder with a cilantro garnish, and one of wasabi'd salmon with tasty cucumber/citrus salsa - as well as an entree of atún served over mashed platanos with a molé-ish sauce and fresh salsa, and a side order of rice and beans. Mmm. That really is the kind of food you want to eat in large quantities, which was the only problem, but it was great to mix together. They also served some nice bread with super-garlicked olive oil."
