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Philadelphia's Dining Scene: What's New And Trendy
New Restaurants, Beer Week, Brunch Eats, Fireside Dining
Press Release
PHILADELPHIA’S DINING SCENE: WHAT’S NEW AND TRENDY?
New Restaurants, Beer Week, Brunch Eats, Fireside Dining
New On The Scene
Eating truly locally is now even more appealing with the opening of City Grange, a farm-connected, sustainably sourced restaurant in The Westin Philadelphia. The emphasis on fresh, organic food yields delicious results like pan-roasted, maple-glazed Amish chicken and wild-caught striped bass with smoked tomato coulis.
Blue Pear Bistro
Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC
Philly’s Mexican options continue to expand as well. The Veracruz-style, seafood-heavy fare is serious and authentic at Las Bugambilias, the South Street restaurant from Carlos Molina of Tequila’s. Center City’s hip new joint Jose Pistolas, meanwhile, mixes it up with a bit of Texan flair in the form of vegan chili, grouper tacos and mussels on the half shell with chorizo.
In West Chester, two new eateries are spicing up the scene. Pietro’s Prime is an upscale steakhouse and martini bar serving classic strips, filets and rib-eyes along with family-style sides. The venerable Dilworthtown Inn now has a more casual sibling next door, the Blue Pear Bistro, where the cuisine is contemporary American. Plates include a bacon and egg salad with pork belly and short ribs served over creamy grits.
Named for the historic creek that runs behind it, Worcester’s bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) Zacharias Creek Side Café shows off innovative concoctions like porcini-dusted scallops over sweet-pea hummus and lavender honey, brandy and peach-glazed duck breast.
Eurocentric Eats
These days, there’s an Italian trattoria for every pasta-lover in Philly, but a slew of recently opened restaurants are representing other areas of the continent. Belgian cuisine continues to enchant the mussel-slurping masses: Monk’s Café has opened a new Fairmount outpost called The Belgian Café, where the burgers, steak-frites and creamy Brugge fish stew can be washed down with a selection from the bar’s 150 beers. Not to be out-fizzed, the owners of Eulogy Tavern have opened Beneluxx Tasting Room, a dining laboratory offering tasting flights of chocolate, cheese, beer and wine, as well as a regular dinner menu of salads, pressed sandwiches, crepes and fondue.
Two new French eateries are bringing cuisine authentique to Queen Village. Cozy Cochon specializes in rustic, earthy fare like slow-roasted pork shoulder over de Puy lentils, while Coquette Bistro & Raw Bar is an urbane white-tiled bistro and raw bar that does faithful renditions of croque-madames, Niçoise salad and boudin blanc.
In Bucks County, ViVa! Martini is cooking up Mediterranean and Portuguese tapas like clams and chouriço and grilled octopus, as well as a full menu of fancy cocktails.
Lounging Around
The resto-lounge concept continues to evolve with additions like Old City’s Triada, which pairs global snacks like fire-kissed asparagus with manchego cheese and Moroccan chicken brochettes with bottle service in a sleek new space. The warmly lit nightspot Knock Restaurant and Bar’s ambitious menu includes braised rabbit in a potato basket and a mini ice cream sandwich served with a bubble milk shake.
Brunch Spots
Rising and shining is always easier when a delicious brunch is at hand. Luckily, Philly’s got a range of options. Hipster hangouts include Honey’s Sit ’n Eat, with its signature Southern Jewish spreads of pancakes, latkes, grits and fried tomatoes, and Sam’s Morning Glory Diner, which loads up its already-groaning omelet platters with homemade biscuits and stewed apples. The Loft District’s best-kept secret, Café Lift brews up exquisite lattes alongside its European pressed sandwiches, frittatas and crespelles. The brown-sugar swirled, cream cheese-stuffed French toast at West Chester’s Market Street Grill is the stuff of morning-nosher legend.
For the most elegant brunches in town, there’s Jake’s in Manayunk, serving crabcakes and poached eggs and oatmeal cranberry crème brûlee, or the lavish caviar- and French pastry-studded buffet at the Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.
Beer News
Beer-lovers rejoice: It’s a great time for fermented beverages in the region, with several
new tavern openings. At Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant in West Philly, there’s a wide range of the label’s sudsy creations on tap and a full menu of casual American fare. A dozen taps floweth at the Urban Saloon in Fairmount, the latest gastropub in the neighborhood. And, at Wayne’s Teresa’s Next Door, there are 24 draughts and 160 bottles from which to choose.
Next year marks the region’s first annual Philly Beer Week, taking place March 7-16, 2008. The festivities, hosted by local beer journalist, “Joe Sixpack,” will include a tutored tasting, a cask ale festival, a tribute dinner and nightly events at area restaurants.
Finally, beer-seeking visitors can learn more about the region’s brewing history and the best local microbrews with a new SoundAboutPhilly™ tour available in early 2008 at www.soundaboutphilly.com.
By the Fire
Cooler weather means warmer meals, and with a little planning, fireside tables. Snuggle up by the fireplace with the creative American cookery at Marigold Kitchen or the foam-laced avant-garde small plates at Snackbar. Beau Monde’s cozy crepes and Dark Horse Pub’s fish and chips taste even better when enjoyed hearthside. In the suburbs, book a toasty table at the elegant Simon Pearce on the Brandywine or the more casual, eclectic eatery Georges’ in Wayne.
Featured Chef: Marcie Turney
Few chefs have been as directly influential in one neighborhood’s development as Marcie Turney. The introduction of the inventive Nuevo-Mexican bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) Lolita, the mod homewares store Open House and the gourmet prepared-foods boutique Grocery—all three co-owned by Turney and her partner Valerie Safran—have transformed the 13th Street strip into a chic dining and shopping destination within a few short years. This winter, Turney, a onetime art student with a keen sense of design, will be applying her entrepreneurial and creative talents to open another nearby restaurant, the Indian-inflected Bindi.
Featured Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Boasting an array of fantastic restaurants, European cafes, pho kitchens, Asian supermarkets and taquerias—not to mention the edible bounty of the Italian Market—Bella Vista is a veritable global dining bazaar. The historic Italian flavors continue to thrive in the neighborhood with red sauce delights at legendary restaurants like Villa di Roma, crusty seeded breads at Sarcone’s Bakery and delicate cannolis at Isgro Pasticceria. Yet today, the options are more varied than ever. There’s the Washington Avenue corridor, with quick, cheap eats like dim sum at Sunrise, tacos and tamales at Taqueria La Veracruzana, noodle soup with brisket at Pho Hoa and the fragrant papaya salads at the gemlike Cafe de Laos. Late-night eaters gather at the Royal Tavern for gastropub standbys like burgers and meatloaf sandwiches.
There are plenty of sophisticated meals on offer in Bella Vista as well. At Vesuvio, dining runs the gamut from the upscale bar menu to the modern Italian cuisine in the main dining room to a special emphasis on vegetarian and vegan options. Intimate BYOB Salt & Pepper serves up seasonal eclectic cooking like hanger steak with mushroom and onion confit. Meanwhile, James has brought high-style contemporary fare like homemade pasta topped with braised duck in ragu with chocolate and herb-spiked cocktails to its minimalist enclave on 8th Street.
ADDRESS BOOK
New On The Scene:
- Blue Pear Bistro, 275 Brintons Bridge Road, West Chester, (610) 399-9812, www.bluepearbistro.com
- City Grange, 99 S. 17th Street, (215) 575-6930, www.citygrange.com
- Dilworthtown Inn, 1390 Old Wilmington Pike, West Chester, (610) 399-1390, www.dilworthtown.com
- Las Bugambilias, 148 South Street, (215) 922-3190
- Joe Pesce, 1113 Walnut Street, (215) 829-4400
- Jose Pistolas, 263 S. 15th Street, (215) 545-4102
- Pietro’s Prime, 125 W. Market Street, West Chester, (484) 760-6100, www.pietrosprime.com
- Tequila’s, 1602 Locust Street, (215) 546-0181, www.tequilasphilly.com
- Zacharias Creek Side Café, 2960 Skippack Pike, Worcester, (610) 584-5650, www.zachariascreeksidecafe.com
Eurocentric Eats:
- The Belgian Café, 21st & Green Streets, (215) 235-3500, www.thebelgiancafe.com
- Beneluxx Tasting Room, 33 S. 3rd Street, (267) 318-7269
- Cochon, 801 E. Passyunk Avenue, (215) 923-7675, www.cochonbyob.com
- Coquette Bistro & Raw Bar, 5th & Bainbridge Streets, (215) CE8-9000, www.coquettebistro.com
- Eulogy Belgian Tavern, 136 Chestnut Street, (215) 413-1918, www.eulogybar.com
- Monk’s Café, 264 S. 16th Street, (215) 545-7005, www.monkscafe.com
- ViVa! Martini Portuguese, 146 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, (215) 364-5511, www.vivamartini.com
Lounging Around:
- Knock Restaurant and Bar, 225 S. 12th Street, (215) 925-1166, www.knockphilly.com
- Triada, 120 Market Street, (215) 627-2401
Brunch Spots:
- Café Lift, 428 N. 13th Street, (215) 922-3031, www.cafelift.com
- Fountain Resaturant, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, 1 Logan Square, (215) 963-1500, www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia/dining
- Honey’s Sit ’n Eat, 800 N. 4th Street, (215) 925-1150Jake’s, 4365 Main Street, (215) 483-0444, www.jakesrestaurant.com
- Market Street Grill, 6 W. Market Street, West Chester, (610) 429-5328, www.wcmarketstreetgrill.com
- Sam’s Morning Glory Diner, 10th & Fitzwater Streets, (215) 413-3999, www.morningglorydiner.com
Beer News:
- Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant, 701 S. 50th Street, (215) 726-2337, www.dockstreetbeer.com
- Philly Beer Week, www.phillybeerweek.org
- Teresa’s Next Door, 124 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne, (610) 293-9909
- Urban Saloon, 2120 Fairmount Avenue, (215) 808-0348
By the Fire:
- Beau Monde, 624 S. 6th Street, (215) 592-0656, www.creperie-beaumonde.com
- Dark Horse Pub, 421 S. 2nd Street, (215) 928-9307, www.darkhorsepub.com
- Georges’, 503 W. Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, (610) 964-2588, www.georgesonthemainline.com
- Marigold Kitchen, 501 S. 45th Street, (215) 222-3699, www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com
- Simon Pearce on the Brandywine, 1333 Lenape Road, West Chester, (610) 793-0948, www.simonpearce.com
- Snackbar, 253 S. 20th Street, (215) 545-5655, www.phillysnackbar.com
Featured Chef: Marcie Turney:
- Bindi, 105 S. 13th Street, (215) 922-6061
- Grocery, 101 S. 13th Street, (215) 922-5252
- Lolita, 106 S. 13th Street, (215) 546-7100, www.lolitabyob.com
Featured Neighborhood: Bella Vista:
- Café de Laos, 1117 S. 11th Street, (215) 467-1546
- Isgro Pasticceria, 1009 Christian Street, (215) 923-3092, www.isgropastries.com
- Italian Market, 9th Street between Wharton & Fitzwater Streets, www.phillyitalianmarket.com
- James, 824 S. 8th Street, (215) 629-4980, www.jameson8th.com
- Pho Hoa, 1111 S. 11th Street, (215) 755-4000, www.phohoa.com
- Royal Tavern, 937 E. Passyunk Avenue, (215) 389-6694, www.royaltavern.com
- Salt & Pepper, 746 S. 6th Street, (215) 238-1920
- Sarcone’s Bakery, 758 S. 9th Street, (215) 922-0445, www.sarconesonline.com
- Sunrise, 612 Washington Avenue, (215) 271-8838, www.phillychinatown.com/sunrise
- Taqueria La Veracruzana, 908 Washington Avenue, (215) 465-1440
- Vesuvio, 738 S. 8th Street. (215) 922-8380, www.vesuvio-online.com
- Villa di Roma, 932 S. 9th Street, (215) 592-1295
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.
CONTACT:
Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com
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