GregD

After reading this board, we went to Tacqueria Moroleone when we were out at Longwood. And it was fantastic. Not a big atmosphere place, but really good. not just compared to Philly's normally mediocre Mexican food but really, really good compared to the Mexican food in Chicago, which is famously outstanding. Thanks for the rec, Andrew and others, and I'm glad to say it was a really good one.

Ecco Qui is fine. It's very convenient. Decent pizza and salads and stuff. Maybe a tad better than World Cafe's menu (and definitely cheaper and better service) but nothing worth going to in and off itself. I have no idea how the sushi place in the Left Bank building is; that's also right there. If you stick with World Cafe (which is a reasonable, if not exciting option), I suggest ordering simple. Given the time constraints of running so many meals at once, the more elaborate meals tend to be disappointing. The sandwiches, fries, salads, appetizers, have been pretty good. And the desserts are pretty good. White Dog is not my favorite but is some people's. La Terrace is pretty good. Both are better than World Cafe, and you could park 1 time, if you're not wearing heels, and get from your car both to those places and to World Cafe. They're maybe 3.5 blocks away. Marigold and Rx are much better, in my opinion, than any of the above options, but are also farther away. (Rx is just getting better and better, I think. We had a dinner the other night that was notably better than our other--very fine--dinner experiences.) Zocalo is closer to World Cafe than Rx or Marigold is, but is too far to walk, probably. A decent semi-gourmet Mexican. Pod is about 5.5 blocks from World Cafe, in the back side basically of the hotel building that houses Penne on the front, and it's an interesting place, if that's your scene. Nan is very good and much quieter, but is closer to 9-10 blocks. I'm no particular fan of Penne, and would put it below most of the other options I named, but other people, I know, feel different.

I also love and worry about Samba. Have had several dinners on weekend nights when it was almost empty, or maybe a table or two of people and some at the bar. I know the nightclub does good business pretty late, like after 11:30, but I always fear that they'll give up on the restaurant entirely and just make it a dance club. This says more about my friends and family, perhaps, than about Samba, but it is unanimously the place that they want to go when they come to Philly from Tennessee and Hawaii, where they live. They love Marigold and the various Italian places and Capogiro and the Reading Market, but Samba is something that they have no equivalent to, and it's just a warm, fun experience. Never fear, Evan -- perhaps I shouldn't admit this on egullet, but I do have a fondness for ramen Anyways, I didn't make it to Paloma, but my guests did and loved it. I went to Samba instead -- it is so good, and at $22.95, it's also a steal. We were the only guests there Sunday night, so I sure hope they're doing good business the rest of the week, because I want them to stay open. Too bad I can't eat rodizio every week... ←

Despite having the same first name, I'm in no way connected to Rx or Greg S., so I'll add in that as a disinterested bystander, Rx's brunch is really fun and really good. (Though I've missed the grits!) Great quality food ranging from cheap eggs-and-bacon stuff to higher-end fish dishes, etc.

Do both Zeke's and Debreaux's have seating? Or are they purely takeout, like Dwight's?

Second the Marigold. Delicious, with several fish dishes most weeks and also fantastic custard french toast.

Yeah, those kind of entrepeneurs cause no problems for me; I'm for having well-run restaurants, especially if the entrepeneurs are picking up older places that have lost their edge. And I wouldn't want to commit to a life of getting up at 4 a.m., either. All I was saying is that the article seemed naive to the likelihood that the buyer is purchasing Famous 4th Street for a short-term turnaround.

For clarity's sake, the guy who bought the Famous 4th is the founder of the Kibitz-es, but is not the current owner of any of them. Each of them, I believe, has been slightly changed since he sold them, though for better or worse is a mixed opinion. In any event, I wouldn't necessarily use the current incarnation of the Kibitz in Philly or Cherry Hill as a way of evaluating what he'll do at Famous 4th St. Also, I wouldn't bet the ranch that he'll hold onto it for too long. Best pastrami in Philly? Koch's?

By the way, I had to check the Barnes for other reasons, and they mentioned they're already filled up for the first Friday in May but still have openings for the Saturday and Sunday. Those days will fill up fast, so if you're interested I'd jump right in. It's an amazing place, if you're into art, as you all are.

I'll let better-informed people talk about the fine dining. For cheese steaks the other candidate I'd add--especially if it's warm--is John's Roast Pork, a truly classic stand by the river (with no indoor seating) that has wonderful steaks. For touristy stuff, some cheap/free things that are cool are the elevator to the top of City Hall, which is neat not just for the view but also for the interior view of the tower as you go up. The Masonic temple across the street from City Hall is strange and kind of wonderful and only three bucks. Most days at noon, the old Wannamaker's across from City Hall (now a Lord & Taylors and perhaps on route to becoming a Macy's?) has concerts on their organ, which is one of the largest pipe organs in the world. And the space itself is fascinating. The Barnes is a must, if you're into art. It's the most interesting "house" art museum I've ever seen--better than the ones in New York because it's equally fantastic in terms of quality but much more idiosyncratic and even crazy in terms of the layout. Unlike those it relfects someone with personal taste that ranged from brilliant to bizarre. There is, I believe, no place in the world of any size that can match up to its Matisse. You need to make reservations today--they fill up like 2 months in advance--and getting in is as weird and complex as everything about the place, but it's an amazing place for art, and one that won't last long (they're moving it to the Franklin Parkway near the Art Museum over the next several years, where it will be much more accessible but also less unique.) http://www.barnesfoundation.org

I ate there last week for dinner and liked it a lot. I wouldn't say it's great but it's very good. The smoked meat appetizer wasn't fantastic, but it was interesting. The beef in particular is very smoky. The bean soup is very good. Several of us got the beef strip stew--I forget and can't spell the actual name--and liked it a lot. It's quite spicy--though not hot spicy--and full of interesting tastes. The baklava was fantastic, I thought, drier than Greek baklava and very satisfying. There were only a few tables going on a Friday night, but the people in them seemed to be regulars. One who said they came every week, another who ran in as they were closing and got the owner to stay open for a group that was on their way. The inside is nicer than I expected. There are better restaurants in Philly, obviously, but it's a place I would go back to, especially while it's cold out.

Camden. There are a couple of places there that sell them--I've only had them from the Tarantini Panzarotti Co., which is at Midvale and Marlton. As far as I know, nobody in Philly sells them, but I could be wrong.

MSE, Thanks for posting the image of Drexel's interior. Pretty amazing. I need to check it out.

Samba is, however, not BYO.

I really like Samba, a Brazilian restaurant/night club near 7th and Girard. It's in a beautiful old bank, the people who work there are incredibly friendly, and they can easily handle big groups if you let them know ahead of time. It's the churrasco style. They do try hard to accomodate vegetarians--both with a big salad bar and by grilling veggies in the back if you ask, but it obviously caters to meat-eaters.

Went to their open house, where they served some appetizers and truffles and chatted with people who wandered in. The interior is quite different. There's a bathroom downstairs! A big change. And there's an effort to make things a little sleeker and more metallic, both on the interior and in the exterior signage. Though the space is essentially what it is and was. The appetizers and truffles were tasty. The sample menus were laid out--it looks more adventurous and probably more expensive than the old Marigold menu. In fact, the menus looked like they could have been Rx menus. A steak in a sauce, a striped bass, etc. No prices listed. I, too, liked the old Marigold, but these menus looked, frankly, more appealing. I'm eager to check it out when it opens next week. Will report once I do.

Anybody here eat on the Strip, 52nd Street from Market to Spruce? Aside from Big George's, any other recommendations? Any preferences among the different West Indian places there?

Heading to Camden on PATCO on Wednesday for the Atlantic League all-star game. Any recommendations on places to pick up good sandwiches or other fast fare? Especially near the city hall area?

Thanks for the welcome, Andrew. I haven't had great brisket in Philly yet, but would be eager to get a recommendation. The pulled pork at Dwight's is quite good. Last summer, the Daily News had a piece on a food truck on the outskirts of the city that sold ribs and that was one of their ten finalists in their food truck competition. Does anybody remember the name/location? Did anybody try it?

Dwight's Southern Barbecue, 4345 Lancaster Ave., is also a good solid ribs place. Expect a fairly long (and slow-moving) line. Takeout only. There's a log of police calls in a big folder on the counter, if you're interested. I actually preferred the pork shoulder to the ribs, but I'm often that way. Very good sides, especially the green beans which were both pork-y and pepper-y.