davidbdesilva

OK so we are FINALLY going to get away for the weekend without the kids, the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. I need your help to make it a great weekend. We will be staying at the Radisson-Warwick at 17th & Locust. I have a bunch of questions, some of them not necessarily food related so excuse my indulgence, but I know I can trust you all So here goes (they don't have to be within walking distance of the hotel): * Saturday morning/afternoon I was thinking of a stop at a place that serves great coffee and pastries, is there a place where this can be done simultaneously? What about places likes Torreo and Meil? * Saturday or Sunday I wanted to take my wife for a massage/treatment at a nice spa, any recommendations? * Sunday I wanted to do a brunch, was thinking of the Four Seasons, Zanzibar Blue (with music of course), Founders, etc. I have heard great things about the Four Seasons brunch, is it that good? * Saturday night I was thinking of a nice dinner at a moderate place, has anyone been to Le Jardin in the Arts Alliance Bldg yet? What about other places like Melograno, Pif, Pumpkin, etc.? (Sunday night is a late dinner at Django). * Any good spots to hear live jazz (Chris' on Sansom, Ortlieb's, etc?) Thank you and thank you for helping out with any suggestions you might have. Being away from the kids doesn't happen very often so I want to make our 2 days as special as I can. Then again, we could just stay in our room the whole time

I just received an e-mail from the Kimmel Center announcing that "Holiday parties are forming" and immediately thought of this post. In looking at their facilities, the Commonwealth Plaza holds 750 for a sit down dinner and 1250 for a reception. The rental is $4500 for for-profit organizations and $4250 for non-profits. The space is quite modern and, I think, very pretty. Just thought I'd throw this one in, there have been many excellent suggestions and I think many that Marlene will be able to choose from. If you are interested Marlene the link is www.kimmelcenter.org or facilities@kimmelcenter.org.

Don't mean to change subjects but I recently had the Terrale Primitivo at a whopping $6.99 a bottle and was pleasantly surprised. Now I know it's not in the same league as the stuff you've all been talking about but what a great bargain for a good everyday drinking kinda wine. I rarely find a wine that good for that cheap.

Excellent suggestion Katie! I'll add a few more suggestions which might not be as popular. Although you said "no museums" I still think the great hall of the Art Museum would be stunning. Great acoustics for music but might be too small for 500? Another suggestion is The Pyramid Club, 1735 Market St, 52nd floor (www.pyramidclub.com). A private club, they also allow other events there as well. I once had dinner there with members of the club and the food and the views of Philly (city hall, Liberty 1 right next store, etc.) were both excellent. Again, it might be too small for 500 but it's worth checking out.

That is a bummer for sure. Now where else can you get dancing lessons after eating great Latino food? Well if you're ever by the shore (Avon-by-the-sea) stop into Diaz for some great food (see post above). Kinda far to travel though

Here would be my top 10 (not in any particular order): Tangerine - sleek and very sexy Pasion - more restrained but still quite sexy Mallorca - don't care for the food but the starlit ceiling and french doors that open onto the sidewalk make for good romance Umbria - quiet jazz playing, relaxed, original artwork on the walls, very nice Founders - old school formality but a beautiful room with beautiful views Fountain - formal but not too so, posh and chic Twenty21 - don't care for the food but an exquisitly beautiful room, gorgeous bar that rises as high as the ceiling, perhaps the prettiest room in Philly Lacroix - elegant and comfortable, a special romantic evening assured Manon - lovely tiny candle-lit French restaurant in Lambertville, snuggle up with the one you love Inn at Phillips Mill - stately and beautiful B&B in New Hope, sit by the fire and enjoy

Then I have a follow up question. My wife always gets quite nasally congested after we share a bottle of wine at a restaurant. More so with red but it also happens with white wine. Am I to take it that this is due to the sulfites in the wine? She has no allergies so are the sulfites the likely culprit?

I am amazed that Philadelphia doesn't seem to be able to support classic French bistro's while NYC is loaded with them. I guess there is Caribou Cafe but I thought Tartine was very authentically French bistro with very reasonable prices. Lets hope some other little bistro's with great food happen to grace our city.

Thanks for the tip about Rx. With the new chef (see post) it sounds like things are cooking along quite well. I have yet to find a restaurant at that price that matches the food at Django in terms of creativity and multiple layers of flavor. Matyson is very good and in the same style as Django, but a notch below it in my opinion. As far as getting into Django you are again correct. We had reservations at a different restaurant for my birthday and just for the heck of it I called Django the day of and they had a 5:00 reservation so I took it! One should always call just to see if they have had cancellations or openings.

Having had my first meal at Django recently as well, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I was also very impressed and enjoyed the space as well (though some think it crowded and noisy I found it very enjoyable). I personally think that Django is the "best-food-for-value" restaurant in Philadelphia, hands down. The fact that it's BYOB only adds to the value of the meal. I wish it weren't so hard to get into and I look forward to returning as soon as I'm able.

Herb, while looking at posts on that other food website I saw a very positive review of the Fountain with a discription of each dish, I was ready to make a reservation. Then I read a follow-up post where the person said that they had recently been there and thought the food was fair at best. Plus the 6 course tasting menu is $100pp and $200pp with wine pairings, that's a bit steep but I would pay it for an outstanding 20th anniversary dinner. I just want to be as sure as possible of the restaurant before I spend a lot of money on a very special dinner. So far I have heard the most positive reviews about Lacroix but also a consistent statement that portions are small. But then again, we're not looking to leave feeling like we're going to explode (I hate that). On an aside, has anyone heard anything positive or negative about Founders in the Bellevue? I recently had a cigar at their Library Lounge and looked at the room, absolutely beautiful with wonderful views. The menu looked quite good. Definitely old school but possibly worth a try. So far I'm considering Lacroix, Moshulu (good suggestion Rich) and Deux Cheminees (good suggestion Katie).

Looks like the wife and I will have to postpone our 20th anniversary dinner to latter in August (it's technically July 21st) and we've decided to have it in Philly (as opposed to NYC). So with that in mind I would like some suggestions for a very special dinner destination. Obvious possibilities that come to mind are: Lacroix, the Fountain, Striped Bass, and others of this caliber. I don't think we want to do LBF and also don't want to have to remortgage the house either. So, what do you think are the best places for a special anniversary dinner? I have heard mixed reviews about Lacroix (though mostly positive), the Fountain (very mixed), and Vetri (many negative). Ultimately for this type of ocassion I think my wife would enjoy a restuarant that has beautiful decor as well as excellent food. Thank you in advance for any and all suggestions! Obviously I better make some reservations soon!

No more deserving person for the job! And to think that he is a paisan who smokes stogies with lil' 'ol me! Congrats Rich, oh inveterate one!

I'm a little confused here. Blue Hill NOT IN THE TOP 50 IN NYC? I had one of my best dining experiences ever there, which means that either I'm pretty stupid (a real possibility! ) or that me and a lot of other NYers are quite deceived. Azula10, you liked Fork? Fork is OK but light years behind Blue Hill. PLEASE, tell me the 50 NYC restaurants (in the same price range as Blue Hill) that are better so that when I'm there I can eat at them! Also, while I absolutely love food and wine I refuse to spend obscene amounts of money on a meal (I recently read that someone spent $600 at Per Se for 2 people! Even if I could afford that, my conscience wouldn't let me!). And concerning "poor stemware", is nice stemware preferrable? Absolutely. Will I let ordinary glasses like those served at Django stop me from enjoying my wine or cause me to get angry at the restaurant, of course not! The fact that I spent $88 for 2 apps, 2 entrees, 2 desserts and coffees for the level of taste and creativity of food was incredible and I will try to return to Django as often as I can! It sounds like you want much more formality and glamour for your meal and in that case I don't think Django fits the bill for you.

All I know is that there is some of the most authentic Mexican food to be found in Camden but in the barrio area where you need to watch your step. Stopped at one such place after a trip to the aquarium with the kids and had some excellent tacos, but again, that was during the day.

Having just dined at Django last night for my birthday, I can honestly say I was overwhelmed by the textures, layers of flavors, and creativity of the food. I love the atmosphere and the bill for 2 apps, 2 entrees and 2 desserts and coffees was $88! The BYOB factor ices the cake! Having recently dined at Matyson a few weeks ago I would say that it was very good but not in the same league as Django. The desserts were spectacular though. Having dined in NYC, I would say that Django definitely stacks up with similar restaurants there, though the best meal I've had (so far) was at Blue Hill (but for over double the price of Django!).

Thank you Rich and Katie for such an accurate description of the menu and for compliments to me and Judy. It really was an easy dinner to arrange in that Ravenna took care of everything and did a great job. Though a bit tight, service was very good. We got so loud that they had to close the double doors so that the rest of the restaurant could eat in peace! Judy and I generally ordered the opposite dishes and then shared, though we both had the veal ragu as entree. Those capallachi are incredibly delish and we always order the when we go. I very much enjoyed the cheese plate and the lavender honey, walnuts and dried figs went perfectly with the cheeses. And by the way for those counting, 4 bottles of wine were knocked over at various times by various people and the table cloth had a beautiful deep hue to it after a while. A Rorschach interpretation would have been interesting! What I truly enjoy the most about these dinners are 1) seeing the many friends I have made through the DDC over good food and wine, and 2) seeing them have so much fun and enjoy themselves at a restaurant that I suggested. It doesn't get better than that! I am psyched for Rangoon and I know that the good Dr. Fenton will amaze us. Jamacian Jerk Hut whilst drinking some cocktails with caribbean music playing would float my boat as well!

If you would like to attend the Dangerous Dining Club's next dinner at Ravenna in Montgomery County this Monday (June 21st) at 7:00 pm you must RSVP to me today (or at the latest Saturday morning). I will be calling to give them the final number Saturday. We have 35 people signed up now and making it an even 40 (or more) would be great. So you can reach me at schpsychman@netzero.com or call me at (215) 362-1026. Come celebrate the summer solstice in a fun way while enjoying some great Northern Italian food. If you want to see the menu, see the post below which has a link for it. If you need directions I can provide them. Hope to see some of you there Monday evening!

What a great thread! I just tonight enjoyed a Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 with a glass of Arberlour A'bunadh. A lush, full-bodied cigar that demands a powerful Scotch, they went together quite well. I also enjoy an Oliva "O" Bold with a glass of Booker's bourbon, another tet a tet of power.

Stephen Starr may copy other restaurants but Tao in NYC is a direct copy (and a poor one at that) of Buddakan in Philly. Say what you want about his restaurants (I think it's very popular to bash places like his in a knee-jerk purist kinda way) but there is a time and a place for his restaurants. While I tend to like small, intimate BYOB's like we have here in Philly, his Alma de Cuba and Tangerine are very good restaurants, IMHO. I have also heard very good things about Angelina, the new Italian place that is where Blue Angel was. He has also bought out the Stripped Bass (one of the better restaurants in Philly) from bankrupt Neil Stein and I have heard good things about that as well. So, while Mr. Starr does perhaps deserve some of the criticism he receives, he is also over-criticized by people who don't fully know his retaurants. Sorry for the rant

I'd love to see the Flamenco at a later time as well, and as it is now Friday evening, am wondering what the decision of the group was? Actually, knowing that Katie has a lot of Cuban blood flowing in her, I was wondering is she was gonna fill in? Ole!

Chloe is perhaps at the top of my "Great restaurants that I've heard so many good reviews about that I must get to" list. The problem is that, coming from the suburbs and they having a no reservations policy always scares me that I'll come all that way and not be able to get a table. I have always thought of making a reservation at a 2nd choice restaurant and going to Chloe with a backup if I can't get a table. But then again, that wouldn't be very nice for the 2nd choice if I got in, now would it?

The Dangerous Dining Club is a group of diners who usually meet monthly at restaurants of various cuisines, mostly in Philly but sometimes in the suburbs. The group was resurrected by Rich Pawlak nearly three years ago (has it been that long?) after initally starting the group back in the 80's. Rich continues to be the coordinator of this group. The DDC is open to anyone wishing to attend. Persons from the group volunteer to coordinate dinners and then set up the menu with the restaurant they have in mind. We usually have dinners on slow nights for restaurants (Mondays and Tuesdays) and often have the entire place to ourselves as a result. The cost is usually $25 per person, inclusive of tax and tip, and we love going to BYOB's but dinners are not limited to them. I will be hosting the June dinner and will announce the location and menu sometime later this month. Previous dinners have included everything from Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, Russian, Filippino, New American, etc. etc. Some have been buffet style and some sit down. I know that other dinners are being planned for later this summer as well. Once the June dinner is announced I will be taking reservations via e-mail. Dinners typically attract 50-60 people and they are a great time to enjoy good food and good company. I hope this helps answer your questions, if you (or anyone else) have more please ask.

In New Hope there is Esca, serving Latino food (just written up latest Philly Mag) in a very old building near the canal. I have also heard good things about Marsha Brown's from a friend I trust, in a lovely old converted church (converted church? isn't that a pun? ). In Lamberrtville Manon is indeed a lovely little French Bistro, BYOB, candle-lit at night, romantic. I have also heard very good things about No. 9 and Hamilton's Grille Room. There is also Atrio Cafe in Stockton down the river on the NJ side and Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown NJ. If you are in need of good wine, stop in at either Phillip's Fine Wine's in Stockton (my favorite) or Welsh's Wines in Lambertville. This general area has some fine places to dine indeed.

OK, one more hint...Philly burbs...Montgomery County...(that's actually 2 hints)...that's all for now!