Dinner at Shank's & Evelyn's

[MarketStEl]

Since I see that Shank's & Evelyn's lunch counter came up in the course of the discussion of great meatball sandwiches, I thought I should alert you all to a new wrinkle in their offerings:

They now serve dinner. Full sit-down, waiter service. Every night but Monday, I believe (edited to add: not quite; see below).

Menu is Italian (natch) -- mostly but not exclusively Northern. Not a drop of red gravy anywhere, unless you want to include linguini puttanesca as an honorary red-gravy dish. Mains are all pasta, veal, chicken, seafood, or some combination of the above, with the exception of one steak, a filet mignon.

Prices are moderate; entrees are $11 to $26, with most $15 to $20. BYOB, of course.

Haven't eaten there yet, but the idea of having a fine meal on black-tablecloth-topped tables in a classic lunch counter is a bit intriguing.

While this isn't a writeup, I'll provide directions anyway:

Shank's & Evelyn's

932 South 10th Street (between Christian and Carpenter)

215-629-1093 (they also cater)

Open for dinner 5-10:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5-11 pm Friday and Saturday

Nearest SEPTA service: Bus Route 64 runs east-west along Washington Avenue, 1.5 blocks south. Bus Route 23 runs north on 11th and south on 12th; get off at Carpenter and head east. Bus Route 47m runs north on 9th, and Bus Route 47 runs south on 8th; get off at Carpenter and head west. Nearest subway station is Ellsworth-Federal, Broad Street Line, six blocks southwest.

Edited October 18, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[mandabear]

the menu looks great and I personally can't wait

the service is very friendly and the food is reallly good for lunch. sounds fun

[mattohara]

thanks Sandy. According to Holly, the chef (the son) has done this before and has skills. it's two blocks from my apartment so i'll be going there soon.

[KatieLoeb]

The son is a chef and used to have a restaurant called "Upstairs ______" at the same location on the second floor. This was definitely a while back, before eGullet and any reports about the place on the internet I'm aware of. But I ate there several times with friends (it was BYO then too) and it was always good, but beware of the outrageously overpriced "specials" that were literally twice the price of the average menu entrees. This was the first palce I'd ever encountered that sort of stealth pricing and it really stuck in my craw.

I was inspired to go pick up a sandwich for lunch today on my way in to work this afternoon after reading this thread. A large Veal Scallopine on a seeded roll I shared with a coworker. It was delicious. It was also a bargain at $8. Lots of tender veal chunks, onions and mushrooms on a crisp seeded roll. Fabulous. I'll be ordering and swinging by Shank & Evelyn's quite a bit in the foreseeable future, I suspect. This place is fabulous.

[Rich Pawlak]

It is the roast beef sandwich for which Shank, Evelyn's late husband became famous, as well as his morningtime "Giambott" omelet, an outrageous kitchen-sink omelet that's almost impossible to finish, but a must-have breakfast experience. Everything they make at S&E's is of the highest quality (soups are also very very good). Never ate at Shank Jr.'s upstairs thing (he also tried a similar place in Roxborough that was quite good when I lived there), but if he is still doing what he did back then, it should be damn good, if unevenly priced.

[Tim Dolan]

Never ate at Shank Jr.'s upstairs thing (he also tried a similar place in Roxborough that was quite good when I lived there), but if he is still doing what he did back then, it should be damn good, if unevenly priced.

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Whoa what's this place in Roxborough that you're talking about? It can't still be there, right?

[layla17]

What town or city is Shank's & Evelyn's located? It sounds like a delightfully comfortable place. I'm interested in stopping by for lunch and dinner.

[Rich Pawlak]

Never ate at Shank Jr.'s upstairs thing (he also tried a similar place in Roxborough that was quite good when I lived there), but if he is still doing what he did back then, it should be damn good, if unevenly priced.

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Whoa what's this place in Roxborough that you're talking about? It can't still be there, right?

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The place opened and closed within a year, and we're talking maybe 12-15 years ago.

[Rich Pawlak]

What town or city is Shank's & Evelyn's located?  It sounds like a delightfully comfortable place.  I'm interested in stopping by for lunch and dinner.

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See above. It's in the heart of South Philly.

[Holly Moore]

My recollection is that "Upstairs" was / is Frank Jr's opportunity to express himself as a chef, separate from the great downstairs fare of Shank's and Evelyn's.

[KatieLoeb]

What town or city is Shank's & Evelyn's located?  It sounds like a delightfully comfortable place.  I'm interested in stopping by for lunch and dinner.

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Layla:

Shank's is the quintessential South Philly luncheonette. The food is large sandwiches - veal scallopine, chicken cutlets, roast beef, roast pork, the infamous Giambott omelet-on-a-roll, etc. It's charm is in the fact that it feels like it hasn't changed in decades and probably hasn't. The waitresses have been there since the Jurassic and will still call you "Hon" every time they see you. It's a "slice of life" sort of place. In a very good way.

[MarketStEl]

Shank Jr. must still be as good as his parents. The place was packed full as I hauled my booty home from the Ak-a-me this evening.

[rockhopper]

the infamous Giambott omelet-on-a-roll, etc.

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I've not had this sandwich but am a bit confused.

Giambotta is a pot of simmered summer vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant etc) .

Do they make an omelet and pile it on top or mixed in?

Or is it something else like a misnamed "bruschetta cheesesteak" at John's roast pork?

[mattohara]

it's Giambotti, i think, and it's a huge omelette with most everything in it. it starts off with peppers and onions, sausage, this, that, the other, and then at the end about 5 eggs are cracked over it. it feeds 2-4.

[mattohara]

It's a big menu. But there's a lot of repetitive items. I would never go to an italian restaurant that's this style (not my speed) unless there's a big group of people and we're going to have a party. In that case I think it might be a blast.

Apps:

Sauteed Rabe 7

Steamed Mussels 9

Stuffed Clams (crab, lobster, shrimp, scallops) 8

Garlic Bread 4

Steamed Clams 10

Bruschetta Romano (tom, oil, garlic, basil, romano cheese) 6

Salad:

Shanks (special dressing) 4 or 7 (for 1 or 2 ppl)

Frankie's Italian Antipasto (roasted peppers, prosciutto, salami, chokes, black olives, sundried tomatoes, share cheese and wet mozz over romaine, bals vin. and olive oil) 12

Pasta:

Fett Alfredo 11

Special Fett in a Rose'Wine (sic) Sauce 13

Pan Fried Ziti 14

Tortellini Milano 19

Putanesca 13

Linguine Dominic (rabe and sundried tom) 13

Penne Calabrese 11

Linguini with Mussels 11

Linguini with clams 13

Shrimp Fra Diablo 18

Shrimp Marinara 18

Shrimp Scampi 18

Shrimp w/oil and Garlic 18

Lobster Scampi 25

Lobster Fra Diablo 26

Veal:

Ala Perri, Dominic, Sicilian, Marsala, Piccante, Francaise, Parmigiana all 23

Chicken

Italiano, Sicilian, Marsala, Neopolitan, Fracaise (sic), Piccante, Parmigiana all 15 or 16

Chef's Specialties

For 24$:

Seafood Neptune (shrimp, lobo, crab, scallops, clams, mussles, fettucine, cream sauce)

Cioppino (shrimp, lobo, crabmeat, scallops, clams, mussels, linguini, Mediterranean sauce)

Seafood pescatore (shrimp, lobo, crab, scallops, clams, mussles, linguini, marinara)

Shrimp and Scallops (Sauteed with sundried tom, mushrooms, broccoli, over penne)

Chick and Lobster Tuscani (brazilian lobo tails?, broccoli and shrooms in madeira)

Scallops and Littlenecks (sundried tom, broccoli and shrooms, penne) 22

Steak Frankie's Way (filet medallions, roasted peppers, onions, shrooms, tom, demi-cognac) 27

Veal & Shrimp Abruzzi (shrooms, b asil, parsley, garlic, white wine sauce) 19

Chicken and Shrimp Calabrese (hot seeded pepers, shrooms, basil, parsley, garlic, white wine sauce) 19

[jmbrightman]

it's Giambotti,  i think, and it's a huge omelette with most everything in it.  it starts off with peppers and onions, sausage, this, that, the other, and then at the end about 5 eggs are cracked over it.  it feeds 2-4.

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Emil's at Broad and Moore made this as well, and it was awesome.

[Holly Moore]

I miss Emil's, especially as winter approaches. They did a soul warming chipped beef served either on waffles or pancakes.

[jmbrightman]

I miss Emil's, especially as winter approaches.  They did a soul warming chipped beef served either on waffles or pancakes.

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The Francesco family that owned Emil's had a claim to the origination of the hoagie. I have the wooden sign from the family's Italian market stall (back in the 40's, way before the Broad and Moore shop) hanging on my kitchen wall.

[KatieLoeb]

I miss Emil's, especially as winter approaches.  They did a soul warming chipped beef served either on waffles or pancakes.

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The Francesco family that owned Emil's had a claim to the origination of the hoagie. I have the wooden sign from the family's Italian market stall (back in the 40's, way before the Broad and Moore shop) hanging on my kitchen wall.

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How did you come by that sign?? Are they family or friends? Sounds like there might be a story there...

Edited October 22, 2007 by KatieLoeb (log)

[jmbrightman]

old friends. I guess I liked the sign more than they did when the time came to take the pictures off the walls.

[Rich Pawlak]

Today's Philadelphia Daily News has a concise take from food writer Lari Roebling.

[zeffer81]

Tried Shank's for dinner last night. It was a last minute decision and they were able to squeeze (literally) me, my boyfriend and his sister in at 7pm. Food was solid, but service and atmosphere truly made the evening.

When we entered, they asked for my name and then greeted me like a queen/long-time regular. The two waitresses had huge hearts and personalities.

After taking our order, they gave us bread and roasted peppers. The bread was nothing special, but the peppers were especially tasty with just a hint of heat.

We started with frankie's antipasto platter which had everything mentioned above--artichokes, mozz, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, salami, olives and roasted peppers over a bed of romaine. They seem to treat this as more of a salad, as it's served over a hearty bed of romaine and they give you olive oil and balsamic on the side. Our complimentary peppers went nicely with this platter, of which we wrapped up a hearty portion for my friend's boyfriend who was still at work.

For entrees, I had the linguine dominic with garlic, sundried tomatoes and rabe. It was finished with a tasty pool of broth at the bottom. Tasty dish, although the sundried tomatoes could have been a little softer. My boyfriend had seafood mediterraneo (I think that's what is was called) which was basically a load of seafood--clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster and maybe some crab--over fettucine in a cream sauce. He tore it up! His sister got chicken francaise, lightly battered in a mushroom sauce with fried onions on top. Along with the obsecene portion, her chicken came with a side of pasta in red sauce. Her leftovers were more than enough for her boyfriend to enjoy for dinner. In addition, when wrapping the food up for him, they added fresh bread and another portion of roasted peppers!

We shared their only dessert, which was strawberries soaked in grand marnier with house made whipped cream. I've actually never had that before so I don't know if it was too heavy on alcohol or if that's what it's supposed to taste like, but I felt like I was taking a shot when I ate my first strawberry.

Overall, the food was very good. However, the quaint atmosphere and delightful, interactive service made for one of the best evenings I've had in a long time. By the end of the night, we were all old friends. If you're looking for an experience, visit this place. I promise you won't be disappointed!