Holly Moore's Upstairs Cafe

[Holly Moore]

Not bad for 1980

[mattohara]

I would eat there daily. I would have chicken liver mousse and then curry with sambals.

[Tom]

Holly,

As I think you know, Nancy and I would go back in an instant just for the chili. I've never climbed stairs more happily.

Tom

[lancastermike]

Were was your place located, Holly? I mean address, not up the stairs.

[Holly Moore]

A bit more info. I was doing some rare house cleaning Sunday and happened upon Elaine Tait's 1981 Book - a listing of her favorite Philadelphia Restaurants. Each listing included a review and a sample of the menu. What I posted above was our menu, scanned from her book. The logo was the creation of Zsuzsa Johnson. The design, replicated in neon in our front window, set the tone for the cafe.

Elaine Tait was the Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic for many years and had given us a great review a few weeks after we opened. She also celebrated her birthday one year with a small party at the Upstairs Cafe. That was when I first met her in person. She was as responsible as anyone for recognizing the Philadelphia Restaurant Renaissance of that era.

Holly Moore's Upstairs Cafe was located on the northeast corner of 18th and Sansom just a half block off of Rittenhouse Square. At the time we were across the street from Neil Stein's Fish Market and a half block from Steve Poses' Commissary. A great location, though the second floor (kitchen 3rd floor) had its issues. Rent was cheap - access made us more of a destination than an impulse restaurant. We didn't get much street traffic. Many who climbed the stairs liked the idea that, in one's mind at least, it took them away from the hustle/bustle of Center City Philadelphia.

Only half the menu was reproduced in Elaine's book. The other half was sandwiches on toasted english muffins - fancy sauce, protein, melted cheese finished under a cheese melter - ham and cheddar with honey mustard, turkey and gruyere with remoulade, crab imperial, etc. The chili was adaptation of Chasen's (famous in Hollywood CA for its chili) - we added cheap red wine.

Nadine Gearhart was our baker - made all the desserts from scratch including Linzer torte, Sacher torte, german chocolate cake and a lemon cake that for some reason she chose to decorate with marzipan ducks. The only exception were Mother Wonderful Cheesecakes (Mother Wonderful's recipe, her maid, Sally's cooking). We also had a heavy duty espresso machine, with flavored lattes and such. We got one to two additional turns on Friday and Saturday - after movie / theater / concert for dessert and espresso drinks. In the best of times we had lines down the stairs after theater.

These are good memories. I'll write some more from time to time.

Edited January 12, 2009 by Holly Moore (log)

[Rich Pawlak]

Memories. I'd gladly ascend those stairs again too. HMUC was one of my favorite restauants back then.

[Bluehensfan]

Were was your place located, Holly?  I mean address, not up the stairs.

←

Holly, now that Rick has been exiled, maybe they will let you open up a stall in Reading Terminal

[Andrew Fenton]

The menu looks great. I could definitely do with a cup of good chili on a night like tonight.

Though I bet you wouldn't get away with an illustration of an elegant smoking lady nowadays...

[sockii]

Any chance you'd ever share that chili recipe here?

[MarketStEl]

Sorry I missed this.

By the time I arrived here, an Ethiopian restaurant, Cafe Nyala, occupied the space. OTOH, that place gave me my first taste of Ethiopian fare, which is still one of the best ways to entertain and feed a large group of people simultaneously.