Manayunk

[Busboy]

As always, operating on a last-minute basis and have found myself exiled -- hopefully happily so -- to a B&B in Manayunk. One visit years ago suggested that it was a charming little spot, but are there any go-out-of-your-way restaurants -- especially BYOBs -- in the area? A quick search suggests that Philly's best spots are further downtown, I hope that's simply my poor search technique.

Other recco's for bars, breakfast (un-elaborate) in Manayunk or the the Drexel area, cool places ot hang with a 17-year-old would be appreciated, as well/

[Tim Dolan]

Having lived in Manayunk my entire life, I can say that the quick answer is no, there aren't any go-out-of-your-way restaurants there. Jake's and it's next door neightbor, Cooper's, are good, but nothing worth going out of your way for. Derek's is ok, Chaaba Thai and Mango Moon are good, but again, nothing mind blowing. Main St. in general is lined with good-but-hardly-noteworthy bars and restaurants.

All this is not to say that you can't have a good time, you certainly can. Flatrock is a good beer bar, U.S. Hotel and the Manayunk Tavern have above average bar food, the Manayunk Brew Pub has some good microbrews. As for breakfast, Bob's Diner is as un-elaborate as you can get and serves equally average diner food, but for some reason I love it. It is the epitome of a greasy spoon. Le Bus does an ok breakfast/lunch and would be totally appropriate for a 17 year old. The two things in my neighborhood that I would say are worth seeking out are Dalessandro's for a cheesesteak (I will argue to the death with anyone that it's one of the best in the city) and Marchiano's for stromboli-type breads. It is important to realize that you can get from Manayunk to Center City in 10 minutes flat if you have a car and 76 isn't backed up. I realize that saying that invites a joke, but as long as you avoid rush hour you'll be fine.

I have a question though, where the hell is there a B&B in Manayunk???

[Busboy]

Thanks, Tim. Your response confirmed what I'd suspected from an earlier visit -- a great neighborhood, though perhaps not on a the culinary cutting edge. I look forward to exploring it in more detail. My worry about the drive downtown is based on some killer traffic jams on 76, though those journeys were admittedly undertaken at high-traffic times.

We ended up in Manayunk because there are apparently both a marathon and major convention in town, the result being that all non-premium downtown hotels were booked and B&B rooms were in high demand. But, if you ever have a crowd coming that can't fit in your guestroom/on your couch/on the floor, you might try here.

[philadining]

I would generally agree with Tim's assessment of things - but might be a tiny bit more enthusiastic about Cooper's and Mango Moon. As you've figured out, there's nothing mind-blowing out there, but you can certainly have a nice time and a good meal without leaving Manayunk if it's more convenient.

I wasn't blown-away by all I sampled at Cooper's, but some of it was very good, and it's quite a pleasant space to chill and have a glass of wine and a casual bite. Next door at Jake's is a little more formal, and while it's not cutting-edge, the cooking is solid.

I enjoyed Mango Moon quite a lot, and was sorely disappointed by Chaaba Thai, which is weird, given that they're owned by the same people. I found all 4 things we ordered at Chaaba Thai to be shockingly bland and carelessly prepared, while I found almost everything at Mango Moon to be pretty vivid and well-made. Might have been day-to-day variation in either case, but I'd suggest that you'd have better luck on the south end of the street at Mango Moon if you're feeling like Thai.

Anybody tried the new-ish Agiato? It looks more like a cafe/sandwich place than I thought was intended, but there had been a little buzz about it before it opened.

In any case, Busboy, if you feel like heading into Center City Philly, you're right to be worried about traffic jams, they can be pretty horrendous, even though you don't have very far to go. But you have two other options. For one, there's a train station, that would zip you down to Suburban Station at 16th and Market, which is pretty central, or to Market East, which is right by Chinatown and the Reading Terminal Market.

Or if you feel like driving, you can avoid the Schuylkill (76) altogether by just driving south on Main Street out of Manayunk, then getting on Kelly Drive, which is a lovely winding road along the river, which will put you in front of the Art Museum, and from there you can just kind of go with the flow around the big traffic circles, down the Benjamin Frankin Parkway, into the middle of Center City, just head toward city hall.

But although Manayunk is not currently a culinary hotspot, you could do worse, and if you're more in the mood to chill and socialize, rather than hit the latest exciting dining destination, you can do fine there...

Edited November 18, 2010 by philadining (log)

[Tim Dolan]

Phil is on point, as always. I should add that I have been hearing very good things about a new place called Fork and Barrel right down the road in East Falls. I haven't been yet but some friends have and they have raved about the beer menu. Could be worth checking out if you're like to be ahead of the curve.