Long weekend in Philly

tommy · March 10, 2003

i'm considering heading to Philly for a few days. while i'm there, i want to take in some of the best eats that the city has to offer.

i *have* to go to Morimoto, so that's one down. and i've always wanted to go to Jack's Firehouse, 'cause of his TV show and all.

is le bec fin still all that?

any other ideas? i suppose one of those cheesesteak places is in order.

i'm interested in brilliant food and unique experiences. preferably without having to play "dress-up." :biggrin:

also, recs on accommodations would be appreciated as well. price is not a consideration, 'cept i don't want to spend more than 5 bucks on a cheesesteak.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

Ron Johnson · March 10, 2003

When you go to the Firehouse, ask Jack if he ever wanted to kick Bobby Flay's ass.

No wait, ask him if he ever did kick Bobby Flay's ass.

Thanks.

scamhi · March 10, 2003

I went this past June- for 1 day.

We went to 3 cheesesteak places- Pat's, Genos right accross the street from each other in South Philly and D'lessandros in Roxbury. Only split a cheesesteak at each...no fries. After that dinner at Morimoto.

menton1 · March 10, 2003

I go to Philly about 8-10x/year, and Jack's Firehouse is a fave. Quirky, eclectic and interesting, he has a scull (racing boat) hanging from the ceiling in this converted firehouse. Food is excellent, a fun experience.

Another no-dress up can't miss place is Astral Plane; A wonderful established place, with parachute material drooping from the ceiling for a great effect, decorated with knick-knacks from flea markets. Here is the link:

Astral Plane

Django is now one of the best restaurants in Philly, (Food got a 27 in Zagat) but you have to reserve 3 weeks in advance-- do you have enough time?

Don't miss the Reading Market (closed Sunday) and the Italian Market (open Sunday).

For an upscale bistro, Fork on Market street is wonderful. And don't miss breakfast at "Blue in Green", on no. 3rd street just off Market, for the best ham, eggs, and home fries I have ever had in an Art Deco setting!!

Last year we stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill, great location, ordinary rooms, on a great deal from www.gophila.com (This site seems to be down today). There are other hotel deals on that site as well.

If you want to take home great breads, Le Bus or Metropolitan Bakery breads are as good as Balthazar breads here in NJ--

Be prepared to wait about 20 minutes for cheesesteak at Pats or Genos, but it is great stuff. Forget any health issues you have when you go to one of these--

Enjoy Philadelphia, we love it for years, a city with true American history, a pleasant change from New York!

Edited March 10, 2003 by menton1 (log)

GordonCooks · March 10, 2003

Le Bec Fin is still a great experience - try Brasserie Perrier for lunch for a more casual take. My faves include Vetri, Susannah Foo's, Morimoto in addition to Le BF and BP. There's a lot of good brick oven pizza too. If you stay near the Westin - try my favorite late night watering hole - Monk's Cafe - huge beer selection, fantastic mussels and steak frites. Serves until midnight - that's how I found it.

Joy · March 10, 2003

Tony Lukes has a roasted pork/broccoli rabe/provolone sandwich thats worth the trip to Philadephia alone. It gives me chills just thinking about it. Two locations: one in the center of the city, thats really sterile and fine food-wise but lacking in the beautiful dive ambiance that the original location has.

KatieLoeb · March 10, 2003

Hi Tommy:

Come do lunch/brunch at Striped Bass. It's a relative bargain at $26.00 for three courses. Lunch Mon-Fri.- Brunch Sunday. If you call to place a reservation ask for me. I'll hook you up with the manager on duty and make sure they're good to you. They're always nice anyway, but it's nice to get a little extra attention, right :wink:

Pasion is excellent Nuevo Latino cuisine. The ceviches are fabulous. I wouldn't miss this for a fabulous dinner while you're here.

Instead of remortgaging for dinner at Le Bec Fin, I'd suggest eating at Le Bar Lyonnaisse downstairs from the main dining room. A better option is to have an order of their phenomenal escargot, perhaps another appetizer and a glass or two of Vire-Clesse at the bar. Way less expensive, and the food comes from the same kitchen.

I'm not necessarily in agreement about Jack's Firehouse. I'd skip that if there are only so many meals to go around. I LOVE the bar there, but the food and the menu have often left me cold. And then there's that tendency to have "road kill du jour" on the menu that never really did it for me... :unsure:

If you like Thai food, I'd recommend Vietiane Cafe in West Philadelphia at 47th and Baltimore Avenues west of the U. Penn campus. Excellent food, reasonably priced, charming service and BYOB to boot. And definitely NOT a dressy place.

There's great food to be had in Chinatown too. Pho Xe Lua at 9th & Race has delicious Vietnamese and a few Thai selections on the menu. Shiao Lan Kung is the best Cantonese (try the oysters with ginger and scallion - the oysters are HUGE but still tender), and Lee Ho Fook makes the best Hot & Sour soup ever, period. Delicious lemon duck at Lee Ho also.

If you're in the mood for Japanese I'd say skip Morimoto and head for Fuji in Cinnaminson, NJ, about a twenty minute ride from downtown Philly. I think Chef Matt Ito's cuisine is just as good or better than Morimoto at about 1/2-2/3 the price. Of course the atmosphere isn't the usual "Starr Theater", but I'd rather eat better for the same money, and skip the pushy waiters with the rehearsed speeches and hard core upsell, IMHO. Several of us had an omakase dinner at Fuji last week that was to die for, and only $65.00 per person. I'll be writing that up this week and posting it to the PA board.

Standard Tap is a great bar with excellent food in the Northern Liberties section of the city on North 2nd Street. Pigalle is on the same block and also a very nice place.

Dmitri's is a BYOB of longevity and infamy in the Queen Village section of town, on 3rd Street at the corner of Catharine. Great Mediterranean fare, grilled fish, hummous, great side dishes, etc. No reservations, but worth the wait. The New Wave Cafe across the street functions as their waiting room, but the food that Chef Ben McNamara puts together there is nothing to pass by either.

Rail Paul · March 10, 2003

I'll put in a favorable mention of Striped Bass, discussed elsewhere. Had dinner there on Friday, very polished, very pleasant. I was very impressed with Metropolitan bread in the Terminal Market, and with the Market experience. It's not to be missed.

Dee and I are heading down for the Degas Show in a few weeks, and woud be interested in any suggestions you may gather. Paloma in North Philadelphia has been mentioned favorably here, too, and I'd like to try that.

Perhaps the Dangerous Dining Club will have something scheduled during the same period!

Holly Moore · March 10, 2003

Wow. Tommy Does Philly. Welcome.

Where to stay:

Best location/quality mix is the Ritz Carlton on Broad Street by City Hall or the Rittenhouse Hotel on Rittenhouse Square. A bit away from things, but perhaps the best, the Four Seasons on the Parkway.

Breakfast:

Four Seasons again for as good a hotel breakfast as I've found anywhere in the U.S.

Jack McDavid's Down Home Diner in Reading Terminal Market. Authentic down home except for the red eye gravy which is Yankee-fied.

Carman's Country Kitchen in South Philly, 11th and Wharton - A must eat!!!

Lunch:

True South Philly - Shank's and Evelyn's where one elbows their way through the market workers for a pork sandwich or cheese steak with greens.

The aforementioned Monk's - Sorta Belgian. Mussels and Frits, great burgers, incredible selection of Belgian Beers.

Cheese steaks - Pat's and Gino's are across from each other at 9th and Passyunk. Get one from each (Order a "wiz, with") and join the dialogue on whose is the best.

Dinner:

Pork Jowl Dittos on Jack's. Others will give you all the in restaurants. A couple of other places you might want to consider:

Tequilla's on Locust just west of 16th. As good a Mexican dinner as you'll find this side of the Rio Grande. Regional Mexican - meaning way, way beyond border fare. Great Decor.

La Familia for Italian. Haven't been there for a while but still hear it's one of Philadelphia's finest.

Timing:

Not sure how soon you'll be coming to town, but Philadelphia's Book and the Cook runs from March 14 - 23. Top cookbook authors are paired with Philadelphia restaurant. Can be a lot of fun on those occasions when the author gets very involved in the meal. Here's a link with the schedule: The Book and The Cook

Free Time:

Reading Terminal Market. Go between Thursday and Saturday when the Amish portion is open. Must tries: Pretzels from Fishers, Ice Cream from Bassetts, Tony DiNics pork sandwich with greens and aged provolone, a couple of Famous Deli Chocolate Chip Cookies, some bread or other baked goods from Metropolitan.

The Italian Market: Saturday morning is the best. It's pretty much closed on Monday. A lot of disappointing produce - priced cheap, but not cheap enough. Good stops: Sonny D'Angelo's for all manner of game from all continents and for his specialty sausages; Fante's, a great cookware store; Claudio's and DiBruno's for Italian meats, cheeses, oils and such; and George's for a genuine Philadelphia style tripe sandwich.

Eat well. Let me know if you need a tour guide.

EJRothman · March 11, 2003

I go to school in Philly and I've done my share of eating. The tasting menu at Morimoto's (my birthday present from my girlfriend - the perfecr gift!) was the best meal I have ever eaten.

Pasion is excellent as is Astral Plane.

Overtures was a great meal in a very romantic setting.

Being a fan of the "road-kill-du-jour" I enjoyed Jack's Firehoudr (I had the bear - nice and nutty).

Finally, if you want good food, on the cheap, in a completely out of the way area, try Dahlak. It's on Baltimore Ave. & 47th St., they use Injera, a special bread in the place of utensils, and the food is delicious.

Still pining to get over to Django.

-Eric

Edited March 11, 2003 by EJRothman (log)

jeunefilleparis · March 12, 2003

i live in NYC,but i was raised in Philly.

i would go to Striped bass early for oysters, they are unreal. I love FIGS for moracan, its located in the fairmount area. GENOS and PATs are overrated,i m sorry, i live for the cheesesteaks at Ishkabibbles on south street across from the TLA theatre

what else PASIONE is the best latin food on the east coast, ten times better than Patria. I also love Magazine, its a cozy little place and their mussles are great as well as their desserts.

brassier perrier has great food, but its pricey. CHECK OUT the MUTTER MUSEUM its very eerie and fun and definately get tix to DEGAS

nervousnelli · March 12, 2003

I'm planning a Philly weekend too and was wondering if I can get there via Amtrak. Has anyone tried getting there from NYC that way? Also, the Mutter Museum - where in the city is it? And while we're on the subject, where in the city is the train depot? Monk's Cafe is intriguing and that will be one of the eateries on my list. Morimoto - is it extremely difficult to get a reservation there? Sorry to be ask so many questions, but any info will be appreciated.

Holly Moore · March 12, 2003

I'm planning a Philly weekend too and was wondering if I can get there via Amtrak. Has anyone tried getting there from NYC that way? Also, the Mutter Museum - where in the city is it? And while we're on the subject, where in the city is the train depot? Monk's Cafe is intriguing and that will be one of the eateries on my list. Morimoto - is it extremely difficult to get a reservation there? Sorry to be ask so many questions, but any info will be appreciated.

Yes. You can get to Philadelphia by Amtrak. It's risky, of course, as is any adventure o'er the Hudson and into the wilds of provencial America. Many New Yorkers prefer to take a cab, clinging to a bit of the old sod as they set out into the unknown.

The Mutter Museum is in Center City (Philadelphian for Mid Town) just south on 19th from Market.

The train depot (we Philadelphians, aspiring to New York City scale, presume to call it a train station) is at the end of Market Street, across the Schuykill River from Center City Philadelphia. You'll be glad to know we have cabs here, too, and some can be found at the train station/depot.

KatieLoeb · March 12, 2003

I'm planning a Philly weekend too and was wondering if I can get there via Amtrak. Has anyone tried getting there from NYC that way? Also, the Mutter Museum - where in the city is it? And while we're on the subject, where in the city is the train depot? Monk's Cafe is intriguing and that will be one of the eateries on my list. Morimoto - is it extremely difficult to get a reservation there? Sorry to be ask so many questions, but any info will be appreciated.

The Amtrak stationin Philadelphia is better known as "30th Street Station" and it is located, not surprisingly, at 30th and Market Streets. The "downtown" area of Philadelphia runs from Front (=1st) Street to about 24th Street and is bordered on the North by Vine Street and the South by Bainbridge Street. Everything is in it's own "neighborhood", but it's pretty easy to get around here. Everything is a short walk, bus/train or cab ride away.

The Mutter Museum is at 19 South 22nd Street. It's quite an interesting place and is also (oddly) rentable as a party venue. Lots of medical artifacts and preserved bodies/body parts. Creepy but cool. More info is available here: Mutter Museum

Monk's is on 16th Street between Spruce and Locust Streets, more in the central downtown area. There's also a new Belgian cafe called Eulogy bar in the Old City area at Front and Chestnut Streets. Went there for a few drinks recently and was favorable impressed - don't remember if there was a menu or not since I wasn't looking to eat that evening.

Morimoto is quite difficlut to get reservations for, and I think quite overpriced and overrated, but that''s just MHO.

I don't know if saving money on your train trip is worth a short wait to you, but Amtrak tix to Philadelphia from New York are pretty pricey. I always take New Jersey Transit trains from Penn Station to Trenton and then change trains to the SEPTA R7 line from Trenton to Philadelphia (of course I do this in reverse). It takes about 2.5 hours total rather than 1 hour and 55 minutes, but it costs about one third of the price of an Amtrak ticket. If you aren't in a hurry and/or you're paying for it yourself rather than expensing it, it's always a better deal this way. Besides, the money you save could be put to better use eating and drinking :smile: !

Feel free to PM me if there's anything else I can help with.

GordonCooks · March 12, 2003

Morimoto is quite difficlut to get reservations for, and I think quite overpriced and overrated, but that''s just MHO.

I'm curious as to what's behind the motivation ? Did you have a bad experience ?

Rosie · March 12, 2003

Buddakan

Django

Steve Klc · March 12, 2003

"i'm interested in brilliant food and unique experiences. preferably without having to play "dress-up."

Django would be perfect for you considering your criteria, if you can get a reservation. Of course, Django would be my number one recommendation anyway. Don't forget it is BYOB.

Rail Paul · March 12, 2003

I'm planning a Philly weekend too and was wondering if I can get there via Amtrak. Has anyone tried getting there from NYC that way? ...
The Amtrak stationin Philadelphia is better known as "30th Street Station" and it is located, not surprisingly, at 30th and Market Streets.
I don't know if saving money on your train trip is worth a short wait to you, but Amtrak tix to Philadelphia from New York are pretty pricey. I always take New Jersey Transit trains from Penn Station to Trenton and then change trains to the SEPTA R7 line from Trenton to Philadelphia (of course I do this in reverse). It takes about 2.5 hours total rather than 1 hour and 55 minutes, but it costs about one third of the price of an Amtrak ticket. If you aren't in a hurry and/or you're paying for it yourself rather than expensing it, it's always a better deal this way. Besides, the money you save could be put to better use eating and drinking !
Feel free to PM me if there's anything else I can help with.

There is a very substantial difference between Amtrak's fare and the combined NJ Transit + Septa fare. Depending on the time of day and services selected, the difference may be $150.

If you arrive on Amtrak downstairs at 30th Street station in Philadelphia, your Amtrak ticket stub will enable you to take a "free" ride on the Septa trains upstairs to Suburban Station or Market East in Center City. The NJT + Septa R7 train serves all three stations, as well.

As long as your inoculations and vaccines are in order, a trip to Philadelphia should be OK. The natives speak English, sort of. No passports or visae are required, although Amtrak demands a government issued photo ID if you wish to purchase tickets

KatieLoeb · March 12, 2003

I'm curious as to what's behind the motivation ? Did you have a bad experience ?

I found the canned speeches by the robotron waiters quite annoying, and the very pushy upselling of outrageously priced mediocre cocktails particularly offensive. The food is good, but I prefer the sushi at Fuji in NJ for 1/3 the price. I consider Morimoto another "Starr theater" experience, which in my opinion, is sadly more about decor than about the food and the staff being knowledgeable and helpful, rather than sounding like "waitron dolls" whose string you pull to get the various menu or cocktail descriptions. I find this to be true in most Starr restaurants. It's about theater, not about the food. This is only my opinion. Some folks are happy to pay those prices for "ambiance". I think ambiance has more factors than how much money was dropped on hiring a prestigious designer to do the space.

GordonCooks · March 12, 2003

I'm curious as to what's behind the motivation ? Did you have a bad experience ?
I found the canned speeches by the robotron waiters quite annoying, and the very pushy upselling of outrageously priced mediocre cocktails particularly offensive. The food is good, but I prefer the sushi at Fuji in NJ for 1/3 the price. I consider Morimoto another "Starr theater" experience, which in my opinion, is sadly more about decor than about the food and the staff being knowledgeable and helpful, rather than sounding like "waitron dolls" whose string you pull to get the various menu or cocktail descriptions. I find this to be true in most Starr restaurants. It's about theater, not about the food. This is only my opinion. Some folks are happy to pay those prices for "ambiance". I think ambiance has more factors than how much money was dropped on hiring a prestigious designer to do the space.

Ouch,

I have only been to Morimoto twice and was lucky enough to sit at the Sushi Bar both times. The service is on par with the concept - but, of course is not at the level of Le Bec Fin or similar. They do suggest certain cocktails which I enjoyed and they push the good Sake which was fine also. I do think the food transcends Sushi though – I would equate it with fusion squared because of the variety of ingredients and techniques being used. If someone prefers a more “traditional” Japanese meal – Morimoto is a little over the top and expensive. But it someone desires a truly unique Philadelphia Asian experience, I highly recommend it.

Edited March 12, 2003 by GordonCooks (log)

KatieLoeb · March 12, 2003

The service is on par with the concept - but, of course is not at the level of Le Bec Fin or similar.

Perhaps this is precisely what annoyed me. Service on par with the concept??!?? At those prices I want more than concept - I expect the bare minimum of service like having my water glass refilled without asking, and certainly without attitude.

I do think the food transcends Sushi though – I would equate it with fusion squared because of the variety of ingredients and techniques being used.

So does Chef Ito at Fuji, again, at 1/3 of the price.

But it someone desires a truly unique Philadelphia Asian experience, I highly recommend it.

I would recommend it too, but with the caveat that it's (in your words) "over the top and expensive".

tommy · March 12, 2003

every day i become more and more convinced that rail paul knows something, if not a lot, about everything.

GordonCooks · March 12, 2003

The service is on par with the concept - but, of course is not at the level of Le Bec Fin or similar.
Perhaps this is precisely what annoyed me. Service on par with the concept??!?? At those prices I want more than concept - I expect the bare minimum of service like having my water glass refilled without asking, and certainly without attitude.
I do think the food transcends Sushi though – I would equate it with fusion squared because of the variety of ingredients and techniques being used.
So does Chef Ito at Fuji, again, at 1/3 of the price.
But it someone desires a truly unique Philadelphia Asian experience, I highly recommend it.
I would recommend it too, but with the caveat that it's (in your words) "over the top and expensive".

Sounds like I'd better try "Fuji" my next trip out.

Edited March 14, 2003 by Jason Perlow (log)

KatieLoeb · March 12, 2003

Sounds like I'd better try "Fuji" my next trip out.

Call me and I'd be delighted to join you. Oh - and I forgot to mention, Fuji is BYOB so you can bring your own choice of wine, sake, beer, etc. I have a couple of lovely bottles of Austrian Pinot Gris I've been saving for a special occasion, or could stop and pick up some of the Ratzsenberger Riesling Sekt I had with my last meal at Fuji. Let me know what you like :smile:

GordonCooks · March 12, 2003

That, and I'll contact you before my next trip to Striped Bass :smile:

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