PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW

[LARRY WIENER]

My wife and I will be in Philly for the Flower Show in March--coming in for a couple of days from the D. C. area. We will be staying at the Radisson Hotel in Rittenhouse Square and will be looking for two places to have dinner. One can be real good, the other can be OK and above. Our areas of desire are: Italian, French, Seafood, Oriental, and just fine cooking. We aren't interested in 5* restaurants (mainly on financial grounds), although one 4* would be acceptable. A hidden gem would be a pleasant surprise that we could talk about with our friends upon returning to the D. of C area. We would like to be able to walk to/from dinner, so five or six blocks from the hotel is an opening bid on the radius from the hotel. So, any suggestions that you can provide would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[KatieLoeb]

My wife and I will be in Philly for the Flower Show in March--coming in for a couple of days from the D. C. area.  We will be staying at the Radisson Hotel in Rittenhouse Square and will be looking for two places to have dinner.  One can be real good, the other can be OK and above.  Our areas of desire are: Italian, French, Seafood, Oriental, and just fine cooking.  We aren't interested in 5* restaurants (mainly on financial grounds), although one 4* would be acceptable.  A hidden gem would be a pleasant surprise that we could talk about with our friends upon returning to the D. of C area. We would like to be able to walk to/from dinner, so five or six blocks from the hotel is an opening bid on the radius from the hotel.  So, any suggestions that you can provide would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

Hi Larry:

You couldn't be better situated in terms of number of restaurants within a six block radius from your hotel (although I thought the Rittenhouse Square Hotel was a Sheraton, not a Radisson). Right on the Square is Lacorix at the Rittenhouse Hotel, Smith & Wollensky steakhouse, Bleu (now owned and operated by the Sheraton), Devon Seafood Grill (excellent pots of mussels at the bar) and of course my own place of employ, Rouge.

Within a couple of blocks you could be visiting Brasserie Perrier, Sansom Street Oyster House or Pasion, all of which would be excellent choices for a nice dinner. The Nuevo Latino menu and and especially the ceviches at Pasion are top notch, and definitely something unique. Service is first rate as well. Chez Colette at the Sofitel has a lovely menu as well, although I have only had the pleasure of lunch there, it was very nice.

If you really want to try something innovative, I'd suggest securing reservations at Matyson, a fairly new and truly excellent BYOB on 19th Street (37 S. 19th St. 215.564.2925). I had a lovely dinner there just this past week and was utterly impressed with the level of creativity of the menu and the level of service. There's a Pennsylvania State liquor store right around the corner at 19th & Chestnut Streets where you could pick up a botlle of wine for dinner and not have to schlep it too far. Only complaint is the restaurant tends to get a tad noisy, but if that doesn't bother you too much, it'd be worth putting cotton in your ears to go enjoy the food. I had a Lobster Salad with Golden Beets and a Vanilla-Saffron sauce that was probably the best dish I've had in ages at Matyson, and I'm making reservations to go back for my birthday in a couple of weeks. The restaurant's menus are available at their website HERE.

Feel free to PM me if I can be of further assistance. The Flower Show is a great event and there's so much to enjoy in this city I expect you'll have a wonderful stay.

[rlibkind]

(although I thought the Rittenhouse Square Hotel was a Sheraton, not a Radisson).

The Radisson is what used to be the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square.

Katie's recommendations observation about your being in the midst of restaurant riches is right on target. If you're into raw oysters and good, basic fish, Sansom Street should be at the top of your list. Plus you can get real snapper soup there.

Keep in mind that when you're at the Flower Show at the Convention Center, you are basically in Chinatown (in fact, the Convention Center construction hemmed in this community's west side) which offers plenty of options for inexpenive lunches (dim sum) and dinner. The Convention Center is also directly across the street from the Reading Terminal Market and all it offers (closes 6 p.m.; although usually closed on Sundays, it frequently opens for the Flower Show). Both Chinatown and the Market do tend to get overwhelmed during Flower Show, though.

[herbacidal]

(although I thought the Rittenhouse Square Hotel was a Sheraton, not a Radisson).

The Radisson is what used to be the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square.

Katie's recommendations observation about your being in the midst of restaurant riches is right on target.

Actually, the Radisson is not right on Rittenhouse Square, it's a block off.

It's the old Warwick Hotel, at 17th and Locust.

The Sheraton is on the Square, a converted office buiilding that houses Bleu and Potcheen as far as restaurants.

The Barclay is nothing at all, as far as hotels;

it's a condo building that will house a Starr establishment before long,

if everything holds true.

I'll third Katie's comments about you being in the middle of it all.

I'll also third her recommendations of Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel for the ultra-superb option, and Matyson (19th between Chestnut and Market) for the average plus option.

Matyson is another in the lineup of excellent BYOBs that the Philadelphia area is blessed with.

I'll also agree that Chinatown is a good option for lunch, as is the Reading Terminal, of course.

You are welcome to PM me as well for supplementary info.

[rlibkind]

(although I thought the Rittenhouse Square Hotel was a Sheraton, not a Radisson).

The Radisson is what used to be the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square.

Katie's recommendations observation about your being in the midst of restaurant riches is right on target.

Actually, the Radisson is not right on Rittenhouse Square, it's a block off.

It's the old Warwick Hotel, at 17th and Locust.

The Sheraton is on the Square, a converted office buiilding that houses Bleu and Potcheen as far as restaurants.

The Barclay is nothing at all, as far as hotels;

it's a condo building that will house a Starr establishment before long,

if everything holds true.

I'll third Katie's comments about you being in the middle of it all.

I'll also third her recommendations of Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel for the ultra-superb option, and Matyson (19th between Chestnut and Market) for the average plus option.

Matyson is another in the lineup of excellent BYOBs that the Philadelphia area is blessed with.

I'll also agree that Chinatown is a good option for lunch, as is the Reading Terminal, of course.

You are welcome to PM me as well for supplementary info.

I can't keep up with these hotel changes! Thanks for reminding me of which is which! I've stayed at Warwick hotels in NYC and Brussels, but now Philadelphia's Warwick is no longer a Warwick!

[Rich Pawlak]

(although I thought the Rittenhouse Square Hotel was a Sheraton, not a Radisson).

The Radisson is what used to be the Barclay on Rittenhouse Square.

The Radisson that they are staying at is what has always been known as The Warwick on 17th St.

However, in proximity to the Flower Show, I would enthusiastically recommend lunch at PENANG, on 10th St. in Chinatown, a vibrant and interesting repast if ever there was one. Plate of satays, dish of Mee Siam noodles, some Roti Tellur (stuffed savory crepes), and your taste buds will come alive.

[stephenc]

HEY WEENER!

Make a reservation NOW for Django.

hehe. couldn't resist.

[LARRY WIENER]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. There certainly are plenty to choose from. We appreciate your help.

[Wiener]

I will also be at the flower show this coming weekend. Staying at the Rittenhouse Hotel. Am arriving around 9-9:30 Friday night. Any suggestions for a light late night dinner close by? Something not too heavy. We were thinking of Lacroix but would they provide light fare? Otherwise, we were thinking of going there for dessert and coffee and a drink, would they accomodate us. Or is there something else , close by?

I have only been to Phili as a child and remember only the huge heart you walk through at the Science Museum. :)

Am printing out all of your other suggestions for Saturday and Sunday/

Any ideas would be great. Seafood a plus!

[herbacidal]

I will also be at the flower show this coming weekend. Staying at the Rittenhouse Hotel. Am arriving around 9-9:30 Friday night. Any suggestions for a light late night dinner close by? Something not too heavy. We were thinking of Lacroix but would they provide light fare? Otherwise, we were thinking of going there for dessert and coffee and a drink, would they accomodate us. Or is there something else , close by?

I have only been to Phili as a child and remember only the huge heart you walk through at the Science Museum. :)

Am printing out all of your other suggestions for Saturday and Sunday/

Any ideas would be great. Seafood a plus!

I imagine Lacroix would be willing to serve you light fare, at the very least in Lily's Cafe, the lite/casual side of Lacroix, if you will.

Check with the hotel to be sure.

One alternative would be Bleu, just across the square (the southernmost of the string of restaurants along the 18th Street/eastern edge of Rittenhouse Square.) I'd recommend Rouge or Devon, but I'd guestimate they'd be too lively and you sound like you might like something quiet.

Another would be Los Catrines, a Mexican restaurant at 16th and Locust (two blocks east of Bleu, on that very same street, Locust Street.)

Another option in the other direction would be Cafe Casta Diva, around the corner on the backside of the hotel on 20th Street between Walnut and Locust.

Also on 20th south of Locust would be Twenty Manning, Audrey Claire, and D'Angelo's.

Of those I'd recommend Twenty Manning or D'Angelo's, since I'm also guessing you may like a drink with dinner, and Audrey Claire is a BYOB.

Twenty Manning may be slightly noisy on a Friday night though.

Of the three, D'Angelo's is modern Italian, with the other two American, although Twenty Manning tries to put a slight Asian accent on its food.

Well that's enough for Friday.

[Wiener]

thanks....reading all the comments....Devon sounds good for the Friday night. Saturday , I am thinking about Matston....

[Wiener]

Hi

Last question before I go to Phili. Any good German restaurants you can suggest?

Just curious.

[herbacidal]

Hi

Last question before I go to Phili. Any good German restaurants you can suggest?

Just curious.

The only one downtown is Ludwig's Garten at 1315 Sansom St.

Basically, from the Rittenhouse front door, the street on the left is Walnut St.

The small street past that is Sansom St. Turn right until you see Broad Street where 14th Street would be.

Half a block past that is Ludwig's on the left.

[KatieLoeb]

Hi

Last question before I go to Phili. Any good German restaurants you can suggest?

Just curious.

Ludwig's has great beer and leaden Bavarian style food. If you like that sort of thing it's great, but I'd say go for the beer and eat elsewhere. There are SO many better choices in this city.

[bilrus]

Help me choose. My wife has decided at the last minute that she wants to go to the Flower Show on Saturday. I can choose between 5:00 reservations at Morimoto or Pasion. And I have a few questions.

How formal are each (i.e. would nice flower viewing clothes be appropriate at either or would we need to change)?

Are there actual tables at Morimoto or is it all booths? I looked at the website and the pictures look to be all booths. I am a pretty big guy and some booths are less than comfortable for me.

I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but the non-sushi menu for at Morimoto looks very nice. Are the non-sushi items as good as the sushi?

Feel free to answer all or none of these questions. Thanks for the help.

[KatieLoeb]

Help me choose. My wife has decided at the last minute that she wants to go to the Flower Show on Saturday. I can choose between 5:00 reservations at Morimoto or Pasion. And I have a few questions.

How formal are each (i.e. would nice flower viewing clothes be appropriate at either or would we need to change)?

Are there actual tables at Morimoto or is it all booths? I looked at the website and the pictures look to be all booths. I am a pretty big guy and some booths are less than comfortable for me.

I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but the non-sushi menu for at Morimoto looks very nice. Are the non-sushi items as good as the sushi?

Feel free to answer all or none of these questions. Thanks for the help.

Pasion. No contest.

I'm certain you'll be dressed just fine if you're in "business casual" or better.

[herbacidal]

Help me choose.  My wife has decided at the last minute that she wants to go to the Flower Show on Saturday.  I can choose between 5:00 reservations at Morimoto or Pasion.  And I have a few questions. 

How formal are each (i.e. would nice flower viewing clothes be appropriate at either or would we need to change)? 

Are there actual tables at Morimoto or is it all booths?  I looked at the website and the pictures look to be all booths.  I am a pretty big guy and some booths are less than comfortable for me.

I'm not a huge fan of sushi, but the non-sushi menu for at Morimoto looks very nice.  Are the non-sushi items as good as the sushi?

Feel free to answer all or none of these questions.  Thanks for the help.

Pasion. No contest.

I'm certain you'll be dressed just fine if you're in "business casual" or better.

Ditto. That's all until I'm more sober.

[LARRY WIENER]

AFTER-ACTION REPORT

Contributors to this board were kind enough to send us some recommendations for our recent trip to Philadelphia to see the Flower Show, so for your information we are providing a trip report.

We were in Philadelphia from Thursday morning until Saturday afternoon. We arrived by train from Alexandria, VA, which is just across the river from Washington. D. C. Thursday was spent along Antique Row, where Sandy was looking for tchotchkes. Fortunately for all concerned, she was able to find some satisfactory ones, and in doing so to locate a shop that had plenty more. We went into an Italian restaurant on Pine Street, Valentino, in which we had a delightful lunch. Larry had pasta puttanesca and Sandy had an all-vegetable cold antipasto. This set the stage for the nice places we found throughout our visit. We had theater tickets for that evening, so we went for a pre-theater meal to Rouge, where we met the delightful and very hospitable Katie Loeb, who could not have been nicer. Highlights included a soup that was reminiscent of some we had had in Italy, and a glass of very nice white wine, Weinzorn Edelzwicker (It must be good. This wine was featured in a mailing we just received from a D. C.wine shop; I don’t think you can ignore the force of coincidence). Also, Rouge was the first restaurant we had ever been to in which tea (made with loose leaves) was served in a French Press device; that was quite a change from the usual approach of letting us pick tea bags from a wooden box.

The play, the Philadelphia Story, was at the Walnut Street Theater. If you are a fan of classical films you would have a good time analyzing the differences between the play as written and the movie. Even more so, you might find it interesting that this production is done in what I gather was the classic American theater style, three acts, with two intermissions. I don’t think you see many plays presented that way any more.

Our day at the Flower Show was jam-packed, in terms of both time and space. The Convention Center was filled with attendees, and that alone would give the show a few points toward being rated a success. The show comprised a large number of exhibits that combined wood, greens, and brightly colored flowers in artistic settings. Amateurs might not be able to replicate the settings they saw there, but they were still worth seeing. For lunch we fought our way through the Reading Terminal market to get some Italian sandwiches and fruit. That was another dense crowd. After that, it was back into the show for another couple of hours.

That evening we had dinner at Brasserie Perrier, which some participants on this board had suggested. Larry had Pan Roasted Bronzino (we found out that it is a Mediterranean fish) and Sandy had Alsatian Choucroute, and both were excellent. For dessert we had the cheese selection, which went perfectly with the sparkling Prosecco we were drinking (tourists). The chef himself passed through the room, to the general approval of all the diners. Eating there was quite an experience, although our recommendation for any newbies is to request a table in the back where the noise level is subdued.

The next day, Saturday, we spent a couple of hours strolling through the Italian Market, buying some bread, cheese, olives, and fruit for the train trip back. All in all, this was a very nice trip to a very hospitable city. We like Philadelphia. It has more of a big city atmosphere than Washington D. C. (maybe it’s because there are tall buildings) and is less frenetic than NYNY. I hope that we can return soon. Thanks again to all for your suggestions.

LARRY AND SANDY

[KatieLoeb]

Aw shucks Larry! It was very nice to meet you and Sandy as well. Glad you liked the White Bean Soup with Truffle Oil. It's one of my favorites too. Good earthy stuff for a cold winter afternoon.

The wine you enjoyed here was the Domaine Barmes Buecher Sept Grains Edelzwicker from Alsace. If you liked this Edelzwicker, there's a good chance you'll enjoy the other as well. Actually the translation for Edelzwicker is "Noble Wine" and it's a blend of the approved Alsace white varietals. Wines from Alsace are 100% of what the varietal name on the label is, so Edelzwicker is kind of a catch-all term for any blend that could have Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Muscat, Chardonnay, Chasselas or Pinot Gris in it. The Sept Grains has the first seven, hence the Sept (Seven) Grains (Grapes).

We're delighted you had fun in Philly. Come back soon - there's a bunch of places you didn't get to try yet.