Help: Dining spots near the Philadelphia museum

[percyn]

Please share your suggestions for people who might be looking for dining recommendations near the Philadelphia museum.

[percyn]

We have tickets to the last day of the Dali show (5/30) at 5:30pm. We are thinking about grabbing an early dinner in the area, which probably means we would need to be seated by 4pm.

I am not sure which decent restaurants start serving dinner this soon. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Percy

[mrbigjas]

i'm pretty sure jack's firehouse will serve you that early.

rembrandt's has good wood-oven pizza, and since it's a bar they basically serve all day.

i'm pretty sure brigid's serves all day too, although don't quote me on that.

for basic salty greasy diner food and giant salads there's always little pete's in the philadelphian.

london has a takeout sandwichy shoppy type place next door to it now. if they don't serve all day you could always eat in the bar in london, since they do there.

[David McDuff]

We have tickets to the last day of the Dali show (5/30) at 5:30pm. We are thinking about grabbing an early dinner in the area, which probably means we would need to be seated by 4pm.

I am not sure which decent restaurants start serving dinner this soon. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Percy

←

Given the time of day and time constraints you'll be facing, the best bet would probably be Brigid's (726 N. 24th Street). It's within walking distance of the PMA and is open for both lunch and dinner. I'm sure that you can at least order something at the bar at 4:00 PM. The ambience is sort of upscale bar or Belgian brasserie. The food offerings are solid and there are always good beers on tap. As the 30th is Memorial Day, though, I'd be sure to call ahead to see if they'll be open.

You could also try London Grill. Again, given timing, you may have to settle for a bar menu.

If all else fails, there is a restaurant in the Museum.

[Tim Dolan]

The Bishop's Collar at 24th and Fairmount is a good place is you like upscale bar food. Good stuff. I've recently had burgers from London and Rembrandt's, but Bishop's Collar had them both beat. They also have a very good selection of beers of tap, they even had the Symposium beer from the event that was at the Convention Center a few weeks ago. I'd go there.

[mrbigjas]

If all else fails, there is a restaurant in the Museum.

i wouldn't bet on this, though. the restaurant has been booked solid through most of the run of dali, so it's best to have a reservation if possible.

also, i don't know if it's staying open that late-- here is the information about the dining options at the museum itself.

On Monday, May 30 the Balcony Café will be open 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., the Museum Café will be open 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m, and the Museum Restaurant will be open 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

[percyn]

OK,

Since so many of you were kind enough to make recommendations, I feel obligated to report my experience back on this thread for the benefit of others who may have a similar query in the future. So here goes...

We ended up at Bishop's corner (Fairmount Av and 24th St), mainly due to its proximity to the museum (we parked in the area and walked to the restaurant and then the museum itself) and because we had never tried it before.

Upon entering the place, my wife commented that it reminded her of a college bar. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it wasn't the atmosphere we were looking for that evening. Since the cafe style seating outside had a 1/2 hr wait, we opted for a table inside. The clientele was fairly mixed, from college students to retirees and the music was fairly loud for the size of the place. The menus were posted on kids books, which we would have mistaken as pure entertainment for the kids if we had any at our table.

We ordered:

Turkey Burger with Brie and roasted red peppers. The burger itself was a bit too dry, but the fries were great. The bun was oversized and I had to peel half of it off.

Chicken Quesadilla. Surprisingly large for an appetizer and packed with cheese. The guacamole seemed to have fruit in it.

The drink selection didn't seem to be that extensive. I asked for any Belgium beers, which the waitress was unsure they carried. So I went for a pint of Guinness. Waitress was friendly, but too busy to frequent the table more than twice.

My Grade:

Food : C+

Service : C

Ambiance : C-

Value : B

Restaurant's I would like to try the next time I am in the area include Rembrandts.

On our way back, we stopped at the Ruby diner in King of Prussia to share in this indulgence.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions, I intend to try out the other recommendations in the near future.

Cheers

Percy

[rlibkind]

Percyn, I did not see your request until Sunday evening, so I didn't offer suggestions at that time. But for a return visit, this neighborhood resident suggests:

London Grill. It's the restaurant that started the fine dining trend in Fairmount and remains the best. Whether you order off the cafe menu or the full restaurant menu, you will be pleased.

Jack's Firehouse. People either love the food or hate it. I love it. At lunchtime, I go for the pulled pork and a beer, but the restaurant's dinner plates are, by and large, well worth it. If you order a particular dessert, there are ususally "tastes" of other dessert offerings on the plate. A striking dining room, what with the rowing scull hung over the bar.

Rembrandt's. I prefer the cafe menu to the restaurant menu here. But I haven't dined from the main menu since they changed chefs, so it might be worth a try. A wonderful neighborhood bar and a pleasant dining room.

Illuminare. Worth it just for the backyard patio, and the interior architecture of the main dining room is stylish and interesting; the food is considerably above average (try the fried calimari with jalapeno and remoulade sauce as a starter), though the service tends to the amateurish. The biggest disappointment I had during a visit last week was when I asked for bread; the roll tasted like it had been frozen and then microwaved. How an otherwise good restaurant with access to the fine breads available in town can serve such drek is beyond comprehension.

If you are available July 16, you can attend the annual Fairmount "Bastille Day" celebration (two days late this year) sponsored by the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and the neighborhood restaurants. London Grill co-owner Terrry McNally usually plays Marie Antoinette, perched on a prison parapret throwing Twinkies down to the assembled peasants. We usually decapitate a watermelon in lieu of Marie on the guillotine. The

Eastern State website offers more information about this event.

[philadining]

I had a similar reaction to the Bishop's Collar a while back on a sunday, early afternoon, I guess it was officially brunch. Nothing wrong with it, but no big thrill. With Brigid's just up the street, and Rembrant's around the corner, I never saw any reason to go back. Not that I wouldn't, it's just that I prefer those other two.

At Brigid's the beer problem is the exact opposite, it can take hours to read through all the Belgian beer available. I usually stick to what's on draft, simply to make the decision easier.