Astral Plane

[menton1]

We would up at Astral Plane last weekend, our second visit, and it is so good I did a search, and, to my amazement, has never been mentioned on the Pa Egullet!

This is really a Philly institution, it has lasted for 32 years! In the restaurant business you are considered doing well if you get past your first year, so AP has done that 32 times over, and there are good reasons!

Reed, the friendly proprietor, is active in local causes, very involved in his neighborhood, and runs a terrific ship. The decor is whimsical, but very pleasant. Very little matches, but it all works together. The candle holders are different on every table, the vases are different, the parachute-type material draped on the ceiling is just terrific. Little statues abound here. The room is small and cozy. The food, while not 3 star, is very good and very reasonably priced. The stuffed pork chop that I had was really terrific, with a bacon-garlic potato stuffing. Mussels appetizer was large and delicious. Field greens salad was fresh, crisp, with a terrific tangy vinaigrette. There are even lighter choices, burgers, and quesidillas. But the menu is thoughtful and creative, as is the preparation.

I wanted to take the time to salute Reed for 32 years, and wish him 32 more. And to any who haven't been here, this place is definitely worth the trip, it is a really nice dining experience. The neighborhood is gentrifying around him as well, it seems when Reed started the place, 17th and Lombard was "no-mans land". Today the street is pretty spiffy.

Astral Plane

1708 Lombard Street

Philadelphia, PA 19146

Tel: (215) 546-6230

Web site: http://www.theastralplane.com/

[sockii]

I agree with all of the above--I've been to Astral Plane more than a few times and always had a lovely evening with very good food. It's a neighborhood favorite for me and my sweetie when we want a romantic dinner out without too much fuss.

[robertruelan]

I also agree to all of the above and would like to add the interesting cocktails available. One of these days I will have to catch their brunch. Can anyone recommend it?

Now that I have my 2 for Tuesday card (2 for 1 entree special), I can be seen here probably for alot of Tuesdays in the future.

[serpentine]

Huh. Maybe it's time for for a re-visit. I went a number of years ago and had a lovely meal and great service...followed by another visit with a not-so-great meal with pretty bad service. I wrote it off as "wildly uneven" and, with so many great restaurants in the area, never made it back.

[KatieLoeb]

I love Astral Plane! Such a cute little place, kinda like attending the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Grandma's attic. The parachute hanging from the ceiling, the mismatched china and silverware, the antiques, it's just a feel good kind of place.

Brunch is my most frequest stop there, the main attraction being the "Mix your own Bloody Mary" bar. Good omelets, French Toast, interesting salads and pasta dishes. I just love the place. Reminds me I haven't been there in a while either and will avail myself of my 2 for Tuesday card as well!

[Holly Moore]

The Astral Plane is a special restaurant for me. Nothing to do with the restaurant itself.

I opened Holly Moore's Upstairs Cafe in 1978. In the spirit of Philadelphia's Restaurant Renaissance, we opened totally undercapitalized. We had major debt from day one. The Astral Plane paid off a bunch of our bills when, during our first month, they rented the restaurant for an afternoon for a crew party. I'm not sure we would have made it without that cash influx. In any event it took tremendous pressure off.

Them Astral Plane folk do know how to party. At some point a chunk got knocked out of one of the globe lamps that hung over a few of the tables. Astral Plane offered to replace it, but I wouldn't let them. In fact we never repaired it. It became a good luck symbol for the entire time I owned the restaurant. For what it's worth, one of the first things the guy who bought my restaurant did was to replace the broken lamp. And the restaurant closed within a year.

That said, I'm also a fan of their martinis, their brunch as described by Katie, Reed, their blue apple salad and their professionally carefree approach to service and cuisine. There are many reasons the Astral Plane has thrived for over 30 years and, along with Friday-Saturday-Sunday, is just about the only Restaurant Renaissance Restaurant still going strong.

[Lazrowp]

Astral Plan is my go to place for when I have relatives come into Philly. The place is so charming and eclectic!

I have been there 2x within the past several months and each time I had a delicious meal. Great cocktails too.

Paul

Edited June 21, 2005 by Lazrowp (log)

[MarketStEl]

Heads-up for history buffs:

Next time you're there, if you haven't already, take a look at the newspaper clippings that adorn the walls of the bar. They're from The Philadelphia Independent, a feisty African-American newspaper that had its heyday from the 1930s to the late 1950s. The building that houses the Astral Plane used to be the newspaper's offices.