Yo Philly!
Aug 5th, 2008 by Marilyn
Two dear Lawrence friends recently moved to Philadelphia – which means I can now add Joel and Jocelyn to the mental loop of “Philly stuff” in my head. That particular slideshow includes the obvious – the Liberty Bell, cheese steaks, Rocky chasing a chicken – and more obscure bits, like how I first heard the word “orgasmic,” uttered right on Broad Street.
courtesy girlychimp@Flickr
Hold on – my mom will need a moment after spitting out her tea.
Um…yes. I was on a high school trip, and we were all hopped up on city freedom. We ran around buying mini-cheesecakes on the street – creamy little chocolate chip cups – and every 14-year old I knew called them “orgasmic.”
“These are or-GAZ-mic!”
“This cheesecake is totally orgasmic.”
“Oh my god it is the most orgasmic EVER.”
I said it too. I popped cheesecakes and hot pretzels and swore they were orgasmic. But I’d bet on a stack of graham cracker crusts – I’d touch the crack in the bell and swear to god – that not one of us had any idea what it meant. The counselors made us cut the talk. Oh well, I thought, I‘m away from home, and gee this cheesecake is good. Tra la la!
Ahem. Back to my friends – the new Philadelphians. They’re quite capable of finding their own tasty treats, but today I’m posting a sort of food-finding PSA: where to eat, what to eat, how to eat in Philadelphia?
So, let’s hear it, Philly: where’s the best coffee, the best blintz, the best seafood, and – no fisticuffs now – the best cheese steak? Give these crazy kids some advice – and for their sake, I hope every bite is orgasmic.
My friend Diana is the Queen o’ Philly Food. I’ve sent her a link and asked her to drag her butt on over here for some orgasmic recommendations.
And, of course, once you get some good answers, you’ll come to Philly on a fact-finding mission, right? Right?
My sister went to law school in Philly and we (me, hubby, mister cheeks) finally did the tourist thing during her graduation weekend. We didn’t have a car, plus MC wasn’t even 1 yet, so we ended up going to Jim’s to get a cheesesteak. It was good, but not great. I really wish I could have hit up Pat’s or Geno’s. Oh, you have to get Rita’s Water Ice , or waer-ice as it’s pronounced…not sure why, but it fantastic.
Someday…Real Philly cakes and steaks for me.
Don’t forget a recommendation for hot pretzels with mustard.
And don’t forget brunch. Everyone needs a good brunch place – for the visitors!
I lived in Philly for a year. Moving, also, from Lawrence. I went to row on the historic Schuylkill River.
Best bagels-some little pace under the George Washington bridge.
Best Cheesesteak-Pats!
Best pizza/stromboli/black and white milkshake-Pete’s on Fairmont Ave
Best place to blow an afternoon-Reading Terminal Market, don’t forget to get a pretzel, a canoli and some strawberry bread from the amish ladies.
Best Italian – The Triangle
I love Philly!
Philly Cheesesteaks when made correct are off the charts – I could eat them all the time. Every bit is as good as the last that is for sure. My friends “used” to own a Philly’s Best franchise in California and so sad for me they sold it as I need my Philly fix!!
Well, now that I’ve been called me out as some kind of an expert, I must heed the call. First, let me say that although I was (until recently) a Philly-based cookbook editor, I am in no way a food snob. I like food yummy and I like restaurants non-snotty. That’s about the extent of my qualifications.
Given that, here’s what I know, and some of what I’ve heard.
Cheesesteaks–I’ve heard that Pat’s and Geno’s are very similar. Personally, I prefer Pat’s, but that’s based on (how can I say this nicely…) Geno’s well-publicized stance on immigrants (I’m Mexican). I have not tried Geno’s, so I can’t say.
However, I HIGHLY recommend that anyone who is interested in the cheesesteak topic check out the recently released documentary about cheesesteaks called This is My Cheesesteak . The director (a VERY nice guy) visits all of the major cheesesteak locales, interviews the owners, and actually manages (for the first time every) to get them all in one room together. it’s a LOT of fun, and if you aren’t jonesing for a cheesesteak after you watch it, there’s something wrong with you…
(or you’re a vegetarian). I have it on very good recommendation–I can’t reveal my source–that the best Philly Cheesesteak is actually found at John’s Roast Por. I have yet to try it.
Brunch– Sabrina’s Cafe (910 Christian St) is supposed to be amazing. I have not been here, but the line is always down the block on weekends for brunch, and you all know a long line is a good thing…
Tapas–my all-time favorite is Amada (www.amadarestaurant.com/). It’s beautiful, comfortable, they have flamenco, and the food is TO DIE FOR. I kid you not, I’ve been there at least 15 times, and I do NOT eat out a lot. Every time I had an author (or agent) in town, I’d go there. Or…
Mexican–Tequila’s (www.tequilasphilly.com/). Best Mexican in Philly (center city). Take it from a Mexican.
If you venture out of center city, Taqueria La Michoacana in Norristown is THE BEST (301 E Main St, Norristown). Don’t let Norristown scare you–the nabe isn’t that bad. And this food is worth the trip. And it’s pronounced mee-cho-ah-cah-nah. It means “the girl from Michoacan”.
Best Pizza: again, I haven’t been here, but I hear from many that Tacconelli’s is THE BEST. They bake the pizzas in a brick oven, and they only make so much dough a day, so you have to call in advance to reserve dough. I hear it’s worth it.
Gelato: YOU MUST visit Capogiro at any of their many locations and TRY EVERY SINGLE KIND they make! They make the most unusual kinds of gelato (they make it all themselves), and it’s all AMAZING. My favorite is Thai Coconut. YUM.
Stephen Starr establishments are all the rage here. They’re more about the ambience than they are about the food, IMHO. But the food isn’t bad, ever. I’ve been to a few:
Buddakan–IMHO, it’s overrated.
Pod–I did, however, enjoy Pod.
Alma de Cuba–enjoyable. nice ambience.
The Continental–the sort of place where you go when you dont care what you eat, you just want to meet people.
El Vez–overpriced Mexican
Back to Tapas: Jose Garces (of Amada) also has Tinto which is just as good as Amada. He’s also recently opened a Mexican Restaurant which I haven’t visited called Distrito (after Mexico City, which is Distrito Federal in Spanish).
Don’t overlook the touristy places, as well. City Tavern, which, I will admit, I worked with as an editor, actually has spectacular food, and is a great place to take kids and history buffs (the first 4th of July celebration was held here, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and the lot ate here). Also, since the owner/proprietor is German, they have frequent German celebrations here, with amazing German food.
Also, anyone who loves food MUST visit Reading Terminal Market. It’s an indoor farmer’s market that is just amazing. I also hear that the Italian Market is a must, but I haven’t gone.
The pretzels here–well, they are shaped differently than other pretzels (the holes are almost nonexistent), and they are breadier. Quite yummy.
Fork –ok. I’ve always had enjoyable meals here, but nothing I died over. DiBruno Brothers is the BEST place to go for cheeses, meats, anything deli and fancy-foodish. Their cheese selection is amazing. And they always have samples. And they serve lunch and have breakfast breads.
Best Coffee: La Colombe just off of Rittenhouse Square. In the summer, they serve a coffee/espresso slushy thing called a granita, which is nothing compared to those in Rome, but still AMAZING.
Best Bakery–at least, MY favorite–Night Kitchen Bakery in Chestnut Hill (just outside of Philly central). They make amazing everything.
That’s all I can think of now. I’ve got to go. I’m STARVING. Good luck to your friends!
“Every time I had an author (or agent) in town, I’d go there. Or…
Mexican–Tequila’s (www.tequilasphilly.com/). Best Mexican in Philly (center city).”
Hey she even took ME there once. The food was amazing!
Holy cannoli Diana, “that’s all I can think of?!”
I did a bit of linking & formatting to make your beautiful tome even more useful. Thanks for the remarkably complete, utterly delicious, full-fledged guide to eating your way through Philly! Now I’m hungry, too.
lol. it looks much better! Thanks!
one thing pretty high on my to-do-before-i-bite-it list is to eat an authentic philly cheese steak. after diana’s awesome comment, i hope it’s sooner rather than later.
Wow, Diana, we have a list to check off now. Thanks so much!
FWIW, we live at the edge of what I believe is called “Center City West,” a few blocks southwest of Rittenhouse Square. Right across from Dmitri’s, a Greek café. There seem to be no shortage of dining options — good ones — within a 10-to-15 minute walk from our home. I’m already afraid to eat at the same place twice, because that means we’re not easting at some other good place we should be eating. Ah, life in the big city.
… and we had brunch at DiBruno Bros on Sunday. Pretty nice.
Oh yeah, we visited Reading Terminal Market. That place was awesome.
We’re going to the Reading Terminal Market tomorrow, with any luck. So far the offerings at various farmer’s markets have been good. I have a fridge full of fresh plums, peaches, and other good stuff.
What can I say? The Merc spoiled me for good produce, so I’m really happy to find locally grown organic stuff within a short walk of my front door. *grin*
I’ll be watching for the results — I haven’t been to Philly in many years, and it’s been inching up my list of great places to spend a weekend.