Philly!

I will always be a Philly boy at heart.  A lot of friends have been asking me for recommendations on where to stay, what to do, where to shop, and where to eat in Philadelphia, so I thought that I’d make a blog post about my favorite places in Philly to make responding a little easier.  And no, I will recommend neither of the two most famous cheesesteak joins: Pat’s and Gino’s.

Where to stay?

HOTEL PALOMAR

 

Palamar is a boutique hotel on 17th Street, right by Rittenhouse Square.  Although I’ve never had the opportunity stay in a hotel in Philly, visiting friends have given this little jewel glowing reviews and, after visiting a room, I have to say that the place is pretty damn chic.

They use L'Occitane bath products, have a daily free wine serving, and supply leopard-print bath robes for every room.  Plus, the interior design magnificent—it is primarily a modern space, with a nod to the building’s art deco roots.

Hotel Palomar - 117 South 17th Street - http://www.hotelpalomar-philadelphia.com/

THE RITZ-CARLTON

Does a Ritz-Carlton ever need a description?  Go for tea in the lobby.

The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia - 10 Avenue of the Arts -http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Philadelphia/Default.htm

What to do?

FIRST FRIDAY

On the first Friday of every month, head down to Olde City’s art gallery district for an evening of art, music, and conversation between 5 and 9 PM.  All of the neighborhood’s plentiful galleries and boutiques are open to the public and on warmer months many live musicians and local artists line the sidewalks, while mingling art-lovers fill the cobblestone streets so densely that no cars can get by.  Be sure to check out the free sculpture classes at The Clay Studio on 2^nd.

First Friday - between Front and 3^rd and Market and Vine - http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/first-friday/

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

Growing up, my mother insisted that my sister and I go to the orchestra once a month.  Getting the whole family dolled up and going out to a fancy dinner before the performance became an exciting tradition that stayed with me throughout my childhood.  Fortunately, we listened to good music; Philadelphia has a superb orchestra, a member of the Time Magazine’s “Big Five."  As musical ability is difficult to describe with words, I’ll spare you an attempt at some flowery explanation—just go and you’ll see.

Our venue isn’t bad either.  Opened in 2010, the Kimmel Center is a warm place to sit back and listen.

The Philadelphia Orchestra - 260 South Broad Street - http://www.philorch.org/

NORTHERN LIBERTIES

NoLibs is the universal capital of hipsters. Indeed, the hippie culture from the 1960’s that started Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters has yet to leave this fun, grungy neighborhood.  It seems that everyone you see there rides a midcentury road bike, wears vintage clothing (with the exception of skinny jeans), and listens to obscure music.

RITZ THEATERS

I adore movies.  When I would have a large gap between two classes last year, I’d hop on the El subway line and go see a matinée at my theater of choice: the Ritz.  With a few locations spread out around the city, the Ritz has never failed me in selecting interesting, thought-provoking movies—often foreign—that I would probably never see otherwise.

Ritz Theaters - http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/philadelphia/philadelphia_frameset.htm

THE BARNES FOUNDATION

The Barnes Foundation is one of Philadelphia’s best-kept art secrets.  Housed in Albert Barnes' own home in the Main Line, the collection is estimated to be worth  $25 billion.  There are 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 21 Soutines, 18 Rousseaus, 16 Modiglianis, 11 Degas, 7 Van Goghs, 6 Seurats, not to mention various pieces by El Greco, Goya, Manet, Monet, and Prendergast.  In total, the Barnes collection consists of over 2,500 objects and 800 paintings.  Because of its remote location, the space remains fairly empty during the day, so you may find yourself alone in a room filled my some of the world’s most influential art.

After much controversy, the collection will be moved to a new building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City.

The Barnes Foundation - 300 North Latchs Lane - http://www.barnesfoundation.org/

THE CONGREGATION OF RODEPH SHALOM

The Congregation Rodeph Shalom is a Moorish Revival Synagogue on North Broad Street.  It is the oldest Ashkenazi temple in the Western Hemisphere.

Congregation Rodeph Shalom - 615 North Broad Street - http://www.rodephshalom.org/

THE RODIN MUSEUM

Philadelphia boasts the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris.  Among its vast collection of Rodin’s work are the famous Le Penseur (“The Thinker”) and La Porte de l'Enfer (“The Gates of Hell”).  A must-see for anyone interested in sculpture.

The Rodin Museum - 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway - http://www.rodinmuseum.org/

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE

Rittenhouse Square is a great park for picnicking with friends or just laying around in the summer grass after a day in the concrete jungle.

QUINCE STREET

Quince is one of the most charming streets in the City.  It is near both Olde City and Washington Square.

DELANCEY STREET

Located between Spruce and Pine, Delancey Street remains one of my favorite streets in the whole city.  There are few cars on it because driving on Delancey would be impractical; the street occasionally disappears for four or five blocks and reappears in a different neighborhood.  As a result, Delancey has remained charmingly quiet and residential, unaffected by the commerce and tourism nearby, and only true locals know where it can be found.

THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States.  With over two hundred galleries, it is easy to get lost wandering for hours.  Be sure to check out the Perelman building across the street (much of the modern art, fashion, and photography is displayed there) and the Waterworks park along the Schuylkill River.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art - http://www.philamuseum.org/

BOAT HOUSE ROW ON THE SCHUYLKILL RIVER

From Boat House Row, you can watch college rowing races for free on the banks of the Schuylkill or go for a bike ride down West River and Kelly Drives on Sundays, when the roads are free of cars for cyclists and runners.

FISHER FINE ARTS LIBRARY

The Fisher Fine Arts Library offers a warm study place to students at UPenn.  Acclaimed Philadelphian architect Frank Furness designed it in the 1880’s in the Venetian Gothic style.  The space is fantastic on an architectural level and the book collection itself is impressive.

The Fisher Fine Arts Library - 220 South 34th Street - http://www.library.upenn.edu/finearts/

Where to shop?

THE MODERN EYE

Known for its eccentric glasses, The Modern Eye is a def for any four-eye like myself.  There are two locations—one in Center City and one in University City.  I prefer the staff in Center City, but the art collection from the University City store.

The Modern Eye - 3419 Walnut Street - http://www.modern-eye.com/

THE READING TERMINAL MARKET

The Reading Terminal is an Italian Renaissance train station.  Its roof was the largest single-span structure in the world when it was built.  Now the first floor of the space is a indoor market that takes up nearly an entire city block in which farmers, notably Amish, sell their produce: vegetables, meats, fishes, pretzels, cookies, candies, cakes.  For ready-made food, one of my favorite places is Tommy DiNic's, a sandwich shop specializing in roast pork and beef.  Also make sure to try and compare Hope’s Cookies and 4^th Street Cookies!

The Reading Terminal Market - 51 North 12th Street - http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/

WILBUR VINTAGE

A funky, affordable vintage shop in Queen Village.

Wilbur Vintage - 716 South 4th Street - http://wilburvintage.blogspot.com/

DI BRUNO BROS.

Di Bruno Bros. started out as a small grocery store in South Philly in 1939, owned by two Italian immigrants.  Since then it has grown to be a two-story gourmet Italian grocery store in Center City with every type of cheese, ham, olive, and fish you could possibly imagine.  FUn fact: they boast over 500 types of cheeses, stored in two in-house temperature and moisture-controlled aging rooms.

Di Bruno Bros. - 730 Chestnut Street - http://www.dibruno.com/

VAGABOND

Great womenswear boutique in Olde City.

Vagabond - 37 North 3rd Street - http://www.vagabondboutique.com/

TOPSTITCH

Wacky and affordable jewelry story.

Topstitch Boutique - 54 North 3rd Street - http://www.myspace.com/topstitch

HOUSE OF OUR OWN

Say hello to an really great bookstore.  Tucked away in one of the old Spruce Street townhouses just off of Penn's campus, House of Our Own is charming, warm, organized, and stocked.  The staff are very knowledgeable as well.

House of Our Own - 3920 Spruce Street - http://www.biblio.com/bookstore/house_of_our_own_philadelphia

HEAD HOUSE BOOKS

Head House is a well-stocked bookstore with a nice balance of classics and less popular books.

Head House Books - 619 South 2nd Street - http://headhousebooksconnects.com/

BOYDS

Upscale department store.

Boyds - 1818 Chestnut Street - http://www.boydsphila.com/

NORTH BOWL

North Bowl Lounge n' Lanes is a two-story bowling alley/bar/lounge in NoLibs that looks like it came straight from the 1970's.  Try the crazy tater tots.

North Bowl - 909 North 2nd Street - http://www.northbowlphilly.com/

JOAN SHEPP

Having a Givenchy or Y-3 craving?  Joan Shepp is easily the best store in the city for avant-garde high fashion.  Bring a credit card with a high limit.  A very high limit.

Joan Shepp - 1616 Walnut Street - http://www.joanshepp.com/

REWARD

Good contemporary apparel.  The owner used to be a buyer for Urban Outfitters and left to start Reward.

Reward Project - 55 North 2nd Street - http://rewardproject.com/

BRICKBAT BOOKS

Adorable used bookstore in Queen Village with a great early edition selection.  I quote a review on Yelp, "The store is so named because if you walk in and ask for 2nd grade reading level garbage like Dan Brown or Nicholas Sparks, the employees will throw a brick at you, and while you're distracted dodging the projectile, hit you in the face with a bat.  It is a very effective kind of negative reinforcement for bad literary habits."  For the said reasons, Brickbat is probably my favorite bookstore in the city.

Brickbat Books - 709 South 4th Street - http://brickbatbooks.blogspot.com/

LOST + FOUND

Modern boutique with a wonderful mixture of new and vintage products.

Lost + Found - 133 North 3rd Street

DUROSS & LANGEL

Imagine everything that smells good in the world.  In one store.  Duross & Langel specialize in fragrant soaps, candles, beauty products for both men and women.

Duross & Langel - 117 South 13th Street - http://www.durossandlangel.com/

SUGARCUBE

High-end vintage store with hilarious owners who will make sure that you have a good time.

Sugarcube - 124 North 3rd Street - http://sugarcube.us/

Where to eat?

TRIA

I feel like wine, beer, cheese, and tapas places can get prudish easily, but not Tria. The people are relaxed, cultured, and friendly and the food and drink are to die for—I have never gotten anything bad there.  If you can't tell, I love it!

Tria - 1137 Spruce Street - http://www.triacafe.com/

THE FRANKLIN FOUNTAIN

Ice cream, vintage candies, milkshakes, soda, fudge, very cute interior.

The Franklin Fountain - 116 Market Street - http://www.franklinfountain.com/

BISTROT LA MINETTE

French food that is actually better than French food in France.  Owned by two Americans who studied to be chefs in a culinary school in Paris, Bistrot La Minette will satisfy anyone who appreciates the refined palette of 1960's French cuisine.  Their courtyard was ranked #1 in the city by Best of Philly.

Bistrot La Minette - 623 South 6th Street - http://www.bistrotlaminette.com/

AMADA

Amada is an authentic Spanish tapas bar by Jose Garces, an Iron Chef with seven restaurants in Philly. Yummy sangria, cheese, olives, meats, and no-fuss tapas.

Amada - 217-219 Chestnut Street - http://www.amadarestaurant.com/

L'ANGOLO

It-will-make-you-cry-it's-so-good Italian food.  Get the lobster ravioli and don't forget wine, because it's BYO.

L'Angolo Restaurant - 1415 West Porter Street - http://www.salentorestaurant.com/langolorest.html

CAFÉ LUTÉCIA

Lutécia is a cute Gallic-French lunch spot near Fitler square, owned by a French expat and her American husband. Try the tomato bisque (her secret is a dash of a special type of piment d'espelette imported from her hometown) and the goat cheese appetizer. Don't get the quiches—they suck, although my friend Jonathan disagrees. Closes at 4 PM.

Café Lutécia - 2301 Lomard Street

ZAHAV

Zahav, by chef Michael Solomonov, is a modern Israeli restaurant, featuring not only traditional Israeli fare, but also foods from some of the cultures that have influenced the small country: Morocco, Turkey, Yemen, Lebanon, and Egypt.  Absolutely delicious and highly recommended!

Zahav - 37 St. James Place - http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/

ALMA DE CUBA

Unlike many Starr restaurants, Alma de Cuba's high point is its food, not its ambiance.  With dishes like "The Fried Cow" on the menu, arrive absolutely starving.  Beware: if you do not like rum, you will not like Alma de Cuba.  It seems that every sauce, drink, marinade, and dessert has some form of rum in it.

Alma de Cuba - 1623 Walnut Street - http://www.almadecubarestaurant.com/

BINDI

Bindi is a modern Indian BYO in Midtown Village.  Unlike at some of the other Indian places I've been to in Philly, the chefs at Bindi understand the subtleties of Indian spices and rely instead on fresh products to create deep flavors.

Bindi - 105 South 13th Street - http://bindibyob.com/bindi/

LOLITA

Lolita is a Mexican BYO created by the same people as Bindi.  The food is excellent, again made with good understanding of spice.

Lolita - 106 South 13th Street - http://www.lolitabyob.com/lolita/

POD

I know that everyone and their dog has heard of Pod, but it really is quite good and it's certainly fun to feel like you live in the Jetsons' world for a meal.  Get the wasabi crusted filet mignon and "The Pink" champagne cocktail.

Pod - 3636 Sansom Street - http://www.podrestaurant.com/

TINTO

Another Iron Chef tapas bar!  Tinto has more inventive tapas than Amada, although I still prefer Amada's simplicity and emphasis on good raw materials.

Tinto - 114 S 20th Street - http://tintorestaurant.com/

Horizons

Are you vegan or veggie?  Want to start eating better?  Inventive and tasty, the food at Horizons is a must for anyone who doesn't eat meat.

Horizons - 611 South 7th Street - http://www.horizonsphiladelphia.com/

HONEY'S SIT N' EAT

The menu of this place rings especially to me, as it's a mixture of Jewish and Texan cuisine—basically, my life in the form of food. Fantastic brunch, trendy NoLibs crowd.

Honey's Sit N' Eat - 800 North 4th Street - http://www.honeys-restaurant.com/

BARCLAY PRIME

Barclay Prime looks like it is straight out of Gossip Girl.  Quality steaks, but come ready to spend; a Philadelphia cheesesteak will set you back about $100.

Barclay Prime - 237 South 18th Street - http://www.barclayprime.com/

WHITE DOG CAFE

White Dog Cafe is one of the most environmentally-friendly restaraunts in the city.  They use only pasture-fed meats and sustainable farming products.  Not to mention, the food is excellent!  Get the mushroom bisque and the hot apple cider (the glass cup comes rimmed in sugar... yum!).

EL VEZ

El Vez is a popular Mexican restaurant in the Gayborhood/Midtown Village with excellent margaritas and guacamole.  Be sure to take a photo in the vintage photo booth near the stairs to the bathrooms.

AUDREY CLAIRE

Audrey Claire is a charming Mediterranean BYO near Rittenhouse with a that menu changes often to accommodate each season's best products.  It's the sort of place that you leave comfortably full, but not overly so.


Audrey Claire - 276 South 20th Street - http://www.audreyclaire.com/ac/achome_flash.html

THE CONTINENTAL MID-TOWN

I'm the first to admit it—the main appeal here is its cool design.  The food?  It's good too, but a little gimmicky.  At night, take the elevator up to the rooftop bar, get a seat by the fireplace, and sip one of their many sugary cocktails.

The Continental Mid-Town - 1801 Chestnut Street - http://www.continentalmidtown.com/x

PIZZERIA STELLA

Another great Starr place in a really cute neighborhood near my grandparents house!  Inventive, down-to-earth pizzas in a no-frills (but still modern) setting.  I once went with my dog (named Stella too!) and our waitress was kind enough to bring her a bowl of water.

Pizzeria Stella - 420 South 2nd Street - http://www.starr-restaurant.com/stella/

PERCY STREET BARBECUE

Texan barbecue on South Street!  I know, you think that anything from Texas in Philly is impossible; however, I promise you, Percy Street Barbecue is indeed Texan in style—and good too!

Percy Street Barbecue - 600 South 9th Street - http://www.percystreet.com/ - http://www.percystreet.com/

PUMPKIN CAFE

Very eco. Get the chili.

Pumpkin Cafe - 1609 South Street - http://pumpkinphilly.com/

SANG KEE PEKING DUCK HOUSE

I've been going here with my family for as long as I can remember.  Get the duck rolls and make a special order for pan-friend noodles with beef in a spicy black bean sauce (emphasize spicy black bean sauce because it's not on the menu).  Also, don't try any of the Sang Kee restaurants outside of Chinatown.  They're not as good and unnecessarily pricier.

Sang Kee Peking Duck House - 238 North 9th Street - http://www.phillychinatown.com/sangkee.htm

BUTCHER AND SINGER

This eatery is everything a steak and chop house should be.  Housed in a converted grand old bank, Butcher and Singer is elegant and comfortable.  The dry-aged porterhouse may be expensive (starting at $46), but if you can afford it I recommend making the investment.  The stuffed hash browns are a cheesy delight too.

Butcher and Singer - 1500 Walnut Street - http://www.butcherandsinger.com/


THE LATEST DISH

The Latest Dish has creative and delectable food.  Get the duck eggrolls and seltan meatloaf.  A real foodie's heaven.

The Latest Dish - 613 South 4th Street - http://www.latestdish.com/

SABRINA'S

Sabrina's cafe serves breakfast all day.  Really, really, really, really good breakfast.  Favorites?  The stuffed French toast and sweet potato fries.  Although there is one by Logan Square, go to the original location by the Italian Market and take care of your groceries after brunch!

Sabrina's Cafe - 910 Christian Street - http://www.sabrinascafe.com/