Ippudo

Laura and I looked at each other as soon as we sat down, "This place is so New York."  Sure, Ippudo had a 20 minute wait at 11pm.  And the dark, slick interior is cool as can be.  Thumping club music bounces offs the wall and all the servers and cooks yell out greeting in Japanese to each new party.  The point is, Ippudo oozes atmosphere.  And places that do that usually get by with average or good food.

But Ippudo has amazing food.  Truly delicious.  Japanese gourmet ramen.  A concept that sounds so simple until you taste it. 

My recommendation: Order the pork buns for an appetizers and stick with the classic ramen.  Laura and I both loved our dishes, large bowls filled with noodles and other fresh ingredients.

Bottom Line: Ippudo has top notch food and atmosphere.  It's cool and delicious.  That's rare, and is why there is still a wait for dinner at 11pm.

East Village, on 4th Ave between 9th and 10th

Taco Riendo

After biking past here for years, I finally ventured in!  This little Mexican establishment is weird, ordering is done at a counter and the whole place has a cafeteria feel.  Charlie and I were out after a long day of work on the house, and this meal certainly hit the spot.

We ordered chips and salsa to start, and the salsa was a weak, watery excuse for salsa. Although it provided some good heat, it still left something to be desired.

I ordered a spicy shredded chicken burrito.  Overall, it was filling and quite tasty; my only compliant was that it was not spicy.  Charlie ordered the special: salmon tacos and enjoyed his meal as well.  Portion sizes are decent for the prices.

It's BYOB, they sell Mexican (real cane sugar) soda, they use fresh ingredients, and it's pretty cheap.  To be honest, there are a lot of spots similar, but that doesn't mean Taco Riendo isn't enjoyable.  The service seemed a bit slow though.

Bottom Line: If you want great Mexican food in fancy taco bell atmosphere, this is the spot.  The prices and quality make this a great spot, but I'd opt forgo dine in for to-go next time.

Interstate Draft House

A bright Interstate sign illuminates this great little new spot from an otherwise unremarkable block.  I stopped in the other night to check out what it's all about.

The Interstate Draft House is a beer bar/gastropub rendition by the owner of the late Azure in Northern Liberties.  Great craft beer selection is combined with pub and Mexican food.  The atmosphere here is great; it's really cozy, dim with candles along the bar.  A medium sized wooden bar runs half the length of the building and gives way to a dining room in the back.  Good music plays in the background until the Phillies come on.  And I love when bars play the sound for local sports casts.

There's on HD TV over the bar, and a chalkboard will the current beer selections.  With the exception of the prices noted on the beer list (and this is a welcomed inclusion), many details are reminiscent of Memphis Taproom.  I say this with a note of admiration.  I was hoping this new spot would have a lower price point, but let's face it: Fishtown is expensive now.  This place, in price and a lot of other ways, it right up there with Memphis and Kraftwork.

The staff here is attentive and friendly; more so than I expect.  I did visit while the business was quite new, but these guys still seemed genuine.  For the menu, there are a few options that sound great.  The one downside is that the mains and all sides are separate.  First, ordering a burger and getting just that on a plate is disappointing; somehow just wrong (fries are a right, not a privilege).  Second, a simple meal can inflate to almost $20 with a main and a side.

I ordered the Cubano, and this was a traditional representation of the delicious pressed sandwich.  No complaints here; good ingredients, with special props to the spicy mustard.  Rachel ordered the quesadilla and was happy with her order.  The real treat was our order of fried plantains; sticky-sweet, perfectly cooked, and overall delicious.  The might not be the best food to go with beer, but I'm happy to order them anytime nonetheless.

I like to write a lot when I visit spots and I doubt most anyone reads the whole thing.

The Bottom Line: I like this spot, it will thrive. I hope that it can keep the neighborhood feel and not get overrun.  Interesting beer lists and a tasty, albeit a bit overpriced food menu will keep the folks coming again and again.

Cash only at the moment.  On Palmer, just north of Girard.

Port Richmond Pour House

Short and Sweet:

This place is simple; and I like it.  Cheap craft beer ($4) and even cheaper bad beer.  There isn't any food, just a no frills bar deep in Port Richmond.  Friendly staff, a good mix of locals and hipsters, and a low key spot to catch some baseball.

Head bartender from Swift Half runs this joint.  Hot Dogs coming soon!

2253 East Clearfield Street