Cuba Libre

Late nights are a nightmare here.  Brunch, however, is a real treat.  It's served tapas style, and although you can order all-you-can-eat brunch, you can certainly fill up for less than the $25 price tag. 

The decor here is pretty nice, they definitely spend a good amount of cash making the place look cool. There's even a DJ for Sunday brunch playing easy listening bossa nova.  Coffee is strong and the service is good.  Everything is brought out as it is prepared, and this can sometime be a bit much as you can have four or five dishes suddenly piled up on the table.

I was dining with my friend Holly and we ordered all of our food from the breakfast part of the menu.  We started with the assorted breakfast breads, and this was literally a mixed bag.  Some were awesome (churro) while the muffin was far too sweet.  The mango butter, however, is heavenly. The chorizo omelet was also one of the stars of the menu.

Bottom Line: Lots of small tasting plates makes for a nice, if slightly pricey brunch.  Make sure you visit with someone who likes to share.

Old City Coffee

Great treats and coffees. It's pricey though. I ordered the old city malted milkshake, and it was awesome, but I think my $6 could be better spent elsewhere. Still, this shake has perfect consistency, and was made with two shots of espresso. I'm sure I drank it much more quickly than I should have.

The atmosphere here is okay, but I wouldn't make it a normal coffee shop for myself, even if I lived close-by. It's not the most cozy. The owner was working when I went in and she was nice. I was out with a few friends and we shared the chocolate chip cookie. It was pretty good, not amazing.

Bottom Line: This place is fine. They have some fun coffee inspired shakes, and tasty baked goods. Just nothing that stands out.

221 Church St (between 2nd and 3rd, market and arch)

Buddakan

Buddakan is the quintessential Steven Starr restaurant. The food is goodish, and the atmosphere is great. The price is more than it should be, especially for drinks, but the majority of your money is going to decor and ambiance.

Nonetheless, I have been looking forward to dining here for a while. I was treating myself, and really wanted to enjoy the whole experience. I made my way to the bar and ordered a cocktail, awakening. It was made with Jose Cuervo, a thai chili, and pineapple juice, and was well made. Still, cocktails here are 10-13, plus tax and tip, which seems to be a bit much. There are some decent beer options available, I remember 60 IPA being $6. I was out with my friend Lena, and once I got to the table I split a pitcher of sangria, which was good an lasted the whole meal. Our server was attentive about filling up our glasses through out the night.

The service over all is good here. All of the dishes come out with good timing and are set in the middle for sharing. For starters we ordered the Kobe beef skewers and dumplings. Both of these were fine, nothing amazing, didn't have incredible flavor. My favorite part of the whole meal was my entree. I ordered the sea bass; it had great flavor, and was served with butternut squash. Lena ordered the Asian Pork BBQ, which was served medium rare and was good. The BBQ flavor was light but tasty. The weird thing about this dish was it was served with huge onion rings, and they seemed out of place.

For dessert we both went with a dish called Crying Chocolate. It was a small lava cake served with a dollop of Vietnamese coffee ice cream. We both really liked the dessert, Lena said the ice cream had a really authentic flavor; it was strong. I liked the cake a lot and it was a great way to finish out dinner.

Bottom Line: Service is decent, and atmosphere is great. The food isn't going to amaze you, but like all Starr restaurants, it's a nice experience.

Sassafras International Cafe

Sassafras, you're misplaced. Olde City is a sea of poor service, overcrowded bars, and annoying patrons. You escape the pitfalls and stand out.

I've been meaning to eat here for years. And there's a lot to like about this place. As soon as you step inside, the decor stands out. Simple, historic, well taken care of. A long wooden bar leads along one side with small dining area in the back. There's a fireplace, but sadly, it's not in use. There's also an awesome textured ceiling. And I hear the lady's room is a sight to see.

I was out with my good friend Cambria while we were waiting for a showtime of "Black Swan." I didn't get anything to drink, but the beer list was respectable. Lots of local beers. There isn't anything that isn't readily available elsewhere, but still good choices nonetheless. There's also an extensive whiskey list.

Our server was excellent. He had a fantastic dry sense of humor, and he was on top of everything all evening. He knew a lot about the menu, including the fat content of all of the different burgers, which was helpful info and impressive. We both opted for burgers, medium-rare lamb for myself and veggie for Cambria. They were served with sweet potatoe fries and garlic aioli, and both of these were great.

My burger was excellent. It was juicy, and cooked exactly right. The lamb was a great meat for the burger, with a different taste than beef but the same consistency and texture. There are a lot of options for toppings and cheese, but I went simple with American cheese. Overall, it's an excellent burger, and probably the best in the area. It's also pretty sizable, I'd guess between 6 and 8 oz. The veggie burger is impressive, with a red bean and wheat base. It actually tastes good and has a pretty palatable texture. I don't eat veggie burgers often, but I could certainly enjoy this one.

Bottom Line: I don't make my way down here often, and Eulogy is still my first choice. But Sassafras has a nice bar, a great atmoshpere, good service, and tasty burgers. It gets my recommendation, even if it may be quite some time before my next visit. Still, I wouldn't recommend showing up here after 8:30 on the weekends.

Triumph Brewing Company

If you're in the know, you can order a very special cheeseburger at Triumph. It's not on the menu. They also have beers that are not on the taplist. These cool secrets raise this spot a bit in my book.

Jonny and I split this burger, and I'm glad we did. Because I would have felt horrible (mentally and possibly physically) if I ate it all alone. It starts with pork belly fried in duck fat. This delicious patty is then sandwiched by two grass-fed beef patties. This is all topped with bacon, gruyere, truffle oil, duck fat onion confit, a fried egg, and lettuce and tomato and onion. All served on a buttery brioche roll, this burger is a feat to be tasted.

Triumph has a beautiful, open space on Chestnut in Olde City. They have two bars pouring a good selection of there beer, all of which is made on location. The menu isn't amazing, it's standard American gastropub fare with regular prices. Avoid the mediocre calamari.

Bottom Line: I don't like to visit Olde City bars often, but the special burger tempted me. I really enjoyed it. I'm not running back to Triumph anytime soon, but I'll consider it if I'm in the neighborhood. (And then probably walk across the street to Eulogy)

Essentials:

117 Chestnut St (Chestnut & Front)

215-625-0855

Hours: 11:30-2am daily

Avg En: 8-16

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Taken, needed on busy nights

Photo from: burgerdelphia.com

Eulogy Belgian Tavern

I've written about Euloguy in the past, and my last visit was nothing different. I did, however, use it as an oppertunity to test out my new camera:

The shrimp here are massive. They're cooked in shell, which gives them a great flavor, but can also make they annoying to eat. I highly

recommend these if you're an Old Bay fan. My burger was excellent as well. The day bartender here is awesome, he's knowledgeable about beer, and I always leave having learned something. He knowledge about beer never comes off as condescending either. I love this place for lunch, and I favor this place to monk's because they always seem to have delicious beers on tap that I really love, like Gulden Draak, Kwak Amber, and St Bernardus 12. It's a little pricey overall, but worth it.

La Locanda Del Ghiottone

In a rare mood Friday night, I suggested and Italian dinner. When I saw how excited Emily got, I couldn't turn it down. Somehow, La Locando wound up on my short list of places to try out, and so we were off.

La Locanda Del Ghiottone is a cozy little BYO in Olde City. It's a plus that there's a good wine store only a few blocks away at 2nd and Market. The atmosphere is the most noticeable aspect of dining. It's small, loud, and and inviting. The tables are crammed together in a fashion that if you don't talk to the people next to you at least politely at some point, it's more awkward than ignoring them. The servers all work together and are excellent and almost nonstop. The servers also like to joke around, give you a hard time, and yell at the top of their lungs. If you're not in the mood, it could be annoying, but it's really all in good fun. When taking too long to order, the waiter asked me if I was "waiting for the executioner to come."

We started out with mussels as the appetizer. They claim to use a "14 year old secret sauce." It's no secret that it could use some improvement. White wine is the best base for mussels, and although we were severed delicious mussels, the red tomato sauce just doesn't cut it. These were, however, well cooked and sizable. It was a good amount for $9.

A regiment of specials compliment the regular menu, and they seem to be a great place to start looking for dinner. I remember hearing that he gnocchi here was excellent, so I chose that with Gorgonzola tomato sauce. The gnocchi is made from ricotta, and it truly is probably the best gnocchi I've ever had. It's rich and creamy, and the sauce was excellent; it complimented the pasta without overpowering it. The portion was perfectly sized. Emily was excited about the spaghetti carbonara. She order it sans bacon, and her dish was also great. Well prepared and tasty with a good mix of the ingredients. By the end of the meal, we were too full to take on dessert. I did see it from the table next to us, and it looked great.

Bottom Line: This place is a lot of fun. The food here is great, too, so it's not like you're just coming for the atmosphere. You definitely have to be in a particular mood to enjoy dinner. It's a great little BYO, and it has excellent prices for where it's located in the city and what you get.

Essential:

130 N 3rd St (3rd and Race)

215-829-1465

Avg Ent: 14-20

Cash Only: Yes

Reservations: Required

BYOB: Yes, no cork fee

Amada: Restaurant Week

As soon as I found out the dates for Restaurant week, I was on the phone making reservations at Amada within minutes. I met up with Quinn for drinks at Eulogy, and we then headed over for our 8pm reservations. We only waited a few minutes before we were seated. Amada is a huge, sprawling restaurant. The decor in the front in like a classy general store with a nice long open bar, while the back turns into a normal dining room after the open air kitchen.

Quinn had done a good bit of research (and I hadn't) and picked out everything that we ordered. Amada, like Chifa, is tapas inspired. Small dishes, meant for sharing, populate the table during the whole meal. For our first course, we started with an aged Manchego cheese. It was served with honey and apple slices, and the combination of these three were heavenly. We also ordered Serrano Ham, a thinly sliced antipasta style dish. This was good, but lacked the flavor to carry itself. The texture was more impressive than the taste. We followed up with goat cheese and roasted veggies on bread; nothing memorable here. We also had an order of garlic shrimp, and this tasted great.

The second course started with seasoned wild mushroom. I can't stress enough: These were amazing. That dish was one of the best things I've tasted in months. Excellent mushrooms in an even better marinade. We rounded out the second course with grilled chorizo, which was very good. We also had lima bean salad. It was okay. It had a weird texture and there were many menu ideas I would have rather tried. Lastly, we had grilled calamari, and that was great, too.

We had each of one of the desserts. I'm not a huge dessert person, and neither of these were that good. The best part was a complimentary almond wafer, which was basically a larger delicious fortune cookie.

For drinks, I usually don't expect much from nice restaurants. Amada, however, has a good, small selection. They have one representative from several styles: pilsner, IPA, lager, red ale, and stout. And they're all solid selections and normally priced. I had two Founders' Centennial IPA. Quinn stuck with the sangria and enjoyed that a lot. Amada has an extensive wine list, but I ignored it.

Bottom Line: It's easy to see why this spot is wildly popular. I've heard that it's even better off restaurant week. The atmosphere is cool and the service was great (Thanks Shelly!). Overall, the menu contains some hit or miss items, which is unfortunate. I was pleased with my meal, but this isn't at the top of my list for places to eat in the city. With the exception of the lima beans, everything was very good at the least, and spectacular at best.

Essentials:

217 Chestnut St

215-625-2450

Hours: Weekdays, 11:30-2:30, 5-10; weekend 11:30-2:30, 4-12

Avg meal: 40-60

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Required

Zahav

This is part four of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Rachel and I went out for a final restaurant week visit. Zahav is incredibly popular; I made the reservations about five weeks in advance, and even then I had to pick a few dates before I could get a reasonable time. Oddly enough, there were empty seats the whole time that we were eating.

The atmosphere is really nice; they have really focused on it and crafted it. The lighting, ambiance, music, layout all works really well. Zahav has an open kitchen that pushes out the dish to a small staging area with heat lamps. Not only does this look cool, but it's an efficient and effective way to serve up their food.

The service was great. Zahav has a nice team of severs and food runners; we were well taken care of, water was always filled, dishes were quickly cleared. The service was on par with the rest of the dining experience. Everything that we ordered was part of the $35 restaurant week menu. It was an amazing (and I really use that word sparingly) deal.

There was so much food! To start off, we were offered pita bread and hummus and eight different salads. The salad portions were really small, just enough to get a taste of each one, but it was really nice to be able to try so many different styles. The pita bread was probably the best I've ever had; warm, fluffy and doughy.

We had four appetizers between us. Grilled sheep's milk cheese was great, as were the fried cauliflower. These two were excellent, and the next two the low points of the evening. The cured wild sturgeon was salty, but interesting. The stuffed baby peppers were filled with cold rice, walnuts and feta, but tasted somewhat bland. That being said, there is plenty on the appetizer menu to please everyone.

By this point in the meal, we were getting pretty full. It was nice that the entrees were manageable portions, only slightly bigger than the appetizers. Rachel went with a dish a beef and lamb, which came out looking like two meatballs. Poor presentation. She said they tasted okay. I was far to busy raving over my dish; swordfish over lentils and green beans. This dish blew me away. It was probably the best tasting food I've had this year. So, so good.

My dessert was the best way to finish, right on par with the rest of the food. I had a chocolate semifreddo, which is somewhere between mousse and ice cream. It was served with a caramel sesame glaze. It was so rich, but so tasty, that I couldn't stop eating it. Phenomenal.

This was my favorite restaurant I've been to in a very long time. I recently went to Marrakesh, and I really enjoyed that spot. But Zahav makes it look like McDonald's of Middle Eastern food.

The biggest downside is the beer. There are a few good, carefully selected brews like 90 IPA, Yard's saison and Prima Pils, amoung others. But these are all bottle offerings, and don't seem to be worth the price. Go with the wine, or save some money and stick with water. There's enough flavor coming at you from all of the different foods.

Bottom Line: Zahav was completely delicious. It far surpassed my expectations and redefinied what I expect of the best restaurants. The menu for restaurant week was phenomenal, but it's absolute worth a visit at anytime.

Essentials:

237 St James Pl (2nd and Walnut)

(215) 625-8800

Avg Ent: 36-42

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes

Spasso Italian Grill

This is part three of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Italian food is not my jam. I'm almost never going to pick out an Italian spot. That's why it was great when Quinn and I went out last week, and she insisted upon this spot. I would have never picked it on my own.

I have to get the atmosphere out of the way. This place is big and open, with booths and tables. The layout is weird. It feels a bit corporate. There were large groups of Italian families inside. Loud children were right next to us, too. It definitely doesn't feel like a nicer restaurant. This distracted from the meal a bit. Our server was clearly Italian. I like it when my server is an expert in the food being served. We had good service throughout the meal.

Spasso had an awesome special going for restaurant week. $35 brought four courses to the table. Quinn and I ate so much food, I honestly don't think my appetite came back for 24 hours. To start off, I went with the fried calamari. I love this dish, and this was an average rendition. I wasn't impressed, but it wasn't bad either. Quinn went with a fried crab cake. It was a large crab cake that was seasoned interestingly. I can't put my finger on what it was, but it was a nice experiment with a dish that can easily be bland.

Our next course was the house pasta dish. It was offered as part of the special, and they picked the pasta and sauce. We were served penne with a simple red sauce. It was nice, but in reality, I probably didn't need it before the main course.

For my main, I ordered gnocchi with asiago and asparagus. Quinn went with spinach ravioli stuff with four different cheeses. The presentation on both of our dishes was good, and my portions were great too. I though that Quinn's was a bit small, with five large ravioli's making up the whole dish. The gnocchi was great; perfectly cooked. The white wine sauce was well balanced. The asiago and asparagus additions completed the dish well.

For dessert, Quinn took the chocolate mousse cake. It was awesome. It was so rich, that we didn't finish it between the two of us. It was a great piece of cake. When our server told us that profiterole was available, I had to jump at the chance (because of "Look Around You." If you

haven't seen this video, you really need to take 2 minutes and check it out). Unfortunately, my dessert was simply a dollop of ice cream between two hard, bland biscuits.

Bottom Line: Spasso's tag line is "comfort food from Italy," and I think they success in this department. I may not ht up this spot again, but especially considering their restaurant week offering, I think this is a nice spot. If you want simple, good Italian food, this is a viable option.

Essentials:

34 S Front St (Front and Chestnut)

215) 592-7661

Avg Ent: 15-22

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes

BYOB: No

Last of the Belgians: Eulogy

I'm not totally sure why I hadn't been to Eulogy in so long. Sure, it's in a spot that annoying to drive to, and weekend night here are more crazy than that of the zoo. But my love of beer and food should bring me here more often.

Eulogy has a lot in common with Monk's: Excellent Belgian bars with great tap and bottle lists. They both have great food, including mussels, and also sport multiple bars with different taps. So far, everything is great. But I'm not just going to write a comparison between the two, because it might just be boring.

I've been on a quest for my favorite burger in Philly, but after eating too many fist-thick pub burgers, I decided to scale back a bit. Still, I've heard good things about the burger here, so I couldn't resist. The result? A perfectly cooked, shaped and seasoned burger. Burgers come with your choice of cheese and one topping. Cheddar and leeks did me very well. It's easily one of my top burger spots in the city. I also tried the white wine mussels. These are also a delicious choice.

Now throw some of the best beer selection in the city on top? Eulogy makes good use of their bar to serve up a Belgian heavy menu, while also keeping a few excellent domestic beers. I started out with Kwak Amber. It was a delicious beer, and could only be outdone by me next choice, Gulden Draak. These are some of the premier beers in the world, available only a short bike ride from my house. The Draak comes in at %10.5, but is so well crafted you can't even tell. Sure, it's $9 a glass, but that doesn't change my recommendation.

I visited over lunch, so it was pretty slow and the staff was restocking a bit and moving things around. But the food still came out quickly, and the bartender was on top of the service. To boot, he was also really cool. I'm sure it's a trend with most who work here.

Bottom Line: Come here ready to eat, drink, and have an excellent time. Make sure you have your wallet, because the bill can add up quickly, especially with the beer. This is one of the top spots in the Olde City, and my favorite Belgian spot in Philly.

Essentials:

136 Chestnut Street (2nd and Chestnut)

(215) 413-1918

Avg Ent: 9-16

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Yes

Continental

Dear Stephen:

I really like your restaurants. I generally tell people that you're a great restauranteer, and with the number of new places that you open up seems that the general public seems to agree. But I have a few questions.

First, why don't you think beer is important? I mean, when the best thing at the Continental is Anchor Steam, it's kind of a bummer. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but it was slightly overpriced and really the only decent option. You definitely focus more on the food, but I think you could stand to do both. Is your next venture a beer bar? I wouldn't be surprised. But you might be too busy trying to out do (or ignore) Tochonelli's.

Second, what's up with the Continental. Maybe the question should be what's up with me, becuase I don't seem to like this place as much as everyone else seems to. The food seems overpriced, the portions are small, and the food is decent, but nothing more.

I'll admit, you've cultivated a really cool swanky diner feel where the point is for

everyone to share a bunch of dishes and enjoy themselves. Your servers are great, and overall, this isn't a terrible place. I just don't see any reason why I'd ever come back. There is definitely one shining menu item, the shoestring fries. It's pretty sweet that you can get a heaping pile of decent fries for under $4, with crazy hot mustard in toe. Honestly, if there was some decent beer, I'd stop by for a drink and some fries all the time.

Bottom Line: You're doing a great job. I just think that this place isn't your strongest effort. I'm guessing it's a lot better with a larger group, six to eight seems ideal. This also seems like an ideal people watching spot. As for food and and service, you continue to operate under the "Starr Standard" (I just coined that, how about some kickback?).

Love,

Walter G

Essentials:

2nd and Market, 18th and Chestnut

Avg Ent: 8-15 (but one won't fill you up)

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Recommended

National Mechanics

Since I've been cooking at home a lot, I'm going to draw on my back catalogue of dining out experiences. I've been to National Mechanics a few times, and there is one specific reason that keeps me coming back: The lunch special featuring $5 burgers and decent pitchers, with Yard's and PBC represented.

National Mechanics is a totally weird place. It's some kind of historic building (it looks like a bank from the outside) that has been converted into a great looking bar. It has a nice hardwood bar and a decent amount of high-top tables and booths. As far as service goes, don't expect much. My favorite detail about National Mechanics is there pint glasses featuring local celebs like Rocky, John Street (with Nutter drinking it), Cole Hamels, and the likes.

There is a better than average beer selection, but it's overpriced. Your best bet is to still with the local brews, and last time I went the PBC and Yards were both kicked; no replacements on the horizon. Like I said, don't expect much from the service.

The burger is very good, and at $5, it becomes excellent. It even comes with fries! This place is sweet. There's a veggie burger available at the same price for all of the non-meat eaters.

Bottom Line: This place is great for lunch. I never have been, and probably never will go to this in the evening, partly because of much better options. The beer selection and availability of pitchers is nice, especially for Olde City. There are probably a whole load of people who love this place because it's exactly their kind of "thing." I'm not one of those people.

Essentials:

22 S 3rd St (3rd and Market)

(215) 701-4883

Avg Ent: 5-?

Cash only: No

Reservations: Takes them, not needed for lunch

Race Street Cafe

I would have never thought the Race street cafe was a serious bar or restaurant. I passed by it dozens of time without even realizing so. With its proximity to the major tourist district, it could stay probably in business with mediocrity made unimportant by prime location. Race Street is an easy place to get to if you're on a bicycle, kind of inconvenient otherwise. The guys working there were nice enough to make change for the meter. A quarter only gets you 7.5 minutes now, so there's a real need to stock up.

There is an impressive tap menu with 15 taps, one being a hand pump. There was a great mix of all kinds of different beers, and I love a place that strives to have a few brews that aren't found elsewhere in the city. I had a Summit Pale Ale, which I've never even heard of before, and it complemented my food well.

For atmosphere, the bar is really nice. There are three tables outside, and I think it's really nice to eat outside when the weather is great. They even have a dish for water for dogs when you're outside. There is a nice wooden bar, and although I was barely inside, it seemed like a great spot. I went with Jonny and we arrived shortly after the opening time, so the waiters weren't too attentive. The menu had a good mix; this is a great brunch spot, and I image it's even better for dinner. I ordered a frittata, which came with their "brunch salad." My meal was excellent. Jonny had some kind of Mexican themed breakfast, which also looked good. I was really impressed with the food.

Bottom Line: This is easily one of the best bars in the Olde City area. Still, it's not remarkable. I'd like to give it a shot again, and see how it is on a weekend night. With a great menu, and an ample supply of beer, Race Street could be a regular spot for almost anyone.

Essentials:
208 Race St (2nd and Race)
(215) 627-6181
Avg Ent: 8-13
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

The Khyber

I like beer a lot. And while The Khyber will never really be able to compete with the great beer bars of the city, The Khyber is a great bar in its own way. There are a few reasons that I really like this spot.

Location and Atmosphere: Olde city is full of bad, crowded bars. In other parts of town, the Khyber might not be worth mentioning. But because it's so much better than a lot of bars in a three block radius, the Kyber gains some ground. Further, it's gritty bar where the real salt of the earth come out. I don't know where that phrase comes from, but when I sit at the bar, I'm surronded by a legit crowd.

Music: In addition to a good jukebox, the Khyber is a great small venue. It has a small stage next to the bar downstairs and another space upstairs with a second bar. Downstairs has decent bands for modest cover charges, while upstairs will play indie rock and ear-numbing levels. If you feel cool enough, you can dance the night away.

Specials: The Khyber has an awesome happy hour. 5 to 8 pm, which is a good start. Throw in $2 Yards pints and the $4 Royal burger. Results: Awesomeness. On top of that, $10 open bar, or "Kill Your Liver" is every Sunday.

Food and Drink: The Khyber has a a decent selection of beer. They don't have anything amazing, but the variety have something on tap to please any palette. And if not, go for the $2 PBR pounder. As for the food, the Khyber has a small but varied menu of greasy bar food that's surprisingly cheap and delicious. They even have veg and vegan options.

Service: I'm pretty sure I've had the same bartender a majority of times I've been to the Khyber, but he's a cool guy. There's not much in the way of traditional service, but that's not why you're at the Khyber.

With all of the above mentioned, The Khyber adds up to be a great spot. Maybe I'm a bit biased. I just like the place.

Essentials:

56 S 2nd St (2nd and Chestnut)

215-238-5888

Avg Ent: 3-6

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: No

BYOB: No