Philadelphia Magaznie puts together an ambition list every year called "Best of Philly." In a number of different categories, the magazine tries to describe not only the best food, but shopping, nightlife, and basically every facet of city life.
So that's a cool idea. But I took issue with a few of the winners. Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I'm certainly over critical. I guess that's why I'm writing this right now. I'm submitting a few of my own revisions. They certainly have more categories than I could every attempt on my own. But still...please comment:
Best Raman
Philadelphia Mag: Nom Nom Ramen
My Pick: Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House: New location makes slurping these delicious (and cheap!) noodles even better.
Best Whiskey List
Philadelphia Mag: Village Whiskey
My Pick: JRs Place: Sure, Garces has a great restaurant. But JRs, despite the strange location and atmoshopere, simply has more whiskey. And it's cheaper to boot.
Best Breakfast
Philadelphia Mag: Fitzwater Cafe: Not sure how this place won. There are at least a handful doing better breakfast.
My Pick: Carmen's Country Kitchen: I know I'm biased towards Carmen's. But I love the idea of this place: two sweet options, two savory. Local, fresh ingredients. A friendly staff that always asks your name when you come inside. Maybe Carmen's isn't the best breakfast, but it's certainly my favorite.
Best Beer Shop
Philadelphia Mag: Bottle shop at Local 44
My Pick: Go to New Jersey: I know this is for Philadelphia, but seriously, the prices on 6 packs and to go beer here are so expensive, it's just a joke. Really for the best beer in the city, Bella Vista has the best selection but highest prices as well. Global or Bell's are the best distributors in the city.
Food Truck
Philadelphia Mag: Pitruco Pizza: Sure, they're good, and a brick oven in a truck is a cool idea. But when food trucks hit $8-9, it's just not the best option in that price range
My Pick: Honests Tom's wins for food, and Rival Bros wins for drink: Both of these truck focus on one thing, and do that one thing immensely well.
Best Coffee Shop
Philadelphia Mag: Ultimo
My Pick: Oneshot Coffee: Both are excellent and this is more a matter of preference, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better looking coffee shop than the renovated Oneshot. The food and coffee is great as well.
Best Cocktail Bar
Philadelphia Magazine: Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company: This is probably the winner that prompted me to write this whole list. Over the last few years, I've witnessed Franklin take a nose dive in terms of quality and service. Everything that made it cool, the speakeasy feel, slick service, no sign out front, etc have all been abandoned to welcome in the masses.
My pick: I haven't been to Hop Sing Laundromat yet, but I'm sure it's better than Franklin. For a speakeasy feel, Ranstead Room offers up great cocktails as well, and succeeds where Franklin fails.
Best Chicken Wings
Philadelphia Magazine: Jug Handle Inn
My Pick: I will soon be making a trip to the Jug Handle Inn. But they standard they will have to live up to is Moriarty's. Because those are the best wings in the city proper. (Hottest goes to Monks, or possibly Ortliebs.)
Best Gastropub
Philadelphia Magazine: Alla Spina: No doubt this is a great place. But it also only added a burger a number of days ago. Excellent restaurant, sure. Gastropub? You're stretching the definition.
My Pick: Kraftwork: Great food, excellent beer list, rotating on both fronts. Late night happy hour, outdoor seating, and overall just a lot of things to life. PS, it's a gastropub.
I could keep going, but I digress. There's a lot of great food and drink in this city, and every business mentioned here should be proud. There's also a handful of other places that are just a notch below the best. I'm really glad to live here. And it looks like my food to do list just grew again.
Showing posts with label bar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bar. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Era
Era is a wonderful mixture: a beautiful oval shaped bar, drunk life-long neighborhood residents, delicious food, young "edgy" college students, and cheap prices. This is a spot where you can watch baseball, meet weirdos, and play quizzo; all at the same time. After drinking at Era several times, I've finally dined there too.
Era is a great spot. The bar is one of my favorites in the city, in terms of construction. It's long, round, and right in the center of the room. A friendly bar tender pops up and down it pouring beers and serving up the ubiquitous city wide special. Familiar craft beers like Yards are on tap, and the keg of SlyFox 113 IPA seems to be endless. With a pool table to boot, Era already has the makings of a decent and interesting bar.
But the menu! Delicious Ethiopian food is servered up for lunch and dinner, and the entrees top out at $12. Vegetarian, chicken, beef, and lamb (the only real disappointment here, as it was much too tough) are all represented on the menu with different spices and sauces. When you order, you meal comes out on a huge plate covered in injera, an Ethiopian pancake like bread. You dig in with your hands and make a delicious mess. And it's honestly more food than one person can reasonably eat.
Bottom Line: Era is weird, Era is cheap, Era has good food. The service is lax, but the whole experience is unique. I like it.
Era is a great spot. The bar is one of my favorites in the city, in terms of construction. It's long, round, and right in the center of the room. A friendly bar tender pops up and down it pouring beers and serving up the ubiquitous city wide special. Familiar craft beers like Yards are on tap, and the keg of SlyFox 113 IPA seems to be endless. With a pool table to boot, Era already has the makings of a decent and interesting bar.
But the menu! Delicious Ethiopian food is servered up for lunch and dinner, and the entrees top out at $12. Vegetarian, chicken, beef, and lamb (the only real disappointment here, as it was much too tough) are all represented on the menu with different spices and sauces. When you order, you meal comes out on a huge plate covered in injera, an Ethiopian pancake like bread. You dig in with your hands and make a delicious mess. And it's honestly more food than one person can reasonably eat.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Stateside
(As this semester gets even more busy, I will neglect writing here. But here's a recent snippet)
I'm really down with Stateside. A good happy hour is one of the quickest ways to my heart, and Stateside has one of the best. 5-7 M-F the decent beer list, which is already reasonably priced, is half off. To top it off, dollar oysters are served up by the plateful.
The atmosphere here is pretty cool, they're going for the classy 1950s era where cocktails were king. The bartenders are dressed smartly, and the whole concept just seems to work.
For the food, none of the small plates are large enough or tasty enough to leave a memorable impression. It's good at the time; but that's about the best I can say. I won't be back for a meal any time soon.
The staff is working out some kinks to this new place, and the space is small, but I'm down. The new American tapas is an interesting concept, albeit a bit pricey. At the very least, check it out for happy hour before this place gets mobbed.
*On Passyunk just north of Tasker St.
I'm really down with Stateside. A good happy hour is one of the quickest ways to my heart, and Stateside has one of the best. 5-7 M-F the decent beer list, which is already reasonably priced, is half off. To top it off, dollar oysters are served up by the plateful.
The atmosphere here is pretty cool, they're going for the classy 1950s era where cocktails were king. The bartenders are dressed smartly, and the whole concept just seems to work.
For the food, none of the small plates are large enough or tasty enough to leave a memorable impression. It's good at the time; but that's about the best I can say. I won't be back for a meal any time soon.
The staff is working out some kinks to this new place, and the space is small, but I'm down. The new American tapas is an interesting concept, albeit a bit pricey. At the very least, check it out for happy hour before this place gets mobbed.
*On Passyunk just north of Tasker St.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Ressurection Ale House
A limited food menu and a good beer selection are the main points of Resurrection Ale House. There are better spots for food and beer, especially considering the price.
Twice fried chicken is a dark, crunchy and small meal.
If I was a rich yuppie trying to convince myself I was "down with the people" and that I "love craft beer" I probably be a regular. IF.
Lamb burger's flavor leaves something to be desired.
Labels:
American,
bar,
Beer,
gastropub,
Graduate Hospital
Monday, November 7, 2011
Trestle Inn
The Trestle Inn is, simply put, a very cool joint. It boasts a decent beer list, and impressive whiskey list, and decent food to boot. The decor is perfect.
Large video projections of black and white go-go dancers play on the wall in the background. They might make your grandparents blush, but this place is for guys and gals.
Happy hour has some decent specials, $3 Whiskey Sours are the deal. Some of the other prices, like $7 per oz of Jamison, are flat-out criminal. The snack plate, with little meat and veggie bites, is a near perfect appetizer and/or bar snack.
I remember when this was a dirty, shady bar serving underage Temple students. Other than the storefront, everything has changed.
Bottom Line: Trestle Inn is swank. That fact alone will bring hordes of people, including me, back again and again.
@11th and Callowhill.
Large video projections of black and white go-go dancers play on the wall in the background. They might make your grandparents blush, but this place is for guys and gals.
Happy hour has some decent specials, $3 Whiskey Sours are the deal. Some of the other prices, like $7 per oz of Jamison, are flat-out criminal. The snack plate, with little meat and veggie bites, is a near perfect appetizer and/or bar snack.
I remember when this was a dirty, shady bar serving underage Temple students. Other than the storefront, everything has changed.
Bottom Line: Trestle Inn is swank. That fact alone will bring hordes of people, including me, back again and again.
@11th and Callowhill.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Molly Malloy's
Already one of my favorite spots in the city, Reading Terminal got an upgrade with the opening of Molly Malloy's. It's a great use of space, with a huge, long U-shaped bar.
The food menu is extensive, and the prices are pretty good too. I stopped in here with my buddy Dan. His go to order, fish and chips, was pretty good, but a smallish portion. I felt the same way about my order, the Irish stew. We saw a good number of sandwiches come out of the kitchen, and they were pretty big.
The beer list here includes 24 or so taps, and while they didn't present me with anything new, the selection is still good. The pricing is wonky, with some beers normal prices (Bud $3, blithering idiot $5 wine glass) and some outragous (Rouge Dead Guy $9). Still, the point is there good beers are available.
Happy hour is from 4 to 6, when the bar closes. It's a bit odd that the bar closes the same time as the market.
Bottom Line: This spot is a pretty and tasty welcomed addition to reading terminal market. While its promises to be overcrowded with those on break from jury duty and conventions, it'd still worth a stop for your lunch break.
The food menu is extensive, and the prices are pretty good too. I stopped in here with my buddy Dan. His go to order, fish and chips, was pretty good, but a smallish portion. I felt the same way about my order, the Irish stew. We saw a good number of sandwiches come out of the kitchen, and they were pretty big.
The beer list here includes 24 or so taps, and while they didn't present me with anything new, the selection is still good. The pricing is wonky, with some beers normal prices (Bud $3, blithering idiot $5 wine glass) and some outragous (Rouge Dead Guy $9). Still, the point is there good beers are available.
Happy hour is from 4 to 6, when the bar closes. It's a bit odd that the bar closes the same time as the market.
Bottom Line: This spot is a pretty and tasty welcomed addition to reading terminal market. While its promises to be overcrowded with those on break from jury duty and conventions, it'd still worth a stop for your lunch break.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
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.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Blind Pig
I love trying out new spots. I've been here twice, once for drinks, once for dinner. There's a lot of good beer here, some with prices from reasonable to outrageous. Still, the selection gives you options no matter what your goal is, from sipping at heavy stout to drinking cheap pounders. I really liked that they give you a pint glass even when you order can beer.
There is a nice, long wooden bar which is the best spot at The Blind Pig. They have a few TVs, and this is a good place to catch the Phillies. There's also outdoor seating, which is fantastic if the weather cooperates.
The food menu is standard; average. There is nothing that jumps out, although lots of people rave about the Thanksgiving balls: deep fried turkey and mash potatoes served with gravy.
There was one special that I was intrigued by: Alligator sausage. It was a 70-30 blend made with pork, and the meat was delicious and flavorful, like a more gamey chorizo. It was served on a small white roll with a salad on the side. The bread was terrible. Is it too much to ask for Amaroso or Sarcone in Philadelphia? The salad was okay; forgettable.
Emily ordered a beat salad and wasn't thrilled either. The menu, overall, just seems to have little or no effort. The service was ok, but not on par with other spots I usually visit.
Bottom Line: I like the can beer selection, even if some are overpriced. The draft list offers good options, but the food is nothing special. The Blind Pig needs to find it's niche to survive, because right now, there is not much going on. Nothing bad either, but that's usually not enough.
Corner of 2nd and Fairmount.
There is a nice, long wooden bar which is the best spot at The Blind Pig. They have a few TVs, and this is a good place to catch the Phillies. There's also outdoor seating, which is fantastic if the weather cooperates.
The food menu is standard; average. There is nothing that jumps out, although lots of people rave about the Thanksgiving balls: deep fried turkey and mash potatoes served with gravy.
There was one special that I was intrigued by: Alligator sausage. It was a 70-30 blend made with pork, and the meat was delicious and flavorful, like a more gamey chorizo. It was served on a small white roll with a salad on the side. The bread was terrible. Is it too much to ask for Amaroso or Sarcone in Philadelphia? The salad was okay; forgettable.
Emily ordered a beat salad and wasn't thrilled either. The menu, overall, just seems to have little or no effort. The service was ok, but not on par with other spots I usually visit.
Bottom Line: I like the can beer selection, even if some are overpriced. The draft list offers good options, but the food is nothing special. The Blind Pig needs to find it's niche to survive, because right now, there is not much going on. Nothing bad either, but that's usually not enough.
Corner of 2nd and Fairmount.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Institute
I'm shocked I haven't written about the Institute, because I've been here tons of times.
There's a lot to like about this bar: It's close to work (for me). It's got a chill atmosphere and is never too crowded. The beer list is good. The happy hour is every day of the week and features $2 off drafts and half priced apps. Most importantly, the Institute is always improving. The bar has expanded along with the number of draft lines, and the kitchen has always been experimenting and getting better ever since they started serving food.
I also finally had dinner here, and the burger is delicious. I'm pretty judgmental when it comes to cheese burgers, and the Institute was impressive. It was perfectly cooked to order, the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the toppings and bun are good quality. All of these are essential for a great burger.
I'll continue to hit up this joint and look forward to seeing how they improve. Maybe Quizzo?
There's a lot to like about this bar: It's close to work (for me). It's got a chill atmosphere and is never too crowded. The beer list is good. The happy hour is every day of the week and features $2 off drafts and half priced apps. Most importantly, the Institute is always improving. The bar has expanded along with the number of draft lines, and the kitchen has always been experimenting and getting better ever since they started serving food.
I also finally had dinner here, and the burger is delicious. I'm pretty judgmental when it comes to cheese burgers, and the Institute was impressive. It was perfectly cooked to order, the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the toppings and bun are good quality. All of these are essential for a great burger.
I'll continue to hit up this joint and look forward to seeing how they improve. Maybe Quizzo?
Monday, March 21, 2011
Adsum
I made my way here with my good friend Quinn on a Sunday for a quick bite to eat. I heard Adsum has a great burger. So at 5:30 we walk in and are seated at the bar. Sunday happy hour, not bad: $2 cans of Yella Pils and Phoenix pale ale.

The atmosphere here is kind of cool, it's trying to be an old time pharmacy. There are beakers and test tubes, and book shelves behind the bar filled with all kind of gadgets and books. Even though we were there pretty early in the evening and it wasn't busy, the service was surprisingly slack. We were the only people eating dinner and it took about 30 minutes to get our orders.
The burger is served with cheddar, which is not my favorite cheese for a burger. It's congealed before you can finish. The caramelized onions, however, were an excellent topping. But the size of the burger was the most problematic. It more of a ball shape than a patty. It's nearly impossible to fit into your mouth. To boot, my burger wasn't near the medium rare that I ordered. The duck fat fries, which were served on the side, were good and crispy, but had no flavor indication that they were cooked in any special way.

Bottom Line: This place is decent and unique. The service needs a little work, and if I'm back, I won't have the cheeseburger. I'm not going out of my way to visit Adsum again.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Allentown Brew Works
I hit up Allentown brew works on a Saturday night with a crew of hungry and thirsty dudes. There was a small wait for our table, so we made our way to the bar. The whole place was pretty packed, but service was still pretty good. The decor is new and modern, but not memorable. The weirdest thing was the club and hip-hop tunes that were loudly pumping all night. Not enough to annoy me, but certainly out of place.
For beer, the brewpub features ten of their own on tap. Four are their flagships, which represent the bar well. The knuckleball is a great session ale with subtle flavor; a good summer beer and a light 4.2 ABV. The wit was also a nice summer beer, very similar to Hoegaarden. Fegley’s Amber Lager went down easy, but didn't have a ton of flavor. Similar to Troegs Hopback. Last of the flagships was the Pawn Shop Porter. It was a bit thin, but had a good flavor and went down more quickly than porters usually do.
My favorite beer of the night was the bourbon aged Insidious. It was a strong, flavorful, well aged beer. The Bushy's Pale ale was a standout as well, a good representation of a West Coast pale ale that is actually balanced instead of crazily overhopped. Brew works offers a beer flight of six 5.5 oz pours for $10. This is an great deal and offers a good sampling of all of the beer available.
We were so hungry that we ordered the appetizer platter to get a good sampling of the food offered. Chicken fingers, wings, and pierogies were all okay.
The app sampler also came with a small order of the bavarian pretzels. They were incredible. Really. The perfect combination of a breadstick and a pretzel covered in a butter garlic sauce. They were so good, in fact, that we immediately ordered a second helping.
For my dinner, I ordered a flatbread: bleu cheese, pear, walnuts, and prosciutto. The combination of these flavor was perfect, and I really loved this dish. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as well.
Bottom Line: The pretzels alone are reason to come here. For real. The beer is good too. They have some good happy hour specials as well. Dinner won't disappoint. I'm not in Allentown much, but I still have no doubt that this is one of their best offerings.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Rossi's
Cheeseburgers are $6 and can be topped with a bunch of different options. I was out with Dan. Mine: Lettuce, Tomato, fried onions and American cheese cooked medium rare. Dan: Raw onion and American, also medium rare. The burger comes out on a large white roll, but the bread still can't contain the meat. As I bit into it, the juices began to flow. It was delicious meat and cooked as I ordered. Half way though my burger, it was a mess that's falling apart, and I had a big smile on my face.
We also ordered steak fries and fried zucchini. The fries were standard, and the fried zucchini was a huge order of a surprisingly tasty app. But we should have skipped these and focused on the burger; it was a lot of food.Beer is pretty standard and nothing special. There are five or so taps; Stella, Yeungling, Miller Lite, Bud, Heineken were all represented, if I remember correctly. $5 for a pint of Stella isn't bad at all.
Most of the reviews on Yelp for Rossi's are silly. If you read most of them, most of the write-ups are about soda and topping prices. If you don't like that, don't get soda. And even with four or five toppings, the burger prices are still below average.
The bartender was nice and attentive, and even warned us that the kitchen was going to be closing down early so that we had enough time to get our order in. He was a fun guy. This place has a weird, but hometown atmosphere.
Bottom Line: The hours of 5-10pm 6 days a week are a downside. This place is still awesome, and completely worth the drive from Philly to try out this burger, which is surely a challenge to finish. I'm looking forward to my next attempt.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Fork and Barrel
There are two reasons to go to Fork and Barrel: beer and atmosphere. With how well they present these two things, it's no surprise that Fork and Barrel are opening a location in Center City. It will thrive.
I'm going to talk about all the beers I drank, and I expect most people to completely skip this paragraph. I'm not going to go into much detail, because we tried a lot of different beers. Gaspar Ale Picobrouwerij Alvinne was a Belgian IPA, finished too dry and sour. Didn't enjoy this one. Porterhouse Oyster Stout was on Nitro and was great. It was thick and incredibly flavorful, almost a dessert beer. Oyster flavor wasn't strong however. Wintercoat Cockney Imperial Stout was probably my favorite of the night, this Danish stout was strong and was so flavorful and smooth. 't browkot Netebuk was a smooth Belgian ale, we ordered this one twice. It's what Six Point Sweet Action wants to be. Schlenkerla Helles was a standard but delicious Helles lager. Gasser Huppendorfer Vollbier was on gravity tap and had a great thick, smokey flavor.

The service here wasn't great the night when we dined. Empty plates and dishes stayed on our table for a while. Our server seemed to have too many tables for her to handle. The decor is the downstairs is beautiful, it's entirely lit by candlelight, and they have a whole wall of beer bottles boasting some of the best and most rare beers in the world. There's hundreds. It's almost like eating in the most beautiful museum on beer you're likely to ever see. I didn't go upstairs, but they focus on American craft beer there, while downstairs is focused on the imports.
Bottom Line: Despite everything, we had a great night. Fork and Barrel has incredible beer selection, and the prices are pretty good too. Food is missable, but it's got to be one of the best spots in East Falls.
I was out with Rachel. For dinner, she had the lamb burger, and I had the duck confit. All of the entrees here are pretty small, but flavorful. The sandwiches were served on rectangular pieces of slate with small sides of coleslaw. We also ordered salt potatoes, which were small red potatoes covered with kosher salt. They were okay, I'm sure another side would have been more satisfying. The dishes here are small, but not too small. To finish the meal, we had the cranberry crisp for dessert. This was incredibly tart, and didn't taste much like a dessert at all. We both concluded that it needed more sugar and didn't finish it.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Bridgid's
Almost 3 years had lapsed between meals at Bridgid's. I remember really liking this spot, but honestly, my standards have gone up since my last visit here. I was under the impression that it was a Belgain joint, but they only had one Belgain on tap. The beer list here is solid, but not stellar. They're all $5 or $6.
As far as a bar goes, they do offer two unique things. First, although small, the U shaped bar is great. Many bars could take cues on how to effectively use a small space. Secondly, the gravity tap is great. When I visited with Dan they had Yard's ESA on. The gravity tap comes from the uninsulated attic. The winter air chills the beer and the gravity forces out through the tap. The result is a beer that has the mouth feel of a beer engine and the temperature of a keg. It made the ESA even better.
I ordered the burger, and this came stuffed with bacon, bleu cheese and onions. It sounded good, but in reality, its a disaster. The burger came out pretty well done, which it needed to be to hold all of the ingredients together. The flavors tripping over each other, and the distribution of the filling was all wrong; they all were concentrated at the center and the edges of the burger were woefully plain. That being said, they do serve the most perfectly crispy fries. They're truly excellent.
Bottom Line: This spot didn't live up to my memory. That said, I still think it's one of, if not the, best in Fairmount. I like the gravity tap, but if you're going to dine here I recommend it for dinner rather than lunch. I still am planning on going back in the near future.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Devil's Den
The decor here is great, I really like this place and it has a great long wooden bar. There are a few large screen TVs. I went here to watch a hockey game, and while there was music playing all night, the bartender turned up the TV's audio all the way so I could here the game a little bit. The service here does need some work. Everyone just seems to be moving on a slower pace, but it wasn't horrible.

I like the menu here. Dan ordered a raw meat platter and he enjoyed that. It had a lot of interesting different pairings, and the only complaint would be that it wasn't very filling for $15. I ordered the burger, my standard go-to. I ordered a cheeseburger, but it came out without my cheese. It was a few minutes before I could even get the bartender's attention to get it fixed, but I got a free beer for the ordeal. No harm, ho foul. There was harm in how it was cooked. I ordered medium rare, and it wasn't even close. No part of the inside of my burger was pink. The bread is great, the fries are good, and its served with a great aioli. If it came out with my cheese and cooked to order, I would be pretty satisfied. I was also out with Quinn, who is a lover of well done burgers, and she was still talking about it a few days later. I'm definitely willing to give it another go.

Bottom Line: They have a great happy hour here, good beer selection, and reasonable prices. It's not amazing, but Devil's Den is a welcomed retreat, especially in winter when you cozy up next to the fireplace, which brings the whole place up a notch on a blustery evening.
Catahoula
I visited last night with my good friend Lauren. I heard about the "My burger" and wanted to check it out. Catahoula is a small, welcoming bar tucked away on south front street. The beer list has some good craft beers on tap; its nothing you won't around the city but even with six taps we were both able to find something to enjoy. Straub, Six Point, Dark Horse and Abita were all represented.
The atmosphere here is great. Its not a big place, but there a nice long bar with about six tall four top tables around the rest of the room. There are several large flat screens, and all were playing sports while we were eating. This would be a great place to causally catch a game if you want to escape the normal monotony of a sports bar. The service was good, and the bar tender was helpful and welcoming. I can't completely put my finger on it, but something about Catahoula is welcoming and inviting.
The menu here is great and I'd like to visit again to try some of the Cajun offerings. But the purpose of this visit was to try the "My burger." Its a massive 9 oz patty cooked to order topped with goat cheese, bacon a fried green tomato and some kind of aioli. I generally don't go for goat cheese on a burger, or in general, but I was really surprised by it. I highly recommend trying it when you visit.
Honestly, this burger has too much going on. I recommend getting something more simple. One of the reasons is because the meat is delicious. It's excellently prepared ground beef, and my medium-rare was as truly cooked as medium-rare can be. The bun was a large, squishy buttery role that was the prefect delivery method for the patty. The bacon and fried tomato were a little bit of flavor overkill. THe cajun fries served with the burger are strong and flavorful. My only other complaint is that at 9 oz, even I had trouble polishing it off.
Bottom Line: Catahoula servers a great burger, and I like this spot. It's a little more pricey than I would like, but I'm still going to make this a to go spot.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Kelliann's Bar & Grill
I've ridden my bike past Kelliann's at least a hundred times. And while that's no exaggeration, I didn't know the name of this place until I visited last week. If you're unclear of the spot I'm referring to, you may know it as I did: "Crappy Irish place on the corner of 16th and Spring Garden." But my previous title and judgement were way off the mark.
This place is pretty small; a long bar greats you at the door and runs almost the entire length of the skinny space. Some outdoor seating surely helps this place from seeming too crowded. Upon entering, I looked towards the taps to judge the place. Some regular locals, plus Sam Adams, a few Irish brews, and the real star of the day, Spaten Octoberfest. This is a tasty beer, and at $5 for a 20 oz mug (in proper glassware, if that's your thing) it was a great deal. Overall, the beer list is nothing special, but you should be able to find something that will pacify if not satisfy.
The place doesn't have much atmosphere for itself, but it surely has an interesting collection of patrons. Off duty nurses, construction workers, staff and students from nearby CCP, and folks like myself are elbow to elbow at the bar. To help me feel more at home, our bartender was friendly welcoming, and attentive.
Looking at the menu, I received the biggest shock. Almost everything on the menu was between 5 and 7 dollars, and included items such as a cheeseburger, turkey club, 10 piece chicken wings, steak sandwich, and the likes. Not incredible food, but decent food at a good price. I had a few wings, which were solidly average, but enjoyable. The turkey club was also good, and included a ridiculous amount of sliced turkey, and was topped with cheese. I'd eat here again.
Bottom Line: Kelliann's isn't amazing. But the good deals on food and beer, coupled with good service and real people make this an enjoyable joint. Everyone should at least give it a chance.
Essentials:
1549 Spring Garden (Spring Garden and 16th)
215-563-6990
Avg Ent: 5-7
Cash Only: No
Reservation: No
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