Paloma

After a long hiatus (thanks grad school) I found some time to write about my best dining experience in a while.

Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic.  Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner.  Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French.  Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good.

I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables.  Still, the decor is nice.  Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines.  Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order.  The service overall is fantastic.

During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget.  Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options.

I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad.  Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous.

I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction.  The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that.  This dish is fantastic.  My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice.  Any dish will likely be of high quality.

Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this.  Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals.  Get here soon.

763 S 8th St (at Christian)
(215) 928-9500
http://www.palomafinedining.com and on opentable
BYO: Yes
Cash Only: No

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.

Yumtown USA

Temple's campus is still not mecca for lunch trucks, but Yumtown is certainly doing their part to bring the environment up a notch.  They prepare fresh, local sandwiches and soups from good ingredients.  And that simple fact means that they're better than most of the other food around. 

It's pricier than the other food trucks, but he meals are well worth the price.  If you're a fan of bread pudding, swing by here to taste the variety of the day for only $4. 

When I visited, I had a pulled pork sandwich with pickled jalapenos and cabbage.  At $7, it was a decently sized sandwich on crunchy french bread.  The meat was good, and the toppings melded together well.

Bottom Line:  Yumtown is a welcomed addition I hope to see for a long time on Temple's campus.  13th and Norris.

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.

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.

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.

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.