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thehungrything
Mar 11, 2011 09:05 AM
I dont know what price point you are looking at, but my husband and I had a really nice meal at restaurant M this winter. If you get a warm night, they may be serving in their garden soon.
Meme is also excellent -
If you want to relax and have a great meal, this would not be the time for a cheesesteak or pizza.
If it's this coming Saturday, beware: there are thousands of people in town for the Flower Show and many restaurants are already fully booked.
Will you have a car? Going out of the center of the city would be better.Some suggestions:
Lovely French food at Bibou (usually impossible to get a reservation) or a current favorite of ours, Bistrot La Minette. Both of these are not in the center; you need a car or cab.LaCroix, in the Rittenhouse Hotel, is always excellent - and beautiful.
Vetri is great, but another one where reservations are probably impossible.
Not the Oyster House - very good food, but you'll be in and out of there in an hour.
Fish is casual - terrific food, all fish and seafood. Meritage is another possibility, creative menu.
If you like small plates (which my husband doesn't) then Amada andTinto are both very good.
If you are driving, then Le Virtu and Paradiso, both in South Philly, have fine Italian food and drinks.
Whatever you decide, make a reservation right now!
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re: sylviag
Thank you for your suggestions-I would love Vetri but we can not get a reservation. How is Osteria? Funny-my husband is not a fan of the small plates either. I think that fish is not my favorite-would like a more diverse menu. Oh and not this Saturday-the following. Don't really want to leave the city. I grew up outside of Philly and would love a city weekend...
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re: samiam123
You would enjoy Osteria, but if by not leaving the city you mean not leaving downtown, Osteria is away from the density of Center City and to walk there is not very interesting. Sylvia's other recommendations in South Philly may be a little farther away, but are in denser, more lively neighborhoods with more nearby.
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re: barryg
The obvious alternative to Osteria is Amis. Its my least favorite of the Marc Vetri properties because of the ambience, (too loud... ) but the food is stellar. Think great pastas, house cured salumi, and a very nice wine list (not a bad selection of hard to find Italian beers either.)
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re: cwdonald
sockii
Mar 11, 2011 09:22 AM
Amis is small plates, though, so not sure that would go over well with the OP's husband.
Most of my Philly favorites, at least for Italian, are BYOB, like Salento, Melograno and Branzino. Of course, you could always start out with wine or cocktails elsewhere and move on to elsewhere. I would also recommend the previously mentioned LaCroix.
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Bacchus101
Mar 10, 2011 04:50 AM
The links provided by barryg cover the waterfront, so to speak, with an excellent range of choices. Although NYC has the largest Italian population in the United States: some of the places referenced in these links would provide an interesting Philly centric Italian menu. If you enjoy small plates Amada or Zahav would be excellent choices. There are a number of (non-chain) steak houses in great venues with great prices and prime steaks. Perhaps The Oyster House or Fish for fish. Cocktails at Franklin Mortgage, Whisky at Village Whiskey and great beers at any one of many Brew Pubs. Enjoy eating Philly!
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This question is too broad to answer. You can get some ideas from these threads:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/697725
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/721691
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/736204
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/700013 -
I really think you should have a cheesesteak.. .I just cannot decide between Pats and Genos. Or perhaps you should have italian.. New York City has NO good italian. And I was born in Brooklyn... never had any good italian food til I moved to Philadelphia.
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