New Kosher Restaurant in Center City Philadelphia!

[kosherfoodfan]

MiLah Vegetarian at 218 South 16th Street (near Locust) is now Kosher certified under the Orthodox supervision of Rabbi Zev Schwarcz of IKC Kosher. MiLah has a great reputation in Center City and we are excited to try it. We will report back once we do. Center City now has an amazing amount of kosher places. The current list of places I am aware of are:

Mamas Falafel
Blackbird Vegan Pizzeria
Su Xing (vegan Chinese)
MiLah (vegan Vietnamese)
Glatt Delight
Hamifgash
Falafel Bar
Roz' bakery
Swiss Haus Bakery
Sweet Freedom Gluten-Free Vegan Bakery
Krispy Kreme Donuts
Pamcakes Cupcakery

AWESOME!

[AdinaA]

The Imam bayildi at hamifgash is wonderful!

They served it with fresh, warm pita, which is the perfect way to eat it.

[AdinaA]

Are any of these Center City restaurants places where you can have a meal with professional colleagues?

[zsero]

Su Xing House is certainly good enough for that.

[AdinaA]

Thanks.

I'll be there long enough to study remarks and follow reccomendations for chow in Philly.

[kosherfoodfan]

MiLah is also good for that.

[kosherfoodfan]

FYI there is real cheese flatbread Pizza now at Crisp in Center City. It is not regular Pizza crust but it has real cholov yisroel cheese and is really good.

[barryg]

Just a reminder, the most up to date list of Kosher restaurants in Center City and beyond is here:
http://ccshul.com/index.php?id=13

With the two caveats that Max & David's has sadly closed, and Burger.org does not serve organic meat anymore (it is still glatt Kosher).

[Prettypoodle]

I often see buisness dressed type people at Su Xing House. Plus the food ROCKS!

[SoCal Mother]

Please someone remember to update Shamash!!!

My son will be in Philly with a school group in the fall. They will be staying in Center City. I am hoping I can find them "guy food" (ie schwarma, burgers or pizza.) Anyone know if Glatt Delight will deliver?

[Prettypoodle]

I dont think they deliver, but dont hold me to that. Regardless, if the boys are staying in Center City GD will not be a far walk fir them. CC is not that huge of an area. Any idea where they are staying yet?

[SoCal Mother]

Residence Inn, right near City Hall.

[zsero]

That's about a 5-minute walk, then. Not that I can recommend the food (see my rather scathing report from last year), but it's meat and they're boys, so 'nuff said. It's also about a 5-minute walk from Su Xing House, and 7-8 minutes from Mi Lah. And a 15-minute walk from MIkveh Israel (the snoga on Independence Mall).

[kosherfoodfan]

5-10 minute walk. All kosher places are within a mile or so from city hall.

[vallevin]

Let me be incendiary here....SoCal, if your family holds be certain hechsherim and not others please check with your local Orthodox Rabbi about IKC. How many days will they be in Philly?

[kosherfoodfan]

I will spread this fire and point out that if your rabbi doesn't hold of the IKC, he probably won't hold of KO or M'kor Baruch either, in which case you have exactly TWO places to eat in Center City: Mamas and Roz' bakery.

[zsero]

True. When Glatt Delight was Maccabeam it was under Keystone-K. Who is Mekor Baruch?

[kosherfoodfan]

Rabbi Toledano's hechsher, which is now run by Rabbi Roth

[vallevin]

Yup, I totally agree, those are the only 2 places >> I<< would eat at. But I can totally validate and accept other people's realities which is why I tried to word that post as carefully as possible.

[SoCal Mother]

Our LOR is pretty strict when it comes to eating out. Pity. Greasy burgers and fries would be exactly what they would want. Mama's looks like the wrong sort of food for my pizza/burrito/quesadilla/burger eating son and his buddies. Still soup and a falafel should tide them over. I am hoping that they will be able to have lunch at Penn the next day.

They will only be in Philly one night and then they move on to the next city. They will only be allowed to go somewhere that will deliver or that they can walk to.

[Prettypoodle]

I am not sure where on woudl get a kosher greesy burger in Phily at all:(
The good new sis Roz opens at 7:30 am and is an easy walk from ther rlocation if they want a muffin or cupcake.

[SoCal Mother]

Sounds good. Thanks!!

[Prettypoodle]

Therea re only two places to get "real" (made with real cheeseO pizza in Philadelphia, but neither are in Center City. Shalom Pizza is righ off of City Line ave and may be accessable by a bus that can be oicked up on Market )not sure if it goes far enough up City Line) The pizza is good but deating is very limited. Then there is Holy Land, but it is in the Northeast and would be easiest to get there via car (YOu may be able to take SEPTA (the public transit system) there. Better pizza IMO and loads of seating. The also have a meat venue with very good Chinese. We LOVE the Chinee good there almost too much:)

[kosherfoodfan]

OK - had Sunday brunch at Milah and it was fabulous! They gave us a free fruit plate to start, which was a nice touch. The omelet was more authentic than other vegan omelets we had in other vegan places. The Quesadilla was amazing. The portions were huge, and though we really wanted to try dessert, we could not finish everything we ordered, so dessert was out of the question. The food was very high quality; they must have a great chef. Both me and MSO wanted to order everything on the brunch menu, so we will be back. Prices are better than NY, which is basically true of almost everything in Philly. We told them we were kosher; the owner's name is Jason and he is the one who understands the kosher thing, and you can tell he is really happy they went kosher. We look forward to trying something new each time we are back, and we plan to be back often. Highly recommended!

[Prettypoodle]

Oh thanks for the review. I have to try there soon.
Got an apple cake on Friday from Roz. Came highly recomended by an IRL long term friend. OH wow it was soooo good! Called and ordered it Friday am and pickrd it up a few hours later - it was hot when I got it and smelled devine. When we finally got to eat it - oh man. SO good. TONS of apples, not tooo sweet, just great! Having some more in a few - cant wait to eat more:)

[Prettypoodle]

The flavors sound good at Pamcakes, but they had better be sterrer to beat the plain chocolate with chocolate frosting ones that Roz makes. I had one at the Philadelphia israeli festival almost two weeks ago and NEED another one. It seriously was THAT good. Hopefully one day this week I can make it there to get another one.

[kosherfoodfan]

Roz' is great, and Pamcakes is too, so you can't go wrong either way (unless you are fleishigs, in which case, Roz' is the only option :)).

[Prettypoodle]

I am often closer to Pamcakes - I will be trying them soon. Thanks for letting me know about them.

[kosherfoodfan]

My pleasure. Please let Pam (and the other places) know that you're buying there because it is kosher. It really makes a big difference to these restaurant owners when they get feedback that they are gaining customers because of going kosher.

[Prettypoodle]

Will do:) Does Pams have a place to sit or must I takemy treat to the park to enjoy?

[kosherfoodfan]

Unfortunately, the place is tiny; at most there is a counter. Don't remember for sure. If you ever make it up to Chestnut, Swiss Haus has nice seating and some cupcakes, although a much smaller selection of cupcakes than Pamcakes. Swiss Haus is amazing though - lots of delicious goodies. Yum!

[Prettypoodle]

I got there today (Wednesday)and i was very happy I trecked to this part of town (not in my usual area by any mean) even with the vile humidity. I had a chocolate cupcake with buttercreme frosting and a few jimmies:) The cake was good, the forsting FABULOUS. I enjoyedf my treat at a cute table out on the street. A happy discovery.

Beaconstreet - I actually talked to Pam herself and she said they were CLOSED on Tuesday when you said you made your call, She also said SHE (Pam) answers the phone! I =saw the cerificate MYSELF with my own two eyes. The certificate is in the FRONT WINDOW for the entire world to see.

Pam seemed like a lovely woman and she makes good cupcakes - hey I enjoyed mine and she was busy even after 4 pm on a really hot/humid day with a ton of steady foot trafic.. I am only sad that I couldn't share these with those at home as I didn't get in tonight untill close to 11:30 pm.

[zsero]

I should point out that Beaconstreet didn't say when s/he called the place. You're assuming it was on Tuesday.

[Prettypoodle]

Even I who lives in the Philly burbs and is in the ciry a few days a week did not know this place even existed UNILL it was posted herre ON TUESDAY! AFiER the information was posted on here Beacnstreet made HER post. Hmmm sure sounds as if a call was made TUESDAY andd incorrect information was posted and ASSUMTIONS made.
The plae has a certifcate IN THE FRONT WINDOW. Not good enouyh for you? Then go down and see Roz who proudly says she has the highest standard of kashrut she can get. Regardelss of where you get you cupcake i can tell you from PERSONAL experiance it will be good.

[zsero]

You're not making any sense. You have no basis for assuming that just because you hadn't heard of the place beaconstreet hadn't either. You have no idea when s/he made his/her call, and no basis whatsoever for assuming it was after this thread was started. And thus you have NO right to accuse him/her of lying. All you know is what Pam told you, which may or may not be true; she has neither more nor less credibility than beaconstreet. So all we can say is that we don't know, and reserve judgement.

[Prettypoodle]

I belive YOU are the one who made all kinds of assumptions as to the kashruit of the place. I know someone did asnd it was removed so if it was not you - sorry. Regardlessr - her cupcaskes are good - her frosting devine! Nothing beats a good butter creme frosting.

[zsero]

I have made no assumptions whatsoever. I do not make assumptions in advance of the facts. Beaconstreet's claim SHOULD ring alarm bells with all of us;

[kosherfoodfan]

Many theories are being thrown around about beaconstreets post, so let me throw out another one: Pamcakes has not been kosher certified for that long, so perhaps s/he called before they became kosher! :)

[zsero]

Actually, I just received Rabbi Schwarcz's reply: Pamcakes has been kosher since it opened, so it's in fact possible that whoever answered the phone to Beaconstreet wasn't aware of it. I had been under the impression that it had recently become kosher, which would have involved enough disruption that every employee must be aware of it; but if this didn't happen, and the person who answered isn't involved in food prep, then it may well be that they didn't know it was kosher.

[Prettypoodle]

I had no idea this was a NEW place, though it kinda makes sence as i had never heard of it. The certificate was written in March of this year. For such a new place she has ALOT of traffic and I am thrulled got her about that! If I ever leave Mama's with room for dessert (HA!) she is a nice walk down 20th street.

[Prettypoodle]

Swiss Haus is high on the list to try too. Got to get to that part of town. I am usually between Market and Spruce and 12 and 13, It is rare i go west of Broad.

[Beaconstreet]

Are you sure that Pamcakes Cupcakery is kosher?
It doesn't say anything about that on their website.
When I called them and asked if they were kosher, the person on the phone said that they "didn't know"

[kosherfoodfan]

Yes, I am sure. They have the certificate at the store. They are a bit clueless there but there is a shomer shabbos mashgiach who visits the store yotzei v'nichnas like all of Rabbi Schwarcz' places. You can call Rabbi Schwarcz to verify at 805-259-5071.

[Prettypoodle]

WOO HOO!! THANKS!
ETA:
How did I miss that this was Vietnamese food???? I really must clean my contacts. I LOVE Vietnamese food - this is more exciting to me than the opening of KK was to my husband: and he was simply delerious with joy :)

[zsero]

How Vietnamese is it? There's no pho on the menu...

[Prettypoodle]

i was disapointed too.

[kosherfoodfan]

I heard they were Vietnamese but I think that may have been wrong info. It looks like they are Asian inspired from the look of the menu. Sorry to raise false hopes. Still looks amazing, though!

[zsero]

Yes, it does. I'm not sure when I'll next be in Philly, but I'll have to make a point of checking it out.