Philadelphia Conference Visit

[zerena65]

I will be visiting mid-March for a conference and am looking for restaurants in the city to try. Interested in a good variety - maybe a couple of nice dinners, definitely some Italian, seafood, authentic jewish deli and any other good ethnic restaurants the area has to offer. I am more interested in the quality of the food than necessarily atmosphere. Also, is there anything new I should try? Any hidden gems I won't read about online? I will need suggestions for 4 lunches and 4 dinners. Thanks in advance...

[cook262]

Just curious...where did you go and did you find any hidden gem that haven't been mentioned on CH?

[zerena65]

We decided upon the following for dinners:

Branzinos - Italian
Zahav - Modern Israeli
Jamonera - Spanish Tapas
Joy Tsin Lau - Chinese

We enjoyed all of them, especially the first three. Zahav offered the most unique experience and the food was exquisite. And Branzinos was a lovely, intimate experience with delicious food. We got our deli fix one afternoon at Herschel's in Reading Terminal Market and had a big breakfast at the Dutch Eating Place another day. We also enjoyed a Saturday morning stroll through the Italian Market in South Philly. Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions!

[StrandedYankee]

Yeah, you missed Joy Tsin Lau's heyday by a couple of decades. Once upon a time, it was justifiably a favorite. I'm glad you enjoyed the other places, though.

[barryg]

Really broad question but here is a good place to start, one of our local critics' recent review of his top restaurants:

http://www.philly.com/4bell
http://www.philly.com/philly/restaura...

Almost all are in or near Center City.

For ethnic, we have some good Mediterranean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican, and if you are willing to travel farther from downtown, Indonesian and Korean places. For Jewish deli, Famous 4th Street (two locations, I prefer the original on 4th St) and Hershels's East Side, inside the Reading Terminal Market, are both very good. You definitely want to visit the Reading Terminal Market at least once. There are many good Italian restaurants throughout the city covering all varieties of cuisine, price range, wine list (or lack thereof), and ambiance, need more info to advise on that.

[zerena65]

Thank you - I appreciate the ideas....decided to try Zahav's, Ralph's and Vietnam. Now just looking for a fresh seafood dinner. Would like to spend no more than $25 for an entree, comfortable atmosphere but not a "fish camp" either. Prefer Center City area, but willing to travel out farther for the right spot. Any ideas?

[bluehensfan]

You may want rethink Ralph's but your other choices seem solid ones. As far as seafood, consider Oyster House.

[Bacchus101]

Really no need to travel out from the city for this venture. I also suggest, as did bluehensfan, that you reconsider on Ralph's. which is IMHO very long of tooth. Not to worry about ending up in a Fish Camp in Philadelphia. although we are in southeastern PA we are not South. The Oyster House is good food, good fun as noted.

[cook262]

Definitely agree about Ralphs. Got talked into going with a group about 2 years ago. Enjoyed the company but would defnintely not recommend Ralphs. Too many other good places in Philly to enjoy. For something a bit different, how about Kanella's? Although locals, we somehow never got there until December and we just loved our visit. Greek food taken to a new level.

[barryg]

Kanella is great, they always have a fish special that they do a good job with too.

There are a number of good Italian restaurants in/around Center City, but most are a little more modern and refined than Ralph's, with a more traditional Italian menu. Are you married to the idea of a "red gravy" Italian-American place like Ralphs?

[cwdonald]

Estia is another good choice for fish, along with Fish and Little Fish, and if you want an italian take on fish, perhaps Branzino. Oyster House is very good too.

[barryg]

Estia is very good but the seafood is more like $30 entrees minimum (and the flown in fresh stuff that's priced per pound and served a la carte is even more). The theater special at $30 for three courses is a good deal but there is only one fish option available, and it's ok but nothing special.

[cwdonald]

To help us provide some better recommendations:

Where are you coming from? Knowing this helps us make recommendations. For example I would not recommend a sushi restaurant to someone from San Francisco.

Where are you staying and where is your conference? Also how long do you have for lunch? Helps us guide you as to whether it is in walking distance or whether you need to take a cab.

Any budget limitations? We have high end, and more moderate places here.

Do you prefer a restaurant with a liquor license or not? We have a lot of BYO's in this city, but if that is not your thing, we can stear you away from them.