Philly moms--restaurant recommendations?

[sadie427]

Hi all--we'll be in Philadelphia for a few nights the week after next, on our way back from the Jersey Shore. We'll be staying at the Sheraton Society Hill and going to see the Barnes Collection. Any restaurant suggestions, particularly walking distance from our hotel? DS is 11 months old, so of course restaurants need to be child-friendly, but DS eats everything.

[american_mama]

My memory is rusty, but I spent a happy summer living in Philadelphia a few years ago. Philly has a lot of great restaurants, some ultra cool "concepts" places and some just good places. A great restaurant is the White Dog Cafe (such a stupid name) which focusess on fresh, semi-organic regional cuisine. It's near Univ. of Penn in west Philly. Not great with a kid, but we did it. Try to go early in the evening to avoid a crowd.

A very different restaurant, very kid friendly is Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant very close to Independence Hall. Cheap prices, unusual cuisine... kind of Thai, kind of Chinese, but not like either. Go there if you like Asian and/or trying something new. Fork is also near Independence Hall and is supposed to be good.

If you want something quicker, I love the food and ambience at the Reading Market, in the center of downtown. It would be crowded navigating with a stroller, but a noisy or messy toddler wouldn;t matter a bit there. It's an indoor market with vendors selling prepared foods, sit down meals, fish, vegetables, etc. You could eat at many different stands, or go to one of the sit down places. I'm not vegetarian, but the stand at the back of the market (maybe called Basic 4 Juice Bar) has fabulous sandwiches. It sounds disgusting, but the Carrot Tuna Salad is FABULOUS, can't believe it's just carrots. The bakery at the back of the market (by the seating area) is also fabulous - they use extra fat butter and real vanilla beans in their cake frosting, which is the best I have ever had (and I have a huge sweet tooth). I made a special trip to these two places my last time in town.

South Street has a few interesting options. I had a spectacular meal at Azafran once (kind of Nuevo Latin, and especially good fish), and an average meal there another time. It's small, cosy, inventive, and chef-owned. Again, go early with a child to avoid bugging other diners. There is a crepe restaurant, which might go over well with kids. Heading further south to the Italian part of town, you;ll find tons of great Italian restaurants.

There are so many cool places to eat in Philadelphia, and downtown is so nice to walk around. Another hint - the Lights of Liberty walking tour/show is a very unique and really fun thing to do at night. Your child would probably fall asleep while doing it, and I highly recommend it.

[JLiebCamm]

Ooh, I love the Barnes Foundation! It floors me to think that one man bought that many amazing works by some of my favorite artists(especially Matisse).

I haven't been to the Society Hill area for a while so I'm not sure what restaurants are still around. I know there are a few restaurants in that neighborhood by Stephen Starr, a restauranteur who has quite a few popular theme restaurants throughout the city. Buddakan and Tangerine are the two of his that should be near your hotel. The City Tavern is also nearby, which features a colonial food menu with waiters dressed in period costumes. There used to be a good Mexican place called the Mexican Post in that area. There also was a great dessert place called the Painted Parrot that I would highly recommend.

You should be fairly close (maybe a 15 minute walk?) to South Street, where there are a number of restaurants. My favorite in that area is a Moroccan restaurant called Marrakesh. You pay a fixed price (it used to be $24) for a 7 course meal, sit on low couches, and eat with your hands. It was great food and atmosphere. There is also a Greek restaurant on South Street that was really good (I forget the name).

I second the recommendation to go to Reading Terminal Market. My favorite booths in there are Salumeria and Rocco's, both of which have amazing Italian hoagies. You could walk there depending on your walking tolerance (I would guess it will take about 15-20 minutes from the hotel).

Finally, you MUST have a cheesesteak in Philly if you never have before. Your main choices are Jim's (on South Street) and Pat's and Geno's (towards South Philly in the Italian Market neighborhood). There is also a place called Pat's in the Reading Terminal market that I don't like as well (Geno's is the best IMO). And order it with Cheeze Whiz, which makes it delicious (it's one of those food oddities that works even if it sound wrong).

Good luck. I'm hungry now!

[jamsmu]

I agree that Geno's is best... be prepared for a wait if you go at night, though.

Soc. Hill/Old City has LOTS of restaurants. My favorite is Mexican Post (it is still open). It's small and tight, I'm not sure how kid friendly, but VERY reasonable. Buddakhan is also supposed to be great--my DH will be there on Thurs night, so I'll know about it then. I'd stay away from City Tavern. I've heard about some cleanliness issues there. And Tangerine is awesome--but good for a date. I've never seen anyone with a baby there.

You can also walk across the bridge to the Delaware Ave/Columbus Ave area. There, the restaurants all on the water and fun! If you go before clubbing hours, they're wonderful for kids! \

Have fun!