Being in a new city is always an adventure, but we’ve all been known to get caught in the same routines. I know I’m guilty- once I find a spot I like, I frequent that spot and find it hard to branch out. But I’ve made it a goal for myself to try new places every night I go out in the city. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised on more than one occasion. Here are my top 3 favorite Philly spots as of now…
Table 31 Plaza Café -1701 John F Kennedy Boulevard
Table 31 Plaza is the outdoor café next to the Table 31 restaurant. It is directly outside of Philly’s tallest building, The Comcast Center. I’ve been to the restaurant for a business lunch but I found that the outdoor café is a more relaxed, casual atmosphere with the same great food. The menu is moderately priced, on the upward end of pricey but definitely affordable. I tried the Milano Salad with gulf shrimp, bacon, chopped hard-boiled egg and a sweet house dressing. It was fantastic! There are also more “lounge-esqe” areas that are perfect for just grabbing a drink after work or splitting some small appetizers.
Image via rackspacecloud.com
Devil’s Alley- 1907 Chestnut Street
Don’t let the name fool you- the inside of the restaurant mimics an outdoor garden with trellises, white lights, and black rod-iron railings on the second floor. The only hint of anything “Devil” or “Alley” are the downstairs bathrooms that are graffitied in spray paint (but still clean!) I went here for dinner after work with a friend and my sister. We split 4 appetizers as a meal: The Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad, Tostadas, Grilled Veggie Quesadillas, and Mussels which were a special. We slightly over compensated for our hunger but we still managed to make a dent in all the dishes solely because they were so delicious. The Mussels were especially tasty, but then again, I’m a huge mussel fan.
Image via digiflowz.net
Byblos- 116 South 18th Street
I ended up going to Byblos on a whim, after a happy hour when a friend and I were on a search for food. I had traveled to Greece last year for a week and fell in love with Grecian cuisine. So when we passed Byblos, we decided to stop. I was surprised to see the restaurant also doubles as a hookah bar but where we were seated we weren’t surrounded by any smoke. The lighting was low and there was a dj playing a wide range of questionable music, but the food made up for any shortcomings of the outward appearance. My friend and I split 3 appetizers (I’m a grazer in case you haven’t picked up on that yet). The Hummus, Spanakotiropit which is spinach and cheese baked in a filo dough, and Fried Calamari. I can only assume the hummus was homemade because it was eons better than any store bought hummus I’ve had. It was also served with a plethora of thinly sliced pita which served as a filling meal. The other two dishes were equally tasty and perfect for splitting.
Image via phillypartybooker.com
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