Press Release

The ovens are hot at Bella Luna Pizza Kitchen, the new upscale pizzeria in Conshohocken serving up puttanesca and clam pies and South Philly-esque sandwiches like Frank the Bartender (chicken cutlet, prosciutto, provolone, broccoli rabe and hot peppers). In Honey Brook, the homey and expansive restaurant/lounge Grady David’s bakes its pizzas in a wood-burning oven after draping them with local and seasonal toppings like goat cheese, portobello mushrooms and fresh herbs.

Classic American cuisine gets dressed up—and spiced up—at Peppercorns, an 80-seat bistro in South Philadelphia, where specialties include a seafood pot pie, slow-braised short ribs in Barolo wine sauce and a pan-seared filet mignon with a bourbon reduction spiked with three different kinds of peppercorns. Domestic eating gets a different spin at the Front Street bar The Ugly American, where the creative interpretations include an American cassoulet with local sausages, bacon and black-eyed peas and a mixed cookie plate with root beer pudding. Designed to be a community gathering place, The Station Bistro in Kimberton offers the same menu for its full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner, which means ravenous patrons can order hearty fare like steak and house-smoked ribs at 11:00 a.m.

The region has plenty of new Eastern flavors to sample too. In the Academy House, Kaizan is the first local restaurant to embody the multi-course kaiseki concept. The contemporary Japanese dishes available in a tasting menu of five or seven courses or a la carte kobe ishiykai (thinly sliced kobe beef cooked tableside on a hot stone grill) and a scallop trio—scallop and king crab wrapped into tuna, yellowtail and salmon. Old City’s Meju offers traditional Korean cuisine (bi bim bop and kimchi stew) in a casual but cheery BYO setting. The chicly modern Azie in Media boasts a Morimoto pedigree (the corporate chef held an executive position there), sake cocktails and a global menu that spans the continent with pan-seared scallops, sushi and surf and turf.

Landmark Eats
Because Philadelphia is a city steeped with history, many of its wonderful meals are served in landmark buildings. Newly opened The Centennial Café in West Fairmount Park is located in the Ohio House, one of two remaining buildings from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. The light fare (La Colombe coffee and sandwiches) is served in a quaint setting overlooking a mural depicting the exhibition. Built in the late 19^th century at the head of the Schuylkill dam, the Water Works originally housed Philadelphia’s water delivery system. Today it’s home to a Mediterranean-inflected restaurant and lounge serving house-cured citrus salmon and lamb over goat cheese pillows. Located in the Philadelphia Art Alliance building (Rittenhouse Square’s Weatherill Mansion), Gardenia is a brunch- and lunch-only café with a rotating buffet spread that befits its stately and artistic surroundings. The local outpost of an upscale chain, The Oceanaire Seafood Room provides oysters, caviar and scallops in lobster sauce in a Frank Furness-designed bank building whose interior has been elegantly retooled to evoke an Art Deco ocean liner. With its showstoppers like caramelized black bass and extensive raw bar, XIX soars above the city on the nineteenth floor of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, an opulent hotel built in 1904.

Sweet Spots
Need a sugar rush? The newly opened dessert-only café La Golosa will sate any sweet tooth with seven varieties of drinking chocolate and imported Italian pralines. It only takes one visit to the gelato/sorbetto mecca Capogiro Gelato Artisans to get hooked on the inventive flavors like avocado, ginger with sesame brittle and pear with Wild Turkey bourbon. The sweet cottage décor at Society Hill’s Pink Rose Pastry Shop is a perfect match for its homey, fresh-baked confections like cream cheese brownies and linzer tarts. A chocolatier, ice cream shop and café all rolled into one, the bustling Scoop DeVille offers one-stop dessert shopping on Chestnut Street. A favorite among cupcake fans, Northern Liberties’ Brown Betty Dessert Boutique enchants with its luscious lemon poundcake and red velvet varieties.

Prime Time
Philly’s not an exclusively steak-and-potatoes town, but these regional favorites make it a meat-lover’s paradise. Center City’s first Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao brings grilled meat out by the plateful until its patrons wave a surrender flag. Stephen Starr’s Barclay Prime puts a new luxury spin on the steakhouse concept with Kobe sliders and a Kobe cheesesteak, but the dry-aged steaks and wedge salad are as classic as they come. In addition to 12-ounce steaks, the Chadds Ford Inn’s rustic Brandywine Prime prepares house-smoked venison and a cranberry-vodka-soaked beef tartare. Giant filet mignons and porterhouses are the specialty at Earl’s Prime in Peddler’s Village, and the upscale, urbane atmosphere is augmented with live jazz. For the steak dinner at home, Main Line Prime, a newly opened boutique butcher in Ardmore Square, sells fresh, highest-quality beef, along with pork, chicken and seafood.

Philly Beer News
Philly’s always been a beer-drinker’s city, but in 2008 the brew love will hit a new peak: On March 1, the Philly Craft Beer Festival will take over the Navy Yard’s Cruise Terminal with national and local breweries (Victory, Noddinghead, Yards, Dogfish Head) represented.

March also marks the region’s first annual Philly Beer Week, taking place March 7 through 16. The festivities, hosted by local beer journalist, “Joe Sixpack,” will include a tutored tasting, a cask ale festival, a tribute dinner and nightly events at area restaurants.

In addition, beer-seeking visitors can learn more about the region’s brewing history and the best local microbrews with a new SoundAboutPhilly® tour available in early March at www.soundaboutphilly.com.

Featured Chef: Michael Solomonov
A rising star on the national front, Michael Solomonov has already captivated Philadelphia diners with his finely tuned, artful cooking at Marigold Kitchen. After training at the Florida Culinary Institute, the Israeli-born chef sharpened his skills at Philadelphia restaurants Striped Bass and Vetri before helming his own kitchen and turning out stunners like Israeli couscous with escargots. Following the success of Marigold, Solomonov, Marigold owner Steven Cook and chef Dionocia Jimenez opened Xochitl, a wildly popular haute Mexican restaurant in Headhouse Square. Most recently, Solomonov has turned the Marigold reins over to chef Erin O’Shea (and her new menu of inspired Southern cuisine) as he prepares to helm the kitchen at the latest Solomonov-Cook venture, Zahav, a hotly anticipated upscale Israeli restaurant in Society Hill.

Featured Neighborhood: West Chester
A thriving restaurant scene with a diverse array of cuisines makes West Chester a major destination for dining. Named for its owner, a Georges Perrier protégé, Gilmore’s is a special-occasion French restaurant in an 18^th-century townhouse that charms with its top-notch service, steak on caramelized endive and apple pie terrine. Located in an artisan glass store, Simon Pearce on the Brandywine presents fine dining staples like crispy roast duckling and homemade seafood sausage on Pearce’s renowned glassware. Avalon’s Nouvelle American cuisine tempts with homemade pastas and pastries, as well as a $28 three-course prix-fixe option that is one of the best deals in town.

The foie gras with rosemary scented polenta crisp, fig chutney and balsamic reduction and the châteaubriand for two at the romantic, luxurious Dilworthtown Inn are exceedingly elegant. More budget-conscious diners can enjoy the modern American burgers and free-range chicken at its sibling Blue Pear Bistro next door. Coyote Crossing is a good-time spot, mixing festive décor, tequila cocktails and creative Tex-Mex concoctions like duck and mango quesadillas and grapefruit-marinated shrimp. A relative newcomer, Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House is a casual family restaurant that hearkens back to early 20^th-century fish houses with an extensive raw bar, Maryland crabs and plenty of fresh-caught fish.

• Pat Bombino’s, 767 S. 9^th Street, (215) 238-6555
• Buona Via, 426 Horsham Road, Horsham, (215) 672-5595
• Bella Luna Pizza Kitchen, 116 Ford Street, West Conshohocken, (610) 825-7151
• Grady David’s, 4690 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, (610) 273-9000, www.gradydavids.com
• Peppercorns, 1401 E. Moyamensing Avenue, (267) 322-3000
• The Ugly American, 1100 S. Front Street, (215) 336-1100, www.uglyamericanphilly.com
• The Station Bistro, 1300 Hares Hill Road, Kimberton, (610) 933-1147, www.stationbistro.com
• Kaizan, 1420 Locust Street, (215) 735-1144, www.thekaizan.com
• Meju, 213 Chestnut Street, (215) 238-9403
• Azie, 217 W. State Street, Media, (610) 566-4750, www.azie-restaurant.com
• Morimoto, 723 Chestnut Street, (215) 413-9070, www.morimotorestaurant.com
• 
  

Landmark Eats:

• 
  
• The Centennial Café, 4700 States Drive, (215) 877-3055, www.thecentennialcafe.com
• Waterworks Restaurant and Lounge, 640 Water Works Drive, (215) 236-9000, www.thewaterworksrestaurant.com
• Gardenia, 251 S. 18^th Street, (215) 732-3606
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 700 Walnut Street, (215) 625-8862, www.theoceanaire.com
• XIX, 200 S. Broad Street, (215) 893-1234, www.nineteenrestaurant.com

Sweet Spots:

• La Golosa, 806 S. 6^th Street, (215) 925-1003, www.golosacafe.com
• Capogiro Gelato Artisans, 119 S. 13^th Street, (215) 351-0900; 117 S. 20^th Street, (215) 636-9250, www.capogirogelato.com
• Pink Rose Pastry Shop, 630 S. 4^th Street, (215) 592-0565, www.pinkrosepastry.com
• Scoop DeVille, 1734 Chestnut Street, (215) 988-9992, www.maronchocolates.com
• Brown Betty Dessert Boutique, 1030 N. 2^nd Street, (215) 629-0999, www.brownbettydesserts.com

Prime Time:

• Fogo de Chao, 1337 Chestnut Street, (215) 636-9700, www.fogodechao.com
• Barclay Prime, 237 S. 18^th Street, (215) 732-7560, www.barclayprime.com
• Brandywine Prime, Route 1 & Route 100, Chadds Ford, (610) 388-8088, www.brandywineprime.com
• Earl’s Prime, Route 202 and Street Road, Lahaska, (215) 794-4020, www.peddlersvillage.com
• Main Line Prime, 18 Greenfield Avenue, Ardmore, (610) 645-9500, www.mainlineprime.com

Beer News:

• Philly Craft Beer Festival, www.phillycraftbeerfest.com
• 
  
• Philly Beer Week, www.phillybeerweek.org
• 
  
• Yards, 901 N. Delaware Avenue, (215) 634-2600, www.yardsbrewing.com

Featured Chef:

• Marigold Kitchen, 501 S. 45^th Street, (215) 222-3699, www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com
• Striped Bass,1500 Walnut Street, (215) 732-4444, www.stripedbassrestaurant.com
• Vetri, 1312 Spruce Street, (215) 732-3478, www.vetriristorante.com
• Xochitl, 408 S. 2^nd Street, (215) 238-7280, www.xochitlphilly.com
• 
  

Featured Neighborhood:

• Gilmore’s, 133 E. Gay Street, West Chester, (610) 431-2800, www.gilmoresrestaurant.com
• Simon Pearce on the Brandywine, 1333 Lenape Road, West Chester, (610) 793-0948, www.simonpearce.com
• Avalon,312 S. High Street, West Chester, (610) 436-4100, www.avalonrestaurant.org
• Dilworthtown Inn, 1390 Old Wilmington Pike, West Chester, (610) 399-1390, www.dilworthtown.com
• Blue Pear Bistro, 275 Brintons Bridge Road, West Chester, (610) 399-9812, www.bluepearbistro.com
• Coyote Crossing, 102 E. Market Street, West Chester, (610) 429-8900, www.coyotecrossing.com
• Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House, 117 E. Gay Street, West Chester, (610) 429-4046, www.docmagrogans.com

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

_

Related RSS Feeds

Topic	XML Feeds
What's New This feed will be updated whenever any new content is added to Gophila.com’s Press Room. It includes all topics.

What is RSS?