On The Menu: What to Eat in Philly Right Now
Recognized as the 6th best food city in America by The Washington Post and the number one best city in the U.S. by Lonely Planet, Philadelphia should be at the top of your must-visit list this year. Get your stomach ready, because there’s a lot to eat in this town, starting with some of my favorite dishes below.
Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice Shop
Excuse me while I become *that* former New Yorker but I have been waiting for Paulie Gee’s Soul City Slice Shop to open up in Philly since the day I left Brooklyn back in 2015 and I’m so stoked to welcome them to the Philadelphia pizza scene! I have fond memories as a regular of Paulie Gee in Greenpoint thanks to owner, Paulie, being such a generous host who always engaged with every single one of his customers, genuinely interested in getting to know his diners, offering up limoncello over life stories. So when I heard his son Derek was opening up at the old Amis spot, I ran to try it out. And let me stop you right there: Yes, Philly has another pizza spot. Yes, Philly has another NYC outpost. Yes, Philly pizza isn’t the same as NYC. But you know what? It’s delicious! While the slices/pies differ here from the Greenpoint restaurant, Derek and crew are creating memorable takes all their own with circles and squares: the roast pork is an obvious ode to Philly, the Freddy Prinze is a mashup a la Brooklyn’s L&B Spumoni Gardens square with Kismet Bagels sesame bottom, and Freddy Pepperoni comes with a drizzle of Mike’s Hot honey while you’re here grab a soda pop, or stop by in the near future for local beers, draft cocktails and unpretentious wine selections. They’ve also got a pool table for you to challenge friends or teach the kiddos (which, by the way, they’re family friendly)! The pizza spot plans to be open every day for lunch through dinner making itself an exciting addition to the Gayborhood.
River Twice Mother Rucker Burger
East Passyunk is home to one of my all-time favorite burgers at Fountain Porter. Recently, though, the fine dining restaurant, River Twice, has become a worthy addition to the neighborhood with a Primal Supply Meats double patty with Cooper Sharp American, pickled onions, and sesame bun. The “Mother Rucker” is limited to their outdoor “grazing” menu (think small plates) but is the juiciest, messiest, most flavorful yet simple fancy burger that is worth making reservations for.
Amy’s Pastelillos
Did you know that Philadelphia is the second-largest city home to Puerto Ricans outside of the island, after New York City? Amy Rivera-Nassar is part of the diaspora bringing traditional Puerto Rican dishes to pop-ups around the city, fueling a movement for cultural awareness, education and preservation. One bite of her pastelillos will immediately stir up childhood memories for Boricuas who grew up traveling to and from the motherland: The ground beef picadillo, Amy’s best-seller, is juicy, peppery, and rich from the slow thickening of cubed potatoes mixed with a sofrito-layered sauce. The shredded chicken puts others to shame, with tender thigh meat stewed in its own broth and heightened by sweet notes from yellow peppers. The sleeper hit is the guava BBQ pork, a not-so-traditional tangy flavor combo that’s unexpectedly pleasing.
Kismet Bagels
Kismet Bagels is the newest kid on the bagel block with their first cafe, serving bagels, schmears, sandwiches, and coffee in Fishtown. The self-taught husband-and-wife bagel duo, Alex and Jacob Cohen, grew their business thanks to partnerships and community. Kismet’s bagels are chewy but not dense, with a small hole in the middle and a slight crisp that’s perfect for toasting. Their standard recipe calls for King Arthur flour, Pennsylvania-milled wheat, yeast, sugar, kosher salt, and of course, water. The bagels are smothered with toppings on all sides before being baked in an oven. The result is what Alex calls “Montreal on the outside, New York on the inside.”
Messina Social Club
One of my newest favorite restaurants in Philly is an unassuming members-only without the pretentiousness club in South Philly that operates like a neighborhood bar with a kitchen run by a former Top Chef contestant. It is also the only tasting menu (10 courses for $135pp)I’ve ever enjoyed. And it is where you can find me almost weekly. It is Messina Social Club. Here is where I tuck in to try out the latest creations by Chef Eddie Konrad who’s knack for flavor and texture combinations is continually surprising and delighting. His ability to turn old standards into new, innovative dishes is unmatched in Philly and has won over a loyal following in the short year that he’s took the reigns as head chef. As the menu changes frequently, some recent standouts include king salmon crudo with rhubarb, water cress oil and salted strawberry, half-chicken brined and dried for several days then smothered with butter, salt and pepper served with seasonal vegetables and farrow miso aioli, spring onion top rigatoni with spring vadalia and pancetta ragout, nori crumbs and ricotta salata, chilled rye sardi with pumpernickel and pickled mustard seeds, dill, horseradish, trout roe (think: Polish/Italian pasta salad).
