Restaurant Week in Philly
Well technically, we did this last weekend but since it was too good to not share, I decided to include it in this weekends post. Since we’ve moved to Philly, one of the things we really wanted to do more of was try out new restaurants. People keep telling us that Philly is a huge foodie city so we were pretty pumped to sample the local fare. It just so happened to be Restaurant Week this past week so we seized the opportunity to sample a popular restaurant downtown.
For those of you who are not familiar with restaurant week, it’s basically a week (or two) where restaurants across the city prepare prix fixe menus showcasing their restaurant. For $35, you get a three course dinner consisting of usually an app, entree and dessert. Although $35 may seem a little steep, the price of an entree alone at some of these establishments usually averages in the $20-$30 range so all of a sudden $35 for three courses doesn’t look so bad after all.
After perusing the list of restaurants and menus (which is half the battle), I settled on Entrée BYOB. Yep, BYOB stands for “Bring Your Own Bottle”! In Boston, BYOB restaurants weren’t a thing so you can imagine our excitement when we found out that a good number of restaurants in Philly allow you to bring your own alcohol.
Entrée BYOB is a little hole in wall restaurant located on South St. that serves up some amazing seasonal American fare. There are only a handful of tables so be prepared to wait if you don’t book ahead of time.
One thing I really liked about this place is that their Restaurant Week menu came straight from their regular menu. Some restaurants create new menus just for restaurant week but in my opinion, the point of restaurant week is to actually sample what the restaurant has to offer year round.
Admittedly, this was Selma and I’s first time at a BYOB so we weren’t sure how much to bring or what to even bring. After perusing the liquor store for way too long, we settled on these two gems because the labels looked neat. When I looked around the room, most people had brought wine but you’re also welcome to bring liquor or beer. They even have cocktails on the menu for you to mix with your favorite liquor.
Our waiter also did this neat trick with the wine cork which we’ve never seen before.
For food, we started off with the fried calamari which was amazing. A little on the sweeter side with the balsamic reduction but the siracha aioli helped to balance out the dish.
For entrees, I ordered the seared duck breast an Selma got the seared tuna. Both were pretty delicious and we would definitely recommend them.
For dessert, we ordered the creme brûlée and obviously the fried oreos. Everything is better when it’s fried…trust me.
All in all, this was a pretty solid spot that I’m sure we’ll revisit in the near future. And best of all, you can’t really beat a BYOB place.
Green Eggs Cafe
There is nothing better on a sunny Saturday morning than brunch and a nap. And after a meal at Green Eggs Cafe, you’ll need just that.
Selma has been dying to take me here for brunch so this past Saturday, we finally got the chance. It was also Selma’s friends birthday so it was the perfect excuse to kill two birds with one stone. This place is known for their Red Velvet pancakes and huge portions so I was pretty excited.
Selma ordered the Creme brûlée french toast – Sliced challah in vanilla bean custard topped with berry compote, vanilla anglaise, 100% maple syrup, chantilly cream and fresh berries. This was easily a loaf of bread on a plate. It took all three of us to finish this monster.
I ordered the Chicken and Waffles eggs benedict – 6 oz of southern fried boneless chicken thigh and two poached eggs on buttermilk waffle half with maple syrup and hot sauce hollandaise. Oh. My. Gerd.
And lastly, Selma’s friend ordered The Kitchen Sink – Three eggs scrambled with sausage crumbles, Gruyere cheese, potatoes,peppers & onions,topped with a homemade jumbo biscuit and country style pork sausage gravy in a cast-iron skillet. If you’re looking for the perfect hangover meal, look no further.
Also, if you come on a Saturday or Sunday, be prepared for a long wait. However, this place is so delicious it’s totally worth the wait. Also, don’t forget to bring cash!
And with that, thanks for reading!
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