Chloe

232 Arch Street, Philadelphia, 215.629.2337


Chloe is one of our old standbys when we've got a play at the Arden Theatre. It's always good and we always get a table even though it's an intimate space. And since we had our first play this past Thursday, we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed there. It was close to 7 pm and there were two tables left. While we were there, there was never a line, but all tables were full.


They start you off with hummus and bread. The hummus is mild, not too garlickly or spicy. I opted for the Chloe Salad ... baked panko crusted goat cheese, mixed greens, red onion, orange chipotle dressing ($6.50) and had the Red Snapper special with sauteed polenta. It was so much food and so yummy.

We never time for dessert, but once we actually went back for it. It was worth it. And a great date place too!

Read what others think: Here, here, and here.

Pub & Kitchen

1946 Lombard St. (215) 545-0350

Before heading to Jamaican Jerk Hut, we stopped in the new Pub & Kitchen now housed in the old Chaucer's spot. We only had drinks to scout the place and it was jam-packed tight. They lightened up the decor, took the gorgeous wood off the ceiling (wah!) and opened up the windows. Nice! Definitely heading back to check out the grub.

Read what other's say: Phoodie; City Paper (photos)

Jamaican Jerk Hut

1436 South St, Philadelphia (215) 545-8644

I've been wanting to go to Jamaican Jerk Hut all summer. What could be better than hanging outside with your friends, enjoying Jamaican food and our own beverages in a super casual atmosphere with some reggae in the background?

I was incredibly disappointed and skeptical after reading some reviews. But, fortunately, we had a good experience. Although, going into it with low expectations could have made all the difference. At the very least, the food was good. Service, for the most part was fine, but started off slow. We had to find our own bottle opener and corkscrew to get ourselves started. No big deal. There's a double lot yard next door where they host live reggae bands. Unfortunately, not while we were there. But we sat outside with a diverse crowd on the covered deck and almost forgot we were in the city. Oh, and the bathroom is pretty much in the kitchen.

For appetizers we had the Coconut Shrimp. Four to a plate and loaded with shredded coconut. The flavor was nice and subtle, but the coconut wasn't as crispy all around. Jerk Wings were coated in lots of spices and left your mouth on fire. I could only handle one, and they were small.

Most of us had the Mango Chicken. Comes with rice and peas and fried plantains as sides. Chicken is bone in, lots of small parts so beware of the little bones. Good, sweet flavor. Not dried out. Others had the Jerk chicken. Same sides. Good, super spicy. Lotsa food!

By no means will it knock your socks off, but it's worth a try if you're already in the city.

Read what other's have to say.

Jose Pistola's

213 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia

We don't typically have to rack our brains to come up with a decent restaurant in Philly. But, it was after a 4 pm Phillies game and we had contingencies...it needed to be walking distance from the train station and had to be casual enough where Phillies t-shirts blended in. We ended up at Jose Pistola's in the old Copabanana II on 15th Street.
Decor is bare, much toned down from the Copa days. Dark. Exposed brick. A few tv's if you want to catch a game.

For a Saturday night, it wasn't crowded, which was fine with us. The beer selection was excellent--80 international and domestic drafts and bottled beers, including next-to-impossible to find Russian River Pliny the Elder IPA. Phenomenal. However, when we noticed the weekday happy hour featuring $2 PBR, Yuengling and Bud specials, the place when down a few notches.

We decided to get a few things to pick at so we started with the Pico de Gallo, Guacamole and some other pureed green dipping sauce that was a little tangy and sweet. Everything was fresh and flavorful with a nice kick, but not too much.

I heard good things about the Fish Tacos ($5), tempura battered grouper tossed with spicy mayo and pickled cabbage. You get two and they didn't disappoint.

Some friends showed up and they opted for a heaping plate of Chicken Nachos ($11.50) to share. It was loaded with shredded chicken, black beans, lots of cheese, tomatoes and jalapenos. There weren't many chips without something on it.

Good food. Good beer. Worth a visit.

Others say: Yelp, CityPaper, Around Philly,

Dewey Beach eats.

We were in Dewey Beach, DE and, of course, we ate out. So here's a quick summary.

North Beach - go for the Dewey Devils with a floater of 151 and whipped cream. Don't go for the food, unless you need to coat your stomach for the Devils with floaters. Also, don't sit on the railing. The rocks below hurt. And, if you need to go #1, there's sand all around. No one will know. Yeah, it's that kind of place.

The Starboard - absolutely get there for drinks. Sunday's Bloody Mary's are balls to the wall craziness. The food - only good when you're hung over or drunk, which most are. Hardcore drinkers welcome!

Nalu - new, and the menu looked amazing. Saw it too late to get there. Go!

Nick's - sandwiches served by Mamma with a mustache. Used to be good. Must of been hungover.

Ed's - steamed crabs, chicken, fries, etc. Had a couple bad crabs, but still good. Yum.

Primavera Pizza Kitchen & Milkboy

Primavera Pizza Kitchen
7 E. Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610.642.8000


Milkboy
2 E. Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610.645.6259


There's a certain radius from your home where dining out doesn't seem like "dining out". I'm not sure what that radius is, but I've never been one to run to the nearest restaurant for a meal.

This may be the reason why we've been in our house for over a year and are now just getting around to trying Primavera Pizza Kitchen, a mere three blocks away. (It has nothing to do with the horrific website, although that's bound to scare plenty away.) Also, it's enormous. And enormous restaurants to me are synonymous with mediocre food. There's just too many plates moving through to pay attention to the details. JMO.

We didn't intend to go there. In fact, we hemmed and hawwed about going there. But, what the hell, we thought. We started at the MilkBoy for their BYOB night. (BTW, if you type in Milkboy.com, you'll get this great picture that goes no where.) Not so long ago, we saw Jeffrey Gaines and it was incredibly intimate. I mean, Jeffrey Gaines in a coffee house. Come on! I actually photographed the drummer with his own camera. The Milkboy Happy Hour is scheduled from 6 to 10 pm on Thursdays. We arrived, wine bottle in hand, to find just two occupied tables and the band barely set up ... at 7 pm! So, awkwardly, we sat. Long enough to have one glass of wine and high tail it outta there for dinner elsewhere. They were nice enough to refrigerate our wine until we returned later that night. Across the street to Primavera, we wandered.

Hesitantly, we walked in. The entire downstairs was full. Full with a lot of older diners. We almost left. But we didn't. And, yes, there is an upstairs. Don't go unless you're desperate.

The wine list was mediocre at best. A few names were recognizable, but 0f course, they were out of the Savignon Blanc, the only one that was up our alley. We went with our next, and only, choice that ended up being too sweet for our liking. This would prove to be a precursor of things to come. The beer selection was standard domestic (Read: Miller, etc.)

We asked about sharing the Insalata Mista salad and they happily obliged, even stating that the salad size was perfect for 2 people. It wasn't special, but the ingredients were fresh.

I had Agnolotti - pasta filled with chicken and cheese tossed with roasted peppers and rosemary in a tomato cream sauce, worth bringing home in a doggy bag, but didn't since we were headed back to Milkboy. The husband had the Pescatora - linguini with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and calamari in a spicy tomato sauce, which was great. FLAVOR! The shrimp, albeit small, were fresh. However, both the clams and mussels were bad.

All in all, it was an okay experience. But once again, it was an experience that demonstrated places like this exist and persist because there is no other option in the 'burbs.

Christopher's

108 North Wayne Ave., Wayne, (610) 687-6558

Bustling, hip Christopher's in Wayne is everything you would NOT expect from a family-friendly restaurant. For one, it doesn't look like a chain restaurant. It's actually furnished and decorated tastefully in a casual elegant style, and yet perfectly comfortable for kids. The staff is friendly and patient, and the menu offers a full range of grown-up American dishes.

On a recent Saturday evening, we stopped in and found every table occupied by families. A good sign, we thought. We only waited about 15 minutes. Crayons, coloring paper and bread arrived right away with the menus. The beer list included lots of local micro-brews and your standard domestics. All wines come by the glass, 1/2 carafe or bottle. The most expensive bottle being $45. Plus, some fun cocktails like P.I.N.K. martini and Blueberry Creamsicle.

We started with the Sesame Crusted Tuna ($18.50) with Thai ginger sauce, wasabi mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. I'm a sucker for mashed potatoes, and these had a nice, little kick. The tuna came rare as I asked, and it was yummy.

Husband had Barbecue Pulled Pork ($14.50) with grilled bread with garlic mashed potatoes and a side salad. Good, fresh, and you could actually taste the garlic. The kids didn't get too creative only having the pasta with butter ($4). But, if they wanted to, the options were there. And, chocolate cake was a winner.

Absolutely worth a visit. Without kids? Go a little later when they're all in bed.

Standard Tap

2nd & Popular Sts., Philadelphia, 215.238.0630

Nothing could be better after rock climbing than a freshly poured beer from the Standard Tap, one of many great bars and eateries in Northern Liberties. Don't expect to get typical bar food here, although it may appear that you could. No chance. You definitely won't get any food between 3:30 and 5 pm when they take a break between lunch and dinner. And, by no means, should you think you'll get a Bud or Coors. Just walk away.

What's extra special: they have two hand pumps for the smoothest pour around. Beer taps change on occasion, so who knows what'll it be. Dark, woody and eclectic right down to the servers. Definitely stop in when you're in the neighborhood.

Parc

227 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, 215.545.2262

Parc hasn't been open even a week yet, but I work nearby and have been watching the crowds descend on it. It's Steven Starr, after all. Well, it's also Girls Dinner so why not head there to see what the hype is all about. We called the same day to see about reservations but the earliest was 5:30 (way too early) and the next open was 9:45. We stopped by about 8:15 to see how long the wait would be. For an outdoor table facing either Rittenhouse Square or on Locust Street, it was 1 1/2 hours, inside was an hour. We headed over to Tria for a drink first and to wait out the crowd.

I like Tria because it's a great place to try new wines and cheeses, plus they pair their cheese with interesting condiments. We had La Tur ($9), a goat, sheep and cow's milk semi-soft cheese from Piedmont, Italy, with honey marmalade and Cashel Blue ($7), a blue-veined cow's milk cheese from County Tipperary, Ireland, with a chocolate fig sauce. The La Tur is their most popular. I'm not sure why. We didn't love it.

By 9ish, we went back to Parc and were seated right away. Although, the wait for a table outside was still an hour!

The decor is authentic vintage Parisian. Every little detail was considered, right down to the European styled phone number on the awning out front. The floor is made up of tiny tiles. The tables are marble top. Huge mirrors on the walls have been antiqued. The bar is Paris in Philly. The only thing I noticed that wasn't so French was the wine list. A bottle of Angeline Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley, California was priced at $42. That hurts, especially when I see it in Total Wine for $10.

The first thing you'll notice when you walk in is the noise level. It's astronomical. Even at 10 pm, we were still yelling to each other. The crowd is about as diverse as Philadelphia. Old, young, sloppy, dressed up. Everyone is checking this place out. And they should be. It's amazing. Steven Starr has simply outdone himself.

The menu is, surprise, Parisian bistro. The winners for the night were the Tuna Carpaccio and the Boeuf Bourgiunonne. Girlfriend Roz does not ever eat anything raw and she raved about the tuna. So, I'm just sayin', it was good. My bronzino was delicious other than it was a tad overcooked. Lingiuni with Clams was just ok. Service was on the slow side, but we'll give it a pass since it's new. According to our server, they are taking 400 to 500 reservations a night, and doing about 800 covers, if that gives you any indication of what's going on here.

Get there. Run, don't walk.

Others say: Phoodie;

A two-fer quickie: Maia and Tango

Edited to add: Closed

Maia is the new mega-restaurant/market/coffee shop by the Feury brothers that recently opened in Villanova. While I am completely turned off by the location - a corporate office setting next to the Blue Route - once you walk inside, you're transported to a food connoisseur's haven. Since we opted not to eat there because it was so loud and too bustling for our mood, I can give you a first impression of the atmosphere.

Immediately when you walk in you'll be overwhelmed. It's loud to begin with. Large bar to the left with tables for bistro dining. Prepared-foods market straight ahead to the right. They have a nice take out beer selection too. Upstairs is the fancy dining with an outside patio. My first thought was that it reminded me of an upscale cafeteria/food court. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice. There's just a heck of a lot going on.

Others say: Philly; The Brew Lounge;

Tango
We weren't up for the noisy dinner so we headed back towards home and stopped at Tango. We had lunch there a while ago and were really impressed with the menu and wine selection. But, we were a little let down. Average is how I'd describe the food. Maybe I'd go back though and give it another chance.

Others say: Citysearch; TripAdvisor