Travel Journal: Philadelphia

Over the course of three visits, I’ve posted a good bit about Philly but typically post one-offs for restaurants. This time, I’d like to share the details of a recent trip all in one place. If you’re not already in love with Philadelphia, what’s wrong with you? I’m turning into the city’s number one fan.

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Wednesday, August 23rd

I took a 6 am train and hit the ground running, making sure our booth was set up before everything got started. It’s such an easy train from NYC that I’m realizing I really should make this trip more often. On my way to the conference, I stopped for some coffee at Bower Cafe. They’ve got that industrial thing going on and made a good latte. The food looked generally good, but my sandwich – while tasty – left something to be desired thanks to an inadequate filling to bread ratio.

For lunch I went to Grandma’s Philly. I was a little nervous when I saw it relatively empty…but then again it was 2pm, not exactly prime lunch hours. I took some cues from the waitress and ordered the meatballs and soup, both of which were better than expected. If you’re looking for some low key and casual Thai, this is a solid spot.

I went back to my hotel and got some work done before hitting the town. I had no plans with coworkers and wasn’t meeting up with Philly-based friends til the next day so I decided to take myself on a date. I had grand plans to go to My Loup because it was super close and super hyped. Unfortunately, when I walked up to the restaurant it was randomly closed because the chef/owner was on her honeymoon (or something, I think?). The good thing about being out on your own is that you don’t have a schedule. I was more than happy to wander, admiring the vibes of Rittenhouse Square at night as I chose my backup. The backup turned out to be The Love. A quick google told me this is a Stephen Starr joint so I knew I was in good hands. That restauranteur churns out consistently solid restaurants. When the waiter told me they had blue cheese olives – hand stuffed daily, in fact – I was sold. I ordered two, separated by a pesto pasta special that had pickled green onions, crispy pancetta, and chili breadcrumbs. I read a book, sipped my tini, and was back at the hotel before 9:30.

Thursday, August 24th

I woke up and went to the gym, which happened to be right next to my room. I truly had no excuse. I quickly got ready for the day and stopped by Konditori for some coffee on my way to the convention hotel. I had initially discovered this Swedish espresso bar on my last visit to Philly years prior and was happy to see it was still there. I had zero interest in convention center coffee when I could get the good stuff right next door.

For lunch, I met Lindsay at Wilder. She’s been in the Philadelphia area for quite some time now and always knows good food so I trusted her judgement. First of all, I would like whoever designed this restaurant to design my life. Cool pendant lamps, fun tile and wallpaper, and kilim rugs as a stair runner. Yes, please. We were a little aggressive when it came to the food, but it all looked so good. And it all was so good. We took advantage of the last bits of summer and made sure to order all the summery things. We got a pizza to share with fresh crushed tomatoes, zucchini, ricotta, and zucchini flowers. For mains, Lindsay got a creamy and very yummy looking pasta while I got two apps: the steak tartare toast (on thick but soft sourdough with roasted tomato, idiazabal, pickled mushrooms, and hazelnuts) and a spring pea soup (with oil/cream drizzles, fresh mint, and nearly raw peas). Both were fabulous and I wish I had more room.

For dinner, I met up with another sorority sister. Brooke mentioned she could get us a rezzy at Kalaya and I jumped at the chance to get some James Beard-worthy food. It also meant I could see a part of the city I’d never experienced. Fishtown felt very much like Brooklyn and I didn’t hate it. I also didn’t hate the food. Everything we ordered was absolutely incredible. Sure, I had Thai the previous afternoon, but this was totally different. We saw a section of the drink menu devoted to shots…how could we not?! We are college girlfriends who bonded at frat parties so it only seemed right. We started with an order of kanom jeeb nok, which were caramelized cod dumplings that were SHAPED LIKE LITTLE BIRDIES. Happy to say, these weren’t just a gimmick. They were actually one of the best bites of the night. I should have written the rest down because it was all so good. We had lettuce wraps as another starter and then a trio of larger dishes (everything is highly sharable here) for our main. There was jumbo shrimp over glass noodles, branzino, and a crab curry that was definitely the star of the mains.

After dinner I took a bath, watched some Netflix, and went to bed.

Friday, August 25th

I woke up and had to make a pit stop at K’far for coffee and some breakfast pastries. Yes yes, I know I can now get this café in NYC, but Mike Solomonov’s famous Israeli food originated in Philly so I wanted to try it there…also because NYC location is in Brooklyn and that’s just not that convenient from Harlem. But after eating at Laser Wolf I knew if I was close to one of his resturants, I needed to take advantage. I ordered a feta scallion bureka and a Jerusalem bagel with [two kinds of] marinated labneh. Yup. As good as I expected.

After putting in. afull day of work, I got on a 7pm train – but not before getting a cheesesteak. I had wanted to try Ishkibibble’s because I’d heard good things, but Lindsay gave me the pro tip that she actually really loved Cleaver’s and it happened to be very nearby…like close enough for me to roll my suitcase. So that’s what I did. I got myself a cheesesteak to-go (wiz wit, naturally) and scarfed it down in the Philly train station as I waited for my train to arrive. It was actually a really good – would def order again.

Philly Details

• Accommodations
  • I stayed at the Sofitel right off Rittenhouse Square. I ended up choosing that one because it was one of the preferred hotels for my company and the convention hotel was sold out. I’m actually happy I couldn’t stay at the convention hotel because it was very convention-y. While the Sofitel was still in walking distance, it felt a bit nicer and the immediate surrounding blocks had more interesting vibes. Also, the room was huge.
  • If I was choosing my own hotel, I might just stick with the Sofitel, but these other hotels also look interesting:
    • Kimpton: There are two in the area and I typically love a Kimpton property
    • Lokal: If I wanted a bit of a splurge and to really explore Fishtown, this would be the place
    • Guild House Hotel: This boutique hotel looks absolutely lovely and well appointed
    • The Deacon: If I had a big group and big budget this gathering space in an old church would be the coolest
• Food & Drink
  • Late night food seems to be lacking, at least in the area I stayed in. Plan accordingly.
  • Do I need to tall you to get a cheesesteak? It’s basic but amazing.
  • The Infatuation has quite a few very good roundups and reviews – strongly suggest checking them out as you plan your visit
  • Honestly, Philly has an incredible food scene and I could write for pages about the spots I want to visit. Places on my list that I didn’t get to try:
    • Tulip Pasta and Wine Bar: since those are my two favorite things, I’m thinking I’d love it
    • Vernick Fish + JG Skyhigh: seasonal and seafood
    • Middle Child: This was the other place we almost went to (Brooke attests to it’s deliciousness), but Kalaya won out
    • My Loup: The one that got away
• Activities
  • The Italian market is an outdoor market – the oldest continuously running one. My friend Brooke lives in the area and while the neighborhood isn’t really Italian (it’s actually a chill, liberal, queer-friendly area) the market itself is both Italian and legit.
  • Look at some art: I stumbled upon Morton Contemporary on my walk between hotels. They have a nice selection of original art at not completely insane prices. For more, hit up Cherry Street Pier – a very cool space with lots of vendors.
  • Walk Elfreth’s Alley for historical beauty
  • If you’re there in the spring/summer, check out Bok Bar for food, drinks, music, and activities
  • Eastern State Penitentiary: If you want something spooky, this old prison (no longer in use), is a fun tour. They made solitary confinement all the rage and even housed the legendary Al Capone.
  • Get outdoorsy at the Schuylkill River Trail