9 Restaurants That Should Replace L2

In February 2014 we wrote a post about eight restaurants that should replace Dmitri's on Fitler Square after it closed much nearby residents' dismay. Even though new tenant Tria Fitler Square has turned out to be a pleasant addition to the neighborhood, it was not on our original list.

With the former L2 space at 23rd and South available again after a pizza/growler concept fell through, we're revisiting our original list. It's a great location that, with some renovations, could help continue the growth in commercial vibrancy in the neighborhood and be a great corner spot to eat.

Without further adieu, here are many the original ideas we'd still like see move in, with some tweaks:

1. Koo Zee Doo. We have not been shy about claiming Koo Zee Doo to be one of our all-time favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. But it fell victim to rent hikes in Northern Liberties and slow weeknights, closing in 2013 to widespread outcry from fans all over the area. Chef David Gilberg is at William Street Common now, but maybe he and co-owner/wife Carla Goncalves will consider a resurgence. The neighborhood could use something unconventional like Portuguese food. Only question will be... is the rent still too high?

2. Manakeesh. Along the same lines, Lebanese fusion could be a nice "something different" for Fitler Square. Manakeesh Cafe at 45th & Walnut is a huge hit for its flatbread sandwiches, platters and baked goods (we are obsessed with the baklava). We'd love to see them create a casual sit-down dinner menu, while also opening for breakfast and lunch, reminiscent of the original cafe style.

3. Chimu. On a recent trip to Brooklyn, we were tipped off to try Peruvian restaurant Chimu. Holy cow was it good. Skirt steak, chimichurri, ceviche... Is there any Peruvian food in Philly? If so, please advise on where we can get this. And then bring it closer!

4. Girl and The Fig. Another transplant idea. If you've ever been to Sonoma, CA, and didn't try the fresh, locally-sourced French cooking at Girl and The Fig, you missed out. Best meal we had in wine country. Not to mention that its owner/chef was raised and launched her career in Philadelphia. Come back, Sondra Bernstein! Your East Coast outpost awaits!

5. Gayle: The Revival. Daniel Stern's byob off South Street was the first restaurant we tried after moving to Philadelphia that really made an impact. (blog post from 2009, yikes!) The creative twists he put on dishes like pork & beans, shepherd's pie and "breakfast" blew our minds at the time, and the fact that a chef came out to talk to us made a real impact on the way we looked at food.

One vote for dim sum! (photo at Bing Bing)

6. Bring back Pat! Friends had mixed experiences at 943 during its run on 9th Street in the Italian Market. Maybe it was the wrong spot? Struggled like other BYOBs to bring in enough revenue? We really liked the Argentinian/Italian blend at 943 and would love to see Chef Pascual Cancelliere (such a nice dude) give it another shot with a liquor license and new audience.

7. El Bulli. I mean, why not. Best restaurant in the world is now closed, so let's see it re-open in Philadelphia! A foodie can dream.

8. Dim Sum Anything. We cherish dumplings and would love to see an outpost outside of Chinatown. While we'd take a Dim Sum Garden or another Bing Bing, we'd be happy with anything serving up piping hot soup dumplings.

9. Anything Good AND Kid Friendly. As new parents our needs and wants have changed. No longer can we just show up and sit at the bar or count on sticking with reservations. We enjoy taking our son out but it's a lot of work at the same time, and expensive to hire babysitters. (And when we do get out, it's even harder to find time to blog about it!) So, how about a place that provides the best of both worlds. L2 is a big enough spot for families and highchairs, while still catering to the masses. Give us the chance to enjoy a great meal along with a kid friendly dining experience. We would thank you for it.

What we don't need: Brunch joint like Honey's, more Neapolitan pizza like Vetri or $27 entree bistro a la Fitler Dining Room. We're not criticizing any of those spots, just don't need another one so close.


What are your suggestions??

A First Look at Tria Fitler Square

The Fitler Square neighborhood shed a quick tear last year upon learning that our beloved Dmitri's was leaving the corner of 23rd & Pine. We weren't regulars but that place sure was popular and an anchor of the hyper-local culture.

In a blog post, Bradd and I offered up eight restaurants that should replace Dmitri's - everything from a re-emergence of our favorite Koo Zee Doo to a Philly outpost of Zeppoli - but we didn't expect Tria to jump on the chance to open yet another wine bar. With two other Tria locations already close by, admittedly we were a little disappointed in the news. However... after giving it a first try we have to say we're excited to go back.

What's most appealing about Tria Fitler Square is the sidewalk seating and extra windows along 23rd Street, opening up the restaurant to great natural light, airflow and a view of its lovely namesake Fitler Square. What's going to be frustrating are the crowds. A no reservation policy = wait lists, especially this first summer. Go early or be prepared to wait, even for a bar seat. It was nice to see the hostess willing to track down people waiting across the street in the park.

The new Tria offers a similar wine, beer, cheese and snacks menu to its sister bars, including some recognizable bruschettas. You can't go wrong with any of the bruschetta; our go-to is the comforting pistachio-herbed ricotta with lavender honey ($4½ for two pieces). As for the cheese menu, go with whatever jumps out at you, or ask the knowledgeable staff for recommendations.

Pistachio-herbed ricotta with lavender honey on toast

Montealva Curado, a goat's milk cheese from Spain

What's different at Tria Fitler Square are the 'medium plates." Too cool to be called entrees yet appropriately named for their portion size, the two we had were pretty darn delicious.

Grilled octopus with orzo salad, golden raisins, chili and citrus-mint yogurt ($18) is Tria's homage to the crowd favorite dish at Dmiti's. It's a perfect, lighter plate for summer, drawing us both to pick at every last nibble so none of the flavors would go to waste. Hand-rolled ricotta cavatelli with asparagus and Castelvetrano olives in a hazelnut brown butter ($14) could have used slightly more punch, maybe even just more salt, but was still a really pleasant way to round out our meal.

Grilled octopus over orzo salad and citrus-mint yogurt

Hand-rolled ricotta cavatelli

With some time off this spring/summer to raise a newborn (yikes), I'm hoping to roll the stroller right up to an outside table at happy hour. Contrary to our initial hesitations, Tria Fitler Square will be a nice spot to relax with a glass of wine, grab a good quality bite and enjoy the scene.

What We're Drinking: The Derringer at Rival Bros.

Need a caffeine kick that is: 1) not a regular cup of coffee, 2) more than a simple shot of espresso and 3) comes without the overwhelming milkiness of a latte or cappuccino?

The folks at Rival Bros. have just the solution – the Derringer, a take on the ever-popular cortado. 

The cortado is typically 4 oz of equal parts espresso and steamed milk that ends up being a cross between a macchiato and a cappuccino. The Derringer twist upps the milk just a bit to a ratio of 2:2.5 (maybe 3 according to the barista).

I find it to be the perfect little drink to pack in a needed caffeine kick without giving me the shakes. A touch of milk also tames the bite of the espresso (cortado is Spanish for cut) without diminishing the flavor.

Get yourself over to Rival Bros. coffee shop at 24th & Lombard and jump on the Derringer wagon. I've probably had it the last ten Friday mornings in a row.

Rival Bros. blends can also be purchased at a number of retail stores and sipped in restaurants throughout Philadelphia region.

Eight Restaurants That Should Replace Dmitri's in Fitler Square

Like the rest of Fitler Square, we were disappointed to hear that increased rent will cause Dmitri's to forgo renewing its lease when the corner building at 23rd & Pine is sold. That seems to be a trend in Philly lately, with perfectly good - if not great - restaurants and locally-based retailers shutting down because of rent inflation. Dmitri's food never knocked our socks off, but the restaurant is a beloved mainstay around here. It is always busy and even draws in regulars from the suburbs. A friend of ours has a love affair with their grilled octopus.

The location has a liquor license, sidewalk seating across from a park and an engaged and culturally-diverse neighborhood to its advantage, so we sure hope to see another non-commercial, fun and casual restaurant take its place.

Here's who we think should move in:

1. Koo Zee Doo. We have not been shy about claiming Koo Zee Doo to be one of our all-time favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. But it fell victim to rent hikes in Northern Liberties and slow weeknights, closing last June to widespread outcry from fans all over the area. The owners said they'd be back and we think Fitler Square is the perfect spot for a Koo Zee Doo resurgence. The neighborhood could use something unconventional like Portuguese food. Only question will be... is the rent still too high?

2. Manakeesh. Along the same lines, Lebanese fusion could be a nice "something different" for Fitler Square. Manakeesh Cafe at 45th & Walnut is a huge hit for its flatbread sandwiches, platters and baked goods (we are obsessed with the baklava). We'd love to see them create a sit-down dinner menu, while also opening for breakfast and lunch, reminiscent of the original cafe style.

3. Chimu. On a recent trip to Brooklyn, we were tipped off to try Peruvian restaurant Chimu. Holy cow was it good. Skirt steak, chimichurri, ceviche... Is there any Peruvian food in Philly? If so, please advise on where we can get this.

4. Girl and The Fig. Another transplant idea. If you've ever been to Sonoma, CA, and didn't try the fresh, locally-sourced French cooking at Girl and The Fig, you missed out. Best meal we had in wine country. Not to mention that its owner/chef was raised and launched her career in Philadelphia. Come back, Sondra Bernstein! Your East Coast outpost awaits!

5. Gayle: The Revival. Daniel Stern's byob off South Street was the first restaurant we tried after moving to Philadelphia that really made an impact. (blog post from 2009, yikes!) The creative twists he put on dishes like pork & beans, shepherd's pie and "breakfast" blew our minds at the time, and the fact that a chef came out to talk to us was mind blowing. A true turning point in our experience with food. We don't doubt he could do that again.

6. Bring back Pat! Friends had mixed experiences at 943 during its run on 9th Street in the Italian Market. Maybe it was the wrong spot? Struggled like other BYOBs to bring in enough revenue? We really liked the Argentinian/Italian blend at 943 and would love to see Chef Pascual Cancelliere (such a nice dude) give it another shot with a liquor license and new audience.

7. Zeppoli. One of the supposed best restaurants in "Philadelphia" is actually in Collingswood, NJ. We have been saying for three years that we'd go, but still haven't done it. So on behalf of everyone who can't mentally cross a bridge for dinner, we'd love to see Zeppoli expand its genius Italian cooking west of the Delaware River.

8. El Bulli. I mean, why not. Best restaurant in the world is now closed, so let's see it re-open in Philadelphia! A foodie can dream.

What we don't need: Brunch joint like Honey's or $27 entree bistro a la Fitler Dining Room. We're not criticizing either popular spot, just don't need another one so close.

Keep in mind that L2 at the corner of 22nd & South is apparently closed and that's twice the size of Dmitri's, so hopefully we'll get two great new places.

What are your suggestions??

Sidewalk Dining at Audrey Claire

Why oh why did it take us 6 years to eat at Audrey Claire??
— 22nd&Philly (@22ndandPhilly) June 16, 2012

That was our final tweet on a recent Friday night. A last minute decision to grab a bottle of white and dash over to Audrey Claire at 20th & Spruce before the rush finally, and deliciously, broke our streak.

A neighborhood mainstay for Rittenhouse Square and Fitler Square since 1996, Audrey Claire is a no frills, cash-only BYOB that is packed most nights. It only takes reservations Sunday - Thursday so either go then, arrive early on the weekend, or join the crowd that gathers outside waiting upwards of an hour for a table.

Hot Chocolate Wars: Good Karma and Ants Pants Cafe

You win some, you lose some, right? To me, hot chocolate either falls somewhere on the scale of good-to-great, or it is just really bad. I've written about a bunch of spots that I like around Philadelphia for this "Hot Chocolate Wars" series, but here are two places you are better off drinking something else.

Ants Pants hot chocolate

I am a big fan of Australian-themed Ants Pants Cafe at 22nd & South for its bacon, egg and cheese croissant sandwiches. The sweet potato fries - which come with sour cream and a sweet chili sauce for dipping - and the hand-cut potato chip fries are also awesome. But when I ordered a hot chocolate recently, I was quite disappointed. It was totally watered down and, even worse, served in a hard plastic water cup that retained absolutely zero heat. If you've had better there, let me know because hopefully my experience wasn't the norm. Otherwise, lesson learned. I'll stick to tea and OJ with my breakfast sammie.


Good Karma Cafe at 22nd & Pine is always packed with studious-looking twenty somethings and has a good reputation as an ecologically and socially responsible business. It's also dog friendly and has a handful of outside seats for nicer weather. Bradd says the coffee is fine and I have personally enjoyed the muffins. Unfortunately I've tried the hot chocolate a couple times and it just doesn't measure up. Also watered down, it's neither hot nor chocolaty. Mixing it doesn't help either. Bummer for non-coffee drinkers because the cafe is so convenient to anyone in the Fitler Square and Graduate Hospital area.

Review of Pamcakes, a Philly Cupcakery

Who knew that a little piece of heaven was sitting just a few blocks away? 22nd & Philly readers spoke up recently in ravishing support for Pamcakes, a new-ish cupcake boutique on 20th Street between Pine and Lombard. I visited right away and the sugar high had me typing at lightning speed to get my thoughts documented on screen.

Pamcakes fittingly opened on Valentine's Day 2011 in the old Darling's Cheesecake location. It is proprietor Pam Kingsland's first formal venture into the cupcake world. She started in Northern Liberties selling cupcakes at farmer's markets to get her name out, but when demand for her treats got too high, she opened up shop.