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??

Six Great Hamburgers in Philadelphia

The hamburger is one of the most hotly-contested food categories in cities across America. After reading Food & Wine's new list of the Best Burgers in America, and feeling disappointed that none from Philadelphia made the list, we decided to share just a few (there are many!) of the awesome burgers we've had recently right here in Philly, but didn't get to write about yet. Some are well known, others less so, but perhaps you'll find one you haven't tried before...

8 Tips for Visiting Napa and Sonoma

Earlier this month we gave you a throwdown between San Francisco and Philadelphia in terms of food and fun things to do. Also a memorable part of that trip was our two day visit to wine country. One day in Napa Valley and one day in Sonoma worked out perfectly. They're really only 30-40 minutes away from each other, so it's easy to do both. Here are a few tips for each based on what we ate/did, with lots more photos to check out on Facebook and Google+. 

NAPA VALLEY:

Drive past the main little towns. As first timers, we were surprised that so many big wineries were literally right in a row and close to the main road (Rt. 29). There are dozens and dozens of great places to stop along there, but we encourage you to also drive past those towns and off onto smaller roads like the Silverado Trail to find other great wineries in more quaint, rustic settings. Duckhorn and Chateau Montelena are two of many great options. On Rt. 29, Peju is a very pretty winery with a fun, crazy guy behind the tasting counter (hat tip to PhillyFoodDude for sending us there).

Beautiful Chateau Montelena with a famous Chardonnay

Duckhorn Winery with tastings on the wrap-around porch.

Where to Sit Outside This Summer

It's my favorite time of year... time to sit outside! At least once per week for the next 2-3 months whenever Bradd asks me "where do you want to go tonight," I am guaranteed to respond with "I dunno, someplace we can sit outside..."

Philadelphia's outdoor dining options have grown tremendously in the past few years. If you ask people where to eat/drink en plein air, many will suggest the Graffiti Bar in the back of Sampan, Stephen Starr's Frankford Hall and the new Morgan's Pier. We are anxious to check out Morgan's Pier as advocates for better usage of Penn's Landing.

Foobooz has a nice long Outdoor Dining Guide, with many, many great restaurants to choose from. If you're more looking to sit and sip some drinks with friends, maybe/maybe not grab a bite, here are just a few of many spots to consider:

A Second Look at Craig LaBan's "Best of the Rest"

Craig LaBan's "Best of the Rest" were revealed in today's Inquirer, listing 25 more of his favorite restaurants in several categories. As promised, here's our run down of reviews and thoughts on the places we've visited. Yesterday we tackled his list of favorite BYOBs.

We have to second LaBan that the "stunning diversity and depth" of Philadelphia's dining scene makes our home worthy of being coined a restaurant town, and we'll defend that position to any doubter. There's also a noticeable number of suburban restaurants on his list, perhaps a sign that we need to gas up the car more often and explore. 

Best Distinctive Italian

Love the mural behind Le Virtu's bar

Amis - Loved it, The menu has changed a bit since our two visits but we have full confidence it will still be amazing. Smaller plates enable sharing but do add up on price. It's also a great spot to just swing in for a glass of wine and a bite at the bar.

Le Virtu - In haste I threw Le Virtu into a weekend roundup post in early 2011, but don't let that diminish your impression. Its "Best of Philly" pasta and goat meatball appetizer were delicious. Eating at the bar was a perfectly enjoyable experience when all the tables were full. I want to go back and sit on the patio during summer.

Melograno - Solid Italian BYOB that has never disappointed. They don't take reservations so sometimes there is a wait, but it's worth it, especially for the wild boar ragu.

Best New American Full Service

a.kitchen egg sandwich

a.kitchen - We've only been here for brunch because, despite a rave review from LaBan, literally everyone we know that's eaten dinner there gives it a waivering, "eh, it was ok." Brunch was great for us though, so at least there's that.

Barbuzzo - We went opening week and have been back since, both times to a unique and memorable meal. Smaller plates means more things to try, and sitting at the bar means fast, friendly service (and possibly more elbow room; the dining tables are tight).

Fork - I never wrote about it but visited Fork about a year ago for a birthday. Everything we ate was very good; I recall a seasonal risotto that did approach mouthwatering status. Except for that dish, most entrees are $28 so with appetizers and drinks, a full meal at Fork is an investment.

[Update, I missed this one before] Supper - We've been several times for both dinner and foodie blogger events, and walk away content with a solid meal each time. The Supper Burger is one of Bradd's all-time fav burgers and may be at near the top of my parents' list, too, after a recent visit.

Surprising omission: Sbraga - Despite a few bumps in service (that others complain about too, including LaBan) the culinary adventure of Top Chef Kevin Sbraga's menu is really impressive. Flavors and combinations you've never experienced before, beautiful presentation and just-right portion sizes make the $45 fixe price menu absolutely worth the trip.

Best Updated International
Koo Zee Doo - Hooray! One of our absolute favorites in Philadelphia. We recommend it frequently to people looking for something delicious but different, which Koo Zee Doo's Portuguese dishes consistently deliver. Go on a Friday for the suckling pig special, or else aim for the Picanha steak and baked duck rice on any night.

Kanella - Been once for dinner and sat outside on an uncomfortably hot summer night, so it tainted our experience a little, though I don't recall disliking anything. I do want to get back there asap for both dinner and brunch. The bright white/blue simplistic design reminds me distinctly of a honeymoon day in Santorini.

Best Gastropubs
Khyber Pass Pub - Yes on all accounts re: the bacon grease popcorn. The po-boys haven't totally wow'd us  but the extensive craft beer list and juke box can definitely occupy us for hours.

Shocking omission: McCrossens Tavern - We could not be more thankful to have finally eaten here just a week ago because it simply was delicious. Food-wise, we are quite surprised it missed the LaBan's list. Our review to follow this week. If you can't wait, just go and order clams, short rib and cavatelli if it's on special. Trust us.

Meritage roasted duck breast

Great Restaurants Deserving More Buzz
Meritage - Our thoughts exactly! It's been literally around the corner from us for years but we never felt drawn to go until this Fall. And good thing we did, because the food was really good and menu made me want to come back for more.

Meme - We had such an off-putting experience with the host and service here that we honestly can't even remember what we ate. Granted, that was 3 years ago but we haven't gotten over it enough to go back.

Year in Review: Top Posts of 2011

It's recap time! 2011 was a huge year for 22nd & Philly, with our readership increasing as well as our Twitter/Facebook following. Thank you to all our visitors, commenters and fellow foodie pals for keeping this blog on its toes. We cherished the opportunity to get to know you better, both in person and online. Looking forward to more foodie adventures in 2012!

Here are our top seven posts for 2011 based on pageviews:

Guapos Tacos Truck

Guapos Tacos Food Truck: Bringing Jose Garces to the People: Garces' traveling tacos exemplified the burgeoning popularity of food trucks in Philly. Chasing down Guapos Tacos in its opening nights was one of our most exciting food adventures of the year.

Review of Pamcakes, a Philly cupcakery: One mention of Pamcakes in an earlier post and the crowd went wild. When we had to the chance to give it a try, Pam's delightful desserts did not disappoint.

2011 Philly Beer Week Cheat Sheet: There are hundreds of events scheduled for Philadelphia's annual Beer Week. We wanted to help readers by picking out a handful to attend. From the Philadelphia Cheese Experiment to hot dog pairings at Doobie's, this year's Beer Week was chock full of fun. Can't wait for June 1-10, 2012 when Beer Week returns.

Manakeesh: Best Baklava in Philly? Wow. Who knew Philadelphians took their baklava so seriously? Check out the comments section for the all-out war that ensued over who serves the best baklava, the treat's cultural origins and more.

2nd Annual Best of Philly To-Do List: Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philly" list each August provides a great starting point for new foodie outings. So far we've checked off Monsu, Pizzeria Stella, Beck's Cajun Cafe, Blackfish and Khyber Pass Pub. Reviews to come and more to try in the next six months.

Taconelli's Signature Pizza

Ten Things You Need to Know about Tacconelli's Pizzeria: Also an instigator for quite the discussion on who serves the best pizza in town, our advice on how to approach the non-traditional ways of Tacconelli's struck a chord with many readers. We welcome all suggestions on other pizza to try, but we still love our Tacconelli's :-).

Stephen Starr Goes Gastro: Dandelion: 2011 was another big year for the venerable Stephen Starr with Frankford Hall, Il Pittore, Talula's Garden, Route 6 and of course, Dandelion. Like most Starr openings, Dandelion generated a ton of buzz and lived up to the hype, though we still favor Pub & Kitchen as our go-to gastropub.

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!

What I Did in Philly This Summer, Part II: Do's and Don'ts

Last September I wrote a post to recap the Summer of Kristy - a summer dedicated to squeezing in every last bit of awesome before I turned 30. The summer of 2011 didn't hold quite as emphatic a mission, but it was still jam-packed with memorable experiences in and around Philadelphia.

Here's a run-down of some things we did this summer but haven't blogged about, accompanied by recommendations of what you should - and shouldn't - do, too. 


DO ride El Toro at Great Adventure. Boy, has that place become a roller coaster lover's dream. Among 14 great coasters, nothing beats the insane drops and steep turns of the wooden monster, El Toro. Make sure you buy tickets online ahead of time to save significant money. Save even more at AAA.com as a member.

DON'T go to Spread Bagelry if you're in a rush. The Montreal-style bagels are really freakin' good (see more photos in the slideshow below). But twice now the weekend line was out the door and just takes way too long to finally get an expensive bagel sandwich. Go on a weekday instead, if you can. Or bring reading material.

2nd Annual Best of Philly To-Do List

Philadelphia Magazine releases a "Best of Philly" issue each August, just in time to make its way into my beach bag and onto our to-do/eat/shop list. While we've been to - and agree with - many of this year's picks (Paesano's bolognese for best sandwich? hands down.) there still are dozens of new spots to try.

Here are the top 10 food/drink winners we picked off Philly Mag's ranking for inclusion in our second annual Best of Philly To-Do list. Reviews to come throughout the next year. What's on your list?