Top 10 Restaurant Week possibilities

By Taylor-Lynn Capaldo
Collegian Staff
January 31, 2007

It’s that time of the year again—Center City’s biannual Restaurant Week. Restaurant Week is when about 100 of the city’s hottest restaurants offer three-course meals for only $30 per person. This deal runs through Friday, Feb. 2, so you’ll have to hurry to get a table. Below you’ll find 10 participating restaurants that are totally worth checking out this week. It’s not too late to book reservations, so if you see something that sparks your interest, be sure to get on it right away.

10. Alma de Cuba—This Cuban-themed restaurant is named for “The Spirit of Cuba” and is run by a chef born of Cuban immigrants. It’s a swanky establishment with a spicy flair. Custom designed by famed restaurateur, Steven Starr, both the food and the atmosphere are infused with the taste of Cuba. Live music and authentic cuisine promise an excellent time. With menu selections such as vaca frida, or “fried cow,” and an Alaskan halibut enchilado, you’re sure to find something that will tickle your taste buds.

9. City Tavern—This historic Old City restaurant was established in 1773 and was once the popular meeting place of some of the nation’s founding fathers. All of the items on the menu are based on authentic colonial cuisine, such as weiner schnitzel, poached salmon and apple strudel. Meals are served by wait staff dressed in colonial costume for a delicious dinner with a side of history.

8. Dolce—Finding restaurants during Restaurant Week that have a wide menu selection for the discounted meals is always key. Dolce, a hip and classy up-and-coming establishment in Old City, features a variety of authentic Italian meals, prepared by Naples, Italy native, Chef Allanso Valentino. Choices include filet with fettuccine, marsala del polla and filet mingon.

7. Twenty21—This award-winning restaurant located in the financial district is nothing but sophistication. For those of you looking for a more upscale dining experience, Twenty21 has earned awards for decadence, elegance and attractiveness. All three of these words can describe the atmosphere, as well as the menu selection. Among the items on the Restaurant Week menu are sweet pork consommé flavored with star anise, a Chinese spice, a 12 oz. prime rib of beef and hazelnut daquiose, a type of layer cake with cream filling.

6. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse— Although this restaurant is not authentic to Philadelphia, it’s one of the most high class and well-recognized steakhouse chains in the country. Located right near City Hall on South Broad Street, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse guarantees to deliver a delicately crafted and delicious piece of grade-A steak. This is one of the priciest restaurants around, so make sure you get some bang for your buck. If you’re not a fan of steak, the menu also has selections of filet of salmon and stuffed chicken breast.

5. The Melting Pot—With three locations throughout the area, The Melting Pot’s menu consists of fondue-based items. For those of you unsure as to what “fondue” is, it involves dipping your food into a pot of melted cheese, chocolate, etc. The items from the list of appetizers include fresh vegetables, breads and apples paired with a variety of melted cheeses. The main courses include “medallions” of meats and vegetables paired with a variety of dipping sauces. A salad and a dessert fondue are also included.

4. Roy’s—Located on South 15th Street and known for its signature “Hawaiian fusion cuisine,” this Philadelphia restaurant is one of 25 establishments from across the nation. Named after its founder, Chef Roy Yamaguchi from Tokyo, Japan, Roy’s first restaurant opened in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1988 and since then has sparked the interest of many diners nationwide. Samples from the discount menu items including yellowfin tuna tartar, seared Hawaiian walu and a banana chocolate spring roll.

3. Zanzibar Blue—A popular jazz bar located on South Broad Street, this restaurant is known for its international music scene and its delicious global cuisine. Live music is featured on a nightly basis, with a different local performer for every day of the week. Perfect for a romantic evening or an exciting group outing, Zanzibar Blue offers some interesting choices on its Restaurant Week menu, including roast salmon and black bean chowder and the sweet potato crusted red snapper.

2. The Plough and the Stars— This Old City Irish pub and restaurant gives a wide variety of dishes to choose from for the Restaurant Week bargain price. Known by diners across the Philadelphia area as a friendly, attractive and sophisticated place to dine, this restaurant features “contemporary” Irish cuisine and also live Irish music. Items to try out include Plough tapas, pan seared sea scallops & oyster mushrooms and salmon crepes.

1. Swanky Bubbles—A favorite hangout of members of the cast of The Real World: Philadelphia, this swanked-out restaurant features a wide selection of Japanese-inspired cuisine. For those of you who are of legal drinking age, it is also known for its champagne bar. Modeled after a dream sequence from the popular ballet, The Nutcracker, the interior is decked to impress. If you like foreign cuisine, you’re sure to fall for the curried chicken dumplings, Malaysian salmon or crispy beef glazed in a Mandarin orange sauce.

capaldot1@lasalle.edu