Local Scoop
Attention Foodies: Old City Eats is Debuting This Summer with 32 Participating Restaurants!
Attention Foodies: Old City Eats is Debuting This Summer with 32 Participating Restaurants!
Old City District showcases its thriving dining scene with the debut of the largest restaurant program in at least 20+ years. Old City Eats debuts June 16 and runs every Thursday through August 25, 2016 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Thirty-two participating restaurants and bars will offer a selection of small plates for half off, plus five dollar drink specials, off-menu dishes, seasonal cocktails and even chef collaborations. The full list of participating restaurants, along with their menus, is found at oldcitydistrict.org/dine/
Old City Eats will spotlight the best of Old City and historic Philadelphia’s culinary scene, that now includes over 80 restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other eateries. From ever popular mainstays like Buddakan, Amada and Continental, to notable newcomers like The Olde Bar, The Little Lion and Common Wealth Old City, to neighborhood corner bars like Eulogy Belgian Tavern, Nick’s Bar & Grille and Sassafras, to constant trendsetters like Fork, High Street on Market and Han Dynasty, to summer destinations like Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar and Keating’s Rope & Anchor Bar + Kitchen, Old City Eats feature food, cocktails and atmospheres that that will appeal to every taste.
Offerings are designed to appeal to neighborhood locals, to business people looking to enjoy sips with their co-workers, and to visiting tourists exploring America’s most historic square mile.
“Our focus for Old City Eats is spotlighting the neighborhood’s impressive and evolving list of dining options,” said Old City District Executive Director Job Itzkowitz. “With 32 restaurants and bars participating, there’s something to appeal to every palette, including Szechuan, Thai, Afghani, Italian, Cuban, British and other global cuisines. We have as diverse of a culinary scene as anywhere in the city! Whether you visit an old favorite or experience something new, Old City Eats will take you on a culinary journey that will last all summer long.”
Old City Eats makes its debut at the 32 restaurants listed below every Thursday, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, through August 25, 2016. All will offer two or more half-priced appetizers and at least one specially priced five dollar beverage. During the summer, restaurants are encouraged to offer off-menu specials and specialty seasonal cocktails. Old City District is also working with restaurants on chef collaborations that will pop-up in July and August.
Participant List – (as of June 14)
Amada
217 Chestnut Street
http://philadelphia.
Appetizers: Lomo Embuchado, Piquellos Rellenos
Drink: Red & White Sangria
Bierstube German Tavern
206 Market Street
Appetizers: Belgian Frietjes and pretzels bites
Drink: TBD
Buddakan
325 Chestnut Street
Appetizers: Edamame Dumplings, Cantonese Spring Rolls
Drink: House Sake
Common Wealth Old City
319 Market Street
https://www.facebook.com/
Appetizers: $1 Buck a Shuck Oysters, $5 Mussel Pots
Drink: a $2 beer (their choice week to week) and a $4 drink special
Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar
138 Market Street
http://www.
Appetizers: Hummus and Pita, Steamed Chicken Dumpling
Drink: Old Fashioned
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
10 S. 2nd Street
http://www.
Appetizers: Empanadas, Chicharrones
Drink: Cuba Libre
DiNardo’s Famous Seafood
312 Race Street
Appetizers: Mussels Fra Diablo, Clams in White Sauce, Mozzarella Sticks n Jalapeno Popper Sampler
Drink: Seasonal Sangria
Eulogy Belgian Tavern
136 Chestnut Street
Appetizers: Belgian Frietjes and pretzels bites
Drink: TBD
Farmicia Food & Tonics
15 S. 3rd Street
http://farmiciarestaurant.com/
Appetizers: Pork Belly appetizer (spicy charred asparagus, seared pork belly confit, sweet rhubarb, dijon) and meatballs (plum tomato sauce, basil pesto, sauteed watercress)
Drink: Farmicia Punch
Fork
306 Market Street
Appetizers at the bar: Artic char crudo (chile, lime, peanut), pork and crab arancini (crab fat aioli)
Drink at the bar: Rotates each month, starts in June with sparkling wine
The Gaslight
120 Market Street
http://www.thegaslightphilly.
Appetizers: Chef’s daily taco, pickled veggies, fresh baked soft pretzel bites, crispy chicken nuggets, cornbread, cheese fries, single patty Gaslight burger
Drink: $5 Old Fashioned, two $5 house cocktails, $3 drafts
Han Dynasty
123 Chestnut Street
http://handynasty.net/oldcity/
Appetizers: Dan Dan Noodles, Spicy Crispy Cucumbers
Drink: Gin Smash (Gin, Grenadine, Lemon and Lime Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Simple Syrup, Top with tonic)
High Street on Market
308 Market Street
http://highstreetonmarket.com/
Appetizer: Hummus, daily breads and spreads
Drink: Rotates each month, starts in June with sparkling wine
JJ Bootleggers
35 S. 2nd Street
Appetizer: White Lightenin’ Wings, Mashed Potato Balls
Drink: Moonshine Sangria
Jasmine Rice
224 Market Street
Appetizers: Crispy Spring Rolls, Thai Basil Meatballs, Spicy Whisky Wings
Drink: N/A BYO
Kabul Restaurant
106 Chestnut Street
http://www.kabulafghancuisine.
Appetizers: TBD
Drink: TBD
La Famiglia Ristorante
8 S. Front Street
Appetizers at the bar: Gamberi con fava, Paccheri alla Scarpariello
Drink at the bar: Prosecco, Pinot Grigio Wine, Pinor Noir Wine
La Peg
140 N. Columbus Boulevard
Appetizers: Cheese kurds with marinana, Tomato salad with basil oil and sheep’s milk cheese
Drink: “The Esprit” (vodka, ginger, lime, curacao)
The Little Lion
243 Chestnut Street
https://thelittlelionphilly.
Appetizers: Fried Green Tomatoes (Bacon Tomato Jam, Buttermilk Ranch, Pimento Cheese), BBQ Chicken Thigh Sliders (Sour Slaw, Potato Rolls, Bread & Butter Pickles)
Drink: Raspberry Sangria (Red Wine, Raspberry Shrub, Apricot Brandy), plus other specials that will vary by the week
Lucha Cartel
207 Chestnut Street
Appetizers: Chicken, shrimp or mushroom empanada, queso fundido
Drink: House margarita, sangria
National Mechanics
22 S. 3rd Street
http://www.nationalmechanics.
Appetizers: Plantain chips and guacamole, and TBD
Drinks: Cocktails with house-infused liquors
Nick’s Bar & Grille
16 S. 2nd Street
http://
Appetizers: Pulled Pork Nachos, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Cherry Pepper Aioli
Drink: Rowhouse Spirits Gin Cocktail
The Olde Bar
125 Walnut Street
Appetizers: Fried Oysters & Oysters Belmont
Drink: Jockey Club Shrub
Panorama
14 N. Front Street
http://www.pennsviewhotel.com/
Appetizers: 50% off all regular price appetizers
Drink: Select red or white wine
The Plough & the Stars
123 Chestnut Street
Appetizers:
Drink: Old City Ice Tea
Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti
212 Walnut Street, 2nd Floor
Appetizers at the bar: Focaccia Calda (Tuscan style bread, heirloom tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella), Quinoa Salad (Edamame, corn, cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, sherry vinaigrette)
Drink: The Kensington – Stateside Vodka, Muddled Blackberries, Agave, Fresh Lemon
Prime Stache
110 Chestnut Street
Appetizers at the bar: Macaroni & cheese with or without pork belly; Edemame Ravioli, Cheesesteak eggrolls, friend green tomatoes
Drink: Long Island, Well drinks
Revolution House
200 Market Street
http://www.revolutionhouse.
Appetizers: Pork shank dry rub; house-made slaw / Firecracker shrimp
Drink: Local drafts from local breweries
Keating’s Rope & Anchor Bar + Kitchen
201 S. Columbus Boulevard
http://ropeandanchorkitchen.
Appetizers: Cheesesteak Landing Eggrolls, Urban Fried Calamari
Drink: Classic Red Sailor Sangria
Sassafras
48 S. 2nd Street
Appetizers: Fried pickles, Sassafras wings
Drink: TBD
Silence Dogood’s Tavern
216 Market Street
http://silencedogoodstavern.
Appetizers: 6 Different Tater Tot Options: Plain, Whiz, Whiz & Bacon, BBQ Chicken, Spicy, Pizza
Drink: Market Street Margarita
The Victoria Freehouse
10 S. Front Street
http://www.victoriaphilly.com/
Appetizers: ½ priced pub snacks (Bacon Wrapped Dates, Scotch Egg, Pickled Beetroot Deviled Eggs, Welsh Rarebit, Sausage Roll, Curried Cheese Chips) and Buck-a-shuck oysters
Drink: $5 select drafts, $5 house wine
Old City Eats dining options may be updated during the summer by participating restaurants. Please check Old City’s website, as well as with the participating restaurant, for any changes.
“Old City is home to more than just iconic attractions, we also have 80+ restaurants that continue to be a destination all on their own,” added Itzkowitz. “Restaurateurs such as Ellen Yin and Jose Garces have doubled-down on Old City, opening new restaurants (High St. on Market and The Olde Bar) to complement their longer-term hits (Fork and Amada). We have also seen a recent influx of new restaurants, such as The Gaslight and Little Lion, as well as gastropubs like Common Wealth Old City and Victoria Freehouse. We’re proud that Old City continues to be a premier Philadelphia dining destination.”
For a list of activities and attractions to pair with Old City Eats, visit oldcity.org, follow @oldcitydistrict on Twitter and Like Old City District on Facebook.
