The Owner of Amina and AVANA is Opening First Daughter Oyster Co., a Seafood Focused Restaurant in Old City

In a span of less than five years restauranteur and entrepreneur Felicia Wilson has opened some Philly’s top eateries located throughout the city. Establishments such as Amina, BackHen, Fia, and AVANA fall under Wilson’s portfolio and it looks like she is poised to add the seafood focused First Daughter Oyster Co. as well.

Set to open its doors on Thursday, February 27^th at 5 p.m,  First Daughter Oyster Co. will be taking over the space that is currently Franklin Social American Kitchen & Bar within the Philadelphia Renaissance Downtown Hotel at 401 Chestnut Street.

First Daughter Oyster Co., which is Wilson’s fifth restaurant (with a sixth on the horizon), will be open seven days a week for all-day brunch and dinner. The space will accommodate 75 guests in the main dining room, another dozen at a bar within the dining room, and a few dozen more at a lobby bar and lounge.

The restaurant is located on the first floor immediately upon entering the hotel, and with functions regularly being held within the Renaissance, Wilson and her team will also be catering all of the special events on-site. In addition to daily brunch and dinner service, the restaurant will feature a daily happy hour with oyster specials, discounted drinks, and more.

Just as she has with her first four restaurants, which include Amina, BlackHen, Fia, and AVANA, Wilson has tapped Executive Chef/Partner Darryl Harmon to develop the menu and lead the culinary team. The two are planning on opening Amina Ocean later this year at 3.0 University Place, an eight-story life science building located at 4101 Market Street in University City

The dinner menu will feature a grand seafood tower, raw fish selections, an array of East Coast and West Coast oysters, a New England Roll with chilled lobster, a Connecticut Roll with warm lobster, a Jumbo Lump Crab Roll, and a Surf & Turf Cheesesteak featuring warm lobster, shaved ribeye cheesesteak, cheese fondue, caramelized onions, sweet peppers, a signature sauce, and spice. There will be small bites including 24K golden salmon nuggets with dill crème fraiche and caviar, crunchy rock shrimp deviled eggs, pan-fried oysters, steamed mussels, grilled octopus, buffalo oyster mushrooms, and a variety of seasonal soups and salad options. A “New England Baskets” section features Fish & Chips, as well as Crispy Jumbo Fried Shrimp with hand-cut potato wedges, and sandwiches including a Whiting Fish Fry Hoagie, and the First Daughter Smashed Burger. Larger plates include Wild Salmon a la Plancha, Whole Branzino Oscar, Seafood Bouillabaisse, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and Sky High Fried Lobster Tail, and a “Land to Fork” section features Crispy Chicken Milanese for Two, Grilled Lollipop Lamb Chops, Filet Mignon, Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto, and Surf & Turf featuring a 32 oz. Porterhouse steak with a whole butter-poached lobster “dressed” in edible gold with corn souffle, grilled asparagus, and béarnaise. There will also be a number of sides including whipped potatoes, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, grilled asparagus, hand-cut potato wedges, creamed Swiss chard, and more.

The all-day brunch menu includes a Continental breakfast, Ribeye Steak & Eggs, Create-Your-Own Luxe Omelet, a variety of Benedict options, a number of innovative pancake creations, and much more.

Dinner menu prices range from $14 to $24 for small plates, $10 and up for sides, and $28 to $65 for large plates. All-day brunch prices range between $12 and $35.

“When I opened my first restaurant Amina in May of 2022, I had no idea that I would go on to open four more restaurants over the next three years, but here we are building a small hospitality empire in one of the most celebrated restaurant cities in the U.S.,” said Felicia Wilson. “I’m thrilled to add another stellar restaurant to the Old City dining scene, and I’m looking very forward to debuting Amina Ocean in University City next fall. My team and I are incredibly grateful for the tremendous support the Philadelphia dining community has given us over the past three years, and we’re excited to welcome Philadelphians and tourists alike to First Daughter Oyster Co. during the final days of Black History Month.”