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Philadelphia Locals! Tell me about this... place!

2

Posts

  • EagleAlphaXEagleAlphaX New JerseyRegistered User regular
    robirex wrote: »
    There were a couple of mentions but what about alcohol? Any local breweries/distilleries/wineries that are simply a must? Anything nearby that I should check out? Any particular type of local flavoring I should try? Thanks for the recommendations guys. These are awesome

    If you are specifically looking for breweries, Yards is my favorite in Philly. I've been to a bunch of breweries in and around the city and in my opinion, Yards has some of the best beer, it was the best tour I've been on (the guy giving it was hilarious), and they usually have food trucks parked outside.

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  • BigDumbHippyBigDumbHippy Registered User regular
    edited May 2017
    robirex wrote: »
    There were a couple of mentions but what about alcohol? Any local breweries/distilleries/wineries that are simply a must? Anything nearby that I should check out? Any particular type of local flavoring I should try? Thanks for the recommendations guys. These are awesome

    If you are specifically looking for breweries, Yards is my favorite in Philly. I've been to a bunch of breweries in and around the city and in my opinion, Yards has some of the best beer, it was the best tour I've been on (the guy giving it was hilarious), and they usually have food trucks parked outside.

    Yards is really good and probably the biggest that's actually in philly. Evil Genius is really good, Philadelphia is in a strange part of town, not the best. When it comes to local beers to try Victory is always a good beer and is easy to find. Monk's cafe is great bar with a huge beer list.

    BigDumbHippy on
  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    edited May 2017
    I don't know about locations, but popular local craft beers usually include Victory, Yards, Sly Fox, Flying Fish, and Tröegs. Yuengling is the cheap local brew of choice, but I just assume that's everywhere, lol. I highly recommend trying Tröegs Mad Elf where available, it's a 11%abv Chocolate Malt dark beer that's very good and should be in season by November. I also prefer Victory's Golden Monkey, another high abv(9.5%) it's a hoppy banana beer.

    Unless you're going to kind of the other side of the city (or a lot further), I don't think any of those are nearby. But, there's a TON of bars in Philly, many of which focus on beer and have GREAT selections, so you should be able to get most of the good stuff.

    The only problem with Mad Elf is it's a limited batch kind of thing and can be VERY tough to get your hands on. I got a case each of the past 2 years and horde it away when people come over. I'm happy to share anything else I have, but not my Mad Elf :)

    Schmulki on
  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    If you are specifically looking for breweries, Yards is my favorite in Philly. I've been to a bunch of breweries in and around the city and in my opinion, Yards has some of the best beer, it was the best tour I've been on (the guy giving it was hilarious), and they usually have food trucks parked outside.

    A buddy of mine works there, every time I hang out with him he has a free case of whatever they recently put out. Awesome stuff :)

  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    Monk's cafe is great bar with a huge beer list.

    It's a decent distance away and there WILL be a wait unless you go pretty far off-hours, but that is my favorite bar out there. They have 2 bars (front bar and back bar), each with a large rotating tap list and then the "next up" list below each for when something kicks. There's a couple of staples you'll probably see on there (for instance, their own Flemish Ale), but otherwise it's going to be different every time you go. And then there's the book of beers from all over the place. It's huge, it's amazing, it's awesome.

    And then there's the food. It's the best mussels I've ever had. I know multiple people who don't like mussels, yet get them every time there. They're just amazing. That's just the highlight, I've never had anything bad there. It's always great from appetizers (didn't know I liked frogs legs till I tried them there!) to the sandwiches/burgers to the rotating desserts which almost always includes the flourless chocolate cake. It's more dense than the table I'm sitting in front of and just wonderful.

    The downside: it's not a cheap meal. It's not uncommon for 2 of us to end up dropping $100 for a couple of beers each, a meal each, and a dessert. I mean for all that, it's not like $100 is ridiculous, it's just not cheap.

  • daryldimedaryldime Registered User new member
    if you are one who is coming in early and want a different kind of museum, the Mutter Museum is a medical history museum. Oddities such as slides of Albert Einsteins brain are there. Certainly worth a stop if you are into the weird! http://muttermuseum.org/

  • robertrencerobertrence Registered User regular
    I will also put down for Steve's Prince of Steaks. But that is based of the Bustleton location.

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  • EpigoeEpigoe Registered User new member
    I'm a huge fan of Jim's steaks on South Street. And don't forget to try Philadelphia Water Ice Factory brand water ice!!! (I run the factory) As for beer, Yards is great though often overcrowded. Your best bet is to find a local bar stocked with local brews. There is no shortage of these. Philly is a great beer city. The surrounding area is packed with microbreweries including Neshaminy Creek, Manayunk, Broken Goblet (if you like tea infused beers?), Naked Brewing, I could go on and on. Right in town there is a Triumph Brewing location which offers excellent food choices. And near by to that (2nd & Market) is my favorite restaurant and rum bar in the city Cuba Libre. Mac's Tavern (Always Sunny Mac) is right there on Market as well. A few other spots to look at, Barcade, Urban Axes (BYOB Axe Throwing joint), Standard Tap, Frankford Hall, and Khyber Pass.

  • GundabadGundabad PAX East & Unplugged Tabletop Manager NJRegistered User regular
    Closest place to PAX with widest selection of Tastykake product: go!

  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    Um....off the top of my head, I guess go to the closest Wawa?

  • cpt_knotscpt_knots Registered User regular
    Things I've read in this thread that I'll quickly second: John's Roast Pork (amazing roast pork sandwich, a little bit of travel to south philly but totally worth it), Reading Terminal Market, Franklin institute, PMoA, South Street.

    Some other things I haven't seen mentioned:

    If you wanna check out a really unique museum, go to the Mutter Museum. It's around 22nd and Market (right by center city, short walk from city hall area). It's a medical museum full of oddities, specimens, and equipment. Easily one of the coolest museums I've been to.

    If you want to go to an awesome brewery with some of the best beer in the world, take a train (regional rail, Paoli-Thorndale line, ~$8 round trip) out to Ardmore and go to Tired Hands Brewery. Really cool guys working there and very interesting brews that change regularly.

  • APacManAPacMan Philadelphia, PARegistered User regular
    edited May 2017
    8 year Philly resident chiming in. Everything below is in the city proper and close to either the orange (aka 'Broad' or 'BSL) or blue (aka 'MFL' or "Market-Frankford' or 'El') line.

    Restaurants Within about half a mile of the convention center, and mind you I'm skipping the chains we've all been to.
    Reading Terminal Market - Marketplace (about a hundred small restaurants) with limited sit-down seating
    Cheu - Noodle Bar with delicious dumplings/meats/veggies
    Fogo de Chao - Brazilian Steakhouse (all you can eat, and the salad bar is top notch)
    El Vez - Mexican-Californian with fun atmosphere. Come for the Guac stay for the margaritas
    HipCityVeg - Vegan foodplace with an amazing saracha aoli
    FUEL - Good (but pricy) healthy restaurant. Great health-smoothies.
    Destination Dogs - Pretty much any kind of hotdog under the sun
    Smokin' Betty's - Bar with good appetizers. Lots of space to stretch out.
    Tir Na Nog - Irish Pub with an old world feel to it
    Field House - Sports Bar, but you cant fault them for having loads of space and being connected to the convention hall
    Bar-Ly - Americanized asian restaurant/bar
    Terakawa Ramen - Authentic Japanese noodle bar
    The Halal Guys - Gyros (Lamb and Chicken mostly)

    Entertainment (Skipping stuff we can find in any major city):
    Philadelphia Museum of Art - where you'll find the iconic Rocky Statue and can do the pose at the top of their steps. Also close to Boathouse Row which makes for a nice scenic walk.
    Urban Axes (close to the aforementioned Frankford Hall) - axe-throwing league that's also "Bring your own beer/wine/food".
    Magic Garden - On South Street, this is a one-of-a-kind outdoor art exhibit. Go at/near sunset and you won't regret it.
    Magpie - Near to Magic Garden, you can get a slice of pie blended into a milkshake. It's worth the calories.
    Franklin Fountain - Proper ice cream parlor of many flavors
    Battlesword League (Sundays only) - Fight in half plate armor attempting to break crystals on your opponent. Signup in advance or you won't have a spot waiting.
    One Liberty Observation Deck - gorgeous 360-degree view of the city from the umptieth floor of 1 Liberty.
    East State Penitentiary - "haunted" penitentiary with late night tours of this preserved historic semi-ruin
    City Hall - Often overlooked on these lists. Largest municipal building in America with hundreds of statues lining its walls.
    Trocadero - Music/Comedy veneu. Not sure what's playing there, but the veneu is pretty nifty. Used to be a cabaret hall.

    Geek Bars:
    Garage (one in south philly, one in fishtown) - skiball, billiards, darts, shuffleboard, and an open atmosphere
    Barcade (In Fishtown) - 80's style arcade + a bar
    Frankford Hall (In Fishtown)- If you want to play boardgames around town, Frankford Hall in Fishtown (east philly neighborhood that's easily accessible from the Blue Line) has long-tables and a staff familiar with boardgame culture. German style food. Beer by the liter.
    Sto's - (In Old City) They have an N64, a PS4, shuffleboard and darts

    Non-Geek Bars:
    Literally every block. Here's a few personal recommendations:
    Twisted Tail (bourbon+popcorn), BottleBar East, Khyber Pass, P.O.P.E., Han Dynasty, Cuba Libre

    General Tips:
    For your first time, if it's not near the blue or orange lines it ain't worth it.
    Here we just call them "Steak Sandwiches".
    "Jawn" means "The thing."
    If you trip running up the 'rocky steps' you have to leave our city.
    Do not try to out-drink a Philadelphian. We've trained for this.
    Big City = stay out of alleys.
    Look up what a "SEPTA Key" is in advance before you're in a hurry.
    Consider getting the bike share (Indego)

    APacMan on
    We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true. -Robert Wilensky

    Twitter: @APacManSays
  • BigDumbHippyBigDumbHippy Registered User regular
    Gundabad wrote: »
    Closest place to PAX with widest selection of Tastykake product: go!

    711 is on market st

  • MamokeMamoke Registered User new member
    I looked through this thread but don't think I saw any responses talking about it, the Happily Ever After Dessert Cafe isn't very far from the convention center. They have hot and cold Butterbeer, frozen yogurt, macarons, creme brûlée, coffee, etc. The whole thing is geek themed and wonderful! I don't live right in the city but I live nearby and that's always my favorite place to go when I'm in Philly.

  • rsr70rsr70 Registered User new member
    The new Museum of the American Revolution opened back in the spring and I've heard great things about it.

  • EskimoPrincessEskimoPrincess NJRegistered User new member
    Most people have covered everything here but I'd like to add just one more restaurant I haven't seen listed and is my favorite in all of Philly. It's easily accessible from the PATCO. Just go to the 8th and market stop and take it to 15th and Locust and right down the street from that stop is Rittenhouse Square where you'll find a Barnes and Noble and my favorite restaurant, Parc. It's a French style restaurant with an AMAZING half roasted chicken and macaroons. It's not the cheapest but totally worth it.

    Another one of my favorite things is called the Good Dog Bar. It's also by 15th and Locust, and is a neat little dog-themed bar.

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  • hailtothekalehailtothekale Registered User regular
    For those beer hunting during the con, Philly Tap Finder is a useful site to check out.

    It's by no means a complete list of bars, and some of them don't update their lists daily. But it gives you a good idea of what's available nearby, including special events and tap takeovers.

  • sjkellyfettisjkellyfetti Registered User new member
    Anyone know of places near the Convention Center with nitro cold brew coffee?

  • hailtothekalehailtothekale Registered User regular
    Anyone know of places near the Convention Center with nitro cold brew coffee?

    La Colombe is about a 10 minute walk from the convention center and should have it.

  • baggins120baggins120 Registered User regular
    The hotel my friend booked is the Holiday Inn Express Penn's Landing. It appears to be directly on the route for the marathon. How screwed are we?

  • a_clever_witticisma_clever_witticism Registered User regular
    baggins120 wrote: »
    The hotel my friend booked is the Holiday Inn Express Penn's Landing. It appears to be directly on the route for the marathon. How screwed are we?

    Probably not very.

    I would call the hotel and see what their plan is for the Marathon -- their parking lot looks like it might be completely closed off during the race, but they might be offering guests complimentary parking elsewhere.

    Worst case scenarios: Park in their lot before the marathon and plan to walk and/or take public transit on Saturday and Sunday.

  • BubickBubick Registered User new member
    Anyone know of places near the Convention Center with nitro cold brew coffee?

    La Colombe is about a 10 minute walk from the convention center and should have it.

    As much as I do love me some La Colombe, disaffected hipster elitism and all, you can probably find anything you need at the Reading Terminal Market, right across the street from the Convention Center.

  • hailtothekalehailtothekale Registered User regular
    Bubick wrote: »
    Anyone know of places near the Convention Center with nitro cold brew coffee?

    La Colombe is about a 10 minute walk from the convention center and should have it.

    As much as I do love me some La Colombe, disaffected hipster elitism and all, you can probably find anything you need at the Reading Terminal Market, right across the street from the Convention Center.

    True, but I don't usually stop for coffee there because of the crowds, so I have no idea if they have cold brew nitro. Wouldn't be surprised if Old City has added it, though.

  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    robirex wrote: »
    There were a couple of mentions but what about alcohol? Any local breweries/distilleries/wineries that are simply a must? Anything nearby that I should check out? Any particular type of local flavoring I should try? Thanks for the recommendations guys. These are awesome
    ArcSyn wrote: »
    There's the independence beer garden that was pretty nice for hanging out outdoors. I have only been there once but it was a good time.
    It's 5 blocks east of the convention center.

    The Independence Beer Garden and other outdoor beer gardens will most likely be shut down by Con time.
    There is Molly Mlloy's inside the Reading Terminal with a decent beer selection. McGillian's Old ale house is the oldest bar in the city and a little bit of a tourist trap. Phillytapfinder.com is a good source to find craft beers. One of he features is to search by "hood". Hoods off of Market St going from east most west are Olde City, Wasshingrin Sguare West, Midtown Village (imcludes the Convention car and the Gayborhood), and Rittenhouse.
    If you're a fan of Belgian Beer then Monk's Cafe is a must.
    DrinkPhilly.com can help you find happy hours and you can also search by neighbor hood to find bars. If you want a distillery and Brewery to visit, hop on the Market FrankfordLine headed east toward 5h st and get off two stops after 5th at Spring Garden Station.walk toward the river to Deleware Ave then head north. A block up isYards Brewery. Another block or so north, then hang a left at the traffic light and e street behind Wells Broers Meats has Philadelphia Distilling

    I'll post a list of other worthwhile places to visit soon.

  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    I don't know about locations, but popular local craft beers usually include Victory, Yards, Sly Fox, Flying Fish, and Tröegs. Yuengling is the cheap local brew of choice, but I just assume that's everywhere, lol.

    Most of the places I've gone to in school are either on South Street or in Old City. Lots of night life bars in Old City. Couple recommended bars for me are City Tavern, Buffalo Billiards, and The Gaslight. None of which I've gone to in the past 2-3 years so, I'm unsure of their quality now.

    City Tavern is a historical recreation of a Colonial Tevern, a little pricey but excellent food. Not really a place to just go to drink, more for a dinner experience. Buffalo Billiards is mainly a pool hall wi a bar. The Gaslight is a solid choice of these three if you wand to have a few drinks, maybe some food, and just hang out.

    As I said in a previous post I'm working on a list of bars and restaurants. I work for the Lcb in wholesale so I know most of the places in downtown Philadelphia

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    One thing that surprised me at wizard world this past June was they had a beer vendor inside on the con floor. I'm curious if that's part of the convention hall offerings or another local vendor.

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  • SchmulkiSchmulki Registered User regular
    +1 for Monks. Just realize, it was voted one of top 5 places in the world to have a beer. Locals like it. Tourists like it. It's going to be crowded. You will most likely have a long wait. And you probably won't be able to get a seat at either bar while you're waiting. And on top of that, it's not going to be the cheapest drink or meal you're going to have. It's not ridiculous, the food is amazing and the beer list is out of this world, but it's not a place you're going to throw down $10 and get 3-4 beers and order a $3 basket of something fried to go with it.

    That said, I gladly deal with the wait and spend the money, it's well worth it. Just know it's just going to be an investment in time and money to do so.

  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    ArcSyn wrote: »
    One thing that surprised me at wizard world this past June was they had a beer vendor inside on the con floor. I'm curious if that's part of the convention hall offerings or another local vendor.

    Aramark runs the concessions. They have a full liquor license. Most likely it's up to the con organizers if they want to allow alcoholic beverages to be served. Not every event at the convention center has alcohol available

  • whypick1whypick1 PAX [E] Info Booth Manager ~2' from an LCDRegistered User regular
    dfc123 wrote: »
    ArcSyn wrote: »
    One thing that surprised me at wizard world this past June was they had a beer vendor inside on the con floor. I'm curious if that's part of the convention hall offerings or another local vendor.

    Aramark runs the concessions. They have a full liquor license. Most likely it's up to the con organizers if they want to allow alcoholic beverages to be served. Not every event at the convention center has alcohol available

    Just FYI, there's a Sam Adams inside the BCEC but for the past 2 PAX Easts it has not been in operation, so I'd imagine there's a blanket "no alcohol sales at PAX" policy.

    Is it PAX <insert nearest future PAX here> yet?
  • BubickBubick Registered User new member
    whypick1 wrote: »
    dfc123 wrote: »
    ArcSyn wrote: »
    One thing that surprised me at wizard world this past June was they had a beer vendor inside on the con floor. I'm curious if that's part of the convention hall offerings or another local vendor.

    Aramark runs the concessions. They have a full liquor license. Most likely it's up to the con organizers if they want to allow alcoholic beverages to be served. Not every event at the convention center has alcohol available

    Just FYI, there's a Sam Adams inside the BCEC but for the past 2 PAX Easts it has not been in operation, so I'd imagine there's a blanket "no alcohol sales at PAX" policy.


    Just about every show I've been to at the Phila Convention Center has had at least beer available, of course, not at the most fantastic prices. Wizard World this summer had plenty of kiosks with a good selection of craft beers on tap.

    If you really want to liquor up, I'd suggest taking a break at hitting either nearby Field House bar, or better yet, Vietnam restaurant a block or 2 away on 11th street for some nice strong cheap cocktails in tiki mugs (don't be fooled by the 30 million varieties -- they all taste the same.). Food's dern good there too!

  • BigDumbHippyBigDumbHippy Registered User regular
    there's lots of bars in chinatown, right behind the convention center. I suggest bar-ly its a sports bar a block or two away on 11th street

  • TheOperationsExpertTheOperationsExpert Registered User regular
    In Chinatown, I recommend Penang, which has pretty authentic Malaysian food (according to my Malaysian friends). It's like a mix of Thai, Indian, and Chinese, and it's great. Pho le xua is great for fairly cheap pho, and is also tasty in general. Vivi bubble tea would be good for playing games with a small group in the back, and they're open until midnight. Chinatown Square is open late on the weekends (supposedly until 4am), and they have a good mix of food...I love the bao there, and the rolled ice cream is pretty good as well (I haven't tried the other things there though). Dim Sum Garden is good for cheap dim sum. And, of course, as others have said, Terakawa Ramen is great, but expect a wait.

    If you have some time to sightsee during the day, I'd recommend starting around Reading Terminal Market (Beiler's donuts are my favorite thing ever, just note that they're closed on Sundays, and the trainwreck at Beck's), heading east towards Independence Hall (which is part of Old City, and is a beautiful area), continuing on towards Penn's Landing, continuing south (and taking note of the river view (you should be able to see the battleship from here, I believe?), then heading west towards South Street, where Magic Gardens is (great to visit if you have an hour...if not, there's an alley to the left of it that has some of the mosaic art). I've known people who recommend the Tattooed Mom if you want a bar, but I've never been. Then you could travel north on broad street, where academy of the arts is. You get a nice view from city hall here, and the buildings are neat. Next to city hall is Dilworth Park where you can go ice skating if you're coordinated and not beat. Anyway, that would be my recommendation for cool things within walking distance. If you take a look on google maps, you'll see what I mean.

    Oh, and if you're taking the train into Jefferson station, they have a Philly Pretzel Factory if you want to say you've had a Philly pretzel. I like the chocolate sauce and honey mustard the best, I think (I'm a sweets kind of person).

    Hopefully I've hit a decent amount of points that others haven't beaten into you guys!

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    In Chinatown, I recommend Penang, which has pretty authentic Malaysian food (according to my Malaysian friends). It's like a mix of Thai, Indian, and Chinese, and it's great. Pho le xua is great for fairly cheap pho, and is also tasty in general. Vivi bubble tea would be good for playing games with a small group in the back, and they're open until midnight. Chinatown Square is open late on the weekends (supposedly until 4am), and they have a good mix of food...I love the bao there, and the rolled ice cream is pretty good as well (I haven't tried the other things there though). Dim Sum Garden is good for cheap dim sum. And, of course, as others have said, Terakawa Ramen is great, but expect a wait.

    If you have some time to sightsee during the day, I'd recommend starting around Reading Terminal Market (Beiler's donuts are my favorite thing ever, just note that they're closed on Sundays, and the trainwreck at Beck's), heading east towards Independence Hall (which is part of Old City, and is a beautiful area), continuing on towards Penn's Landing, continuing south (and taking note of the river view (you should be able to see the battleship from here, I believe?), then heading west towards South Street, where Magic Gardens is (great to visit if you have an hour...if not, there's an alley to the left of it that has some of the mosaic art). I've known people who recommend the Tattooed Mom if you want a bar, but I've never been. Then you could travel north on broad street, where academy of the arts is. You get a nice view from city hall here, and the buildings are neat. Next to city hall is Dilworth Park where you can go ice skating if you're coordinated and not beat. Anyway, that would be my recommendation for cool things within walking distance. If you take a look on google maps, you'll see what I mean.

    Oh, and if you're taking the train into Jefferson station, they have a Philly Pretzel Factory if you want to say you've had a Philly pretzel. I like the chocolate sauce and honey mustard the best, I think (I'm a sweets kind of person).

    Hopefully I've hit a decent amount of points that others haven't beaten into you guys!

    Thanks for the heads up on Chinatown. I've been wanting to check it out for a while but I'm never in the area.

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  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    Visitphilly.com has a great wealth of information. They have lots of articles/top lists to review
    -If you got to have a cheesesteak (but don’t forget about the roast pork sandwich )
    http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/top-10-spots-for-authentic-philly-cheesesteaks/
    -Pizza. Yeah we can compete with New York
    http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/where-to-find-the-best-pizza-in-philadelphia/
    -For Late night eating
    http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/best-spots-for-late-night-eats-in-philadelphia/
    -For those interested in Distilleries
    http://www.visitphilly.com/itineraries/philadelphia/the-craft-distilleries-spirits-trail-of-greater-philadelphia/

  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    The closest place with the most selection for Breakfast of Lunch is the Reading Terminal Market. There are entrances on 12th St. and Arch St. The Market is open from 8 am to 6 pm. however some of the vendors may open later or close earlier and the Pennsylvania Dutch Vendors will be closed on Sundays just like Chick-fil-a. See readingterminalmarket.org for more info. There’s DiNic’s Roast Pork whose sandwich has been called the best in America. Beck’s Cajun Cafe has some of the first examples of NOLA cooking in Philly. Carmen’s has great hoagies and cheesesteaks; so does Spataro’s. There’s the Wursthaus Schmintz an offshoot of South Street’s Brauhaus Schmintz. If melted cheese is your thing there’s Valley Shepard Creamery and Meltkraft. The Downhome Diner is great for breakfast. Honestly there’s just about everything here and it’s all good. There is even a full service bar inside the market. It’s Molly Malloys They have 35 beers on tap, cocktails and some wines. Happy Hour is from 4-6 and unfortunately they close at 6 pm like the rest of the market.

    Check out this article http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/best-things-to-eat-at-reading-terminal-market/

    Chinatown
    Most restaurants and bars are in the area between 11th and 9th from Arch Street North to Vine Street.
    Notable places are Terakawa Ramen, Yamitsuki Ramen, and Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House For Noodles. on Race St., Nine Ting has hot pot and Korean style bbq but you’ll want to go in a group instead of solo. The Chinatown Square on Race St has several eateries, few bars and Karoke . There’s the Halal Guys, Dae Bak Korean (not bbq) Hi Kori Japanese, Khymer Grill Cambodian, Philly Poke, Kurry Korner and the Johnny Walker Lounge. Vietnam Palace is a notable on 11th st. North of Race St. If you are in search of Kfc, there’s BonChon Korean Fried Chicken on Cherry St Btwn 11th and 10th.
    Nightlife[/i]: There’s Bar-Ly American-Asian pub on 11th. Also on 11th is Yakitori Boy which also has karaoke. On Arch there’s Tango and Canton 11. Lastly, If you can find it on Race Street between 11th and 10th is the high end cocktail bar Hop Sing Laundromat. There is no sign advertising where it is. Just a metal gate and door buzzer. It’s cash only, no food, there’s a dress code (Sort of business casual, no sneakers, no jeans) Cell phone use is restricted to the lobby of the bar. The cocktails start around $15 but there’s no cheap booze being poured.

    South Street
    The district starts around 11th going all the way East to Front St. with an off shoot going South around 4th St and another going North at 2nd St. There’s Shopping, Restaurants, Bars,and Art.
    Starting at 7th & South there’s Brauhaus Schmintz Home of great German beers and food. South on 7th there’s the Good King Tavern for French Tavern Fare and WINE plus Nomad Pizza Company for artisanal wood fired pizza and craft beer.
    At 6th and South there’s the upscale Serpico from James Beard award winning chef Peter Serpico (you’ll need reservations). South on 6th at Bainbridge there’s Creperie Beau Monde French Bistro across the street from Bainbridge Street Barrel House (Beer, Whiskey, hardcore Diner food)
    Heading east on South toward 5th on the South Side there’s 2 great bars, Tatooed Mom’s then Manny Brown’s. On the North side 2 great stops for food Ishkabibble’s (a favorite of Questlove) then South Street Souvlaki.
    At 4th Street is Jim’s Steaks one of the classic places for a cheesesteak and a newcomer Smoke’s Poutinerie. If you go south on 4th You’ll reach Famous 4th St Deli and Southwark Restaurant, which has great cocktails and great farm to table food.
    On the way to Third street you’ll pass a Primo’s Hoagies location. They have some of the best Hoagies/Heros/Subs in the city. Note that you should get at least the Primo size sandwich for the better roll. they use a different roll for the small sandwiches; it’s good but not as good as the other.
    As you reach Third you’ll see Lorenzo and Sons Pizza. The Slices are HUGE! It will cost you 25 cents for a box and they only take cash. The pizza slice is also the base for the Philly Taco.

    The Philly Taco is a cheesesteak from Jim’s wrapped with a slice of Lorenzo’s pizza. It’s drunk food/ dare food. Get the steak first. See these sites:
    https://www.phillybite.com/index.php/foodie/33-food-drink/2912-philly-taco-south-street-sushi-the-lorenzo-s-jim-s-challenge
    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the-insider/Outrageous-food-The-Philly-Taco-gets-noticed.html
    https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/mbb8z3/i-invented-the-philly-taco

    On Third Street heading South is Jon’s Bar which on the site where Lawrence Fineberg grew up. That’s why there’s a giant mural of Larry Fine one of the Three Stooges.
    Then comes on the opposite side of the street Reef Carribean Lounge Further down is O’Neal’s a great beer and sports bar. Great Philly bar food. at 3rd and Bainbridge is ELA an American restaurant run by Chef/owner Jason Cichonski who was a Top Chef competitor.
    On to 2nd street and Headhouse Square On the corner is Bridget Foy’s, a great restaurant that unfortunately had a massive fire in October. Go North to Twisted Tail for Bourbon, Southern Comfort food and Jazz; further up is Stella Pizza owned by Steven Starr. South on 2nd is Hikaru Japanese Restaurant, Paddywacks Irish sports bar and The Irish Times.
    East on South St toward Front St is Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria. Great Pizza and Italian classics

    Olde City
    From the Southern border around Walnut Street to the Northen border around Race St and going from Front Street to 6th is Old City. Independence Hall and The Liberty Bell are between 6th and 5th. The majority of Bars and restaurants are clustered on 2nd and 3rd between Market and Walnut. I’m not in the area much but I’ll list some notable places. If you like spicy you have to stop at Han Dynasty. Historical buffs will like The City Tavern. Fans of It’s Always Sunny will ant to stop at Mac’s Tavern. The Khyber Pass is one of Philly’s great dives. other grest restaurants in this area are Farmicia, The Plough and Stars, Amada, Lucha Cartel, Buddakan, The Little Lion, Rotten Ralph’s, Zento Sushi, Sassafras, Cuba Libre, Zahav and 2nd Story Brewing Co .

  • dfc123dfc123 Registered User regular
    Some other stuff West of Broad:
    The Ice Rink should be up and running at Dillworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall.
    Liberty Place has on observation deck set-up with admission.
    For views of the City after 5pm along with a drink or two is Sky Lodge at Top of the Tower 1717 Arch st. If the weather permits the outdoor decks will be open.

  • MagnusCarterMagnusCarter Registered User regular
    Any update on the SEPTA / Transit situation ? It got mentioned early in the thread that they are going contactless. Is it worth picking up a weeks pass when I get in this afternoon ?

  • snotrocketsnotrocket Registered User new member
    I'm coming from Central NJ, about an hour away. I'm trying to not pay the $$$ to park at the convention center and also not trying to deal with the hassle of hopefully finding parking, since the marathon is the same weekend. What would be the best subway/train station to park the car and take to the convention center?

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    snotrocket wrote: »
    I'm coming from Central NJ, about an hour away. I'm trying to not pay the $$$ to park at the convention center and also not trying to deal with the hassle of hopefully finding parking, since the marathon is the same weekend. What would be the best subway/train station to park the car and take to the convention center?

    I'm coming from South, but our plan is the patco. Not sure if a station is near you or if another train would be better suited.
    $6 for round trip patco instead of $5 for the bridge plus $20+ parking each day.

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  • hailtothekalehailtothekale Registered User regular
    Any update on the SEPTA / Transit situation ? It got mentioned early in the thread that they are going contactless. Is it worth picking up a weeks pass when I get in this afternoon ?

    If you're going to be here for the full calendar week and plan to use SEPTA almost every day, it's probably worth it. One-way cash fare on city transit is $2.50. So one round-trip ride a day would end up being $35, while a weekly transpass on the key card is around $25. You could also get a card without a weekly pass and refill it with cash as needed, which gives you discounted fares of $2.

    There were talks of SEPTA adding a $5 one-time fee when you buy a new card after the new system launched, but I don't think that's been implemented yet.

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