Juli

My boyfriend and I are coming from central NJ to see Cirque du Soleil in Philly. We are staying at the Omni Park Hotel and I am looking for a place close to that to have a inexpensive dinner ($60.00/for 2) and some drinks on Friday night. Nothing crazy or super-crowded, just a nice meal and some ambiance. We will be going to the zoo on Sat. Afternoon (I have'nt been since the 2nd grade, very excited)We will also be catching and early dinner on SAt night before the show at 8:00pm. As of now I have narrowed it down to Buddakan and Fork. I am just concerned that because we need to eat around 6:00pm to be at the show by 8:00pm, I am concerned about the speediness of the service and if something is lost in the ambiance of eating so early. And it needs to be close to the hotel and the show, which is at the intersection of Broad St and Washington Ave. This is a really special weekend away for us, there could be a ring involved at some point and I wouldnt want to choose the wrong restaurant. And if there is no ring I want to have the greatest meal anyway. If you have any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
JK

elle

Hmmm, a few thoughts here. . .

I think you're onto something re: losing ambience by having a really early meal in time to get to the show on Saturday. We recently had to have a 6 p.m. meal at Avenue B in order to get to an 8 p.m. show at the Kimmel Center, and it just wasn't as romantic as a later meal would be. . .

Would you consider having your "special" meal on Friday night, and then just catching a quick bite--maybe at an outdoor cafe--on Saturday, then go someplace romantic for drinks after the show? If so, then I'd definitely go to Fork (which will probably be more expensive than $60 for 2).

It's going to be tough to find something that is close to both the hotel and the show, as they are not near each other. Near the hotel, you have (in addition to Fork and Buddakhan) Novelty, Panorama, Blue Angel, Morimoto, Anjou. Near the show, your best bets are probably Varalli and Avenue B.

For after-show drinks, I'd recommend the wine bar at Panorama (near your hotel) or the Pantheon in the Ritz Carlton (not too far from the show).

Creperie Beau Monde at 6th and Bainbridge is somewhere between your hotel and the show, very romantic and quite inexpensive. . .

Hope this helps, and I hope your weekend (and the ring!) are as wonderful as you envision. . .

Henly

I agree with swapping the nights. Friday would be more relaxing and enjoyable for a romantic dinner.

Maybe before the show you could do something more fun, like go somewhere for appetizers and a drink, or do a BYOB. We love going to Alma de Cuba and sitting on the sofas and having a mojito and appetizers on the coffee tables before a show. You could probably split 3 or 4 apps and each have a drink for around 60, and not feel rushed. (i can suggest other great places where you can enjoys nice appetizers).

BYOB's are also an ideal choice becaus eyou can save on drinking costs. Django is currently the hot place in Philadelphia. There are a ton of others.

juli

Thank you so much for the imput.

Even though I thought I thought of everything It may be a wise decision to make our special meal on Friday night instead. We do have about an hour and a half drive but I think that might be a better way to enjoy such great restaurants.

I never thought of just having appetizers before the show, what a great idea. We could probably fill up on them and then have drinks afterwards. Thank you so much, if you have any other suggestions for places to go for appts. please let me know. I would love it if they where close tothe show so that if we where pressed for time, we dont panic. I love Cirque du soleil and dont want to miss a second.

Thanks again, as always for the help
JK

elle

Brasserie Perrier has some great appetizers--I love the Romaine salad with shaved parmesan and the shrimp tempura lollipops. Decent wine list, too, and not too, too far from Broad and Washington. . .(there's not a whole lot in the immediate area of the Cirque performance).

I hear Varekai is just fantastic. I hope to catch it.

ruby

For a really great meal I would choose Buddakan over Fork. As for appetizers, there are many rest. by your hotel in old city, such as The Continental, Brasil, Tangerine, Cuba Libre, Novelty, and many others depending on your likes/dislikes.

I also second the idea of not having your "big" dinner Sat. night, otherwise you'll be cutting it very close getting to the show. You don't want to rush a romantic meal, and then you have to factor in traffic/driving time to get to South Philly. You need to give yourselves a least a half hour to get there, especially if you're not familiar w/driving in Philly, then finding a place to park, etc.

juli

Thanks for all the great advice.

I do have another question, if we take a cab to the show will we have a hard time finding one to take us back to the area the hotel is in. Or should we take our car?

Thanks again

elle

I'd take a cab. Should be fairly inexpensive--round trip cab fare will probably be less than the price of parking.

I suspect that there will be enough shrewd cab drivers circling the area around the time the event lets out.

alexis

They are charging 15 dollars to park at Cirque. Although a roundtrip taxi may cost around same, I think it is worth it. If you are feeling adventerous, you could even walk or take the subway if you have appetizers near restaurant row. There is a subway that goes right up Broad Street. The walk from Broad and Walnut might take around 20 minutes.

Sylvia G

If you are coming this weekend (October 4-6), then you will be hitting "First Friday". The first Friday of every month the galleries are open late in Old City (which is near where you will be) and it is a real mob scene. Fun, but mobbed! My daughter went recently and they couldn't get into any restaurant.
Be sure to call and make a reservation ahead, or you will be stuck someplace that's not very good.
Also, don't try to eat dinner at 6 before the show on Saturday. We go to Kimmel Center and eat at 5:30, and that's closer. The idea of appetizers is much better.
If you eat closer to where you'll be going, you won't be stressed out. A fun place for appetizers is Trust.
If you do eat dinner on Saturday, Varalli's is very good.
Have a lovely dinner on Friday night at one of the places mentioned, and have a great time1
Sylvia

juli

Thanks everyone for the great advice. We will be having our special dinner on Friday night at Buddakan,and I cant wait. On Sat. we have the sights close to the hotel, the zoo and then drinks and appetizers at The Continental, and then off to see Cirque du Soleil. Its going to b a great weekend and I wouldn't have been able to do it without all your help.

Thanks!!!!!!!

elle

I think the new ZooBalloon overlooking the city would be a great place to propose. . .

sue

Glad to hear your plans are all set.

Now make sure you come back here next week and tell us whether or not you got a ring!

(Oh, and we also need to know how big it is.)