Moderately priced great restaurant in Philly? We can't decide for Jan 1st dinner....
Dec 12th, 2004, 11:14 AM
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Moderately priced great restaurant in Philly? We can't decide for Jan 1st dinner....
We picked Buddakan for our early New Years Eve dinner and were all set to pick "Friday, Saturday, Sunday Restaurant" for the next night when I found a bunch of reviews on the web that were unfavorable as of late:
"Bad Food, Worse Service Posted by jenny_rwd on 01/22/2004
I went on a weekend with my boyfriend hoping for a relaxing and romantic dining experience, and instead got undercooked food and deplorable service! The atomsphere itself was cute in a cheap sort of way with the hanging Christmas lights and well-broken in tables and chairs. However, the wait staff was extremely rude and condescending. I ordered the duck, it came so undercooked that blood and other red juices were visible on the plate. When I politely brought this to my waiters attention, she scoffed at taking it back to the kitchen. I will not dine there again."
And this one:
"Eh... Posted by Randella on 12/05/2003
I went here with my boyfriend on a weekend we were visiting Philly.. we picked the restaurant based on it being romantic- it was crowded, loud and not very romantic and the decor was circa 1984. We also were the last ones there and the wait staff rushed us out at around 11.. We had an 8 30 reservation, did not seat us for a good half hour, and service was slow.. Would not go back next time we are in town and would not recommend for a romantic date."
I guess I should count it up to "different folks, different strokes", but I don't want a bad experience on our vacation.
So, I'm scrambling now... We had originally made reservations at the Four Seasons Fountain Restaurant and still have that reservation on hold, but I'm thinking my wife will not want to eat there when she sees the prices ($40-60 an entree from what I've heard). I've heard of Django, Amici's, Pasion and others but we're mostly vegetarian and some of these places had similarly bad reviews by veggie eaters. They said the choices were very limited and what they did eat wasn't that great. Django for instance had this review :
"Not worth the price and the wait: 08/18/2004
Dishes have an interesting combination of flavors but tend to be a bit bland. Stay away if you are a vegetarian as the options are very limited and unimpressive. The fish could be good, but I wouldn't know...."
Different reviews went on and on like this, kind of contradicting the good reviews I'd heard earlier on this year. I know restaurants change over time. Someone had this to say about Pasion:
"disappointing but wait! Posted by ramekin on 11/30/2004
We went to ipasion recently, having 'discovered' it on citysearch.First off, the restaurant itself has very interesting decor and a great, romantic atmosphere.
However in terms of the food itself we were disappointed.Our appetizer-grilled pineappple with guacamole was quite good though.For entrees I ordered their only vegetarian entree.It was steamed 'exotic' vegetables in banana leaf that tasted like mush.I remember giant lima beans and some kind of black tarry substance.Needless to say, I went home hungry.My husband ordered their shrimp entree and while the size of the shrimp were good there were just 3 shrimps for a $30.00 entree! I think they have some good choices for those who enjoy nouveau cuisine like ceviches etc but it is very expensive and if you do not have a very adveturous palate I would recommend caution!"
My wife just looked over my shoulder to see what I was typing and I told her the situation. She said that she thought we were eating at the FS hotel where we're staying for 2 nights and I said that I wanted a backup reservation should we decide that the food is too high. She asked how much it will cost & I told here the prices and she said "FORGET it - I don't eat that much to warrant that kind of money."
Anyone? Have a favorite that would be good for veggie lovers too? It doesn't have to be a veggie only restaurant of course.
Steve R
Maryland
"Bad Food, Worse Service Posted by jenny_rwd on 01/22/2004
I went on a weekend with my boyfriend hoping for a relaxing and romantic dining experience, and instead got undercooked food and deplorable service! The atomsphere itself was cute in a cheap sort of way with the hanging Christmas lights and well-broken in tables and chairs. However, the wait staff was extremely rude and condescending. I ordered the duck, it came so undercooked that blood and other red juices were visible on the plate. When I politely brought this to my waiters attention, she scoffed at taking it back to the kitchen. I will not dine there again."
And this one:
"Eh... Posted by Randella on 12/05/2003
I went here with my boyfriend on a weekend we were visiting Philly.. we picked the restaurant based on it being romantic- it was crowded, loud and not very romantic and the decor was circa 1984. We also were the last ones there and the wait staff rushed us out at around 11.. We had an 8 30 reservation, did not seat us for a good half hour, and service was slow.. Would not go back next time we are in town and would not recommend for a romantic date."
I guess I should count it up to "different folks, different strokes", but I don't want a bad experience on our vacation.
So, I'm scrambling now... We had originally made reservations at the Four Seasons Fountain Restaurant and still have that reservation on hold, but I'm thinking my wife will not want to eat there when she sees the prices ($40-60 an entree from what I've heard). I've heard of Django, Amici's, Pasion and others but we're mostly vegetarian and some of these places had similarly bad reviews by veggie eaters. They said the choices were very limited and what they did eat wasn't that great. Django for instance had this review :
"Not worth the price and the wait: 08/18/2004
Dishes have an interesting combination of flavors but tend to be a bit bland. Stay away if you are a vegetarian as the options are very limited and unimpressive. The fish could be good, but I wouldn't know...."
Different reviews went on and on like this, kind of contradicting the good reviews I'd heard earlier on this year. I know restaurants change over time. Someone had this to say about Pasion:
"disappointing but wait! Posted by ramekin on 11/30/2004
We went to ipasion recently, having 'discovered' it on citysearch.First off, the restaurant itself has very interesting decor and a great, romantic atmosphere.
However in terms of the food itself we were disappointed.Our appetizer-grilled pineappple with guacamole was quite good though.For entrees I ordered their only vegetarian entree.It was steamed 'exotic' vegetables in banana leaf that tasted like mush.I remember giant lima beans and some kind of black tarry substance.Needless to say, I went home hungry.My husband ordered their shrimp entree and while the size of the shrimp were good there were just 3 shrimps for a $30.00 entree! I think they have some good choices for those who enjoy nouveau cuisine like ceviches etc but it is very expensive and if you do not have a very adveturous palate I would recommend caution!"
My wife just looked over my shoulder to see what I was typing and I told her the situation. She said that she thought we were eating at the FS hotel where we're staying for 2 nights and I said that I wanted a backup reservation should we decide that the food is too high. She asked how much it will cost & I told here the prices and she said "FORGET it - I don't eat that much to warrant that kind of money."
Anyone? Have a favorite that would be good for veggie lovers too? It doesn't have to be a veggie only restaurant of course.
Steve R
Maryland
Dec 13th, 2004, 04:33 AM
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We had a nice dinner at Eulogy's last weekend. It's a Belgian Tavern in the Old City of Philadelphia. If you are a beer lover, this is the place. They also have great frites & mussels. For beer, I recommend the Arrogant Bastard. 
Dec 13th, 2004, 05:19 AM
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Well, beer is certainly the theme at Eulogy's.
Here's another one of our favorite restaurants. http://www.downeysrestaurant.com/
Good luck!
Here's another one of our favorite restaurants. http://www.downeysrestaurant.com/
Good luck!
Dec 13th, 2004, 08:01 AM
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I ate at Fri. Sat. Sun. recently and found the food and service very good. You can't rely solely on the few negative opinions of others.
Django and Pasion are both excellent, but I can't help you in terms of a vegetarian's point of view. However I do know that low-to-moderate priced restaurants such as Vietnam, Penang, Kabul, Cafe Spice and in general most Asian and Indian restaurants have a good veggie selection.
For better food feedback, you need to post on chowhound.com, not here.
Django and Pasion are both excellent, but I can't help you in terms of a vegetarian's point of view. However I do know that low-to-moderate priced restaurants such as Vietnam, Penang, Kabul, Cafe Spice and in general most Asian and Indian restaurants have a good veggie selection.
For better food feedback, you need to post on chowhound.com, not here.
Dec 13th, 2004, 05:20 PM
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Thanks everyone for your great suggestions. I looked up Alma de Cuba, Fork and a couple others, and they ALSO had some REALLY just terrible reviews mixed with the good ones. Some were horrendous. I think we're just going to take our chances on Friday, Saturday, Sunday Restaurant after all and simply cross our fingers!
Steve R
Steve R
Dec 14th, 2004, 09:58 AM
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Living in Philly, I could recommend a number of restaurants but go to the Pennsylvania message boards at www.chowhound.com and post your question about what you are looking for in Philly and you'll get really good picks from serious eaters.
Dec 14th, 2004, 10:41 AM
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Dec 14th, 2004, 12:02 PM
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buongiorno: great recommendation. I checked out chowhounds and have now saved it to my favorites. I've heard of this site before, but never went on it. Excellent info!!!
stormy girl: that's for yet ANOTHER food site! Never heard of these 2 sites. Very cool.
Fodors... who knew!?
Fodors... does it get any better than this?
Steve
stormy girl: that's for yet ANOTHER food site! Never heard of these 2 sites. Very cool.
Fodors... who knew!?
Fodors... does it get any better than this?
Steve
Dec 14th, 2004, 12:26 PM
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I used to live around the corner from Friday Saturday Sunday. It's one of those restaurants that has been around a long time and while it treats regulars very well, it can be a less than stellar spot for newcomers. I'd have to say the negative reviews are pretty accurate...for first time diners there. The staff attitude isn't nearly as bad as that at the White Dog, but they can be snippy.
Dec 14th, 2004, 12:34 PM
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Btilke: Thanks for the info on Fri Sat Sun. Rude service we're used to... we live near Wash DC! It's bad food that would keep us away. Even the concierge at the FS Philly said they recommend the restaurant so we'll give it a try...
I appreciate the heads up, though!
Steve
I appreciate the heads up, though!
Steve
Dec 14th, 2004, 12:42 PM
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Actually, I'd have to say the food is pretty good, but not particularly memorable. It is kind of stuck in a late 1980s time warp, when it was at its peak. But some Philadelphians really prefer that, which is why is has many long time devotees. When we lived at 21st and Spruce, we didn't go there that often because it was just an ok experience. Our regular hangout was the Rittenhouse Square view restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel (not Poteen's). We thought it had better food, nicer staff and was overall a "fresher" experience.
Dec 14th, 2004, 02:25 PM
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Thanks mikemo but we definitely want to stay in Philly, preferably near our hotel!
BTilke: We may just change our mind at the last minute and decide to eat at the Fountain at the FS after all! It sounds really amazing. I figure if we split an entree, split a salad, and split an appetizer and dessert, we'll still be around our $110 max for dining! We don't drink, so we'd save money there as well. It sounds like a very memorable experience. Usually when we go to a very fancy restaurant, we just order one of each course and split it and just deal with whatever attitude they may have about that! As it turns out, we're usually MORE than full, even though we've just split stuff.
Steve
BTilke: We may just change our mind at the last minute and decide to eat at the Fountain at the FS after all! It sounds really amazing. I figure if we split an entree, split a salad, and split an appetizer and dessert, we'll still be around our $110 max for dining! We don't drink, so we'd save money there as well. It sounds like a very memorable experience. Usually when we go to a very fancy restaurant, we just order one of each course and split it and just deal with whatever attitude they may have about that! As it turns out, we're usually MORE than full, even though we've just split stuff.
Steve
