The point of this site is to share all of the great things that we find around Philadelphia. I love it when I find something that fits this perfectly. It’s a lesser-known little neighborhood spot with its own flair and a really really killer treat that I want EVERY DAY.
They beat me to it. The Philly Food Guys have an excellent review of the old-timey ice cream parlour Franklin Fountain . Apparently I have to stay one step ahead of these guys.
Upcoming posts for FindingPhilly will include a hidden treasure trove of books, some sing-along, paint, mirrors and stickers…
Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
1030 N. 2nd Street # 601 (Northern Liberties Walk)
215. 629.0999
Elizabeth Ruthie Hinton passed down a valuable gift to the women of her family in her vintage cake and pie recipes. I have always had a weakness for a good cupcake. And since baking sweets does not come easily for me, I thank the lord for the women of Brown Betty Dessert Boutique!
Quick update:A photo of mine has been included in the latest edition of the Philadelphia Schmap Guides
Link Here (it’s the photo of the bike at El Vez). It’s pretty nice of them to ask permission and then credit me and link to my photo on Flickr. Now if only they’d get a Mac client working!
There’s going to be a big post coming up on Chinatown (I’ve been to 6.5 restaurants in the last 3 days) with lots of photos and information. My stomach is experiencing a lot of new ingredients (intestines among them) and I’ll be reporting back on the good, the bad, and the really really ugly! (again, intestines)
Karen’s hard at work researching the cupcakes that this city has to offer! There’s more cupcakery in this city than I was previously aware of and she is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very dedicated. Very.
Smile Cafe
www.thaismilecafe.com
215.564.2502
105 S. 22nd St.
Smile Cafe is one our favorite finds! There are 2 dozen Thai restaurants in Philadelphia - you could have fooled me! I was aware of a few, but it wasn’t until we stumbled out of Smile Cafe (BYOB) that I knew what we found. Our first visit started out with a few tasty bites of fried tofu with a tamarind sauce, and fat New Zealand mussels in lemongrass broth. I also had a most satisfying Pad Thai.
Another time, we started with a perfectly grilled calamari salad, and the brilliant combination of escargot in puff pastry. Then I had a Crispy Half Duck and Matt had Charcoal Beef, served with sticky rice and cabbage slaw. We have never had room for dessert, but next time I must try the fried banana with ice cream. The food seems genuinely Thai and the service is exceptionally friendly (it is called Smile Cafe after all), and the prices are very reasonable. If you are planning ahead reservations are not a bad idea due to Smile’s limited seating; we tried to walk in during the dinner rush once and had to turn around and go to Erawan (luckily just a block away on 23rd, also serving killer Thai food and BYOB).
Pif is one of our favorite restaurants in the city. We first went just over a year ago for my birthday. I loved the food and atmosphere so much both at Pif and Ansill (where we ate a few weeks later for Karen’s birthday) that I decided I wanted to work in either. I introduced myself to some of the people at both restaurants and soon after got a call to see if I could start work.
I started off at Ansill but soon after I started help was needed at Pif and I moved down there. Very convenient because it’s just a half-block away from my apartment. Over the past year I’ve been learning what I can about french food and getting to know the regulars. It’s pretty amazing how many regulars there are for a restaurant so small. I’m sure they’re all very dissapointed to find out that it’s closing after 6 years.
The short version is that David Ansill (the chef) wants to focus more on Ansill, his newer restaurant. I’m not going to get maudlin and spend the rest of the post being sad, but instead point you to my collection of Pif photos (click on the photo to the left). Enjoy and goodbye Pif!
I’ve been promising this post for a long time. It was pretty damn annoying to write the whole thing and have wordpress somehow lose it in the ether between here and there. So this post, while written with love and tenderness, is going to be a bit shorter than originally planned. What follows are some personal experiences and photos about four amazing bakeries right here in South Philly…
(that’s my mom outside of Termini, HI MOM!)
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Sofitel Hotel
120 S.17th St.
Sofitel is a french chain of hotels with simple and chic decor. The Sofitel in Philly has floor to ceiling windows looking out on 17th and sansom street (good for people watching)….
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VALANNI
1229 Spruce St.
Philadelphia
19107
Sunday is my favorite day of the week. It’s great day to catch up on much needed rest. Plus, it’s the only day of the week when you’re allowed to drink alcohol for breakfast and no one looks at you funny! Maybe, that’s the real reason brunch is my favorite meal. And Valanni is my favorite spot to eat it.
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When i decided i was going to start this blog i solicited ideas from friends and people i work with. One that intrigued me was from Jason, a fellow server at Ansill. He said simply, “Go to Southwark. Get a Manhattan.”
And so i did…
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