Philly Dining!

I’m going to be keeping you up to date with the places I eat in Philly.  I’m vegetarian so I won’t be able to tell you about the meat but I used to work at Burger King so I know about service!

 

Buca di Beppo

Center City

Buca di Beppo is a hidden little spot that I never passed in four years in Philadelphia but you definitely do not want to miss this spot!  First you get a walking tour of the restaurant and get to see their kitchen.  Any restaurant that I see the kitchen gets points in my book!  There’s also a table in the kitchen if you want to eat there too!  The decor is a nice mix of old school Italian pictures and sculptures and goofy pin up.  The walls are just covered so you’ll always have something to talk about.  My waiter was really nice and took great care of us.  They have family dinning so you can get plates that feed 2-3 or 4-5.  They serve Italian food and there’s a great mix of vegetarian and meat dishes so there’s something that will suite everyone.  My friend and I sat in there talking for hours and didn’t feel pressured to leave.  (Not a here’s-your-check-now-leave deal)  The bathroom is huge and adorned in ALL sorts of pictures.  I spent at least 5 minutes in there just looking at them all.  On your receipt there is even a number to call and do a survey and you get $10 off your next $30 purchase. 

Rating: A+

Cosi

Many locations throughout the city

So Cosi it just delightful.  They have sit down and take out service. Their dinner is spectacular because you get a sandwich, soup or salad, and chips or carrots for about $8 and it’s delicious.  They have all sorts of food from vegetarian to hardcore carnivore so there’s something for everyone.  Ambiance varies by location.  All of them seem to have  a really corny collection of overpriced paintings on the wall but overall it’s delicious, fast, and cheap!

Rating: A

Kingdom of Vegetarians

Chinatown

I really didn’t like KOV.  The welcoming was nice.  The ambiance is really corny.  Like those fake candlestick lights on the walls type of corny.  The bathroom is TERRIBLE!!!  The toilet doesn’t flush, there was no soap, the door didn’t lock, and there was trash all over.  The service was a bit sloppy.  I was waiting a while for a refill that actually never came.  The food came down a dumb waiter which to me is really creepy.  We used that system in a hospital I used to work at.    The menu is pretty large but nothing in comparison to Singapore.  The tea pot the give you is metal so it does a great job of holding the heat, however it does it especially well on the handle making it painful to pour.  I ordered BBQ spare ribs and I got three long, fried tubes with an oily sauce on the side.  Not at all what I was expecting. Morris got General Tso’s chicken and it was good but it came in a cabbage leaf.  It matched the corny ambiance perfectly.  At the end of the meal you get a fried banana chunk and fortune cookie.  I’m not returning there.  Rating: C+

Singapore Vegetarian

 Chinatown

Singapore is just delightful!  The music is nice and calm.  The service is great.  As soon as your cup is half full they come and fill it for you.  The menu is so big it’s hard to chose!  I’ve been there about 5 times and have never been disappointed.  My favorite by far is Malaysian pork ribs.  Just perfect  : )  The Dim Sum is great too.  The end of the meal comes with an orange slice, a sesame ball, and a fortune cookie.  You also get a warm towel!  I’m not really sure what for, but it’s there.  The servers have personalities.  One day when Morris and I went I wanted white rice and Morris wanted brown and our server thought that was so funny.  I absolutely love this place.  I want them to cater my wedding!  I’m really glad they’re not in my area because I would eat there all the time and be broke.  I’d even go when I wasn’t hungry because it’s so good!  Rating: A+

Philly Diner

39th and Walnut on UPenn’s campus

Philly Diner has fantastic rocks inside.  That’s about the only nice thing I can say about it.  I went on a Sunday around 2:00 p.m. during finals week so you would think there would be some students.  So not true.   I got sat in a back corner right next to the kitchen when the whole restaurant was open.  Now this gave some insight of it’s own.  As I was waiting for my food I could watch the staff.  Watch them scoop coleslaw and lick their fingers.  Watch them fix there hair and then add tomatoes to someones sandwich.  Watch my waitress stand there talking and laughing while my table was waiting for their drinks.  It was disgusting.  The food wasn’t spectacular.  I got pancakes that were still gooey in the center and tasted terrible.  My friend got a side order of fries for $3.00 and there were about 10 fries total.  My other friend got onion rings with his and they were actually really good. Okay, so there’s two nice things.  The bathroom is DISGUSTING.  And they aren’t busy so I couldn’t imagine how long that mess was laying around.  The only thing that could get me to go back would be the onion rings.

Rating:C

Aramingo Diner

3356 Aramingo Ave

Oh Aramingo Diner, how I love you!  Okay so here’s the story I get from other websites:  the original diner burnt down and they rebuilt it, however it’s not as nice as the original.  Well, I think it’s just fantastic.  There food was great and the atmosphere is amazing.  There is the typical diner feel with neon lights and older friendly waitresses.  It’s just fantastic.  I got pancakes that were just amazing and my fellow diners got chicken meatloaf and baby back ribs and they really liked their food.  The bathrooms are pristine, however set up a little odd (you can check it out if you go).  They are fast, friendly, and cheap.  Definitely a great spot for a college budget!

Rating: A+

Maoz Vegetarian

Center City and South Street

I had a pretty long love affair with Maoz my junior year.  It ended when they changed their tahini, thankfully.  They serve only falafel sandwiches and salad.  So you order your sandwich and you get to dress it.  They have this big bar of topping and you can chose whatever you want.  Say you run out of toppings, head right back up.  It’s amazing.  They give you choices for their one menu item: salad, whole wheat or white pita as well as soda, water, or fresh squeezed juice.  It is deep fried though so not really that great for you.  No matter how many times I try to recreate their food it just doesn’t happen.  The Center City location is newer and bigger.  There is plenty of room to sit and there are restrooms.  However they make fries and falafel and let it sit so it gets kind of nasty.  The South Street location seats about 7 and there is no restroom.  This location makes everything fresh though so this is the Maoz of choice for me!

Rating: B+