My second March mini getaway was a train trip to Philadelphia with my OG Albany (via South Troy) friend, Mary. It was her first visit to the city of Brotherly Love and my third and we got lucky with good weather, easy train connections and a hotel located right next to the Reading Terminal Market.
We arrived with a very limited agenda – check out some of the historical stuff, visit the art museum, do some thrifting and eat and drink to our hearts’ delight.
Mission accomplished.
The pace of our days was decidedly chill. We arrived in the early afternoon, got checked into our hotel and headed out on foot for the Philly AIDS Thrift store in the South Street neighborhood. The eclectic array of goods including furniture, clothing, and tchotchkes galore, guarantees that there is something for everyone.
We were not exceptions to this rule and our purchases of a Ben Sherman button down and a pair of gently broken in Doc Martens were toasted at our next stop around the corner, Tattooed Mom, a funky joint with a punk vibe, colorful decor and tasty cocktails with a variety of hot tot options for on the side. Two thumbs up on this place.
Anticipating a full day on Wednesday, we went with a simple and early dinner at M Kee in Chinatown. This cash only spot (sans liquor license) provided all we had hoped for – an excellent meal at a more than fair price. Our 1/2 Peking duck and generous side order of sautéed string beans, set us back $35 each, including a generous tip. The “dining room” is essentially a few tables in what is a primarily take out restaurant, but we were well taken care of and completely satisfied with our dinner.
Wednesday began – like, before we even showered, with a stroll around the Reading Terminal Market. This market really has anything you might want, be it a sit down meal, ingredients to prepare your own feast or take away items. We selected breakfast sammies and coffee, with some cut fruit on the side, and returned to the hotel to enjoy the meal in our room. I had opted for a pork roll, egg and cheese combo on a brioche roll (my very first pork roll experience!) which set me up for the day nicely.
We had wandered around a bit on our first afternoon taking in some of the history. What’s left of it, that is. The Independence Hall area showed evidence of the removal of some of the panels describing the history of slave ownership in the U.S. Some of the now blank brick walls instead feature printed replicas of the removed information. Funnily enough, there were two markers hanging from string seemingly to invite viewers to add their thoughts, which I did.
On this morning, though, we headed to the Old City neighborhood and the oldest continually occupied street in Philadelphia, Elfreth’s Alley. This small enclave embodies colonial America and we were charmed by the well maintained brick homes with spring blossoms and the sense of centuries of history surrounding us.
We also popped into Christ Church to gawk at the simple, but beautiful interior and caught some minutes of a lecture that told of the lengthy history of this episcopal place of worship.
Our next stop was the incredible Magic Garden, a remarkable collection of buildings adorned with overwhelmingly detailed mosaics created by Isaiah Zagar. Words cannot describe this folk art wonder – it absolutely must be seen to be believed. Wow!
Zagar’s opus is one that I imagine will reveal new impressions and aspects on every visit a person might make. Do not miss this if you’re in Philly.
While we had collected a number of recommendations from friends prior to our trip, we also solicited suggestions from locals and dinner at Murph’s was a common refrain. This Irish pub with an Italian kitchen, located in the Fish Town neighborhood, was as good as promised. We opened with adult beverages and an order of arancini, both of which we fully enjoyed. The arancini were large and served in a puddle of simple tomato sauce. We showed restraint and only ate one of them each, saving some room for our pasta. Another dynamite and inexpensive dinner was enjoyed – $80 (cash only) for an appetizer, two plates of pasta, a cocktail and two glasses of wine and a fat tip.
By this point in the evening, one of us had had enough and was ready to head back to the hotel, while I wanted to check out a speakeasy I had read about. We grabbed a rideshare that brought me to The Ranstead Room before continuing to the hotel for a second drop off.
Although my arrival was on the earlier side of things, I was warmly greeted and happy to discover that I was not the only person interested in cocktails. The bartender was very friendly and made me two beautiful drinks over the next two hours or so. Other imbibers were conversational and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the swanky, pin up laden space. I wish Albany had a spot like this!
The red wallpapered interior provided a perfect precursor to the red lights I encountered on my return walk to the hotel. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “seeing red!”
In the morning, I sussed out a well regarded French bakery, J’aime, and took a head fog clearing walk for pastry, ultimately purchasing a couple of excellent croissants and an apple tart to share. We packed up after our meal, leaving our luggage in the care of the hotel, and headed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
It was a gorgeous day and my ability to stay indoors was somewhat limited, but I very much appreciated the works that I took in. We had directed ourselves to the 19th/20th century and contemporary works and, as always, I was awed by van Gogh’s Sunflowers, but I also appreciated the Monet and Léon Frédérik pictured below.
Our last stop for the trip was at a place that numerous people had recommended – Parc. We nabbed the perfect table, one which straddled indoors and outside, and provided a direct view of the aforementioned park aka Rittenhouse Square. The interior immediately reminded me of Pastis and Balthazar in NYC and I was not surprised to learn that Parc and Pastis both belong to the same restaurant group. As I’m inclined to do when visiting Pastis, I ordered a glass of Cremant and was very happy with my lunch of quiche and salad. The atmosphere and service were both designed to make guests comfortable and we settled in for an indulgent lunch that included dessert – créme brûlée for Mary and pot de crème for me. Outstanding.
A couple of general observations to share – the food scene is great, the sidewalks are generally clean despite a lack of trash bins, and the people are very friendly. In conclusion, the City of Brotherly Love makes for a great getaway and I wouldn’t hesitate to return. We can all probably do with some time in a place that is founded upon brotherhood, tolerance and peace, can’t we?
DelSo 