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A Gourmet Girls' Getaway in Philadelphia 

18/6/2014

 

Food & Friendship in the City of Brotherly Love

Philly at dusk TurnipseedTravel.com
The architecture of Philadelphia is especially lovely at dusk.
I'm not sure exactly what I expected for my first visit to Philadelphia, but I certainly hadn't anticipated the City of Brotherly Love to be so darn opinionated about food, shops, and even art. Within a few hours of announcing my trip, I was inundated with social media messages from locals suggesting -no, ordering - where to go and what to eat. Talk about a passionate crowd! This first visit was far too short (I'm already musing a return visit) but even a brief stay had the makings of a fantastic girlfriend getaway. 
Penns Landing Philly TurnipseedTravel.com
Vanessa and Steph from A Nerd At Large clowning around at Penn's Landing.

Where to Stay For A Philadelphia Girls' Getaway

We stayed at the clean, comfortable Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing (now a Hilton hotel). The real appeal of this location is the amazing views - be sure to ask for a high floor with a  room overlooking the river so you can see the historic tall ships! Life along the river is fun and lively and the hotel has complimentary bicycles for guests who are eager to explore.  In the event of rainy weather (which sadly we encountered), head to the pool area for a swim with a view and a foosball table.
Tall ship Penn's Landing TurnipseedTravel.com
A view of a tall ship from the Hyatt Regency.
Breakfast Buffet Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing Philly TurnipseedTravel.com
Fruit and yogurt at the breakfast buffet.
Foosball in the pool room Hyatt Regency Penn's Landing TurnipseedTravel.com
Foosball in the pool room.
Philly at night Hyatt Regency TurnipseedTravel.com
The view from our room at night, with the tall ships on the left.
Hyatt Regency lobby Philly
Steph & friend in the lobby.

Where to Eat

Warning: This section is bound to create conflict! Philly is a city of serious foodies! Here are some of the fabulous places we discovered during our short visit. 

Cheu Noodle Bar: I'm going to go ahead and say it. The black garlic wings at Cheu are THE. BEST. WINGS. that I've ever had. EVER. Their sauce is so delicious I could drink a bowl of it every day.  (Note they're sadly now closed but Cheu's has sister properties in the city).

But you don't go here for the wings (or the jasmine ice tea, which was equally delicious). Cheu's specialty is of course their noodles and my bowl of coconut curry noodles with peas, herbs, and peanut sambal was divine. Endlessly messy, but worth every single splatter. At $11 for a huge bowl, this is one sweet - make that spicy! - deal. 
coconut curry noodles at Cheu Noodle House Philly TurnipseedTravel.com
I drool every time I look at this picture! My coconut curry noodles at Cheu Noodle House.
Vernick Food and Drink: I'm not sure if there's a magical formula for calculating deliciousness per dollar spent, but if there was Vernick would surely win. For the price point, it may just be the most delicious meal I've ever had. It's one of only half a dozen restaurants I've been to where there is no salt and pepper on the table - and I only noticed it after the fact. Everything was perfectly seasoned and remarkably fresh. 
Vernick food and drink Philly Pennsylvania TurnipseedTravel.com
Digging into dessert and trying out the prickly pear gelato at Vernick.
Porkchop at Vernick Philly TurnipseedTravel.comThe delectable main course.
The small plates of loaded toast (like charred spinach and fontina), raw seafood (like arctic char and dill), and mini plates (like warm ricotta, rhubarb, and basil) are perfect for sharing during a girlfriends' getaway. They also have large plates, with options such as roasted pork chop, spring peas and beans, and prosciutto jus starting at $26. 

The desserts were equally tempting and my choice, a creme fraiche panna cotta with spiced fresh apricot, was unusual, creative, and hugely delicious. 

The service was absolutely phenomenal and little touches, like double checking if anyone in the party had allergies and bringing over a surprise scoop of prickly pear gelato just because the stafff heard us chatting about the unique flavor, made a great meal soar to new heights. 

Lobster risotto Parc Bistro Philly TurnipseedTravel.com
Lobster risotto at Parc Bistro - well worth missing my husband for.
Parc Bistro: It's a shame I visited Parc on a Wednesday, because this is the kind of place you could linger in for hours on a Friday night, shaking the week off,  polishing off another bottle of wine and a second -or third! - basket of bread.  But our Wednesday night visit did have one distinct advantage, as the standing special is lobster risotto.
Ryan is allergic to shellfish, so the only time I can indulge my lobster cravings is when I'm spending time with the girls. While I enjoyed trying lobster in a whole new way, I have to confess I wish I had ordered the traditional 1/2 lb lobster instead - risotto I can have any time, but lobster is really special!
bread basket Parc Bistro TurnipseedTravel.com
The famous bread basket.
Pot de creme for dessert Parc Bistro Philly TurnipseedTravel.com
Pot de creme for dessert
Parc's legendary bread was everything I had imagined (though it could benefit from a second ramekin of butter on the side). The menu of classic French desserts provided many temptations but I finally settled on the Pot de Creme. The combination of white coffee ice cream, bananas, cocoa nibs, and even gold leaf was delicious and, not being overly sweet, made for a nice finish to a rich meal. 

What To Do

How is it that one of the most prolific art galleries in the world plays second fiddle to a photo op? Chances are, you've seen the Philadelphia Art Museum on hundreds of occasions, thanks to Rocky Balboa and scores of imitators. Go ahead, run up the stars and cheer, but then buck the trend and actually head inside the building
Steps Philadelphia Art Museum TurnipseedTravel.com
You should be jumping around triumphantly just like Rocky!
You could easily spend several days at the Philadelphia Art Museum (they even provide a two day pass option!) but since our time was limited, we explored for a few hours at random, first wandering into a room of Picasso sketches, then another filled with antique armor. If you ever imagined art galleries to be dull, boring spaces, the diverse collection and the unique artifacts at the Philadelphia Art Museum will change your mind!
European relics Steps Philadelphia Art Museum TurnipseedTravel.com
European relics
Armor Philadelphia Art Museum TurnipseedTravel.com
Just think of all the battles these helmets have seen!
Steps Philadelphia Art Museum TurnipseedTravel.com
We briefly eavesdropped on a lecture
Steps Philadelphia Art Museum TurnipseedTravel.com
Walking up the steps is okay!
Philly is one of those cities that blew me away and surpassed every expectation. I hadn't realized just how vibrant the local food scene is and, between bike rides and foosball and museums and galleries, there are plenty of fun, affordable activities to ensure everyone in your group has a memorable visit.

Alright Philly Foodies -it's time to weigh in! Where should I eat on my next trip?

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Steph | A Nerd at Large link
23/6/2014 05:59:25 am

Could you post any more ridiculous pictures of me? Don't answer that. I bet you could.

I could spend so much more time exploring Philly. I left with major pangs of longing for all the great stuff we didn't see and, more importantly, all the food we didn't try!

Vanessa
23/6/2014 07:08:34 am

Don't worry- I'm holding onto those pics for blackmail! ha ha ha!

Cassie link
23/6/2014 06:40:03 am

Ah, Philly is one of my favorite cities! Glad you got to try Capogiro --they buy a lot of fresh, organic produce from my friend's family farm in Lancaster County.

Did you try Rita's water ice or custard? Certainly not gourmet, but delicious and sometime I always look forward to getting in Philly!

Vanessa
3/7/2014 05:47:22 am

Unfortunately, we didn't try Rita's on this visit but we'll put this on the list for next time!

Lian link
3/7/2014 02:58:24 am

I've always wanted to visit Philly, so your post helped me live vicariously through you! The tall ships pics were gorgeous! I wanted to be on one of them. I knoe they're not a gormet iten, but did you get to try any autgentic Philly cheese steak sandwhich? I've always wanted to try one from Philly.

Vanessa
3/7/2014 05:48:31 am

Believe it or not, we didn't get any cheesesteaks!!! In fact, no one even recommended any favourite spots to us!

Cliffy D link
3/7/2014 08:48:13 am

For cheesesteaks in Philly, it has to be Pat's or Geno's.They are across the street from each other and truly, you can't go wrong with either place. I ended up getting a sammie from both and they were excellent. I even ordered it like a local would! (They do have a step-by-step how-to posted by the service window)

Vanessa
3/7/2014 10:13:34 am

Anytime there's a culinary rivalry, I want to check it out - chances are it will always be great!


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