Garces Trading Company (Washington Square West Philadelphia, PA)

Garces Trading Company (Washington Square West Philadelphia, PA)
1111 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-574-1099
Website: garcestradingcompany.com

After happy hour at Milkboy, I had dinner at Garces Trading Company.  It was my first time there and after some drinks and snacks, I wasn't super hungry but was definitely up for checking out Garces for the first time.

Our waiter was very courteous and ran through all the specials and popular menu items and answered all our questions about the menu.  The meal ended up being a teaser to the Garces Trading Company experience but everyone left wanting to come back for a proper dinner to give it a full review.

Highlights included the home made mozzarella appetizer and a very decandent Vichyssoise Chaude made with Potato Leek Soup, Scallop, Black Truffles, Chives and Bacon.  Other dishes included the Goat Bolognese, Rigotoni and Meatballs, and a Duck Confit Salad with a poached egg on top.

Garces Trading Co. upholds the standards of the Garces restaurant empire and I will be back for a more proper dinner and review :)

Milkboy Philly (updated Winter cocktails)

Milkboy (Philadelphia)
1100 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-925-MILK
Web: http://www.milkboyphilly.com/

Milkboy has seasonal cocktails and with winter in full force, there's a decent selection.  This is even more appealing with Milkboy's happy hour from 4pm to 7pm which knocks 2 dollars off all cocktails.  The Nacho's are very good and the Poutine with chicken was very filling.  There's also a decent beer selection to round out happy hour.

Chiangmai (Conshohocken, PA)

Chiangmai (Conshohocken, PA)
108 Fayette Street
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Phone: 610-397-1757
Web: mychiangmaicusine.com

Chiangmai serves Thai cuisine.  The food was decent but slightly on the blander side of Thai cuisine.  If you're looking for heat and extreme flavor this may not be your cup of tea.  For lunch, the meal deals are economical and provide a decent variety.  We ordered the drunken noodle which wasn't as spicy as i had hoped but decently prepared otherwise and the pad thai.

1 Tippling (Holiday Cocktails)

1 Tippling
2006 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
Web: http://1tpl.com/

1 Tippling has updated their decor for the holiday season a bit.  The standard, eclectic mix of interesting furniture and seating remains.  Mostly a Christmas tree was added but that's more than enough to bring Philadelphians out for cocktails.

We stopped by after our initial visit to Sutton's Parlor as Sutton's was not currently accepting credit cards.  As usual the penicillin and fruit cocktails were well made.  A particular highlight was the seasonal Mexican strawberry cocktail.  Anyone into rye whisky and absinthe may enjoy the rattlesnake cocktail.

Sutton's Parlor (Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, PA)

Sutton's Parlor (Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, PA)
40 South 19th Street (between Market and Chestnut Streets)
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Sutton's Parlor opened its doors the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  I finally made it out to Sutton's Parlor for cocktails to see what the fuss was about.  Spun off from the owners of Farmer's Cabinet, Sutton's Parlor offers a cocktail bar on the first floor and allegedly a beer bar upstairs.  The beer bar wasn't accessible during my visit.

Manager Adam stated that his goal was to open the doors as soon as possible and slowly workout any kinks with an anticipated official opening by the New Year.  Sutton's Parlor is open every day from 5pm to 2am.  Similar to Farmer's Cabinet there is live music to compliment the cocktail and drink selection.  As the place is currently a work in progress, Sutton's Parlor is offering a limited cocktail and beer menu.

I recommend talking with the bartenders to see if you can perhaps order something off menu or an off menu favorite from the mixologists.  Luciano has a superb cocktail that involves fresh orange juice and caramelized sugar.

All in all, Sutton's Parlor is a nice addition to the growing number of cocktail oriented establishments in Center City.

The Kitchen start making appetizers on Friday but we didn't stay there long enough to try it out.  As Sutton's Parlor find its legs, I would assume that the kitchen will be up and running soon enough.   Definitely worth checking out.  One caveat, the credit card machines weren't working during our visit so it became a cash only venue.  Not sure when the credit will be accepted but something to consider.  Cheers!

Whisky Sour

Gin Fizz

Pianist entertaining at Sutton's Parlor

Mixologist Luciano caramelizing sugar for his special cocktail

Luciano - orange juice, bourbon, caramelized sugar, etc

Conquest of Gaul - bonded applejack, benedictine,
laphroaig 10, honey, lemon zest

Hot Toddy

One of the Punches at Sutton's Parlor

Iron Hill Brewery (Media, PA)

Iron Hill Brewery (Media, PA)
30 East State Street
Media, PA
Phone: 610-627-9000
Web: http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/media/

Iron Hill is a staple go to in the Media area. There is always interesting seasonal beer along with the staple beers on tap. Iron Hill's burgers are always delicious but that evening I opted for the voodoo chicken pizza.  It was essentially the bbq chicken pizza.  For an appetizer the table shared the mussels with fries which were very good.  I dabbled with the ceviche which is served on corn chips and there was enough heat/spiciness to make it interesting and delicious.  To round out the meal, complimentary focaccia was perfect for dipping in the mussel broth.

Strangelove's

Strangelove's
11th Street (between Walnut and Locust)
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 215-873-0404
Web: http://www.strangelovesbeerbar.com/


If you're in the mood for a casual beer at a place with a good selection.  Check out Strangelove's.  After a few drinks, I decided to check out the gouda grits and pretzels to get some food with my beers.  The gouda grits were recommended by a friend. I'm a sucker for some smoked gouda so that sealed the deal.  The pretzel appetizer showed off three forms of mustard and was decent.  Nothing terribly special unless mustard variety is your thing.

Cafe Lift (Breakfast)

Cafe Lift
428 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 215-922-3031
Web: http://cafelift.com/
Note: Cash Only
 I took an old friend who was visiting Philadelphia from out of town to Cafe Lift for breakfast.  At this point, any readers of this blog should know that Cafe Lift offers one of the best breakfast/brunch options in Center City.  A review isn't really needed as the photos should be more than enough.  We settled on crab bisque, Eggs Benedict, and the Pumpkin French Toast which was one of the specials of the day.