East Passyunk Restaurant Week Returns to Award-Winning Restaurants February 26 to March 9

Photo credit CHHAYA

East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID) announces the return of East Passyunk Restaurant Week on Sunday, February 26 through Saturday, March 9, 2018.  

Twenty-six award-winning restaurants along Philadelphia’s acclaimed restaurant row will serve up three course, value-priced lunch and dinner menus for $15, $25 and $35 each. 

From low key BYOBs to elegant candlelight dining to Italian “red gravy” joints to Mexican street food, East Passyunk Restaurant Week boasts a diversity of dining experiences and cuisines that offer something for everyone.  

Photo credit PERLA

East Passyunk top chefs will offer special off-menu surprises in addition to their standard signature dishes. Select restaurants will further personalize the experience with drink pairings, add-on specials, dessert debuts, extended hours and day of operation, and other rewards to delight foodies from around the region – and the country.  

Menus for all participating restaurants are now live at www.eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com.  

Reservations for restaurants on OpenTable can be made on OpenTable’s special Restaurant Week page, or you can contact restaurants individually for reservations. Mark your calendars and remember to come hungry for this 12-day dining event.

“East Passyunk Restaurant Week celebrates our exciting and diverse dining scene that only keeps getting better and growing each year,” said EPABID Executive Director Pam Zenzola. “Our award-winning chefs will return to wow diners with seasonal cuisines, experimental dishes, neighborhood favorites and signature specialties. My personal advice is to make your reservations now. With so many great choices and amazing new talent this year, you might even want to come back for seconds and thirds!”

The list for 2018 East Passyunk Restaurant Week includes three-bell winners from Philadelphia Inquirer’s food critic Craig LaBan, including Fond, Le Virtu, Noord, Townsend and Will BYOB. 

The full list of participants this year is below:

• Adobe Café (1919 EPA) – Southwestern specialties with a large vegan menu and festive bar scene

• Barcelona Wine Bar (1709 EPA) - Extensive array of Spanish-centric small plates and wine with expansive dining room, red hot bar scene and lovely outdoor patio for warm weather.

• Bing Bing (1648 EPA) – From the award-winning Cheu Noodle Bar comes this popular, stylishly-adorned dim sum restaurant and full service bar

• Birra (1700 EPA) – Creative brick oven pizzeria with unique antipasti and salads and a fun, full service bar

• Brigantessa (1520 EPA) – Southern Italian specialties including Pizza Napoletana, centered around a wood-fired oven and full service bar

• Cantina los Caballitos (1651 EPA) – ‘Best of Philly’ winner for Mexican fare with best margaritas in the city

• Chhaya Cafe (1819 EPA) - Delicious, uncomplicated food that comforts and delights. Restaurant Week dinner menu is a take on a Southern Sunday Supper with family recipes and special creations by Chef Varnana Beuria and Kitchen Manager Anthony Oaddams.

• El Sarape (1304 S. 9th Street) – ‘Best of Philly’ winner for outstanding tacos, now in their new location. BYOB

• Fond (1537 S. 11th Street) – ‘Best of Philly’ winner for refined and flavorful contemporary French-American fare with a full bar

• ITV (1615 EPA) - Chef Nicholas Elmi serves up French-accented New American shareable plates, complemented a thoughtful lineup of wine and cocktails.

• Izumi (1601 EPA) – ‘Best of Philly’ winner for high-end Japanese cuisine at neighborhood prices, with a great view of the Singing Fountain

• Le Virtu (1927 EPA) – Pays thoughtful homage to Abruzzo, earning recognition as one of the 10 hottest Italian restaurants in the nation by Zagat

• Mamma Maria Ristorante (1627 EPA) – Mamma’s genuine authentic Italian recipes please the eye, fill the stomach, and warm the soul

• Marra’s (1743 EPA) – Long-time favorite “red gravy” joint that stays true to 80+ year old family recipes

• Noir (1909 EPA) – Stylish restaurant and bar featuring Montreal-influenced Italian cooking

• Noord (1046 Tasker) – Friendly BYOB with an open kitchen to envelop diners in the warmth of unique northern-European fare

• Paradiso (1627 EPA) – Modern Italian neighborhood favorite and notable pioneer in East Passyunk’s restaurant revival, celebrating their 10th year in business

• Perla (1535 S. 11th Street) – Chef Lou Boquila’s Filipino restaurant pays homage to his mother’s traditional cooking, paired with his own sense of refinement

• Pistola's Del Sur (1934 EPA) - Cornerstone restaurant and bar standing tall at the Gateway to the Avenue, serving inventive Mexican eats, beer, tequilas and more in a lively setting.

• Plenty Cafe (1710 EPA) – One-of-a-kind quick serve café that combines internationally inspired gourmet sandwiches and salads, now with a full bar

• POPE (1501 EPA) – Friendly and comfortable neighborhood bar with one of the best beer selections in town

• P’unk Burger (1823 EPA) – The owners of Slice are expanding with this new all-natural burger, fries and shake joint

• Stogie Joe’s (1801 EPA) – Your go-to place for friendly folks, cold beer, and everything made from scratch – just like Grandma did it

• Townsend (1623 EPA) – This classic French restaurant with high end craft cocktails has made it on every ‘Best Of’ list in the city… for good reason

• Tre Scalini (1915 EPA) – East Passyunk longtime favorite BYOB with authentic traditional Italian menu

• Will BYOB (1911 EPA) – Intimate award-winning BYOB with artfully presented plates meant to delight all of the senses

Exciting new offerings and special highlights include:

* Barcelona Wine Bar and Chef Will Shaw will make their debut with an extensive array of Spanish-centric small plates and wine with expansive dining room, red hot bar scene and lovely outdoor patio for warm weather.

* • Pistola's Del Sur will make its debut at the gateway to East Passyunk. This cornerstone restaurant and bar serves up a special menu of inventive Mexican eats to pair with its beer and tequila menu.

* ITV by Bravo’s Top Chef winner Nicholas Elmi serves up a special dinner menu created exclusively for this event, including Hay Roasted Poussin with Confit Leg, Chestnut, Grains, and Grilled Icelandic Cod with Celery Root, Uni, Jalapeño. ITV will also offer an optional three-course beverage pairing for $20.

* Birra’s new Chef Ciro Lubrano Lavadera will make his East Passyunk Restaurant Week debut with a menu featuring his take on house-made pastas, pizzas and Italian specialties.

* Chhaya Cafe will be open for dinner for the first time in its new space. Chhaya will be serving a menu which is basically their take on a Southern Sunday Dinner - buttermilk fried chicken and waffles, spicy seitan gumbo (vegan), cheesy grit cakes with crawfish etouffee, mac and cheese, collard greens,  bourbon pecan pie, sweet potato cheese cake and more. The recipes are a combination of Chef/Owner Varnana Beuria’s creations over the years and family recipes, updated, from kitchen manager Anthony Oaddams.

Visit the East Passyunk Restaurant Week website for full menus for all of the above restaurants. Please confirm exact hours and seating times with each individual restaurant. Reservation information is available on the bottom of each menu page:www.eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com.

Valet Parking for East Passyunk Restaurant Week is available Sunday and Tuesday through Saturday at the Singing Fountain and in between Broad/Mifflin starting at 5:00pm. Parking is $16.00. Diners can drop off their location at one location and pick it up at the other location.

East Passyunk Restaurant Week is presented by the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District, with sponsors OpenTable, Samuels and Son Seafood, Manatawny Still Works, Philly.com and the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, and Yelp.

Follow #EPRW on Twitter and Instagram for last minute and hard to get reservations!

ABOUT EAST PASSYUNK AVENUE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District is home to 150+ independently owned shops and markets that perfectly balances the best of the old and the new, mixing old world shopping, authentic Italian restaurants, world famous cheese steaks, with trendy boutiques, handmade arts, world-class cuisine and record-breaking events.

Chef-driven restaurants have pushed this once-faded community into the national spotlight. East Passyunk Avenue boasts more than 40 eateries, from authentic traditional Italian restaurants to gastropubs, including twelve of Philadelphia magazine’s Top 50 Restaurants. Capogiro Gelato Artisans scoops up National Geographic’s “best ice cream in the world” just down the block from cheese steak global headquarters, where Pat’s and Geno’s still vie to be called the best of this Philly staple.

Anchored by the beautifully restored Singing Fountain, a communal gathering place on Tasker Street, this store-lined commercial corridor hosts events of all shapes and sizes. Annual outdoor favorites include foodie-festival Flavors of the Avenue, the Car Show & Street Festival, Farmers’ Markets and East Passyunk Craft Beer Day. For more information and directions, like East Passyunk Avenue on Facebook, follow @epassyunkave on Twitter, pin East Passyunk Avenue on Pinterest or visit www.visiteastpassyunk.com.


For more info call Kory Aversa of Aversa PR & Events LLC at 215-840-9216.

Avalon Rose on 8th (Avalon, NJ): Best of AV

In the quiet beach town of Avalon, New Jersey, we all know it’s cooler by a mile. This is one of my favorite spots on earth and not just because of the beach. The food in town makes me happy because of all the fresh seafood I could ever want. I’m usually cooking on my own or bopping around town, so I decided to venture off the beaten path and expand my culinary adventure.

Well, let’s just say I have struck Gastronomical Gold.

I found Avalon Rose on 8^th, in between First Ave and Dune Drive. Tucked within Avalon Condominiums, this gem of goodness offers delicious dining in a serene sophisticated atmosphere, where everyone is quite obviously enjoying themselves and happy to relax. 

The owner/ proprietor Lisa Agnew offers elegant casual American food with emphasis on fine seafood and meats, and if you dine here, you will be as happy as the proverbial clam. (And the clam chowder is award-winning!)

One caveat- it's a bring-your-own so make sure you stop by the wine shoppe and pick out your favorite vintage to enjoy with dinner. 

We began with shot glasses of she-crab soup and clam chowder, both white-based. I’m a huge fan of clam chowder, but I found it a touch heavy after the she-crab soup which was light, floaty and full of succulent crab and sprinkled with chives. It was perfectly seasoned, so my pal Bran and I each asked for a bowl which we scarfed down in record time.

Our next appetizer came in the form of scallops. Fresh blackened large sea scallops with a lime roasted sweet corn salsa which was sweet, tart and smoky, all unique ingredients which blended perfectly on the tongue.

At this point, Bran and I were feeling pretty mellow, so we relaxed, had some of our sauvignon blanc, and enjoyed the ambiance of the lowered lights and the quiet chatter of fellow diners.

And then, our entrées arrived. The gracious Lauren and servers brought of the most wondrous feast ever!

We each got lobster, although mine was stuffed with sweet crab. I also had the broiled seafood combo , consisting of giant shrimp, colossal scallops, and crab imperial baked en casserole with sherry butter. Everything was sweet and slightly smoky, and so fresh. The best part was the crab imperial- no filler, just lots of lump crabmeat. I loved baked shrimp, so much more robust and flavorful.

Bran enjoyed the veal medallions, franchaise-style with chardonnay lemon garlic butter sauce, jumbo lump crab over delicate angel hair pasta. Bran was excited because he rarely gets to eat veal and he said it was very tender and juicy, and delicious!

We only dined on about half our food as we were getting so full of yumminess! This really was the best meal we’ve had in a while.  We also knew we needed to save room for dessert….

Ahh dessert.

We each got cappuccino and gelato with chocolate and malted milk balls hidden in the depths. Served in a chocolate –rimmed wineglass, this dessert was like finding hidden culinary treasures! We also shared a slice of limoncello cake with creme fraiche.

MMM. Utter delectable decadence!

At this point, we had been at Avalon Rose on 8^th for hours. It was time for us to take our leave. So we chatted a bit more with Lisa, and her staff, and then, off into the Avalon night we went, full and sleepy.

So if you find yourself in Avalon, New Jersey, do yourself a favor and get to this adorable, yummy, very cool restaurant. Chef Grier makes the best food you’ll find – fresh, unique, and delicious.

Lisa Agnew, formerly of Sorella Rose Avalon, along with executive chef Grier Essick and her dedicated staff opened Avalon Rose on 8th on May 26, 2011. Avalon Rose on 8th is aptly named in memory of Lisa's parents, Rose and  Moon.

Avalon Rose on 8th is a B.Y.O.B. restaurant open year round and accepts reservations at 609-967-7708.  Private parties and off-premise catering are also available.

You can find Avalon Rose on 8^th on Twitter and FaceBook.

Special thanks to Lisa Agnew for hosting us for dinner, and thanks to her amazing staff!!!!