New Lists
The Top Ten Wine Lists in Philadelphia
People love freedom of choice, and that's exactly what a top wine list provides. Some restaurants offer weighty tomes of their offerings which span the globe, include verticals, and make for interesting reading even for teetotalers. Others focus specifically on one country or region. Enjoy the excellent wine lists at these fine Philadelphia restaurants, presented in alphabetical order.
| # | Restaurant | Address / Phone | Description |
| 1. | Amada | 217 Chestnut St., #219, Philadelphia, PA 19106 / 215-625-2450 | Jose Garces has brought tapas to Philadelphia. In a comfortable, rustic room hung with hams and sausages, an atmospheric bar turns out designer cocktails, red and white sangría, and wine from Spain and South America. The tapas---think duck breast, Cabrales cheese and figs, cod croquettes and garrotxa (a goat cheese)---are attractively displayed. If you want the full experience, book a table in the large, wraparound dining area served by a bustling open kitchen. Paella is a house specialty, served for two, or try the grilled meats and seafood. If you plan in advance, a whole roasted pig with all the trimmings feeds a party of four or more. Garces is also behind Tinto in Center City, which highlights Basque-style cuisine, and Distrito, featuring the street cuisine of Mexico City. |
| 2. | Barclay Prime | 237 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-732-7560 | Call it the anti-steakhouse steakhouse. Barclay Prime is nothing like the usual clubby, manly man-steakhouses that dominate the scene. Sleek, modern, white-on-white, this beef emporium appeals to carnivores with sophisticated, slightly retro tastes. Chef James Iocascio’s fresh take on the typical offerings includes starters such as truffled beef tartare, Kobe sliders, and if the calendar is right, one of the best soft-shell appetizers ever, tempura battered atop avocado with a smoky tomato-chipotle vinaigrette. Get anything with Nueske bacon on it; in fact, this apple wood-smoked royalty of swine comes as a side dish all by itself; other sides include creamed spinach, butter corn and tater tots---not like any you’ve ever tasted before. You can have Dover sole, seared ahi and Pacific wild salmon---but it would be a crime to miss the Four Story Hill Farm 16-ounce strip steak---aged for 21 days and incredibly tender. They still have the much-touted $100 Kobe cheesesteak on the menu, but now it’s $103 (that’s with a split of bubbly). Service is professional, and the desserts by pastry chef Frank Urso rival any in town. Try the warmly gooey chocolate caramel lava cake. |
| 3. | Blue Bell Inn | 601 Skippack Pk., Blue Bell, PA 19422 / 215-646-2010 | If George Washington had tasted the food when he slept here in 1743, he might not have gone back to the battle. But that was before the Lamprecht family took over in 1945 and transformed the inn into a family favorite, serving solidly good American cuisine. The wine list is expansive, representing fine vineyards and boutique wineries. Nothing flashy about the menu---but you can get a good steak with béarnaise sauce, Lyonnaise potatoes, fried onion rings and creamed spinach, all served on the same blue-and-white china that has graced tables here since the '50s. In the summer, a café menu is served on the patio. |
| 4. | Dilworthtown Inn | 1390 Old Wilmington Pk., West Chester, PA 19382 / 610-399-1390 | Since Revolutionary days, this country inn has been a welcoming sight in the countryside. Its warren of dining rooms have the brick hearths, Persian carpets, and colonial furnishing expected in such a setting. The formal service is skilled, and adds greatly to the enjoyment of the continental cuisine, as well as the expert wine list. Favored dishes include a truffled duck liver pâté, a crab and mushroom galette, and sea bass with a lobster sauce. There is an occasional Asian touch such as crisp lobster with ginger. Desserts like homemade ice creams, chocolate mousse and strawberry cream cake finish off the evening with a flourish. |
| 5. | Fountain Restaurant | Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, One Logan Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-963-1500 | The view of Swann fountain and the statues that grace Logan Square, one of the most beautiful locations in Philadelphia, sets the tone. At Fountain, the restaurant in the Four Seasons, it's all art and refinement. The pleasant view is all the more soothing since the tables are so well separated and the walls and ceiling are soundproofed. This is one rare restaurant where the noise level is virtually non-existent. A 2007 renovation has changed the color scheme from greens and blues to grays, silvers, lavenders, blues, and browns. In the elegant dark wood-paneled room, largely opened on the exterior, diners feel fully relaxed as the tasting menu is presented. Chef Martin Hamann has placed Fountain among the best restaurants in the U.S. The linking of the four, five or six courses of his tasting menus is subtle, and with the accompaniment of selected wines from the impressive cellar leads you progressively into a state of sheer happiness. From English sweet pea soup with shrimp ravioli to baked John Dory fillet "Portuguese-style" to the roast lamb rib-eye with Israeli couscous to memorable desserts, it is a continuous treat. They also offer a lavish Sunday brunch. |
| 6. | Le Bec-Fin | 1523 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-567-1000 | Let it not be said that Georges Perrier is afraid of change. It might take him a while, but the culinary impresario of Le Bec-Fin is making adaptations to attract younger diners to his French restaurant. Now, executive chef Pierre Calmels offers options: a six-course menu for $138, or four courses priced at $90, and served Monday through Thursday. Ensconced in a striking setting with crystal chandeliers, and waited upon by tuxedoed staff, enjoy wonders such as the signature crab cake, seared scallops with tomato salsa, poached salmon in olive oil or pork tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes. And, as always, master sommelier Christophe Tassan will gently guide you through the restaurant’s impressive wine list, which leans heavily towards the borders of France while acknowledging new-world options. Another element that has not changed and should not is the all-you-can-eat dessert cart with its rum-soaked genoise, coffeecake and mocha-flavored opera cake. In case four courses aren’t enough, you’re sure to enjoy the chef’s ten-course dégustation menu for $165. |
| 7. | Le Castagne | 1920 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-751-9913 | Lots of white gauze, marble and stainless steel embellish the third of the Sena brothers restaurants (La Famiglia, Panorama), which looks as if it would fit perfectly well in Milan. Here, the Sena family’s Italian cuisine is given a more Northern touch, with a fine carpaccio of beef and gnocchi in truffled cream. The atmosphere is subdued chic. The place is very busy at lunch, but in the evening, with a veal paillard and a bottle of Barbaresco from the restaurant’s extensive cellar, you can't go wrong. |
| 8. | Meritage | 500 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19146 / 215-985-1922 | With an international wine list and four-course flights offered (and many single malt scotches at the bar), you might think that the food at Meritage would get short shrift. Not so. Chef Jason Goodman delivers with solid dishes such as pan-seared Hawaiian butterfish with salsify, braised lamb shank with vegetable ragoût, and gnocchi served with a sauce of butternut squash. A four-course tasting menu is also available with the option of a wine pairing. The room is dim (flashlights are offered for menu reading) and retro in feeling, with dusky walls, comfortable chairs and only beveled mirrors for decoration. There’s a bar menu if you’re looking for something lighter and more casual. |
| 9. | XIX Nineteen Restaurant | Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-790-1919 | Take the elevator to the 19th floor of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia, and the doors open to one of the city’s most sophisticated dining experiences. Updated by designer Meg Rodgers in cream and leather, Nineteen is a stunning space, with its ornate 50-foot domes and oversize dangling pearl “chandelier.” Actually two restaurants in one, Nineteen includes a café that caters to hotel guests and offers more casual fare, and the upscale restaurant in the cupola beyond, surrounded by sweeping views of the Philadelphia skyline. Chef de cuisine Marc Plessis combines polished classical technique with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, with the emphasis on seafood. A central raw bar includes the greatest hits---clams, shrimp, lobster and oysters---along with inventive dishes such as tuna sashimi topped with yuzo cream and pine nuts. The menu mines both land and sea. Try the tempura-fried soft-shell crabs with cucumber and yogurt raita salad and monkfish served over root vegetables in a red wine sauce. The $40 brunch is worth every penny. Order any of pastry chef Jason Etzkin’s fruit desserts; most notably his blackberry study bursts with three different compositions of the summer fruit. A $19 daily lunch is a good deal. |
| 10. | Ristorante Panorama | Penn's View Hotel, 14 N. Front St., Philadelphia, PA 19106 / 215-922-7800 | The second restaurant of the Sena family, which also owns La Famiglia, offers a décor and cuisine that is evocative of Italy. Have an antipasto misto of imported meats and cheeses with roasted peppers and marinated eggplant, followed by gnocchi Bolognese or a half-order of one or two of the other homemade pasta dishes. The veal chop is pounded and filled with figs and served in a Gorgonzola reduction. The wine list is notable, for there are 120 wines available by the glass from the specially built cruvinet. Sample a flight of wine in the candlelit Il Bar, a dimly lit spot ideal for trysting. |
[source: http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/bestof/philadelphia_winelist.html ]
Not watching this list (get updates on this list).
(all people watching this list)
).
Find more lists
| This Category (Drinks): | ||
| Previous: |
| Top Ten Top 10 Backcountry Coffee Makers |
| Next: |
| Top Ten Wine Lists in New York City |
Comments