When thinking of Philadelphia, I naturally think of Philly cheesesteak, the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence. After that, however, nothing much comes to mind. That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised by the food scene that I experienced while there.
When traveling to another town, I’m usually the first one to do research to figure out which restaurants I would want to try. But this time was different…perhaps it was because my last day of my job was the day before we left, or just because I had low expectations for the food, but regardless I did absolutely no research.
My good friend Greg, however, had done his homework and set us up for dinner the first night at a fantastic restaurant called Rx in West Philly. Located in a former pharmacy building in an interesting neighborhood, Rx is a great restaurant for locally grown/produced food. And it’s BYOB - love it.
I absolutely love the atmosphere inside this restaurant. Some might say it’s a little cramped, but I thought it was a wonderful setting of bistro tables and decoration that created a cozy feel. Looking around the restaurant, the walls are painted a buttery yellow with white crown molding, accented with hunter green. On one long wall is a dark wooden bookcase with built in mirrors, glassware, and antique recipe books and cooking utensils. Contrasting the antique feel, contemporary art by local artists hangs on the walls, which changes the feel to a more modern and vibrant atmosphere.
Our group settled in at our table near the kitchen with five bottles of wine..what can I say…we were thirsty. With one glance at the menu, I knew I was in for a treat. That night was a special, which was an appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. I started with the Rx salad, a wonderful mix of greens, candied pecans, red pepper and a crostini with chevre. My next course was the winner of the evening - chicken with tomatillos, pepitas, sweet corn and chorizo hash and a cilantro crema. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water…absolutely fantastic! And for dessert, I had their pecan pie. They claim that it is the best they’ve ever tasted, and I have to agree. It was yummy! Other dishes that were a hit at our table was the ceasar salad (the interesting part is that the croutons are really cheese curds) and the NY Strip steak with truffle butter. Another ‘wow’ goes out to that one!
All in all, I loved Rx…from the atomosphere, to the BYOB, to the fantastic, local food. I would definitely eat there again next time I’m in the Philly area.
Click here for more Philly pictures.
Rx Restaurant
4443 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.222.9590
Posted on July 30th, 2008 by katiejocannon
Filed under: Food, Travel
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