This winter I went to Philadelphia to visit SSS while she was on a break from school. I manged to get myself sick as a dog in time for my arrival. Despite my weakened state, sickly appearance and slightly lessened gusto we still had a great time! I was the one in the corner of Independence Hall trying to discreetly drink from the cough syrup bottle....SSS took me to two Stephen Starr Restaurants. He is Philadelphia's restaurant entrepreneur extraordinaire. He opens the kinds of restaurants that are full concepts and designed from ceiling to floor. From swinging chairs, to couches, to spinning bikes he has incorporated everything. Look at his website and peruse some of the restaurants. The websites are as designed and atmospheric as the places they represent!
The first place that we went to was El Vez. They had golden velvet booths, a giant bar and a revolving tequila display with a glowing moped atop it all. The bathroom mirror was two way, so while you are waiting outside you can see all the faces someone makes at herself in the mirror. We went for margaritas and guacamole. Both were perfect. Refreshing, sweet, and salty. So satisfying after a day of sickly sightseeing! We ended up ordering the street corn and some tacos. They were good, interesting, prepared with great skill. If I didn't know otherwise i would rave. However, I believe that I prefer the house corn and tacos from boston's own La Verdad (surprising I haven't done an entry for that yet...).
One of the best parts of this restaurant is that they had a photomaton! SSS was having none of it so I went into the photobooth alone and tried to capture the essence of ill in philly. Of course, after she saw my photostrip she wanted to go! I could do these for days!
The next night we went to a potluck at SSS's friends house. SSS made a surprisingly simple upside down vegetable tart. After dinner we went out for dessert at another Stephen Starr restaurant, Continental - midtown. This place had two floors. The ground floor then had multiple levels. Upstairs was the bar and tables whose chairs were swinging baskets. From the ceiling hung an elaborate light display of many glowing orbs. There were so many interestingly and differently defined seating areas in this giant restaurant.
I didn't realy read the regular menu that claimed to be "world tapas". I went straight for dessert. They had a brilliant thing: Dessert Tapas! We had fried truffles, cotton candy, popsicles, deconstructed strawberry shortcake, somesort of peanut butter chocolate ice cream situation. I'll be honest I don't remember it all. I do remember that they had Sophia Coppola bubbly in a can with a straw.
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