Where To Dine In Philadelphia For Mother's Day
This Sunday, it's time to celebrate the reason why we are all here: mothers; and what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than with a great meal out on the town? Here are some of the best spots you can get a great Mother's Day meal in Philadelphia this weekend.
The first restaurant is Philadelphia's best kept secret: Café La Maude. La Maude is a French-Lebanese fused café that is decorated in a quaint, vintage manner, and serves some of the best plates in the area. Try the Berrylicious Pain Perdu: a decadently stuffed brioche with mascarpone cheese or Nutella. If your sweet tooth can't handle that buttery brioche, then go for the chicken and waffles Café La Maude style, featuring chicken cordon bleu: a waffle stuffed with breaded chicken, French ham, Gruyére and Fontina cheese, topped with a sunny-side up egg and a white Dijon cream sauce.
Tucked away on 217 West George Street, One Shot Café is an artsy, bookworm's fantasy. One shot serves Stumptown Coffee and will feature a hearty brunch. One Shot has their everyday favorites, but if you're looking for something special, come on over Sunday and peruse the special offerings on the scroll hung directly to your right when you walk in. If you choose to go with a café favorite, try the farmhouse hash, featuring roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, spring peas, charred scallions, thick cut bacon, red swiss chard, and two sunny side eggs. If that isn't enough, they serve an herbed rustic toast with goat cheese on the side.
Sabrina's Café is another favorite for the locals. This week, their menu has a take on everyone's favorite HBO show, Game of Thrones. If you hated King Joffrey, Sabrina's has the perfect plate for you: King Joffrey's "last slice" special pancakes. These heavenly stacks are pumpkin pancakes filled with raisins, shredded carrots, and roasted walnuts, finished with a peach-cinnamon syrup and a white chocolate vanilla butter. If you're infatuated with the charming, sarcastic Lord Tyrion, eat Sabrina's Tyrion Lannister's Halfmanwich: grilled chicken on a Sarcone's roll with Boston lettuce, tomato, grilled kielbasa, hot sauce-marianted caramelized onions, fried yucca, and a tomatillo-bell pepper relish. If you haven't heard of Game of Thrones, after dining here, you will want to watch every episode in a day.
It's been a chilly and rainy week for Philadelphia, so travel over to Fishtown and warm yourself up at Soup Kitchen Café. For a laid back Mother's Day meal, come dip their goat cheese sandwich, featuring roasted beet, shaved fennel, arugula, walnut pesto, and herb-lemon vinaigrette on multigrain toast, in their creamy tomato basil soup. If goat cheese isn't your favorite, you can choose their grilled cheese option with a secret three-cheese blend and pickled green tomatoes.
If you're around Center City, wander into Chinatown and eat at David's Mai Lai Wah. A staple for soups, noodles and dumplings, this Chinese restaurant will change your outlook on the regular takeout. Mai Lai Wah is the Asian restaurant equivalent to the Cheesecake Factory in terms of their menu size. Options include a plethora of fried rice, lo mein, panfried noodles, and vegetarian dishes to select from.
if you really want to show your mother how well you're doing, take her to Steven Starr's Talula's Garden in Washington Square. Try a main entrée of seared scallops, leeks, and butterball potatoes, Kohlrabi (German turnip/turnip cabbage) puree, roasted carrots, carrot butter, and lemon caper Mojo. You can also opt for a little vegetable dish like the creamed kale, with horseradish, and toasted Oreganata breadcumbs.
Craving some Italian flavor? Head over to Little Nonna's in Center City and dine in an Italian-American restaurant that has a open kitchen and an outdoor garden. Marcie Turney, owner and executive chef is brilliant in her delivery of traditional Italian dishes. Savor in the Sunday Gravy with the night's macaroni choice and meats on the side.
A few blocks away from center city, walk over to South Philly and enjoy a meal at Royal Tavern. Located at 937 East Passyunk Avenue, this pub will not disappoint. Enjoy a beer from their vast and diverse drink list and try their grilled sweet potato bánh mì, with bibb lettuce, jícama (Mexican yam), carrots, pickled daikon, jalapeños, and cilantro aioli, or their fish and chips, featuring beer-battered cod, steak fries, grilled asparagus, smoked jalapeño tartar sauce, and malt vinegar.
If pubs are not your mother's cup of tea, stroll over to Fork in old city (306 Market Street) and dine in elegancy. A nationally acclaimed contemporary American restaurant, Fork is simple-yet-sophisticated in food and in aesthetic. If you're able to reserve a table for dinner at Fork, try their hand-made pasta selections.
Lastly, Vedge is a great destination for meat lovers and vegetable lovers alike. Taste their spicy grilled tofu, with gochujang, edamame puree, smoked miso, yuba cracklin, or their wood grilled okra, consisting royal trumpet gumbo, and banana peppers.