Beginner's Guide to West Philly Food

           When I first got to Penn I was told not to go past 40^th street.  That was where West Philly really started.  I was told the neighborhood beyond 40^th street was unsafe and not particularly interesting anyway.  Eventually curiosity got the better of me, and I began to explore what lies on 40^th street and beyond.  I realized I had been sorely misled.  The neighborhoods west of 40^th street are not only an interesting mixing ground of hipsters, immigrants, academics, and long established West Philadelphia communities, but a haven for culinary curiosity.  Despite the things people say about West Philly, it gets an unfair reputation.  I have wandered around much of West Philly on my own, and I a tiny white girl, have never felt unsafe. 

This is what I was told to expect from West Philly

          I was talking to some freshmen recently who had no knowledge of the fine food available beyond 40^th street.  This reminded me of my ignorance when I was a freshman.   Aside from ignorant freshmen I have met upperclassmen, and even students living west of 40^th street that weren’t aware of the dining options available to them.  I think students tend to want to go to center city or stay on campus for food.  Maybe eating in West Philly does not have the glamorous reputation of going downtown to eat, but glamour isn't actually edible.  

This is what I found

         To rectify this ignorance I have compiled this beginners guide to food beyond 40^th street in the hope of inspiring more of you to explore the great food options you might otherwise overlook. 

Brunch 

All the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!

If you were deeply upset when Café Renata burned down, fear not!  It has been reincarnated as Renata’s Kitchen, at a new location. If you don't know what I am talking about, that's alright, but you should still check out Renata’s Kitchen on 4533 Baltimore Av.  It offers fine Lebanese fare during dinner hours, but their brunch is their real strong point.  You might remember me mentioning them on my last post for having one of the best hot chocolates in West Philly.  This is not all they have to offer.  The brunch menus includes such offerings as the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.  These delightful pancakes are tasty enough to be eaten without any maple syrup.  

Chinese Food

All the sweat inducing, mouth burning
Chinese food you can ask for!

On the east side of the 40^th street dividing line are some fine options to satisfy your Chinese food cravings, the most obvious option being Han Dynasty.  If you enjoy the spicy and slightly more authentic than usual offerings at Han Dynasty, you will also enjoy Chili Szechuan.  Chili Szechuan lays on the West side of 40^th street, at 4205 Chestnut St to be exact.  Chili Szechuan offers an Americanized menu and a non Americanized menu.  If you are bored of the generic Americanized options the non-Americanized menu at Chili Szechuan is certainly worth checking out.  Chili Szechuan offers food just as spicy as what you can find at Han Dynasty, has interesting menu selections you won’t find elsewhere outside of Chinatown such as duck blood soup, and makes a fine bowl of Won Ton Soup.  Their offerings have been deemed slightly more authentic than Han Dynasty's by some Chinese friends who went to both restaurants.  Chili Szechuan is a BYO, but they card so bear that in mind when planning your visit there.

Ethiopian Food

Seriously, why haven't you visited this place yet?

There is a decently sized Ethiopian community living in West Philly. With this community comes an abundance of Ethiopian restaurants in a relatively small area.  If you are new to Ethiopian food, which I certainly was when I first came to Penn, introduce yourself to Ethiopian food at Kaffa Crossing, 4423 Chestnut St.  Kaffa Crossing was also mentioned in the last post for its delightful hot chocolate.  Other than making delectable hot chocolate, Kaffa Crossing provides an approachable environment for introducing yourself to Ethiopian food.  I encourage you to simply explore as many of the different menu options as you can, and try the smoothies, and the hot chocolate. If you have not tried Ethiopian food before know that, at least at the Ethiopian restaurants in West Philly, the food you order is served on top of Injera.  Injera is a thin spongy bread that you use to eat.  If you are a strict vegetarian make sure to order your food separately from the rest of the group because everything your table orders is typically served together on one large piece of injera. 

Korean Food

Hot stone bowl = cook your food, and eat it too.

Unless you are Korean or grew up in an area with a large Korean population, Korean food is probably not something you have been exposed to.  There are two restaurants that offer Korean fare on campus, Koreana, and U-Town.  While you can go to these restaurants to satisfy your Bi-Bim-Bop craving, or to explore an unfamiliar cuisine, you have a better option if you venture past 40^th street.  Tampopo at 269 S 44th St offers Korean and Japanese food.  Tampopo has a nicer atmosphere than Koreana and U-Town, and offers better food.  If you decide to go to Tampopo, be sure to try the Bi-Bim-Bop in a hot stone bowl.  Bi-Bim-Bop is a good introduction dish if you have never tried Korean food before.  The hot stone bowl cooks the food while it is in front of you, and makes the dining experience more exciting.

Mediterranean

Oreo Beignets, enough said.

Aksum, 4630 Baltimore Ave, is one of my favorite restaurants in West Philly.  Basically everything here is good, so you can’t really mess up with your ordering options.  Even so, I recommend trying the hummus and the Oreo Beignets.  Yes Oreo Beignets, these are like fancy fried oreos...but better.

Middle Eastern

It is in your best interest to try all of the manakeesh

Manakeesh,  4420 Walnut St, delivers great food on multiple fronts.   They make a fine hummus, delectable wraps, and yes great manakeesh.  In case you did not know, manakeesh are Lebanese flat breads topped with seasoning, cheese or meat.  If you are craving something sweeter Manakeesh sells fruit smoothies, baklava, Lebanese pastries, and crepes.  I suggest trying the fig goat cheese crepe.

Pho

 

NOODLEY GOODNESS!

        Pho is a Vietnamese beef noodle soup served with bean sprouts, lime, chili peppers, and basil.  I find this to be a wonderfully comforting soup. There are places to get Pho on campus, but there are also some great places to get Pho farther west.  

• Pho & Café Saigon on 43^rd and Spruce offers Pho and fresh fruit smoothies.  What’s not to like about this combination?  
• For a more upscale dining experience check out Vietnam Café, 816 S 47th St, which offers a fine bowl of Pho, and plenty of other Vietnamese options to satisfy a curious diner.

Pizza

Pizza, brewed in house beer, and the exterior of a firehouse,
Dock Street Brewery has everything you could want...if all
you ever wanted was pizza, beer, and an old firehouse.

         While I will have a complete breakdown of the pizza of West Philly in a separate post, there are two locations on 40^th street or West worth mentioning now.  

• The first is Smokey Joe’s, 210 S 40th St, technically Smokey Joe’s and Enjay’s Pizza.  Yes, your favorite campus bar ate a pizza truck and now sells greasy bar pizza.  That said this is very good greasy bar pizza.  The menu is simple but worth trying while actually sober.  The pizza crusts here have a nice slight crunch which adds to the pizza eating experience.  
• The next pizza worth trying can also be found in a bar of sorts.  Clarkville, 4301 Baltimore Ave, serves pizzas that also have a nice bit of crunch to them.  These pizzas are not as greasy as those found at Smokey Joe’s and taste like they are made with better ingredients. I greatly enjoyed the Danger Pie, a simple pizza made right. 
• Finally there is Dock Street Brewery, 701 S 50th St.  This place brews its own beer and makes its own pizza.  The pizza menu here is extensive and interesting.  Each pizza they offer has a carefully thought out combination of toppings different from the options you see at most other pizza places. 

           None of these bars serve pizzas that travel well, the nice texture of the crust is often damaged while the pizza waits to be picked up and carried home.  Eat them in the restaurant or, if you must order them for takeout, be ready to get the pizza right when it is ready for pick up and transport it to the site of consumption quickly.

South East Asian Food

Not to be confused with Vietnam Cafe which is within
one block

While Pho is an aspect of South East Asian cuisine, there is certainly more than just Pho to explore.  Vientiane Cafe, 4728 Baltimore Av, sells excellent Laotian food.  They have extensive options for vegetarians, and offer surprisingly large portions given the nice atmosphere of the restaurant.  This is a cash only establishment, so make sure to stop by the ATM before visiting.

  

Sweet Things

           I have already mentioned Kaffa Crossing, Manakeesh, and Pho & Saigon Cafe as offering ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.  But West Philly has more to offer still.  

MORE LASSI THAN YOUR BODY HAS ROOM FOR!

• Mood Café, 4618 Baltimore Ave, has approximately a gazillion and one flavors of Lassi (you can round this down to about 100).  What is Lassi you ask?  It is an Indian yogurt based drink typically served in sweet, salty or mango flavors.  While most places only offer 3 types of Lassi, Mood Café offers approximately… a lot.  
• Other places with interesting smoothie options are Hibiscus Café, 4907 Catharine St, and Brown Sugar Bakery, 219 S 52nd St.  These two Caribbean establishments offer a unique selection of smoothie flavors and ingredients.  Both places also sell Caribbean soda brands.  I took someone from Miami to both of these places and they immediately became excited to find the Caribbean sodas they had not been able to find since leaving Miami.  Don’t be intimidated by the bulletproof glass between you and the cashier, or the long hike to get to Brown Sugar Bakery.  The drinks are worth the trek. 

             This is not a complete list of all of the restaurants worth exploring in West Philly, just the ones I consider important to try.  All of the remaining places are for you to discover.  Next time you are searching for a good meal, consider venturing West instead of staying near Penn or crossing the river.

The Good, the Bad, and the Chocolaty: Ranking of Hot Chocolate in West Philly

          I don't drink coffee, so when the weather gets cold, or when I find myself in a coffee shop, I turn to hot chocolate as my drink of choice. Coffee shops are the most common vendors of hot chocolate, but they are first and foremost coffee shops.  They put in an effort to sell good coffee, but not so much to sell good hot chocolate.  I have searched far and wide for respectable hot chocolates.  After extensive searching I have provided a ranking of the hot chocolate of West Philly.  Yes, I have tried every single hot chocolate I could find in West Philly so you don't have too.  A surprisingly large number of them were simply not worth drinking.  Yet there were still a few gems out there.  Below are my findings.

          Before we dive into my thoughts on the hot chocolates of West Philly, let me specify what I think makes for a good hot chocolate.  A good hot chocolate is made with milk not water, but should not depend on whole milk to taste good.  It should be served hot, but not uncomfortably so.  The hot chocolate should have a thick and smooth texture, and a strong chocolaty taste.  I enjoy rather dark chocolate, but do not tolerate distinctly bitter hot chocolate.  If you are someone who enjoys a bitter hot chocolate weigh my ratings with caution, as I tended to give the bitter hot chocolates the worst ratings.

The Worst Hot Chocolates

5. Penn Design Cafe in Meyerson  Hall (210 South 34th St)

Penn Design Cafe, cannot design
good hot chocolate

          This hot chocolate was not bad per se.  It was just unfortunately mediocre. Given that most people can make a decent hot chocolate at home, being mediocre is pretty bad for a hot chocolate.  Occasionally it tasted sweet, occasionally it was bitter.  Most of the time it tasted like nothing.  Also it was powdery on the bottom.

Named for a great philosopher, not
a great chocolatier

4. Pertus Ky Cafe (3900 Chestnut St)

         This hot chocolate has a pleasant texture.  At least it was smooth.  This only somewhat compensated for the taste.  At best it was bland.  For the most part though, it was mildly unpleasant.

3. Accenture Cafe in Towne (220 South 33rd St)

          This was the first distinctly bad hot chocolate.  It was weak, bitter and impossible to finish.

2.  Satellite Cafe (701 South 50th St)

They knew I wasn't cool enough for good
hot chocolate the moment I walked in.

          At first I was intrigued by this cafe.  It seemed like the kind of place anarchist musicians, and struggling writers in tiny glasses would go to hang out and muse over vegan pastries.  Unfortunately, I am neither an anarchist musician nor a struggling author, and thus was clearly not designed to enjoy their hot chocolate.  This hot chocolate was terrible and bitter.  Maybe they were just too cool to sweeten their hot chocolate.

1.  Avril 50 (3406 Sansom St)

Come for the tea, not the hot chocolate.

          Avril 50 is a fancy foreign newspaper, coffee, and chocolate store.  Perhaps in foreign countries hot chocolate is served like coffee--soul-crushingly bitter.  If this is the case, I had no idea that I was supposed to sweeten the hot chocolate on my own.  One sip left me wanting to shave my tongue.  The entire experience was made more awkward by the fact that the person making the hot chocolate had overfilled my cup.  I had to drink some of it in front of him to make room for the lid.  I tried very hard not to grimace.  Hot chocolate aside, Avril 50 seemed to have a fine selection of coffees, teas, and yes even chocolates.  It is worth it to check these things out, just don't buy the hot chocolate.  

The Best Hot Chocolates

This hot chocolate was good enough that I even
deigned to photograph it.

5) Sabrina's Cafe (227 N 34th St.)

          Drinking this hot chocolate was a lovely experience.  If sipped through the foamy layer on top the hot chocolate had a mild sweet flavor, and a light foamy texture.  It was less pleasant if I tried to drink the foam with the hot chocolate.  Given that I normally prefer a more pronounced chocolate flavor,  this hot chocolate proved to be very enjoyable.

3) Dunkin' Donuts 

Surprise! Dunkin' Donuts sells many delicious flavors of hot
chocolate you can try.

          After about two weeks of sampling mediocre hot chocolates, I was pleasantly surprised by this hot chocolate.  It was sweet, thoroughly chocolaty and even had a slightly rich texture.  The taste may be a bit too sweet for mature palettes, but I very much enjoyed this hot chocolate.  Also it's location on Walnut Street makes it tied for the title of best hot chocolate on Penn's campus.

3) United By Blue (3421 Walnut St)

United By Blue, a place where you can buy outdoor clothing,
feel like a hipster, clean the ocean, and enjoy good hot chocolate
all at the same time.

          This place sells coffee, clothing, and damn good hot chocolate.  The hot chocolate here is smooth, and has a deep chocolate taste.  This is a less sweet and more grown up hot chocolate than what Dunkin' Donuts serves.  So which one you will prefer is a matter of taste.  Like Dunkin' Donuts it's location of Walnut Street makes it one of the best hot chocolates you can get on Penn's campus.  You get to feel extra good about getting hot chocolate here, because United by Blue uses it's sales to support cleaning trash out of the oceans and waterways.

1) Kaffa Crossing (4423 Chestnut St)

If you have not tried this place, stop reading this and go check
this place out.  Seriously, go.  This post will still be here when
 you get back.

          If you haven't yet been to this Ethiopian restaurant, I suggest you go soon.  They have a delectable selection of interesting food, smoothies.  And now it seems they can add hot chocolate to the list of things they make well.  Unlike most places that only offer plain hot chocolate, Kaffa Crossing offers four interesting flavors of hot chocolate.  I tried the Jungle Fever Hot Chocolate.  It contained hazelnut, banana, and chocolate.  It was delightful.  The only speck on an otherwise lovely hot chocolate was that the texture was rather ordinary.  It was perfectly smooth, but lacked the thickness of some other hot chocolates I tried.

1) Renata's Kitchen (4533 Baltimore Ave)

NOMNOMNOM HOT CHOCOLATE!

          Renata's Kitchen is a well known and well loved brunch place in West Philly.  Among their fine selection of brunch offerings is the Spiced Hot Cocoa.  The Spiced Hot Cocoa has a light foamy texture, and a distinct taste of chocolate and cinnamon.  The only drawback is that it is rather small.  If you are something of a hot chocolate purist, and looking for a drink that tastes mostly like chocolate, go to United by Blue for your hot chocolate.  If you are interested in something delectable and a little bit different, Renata's Kitchen or Kaffa Crossing are the best places to go.

Honorable Mention

Best Hot Chocolate You Can Buy on a Meal Plan
Houston Market (3417 Spruce St)

While it feels like the list of things worth spending dining
dollars on shrinks each semester, Houston Market's Hot
Chocolate gives us something to believe in again. 

         This hot chocolate was completely a dark horse.  I expected nothing from the large canister labeled Homemade Spiced Hot Chocolate.  This was served hot, had a strong chocolate flavor, and even had a spicy kick to it. The texture was a bit grainy, but still, this was vastly superior to everything else you could buy with dining dollars.





Interesting Variety
Both William's Cafe (255 South 36th St) and Metropolitan Cafe (4013 Walnut St) offer more variety in hot chocolate options than most places in West Philly do.  William's cafe made a hot chocolate that tasted delectable at first, then tasted like nothing after a few sips.  Metropolitan Bakery made a hot chocolate that was overwhelmingly spiced beyond the point of being enjoyable.  Despite the fact that the hot chocolates I tried at these places were not particularly good, Williams Cafe and Metropolitan Bakery offer more variety in hot chocolate options than most places do.  Perhaps some exploring of their different flavor options will yield a better hot chocolate than the ones I tried.

A hot chocolate too powerful for mere mortals

Hot Chocolate for a Refined Palate
Capogiro (3925 Walnut St)
          The Italian Hot Chocolate at Capogiro has been written up by multiple sources as one of the best hot chocolates in the city.  Honestly, I was not that into it.  Yes it gets points for being exceptionally thick, rich, and made of what seemed to be high quality ingredients.  But the flavor was not exactly enjoyable.  Consuming this hot chocolate, was sort of like eating the inside of a molten lava cake to which the baker forgot to add sugar.  The hot chocolate became more palatable after much sugar was added.  If you have a more refined palette than mine, then you might agree with the city's food critics, and proclaim this hot chocolate to be one of the best in the city.

Dishonorable Mention

This is fine to drink at home, but don't make me
pay for something I could easily make on my own

          Dishonorable mention goes out to all of the places that clearly sold me Swiss Miss in hot water, or hot chocolate made from some other brand of hot cocoa mix that I could just buy at the store myself.  Do not pay these people to make you hot chocolate, really you can make it on your own.  These places are not included in the Hot Chocolate ranking at the bottom of the page because I do not count them as legitimate vendors of hot chocolate.  The dishonorable mention locations include: The Chemistry Building Cafe (231 South 34th St), The Cedar Park Cafe (3914 Baltimore), and Donuts Plus (4325 Chestnut St).  Don't think these establishments are bad places, by all means visit them for coffee, breakfast, or donuts, just don't waste your money buying one of their hot chocolates.

Overall Rankings

1. Kaffa Crossing (4423 Chestnut St)/ Renata's Kitchen (4533 Baltimore Ave)

      3. Dunkin' Donuts/ United By Blue (3421 Walnut St)

     

      5. Sabrina's Cafe (227 N 34th St)

      6. Lil' Pop Shop (265 S 44th St)

      7. Corner Bakery Cafe (3737 Market St)

      8. Houston Market (3417 Spruce St)

      9. Green Line Cafe

     10. The Gold Standard Cafe (4800 Baltimore Ave)

     11. Replica Creative (3711 Market St)

     

     12. Wawa

     13. Kitchen Gia/ Gia Pronto

     14. McDonald's (3935 Walnut St)

     15. OCF Coffee Shop (2930 Chestnut St)

     16. Joe's Cafe in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall (3620 Locust Walk)

     17. William's Cafe in William's Hall (255 South 36th St)

     18. Au Bon Pain

     19. Capogiro (3925 Walnut St)

     20. Reed's Coffee and Tea House (3802 Lancaster Ave)

     21. Saxby's Coffee

     22. Joe (3200 Chestnut St)

     23. Metropolitan Bakery (4013 Walnut St)

     24. Fagan Hall Cafe (418 Curie Blvd)

     25. Starbucks (and Le Petit Creperie, and Mark's Cafe, and anywhere that sells Starbucks coffee)

     26. Hub Bub Coffee (3736 Spruce St)

     27. Milk and Honey Market (4435 Baltimore Ave)

     28. Bridge Cafe in Huntsman Hall (3730 Walnut St)

     29. Cosi (140 South 36th St)

     30. Penn Design Cafe in Meyerson Hall (210 South 34th St)

     31. Pertus Ky Cafe (3900 Chestnut St)

     32. Accenture Cafe in Towne (220 South 33rd St)

     33. Satellite Cafe (701 South 50th St)

     34. Avril 50 (3406 Sansom St)

Did I miss your favorite cafe?  Do you agree with the judgement I passed on these hot chocolates?  If you haven't tried some of the hot chocolates from the top of the list, I suggest you go out, try them for yourself, and let me know what you think.  In any of these cases let me know.  I will investigate any place that sells hot chocolate that I failed to consider.