Recently dined at Jaffa and had amazing experience from beginning to end. They were very…read moreaccommodating! Our server Katie or Kate (black sleeve tattoo) super knowledgeable and super helpful with navigating the menu. We weren't sure what to get but her recommendations were spot on. Our first time there but not are last!

The entire experience led by my Bartender Jesse was exceptional. 10/10 service!!…read more Came for happy hour but ended up staying for a full meal and was pleasantly surprised by everything that I was recommended to me by Jesse via the catch of the day deal. $40 for an app, entree and dessert was an amazing deal. Everything was fresh and filling, I left happy as a clam!

EXCELLENT!! Loved everything about Post Haste! The service, food (seasonal and local) were spot…read moreon. Chef Ari walks around bar/dining room introducing himself to the guests. Love this! Highly recommend Post Haste and looking forward to returning soon!!

I really like the mission behind the business - using in season and local partners for ingredients…read more The space is stunning inside with the fire oven, semi-transparent mirrors and 90s forest green walls. OYSTERS (4/5) - honestly, these were solid, some fishier than others naturally and felt like they were small, it's also dismissive to lay them on a bed of chucked oysters, creates a facade that there's more on the plate than there is BILLION LAYER FRIED LASAGNA (3/5) - definitely could have used more accompanied sauce, I did enjoy the herbaceous green filling CAVIAR, WHITEFISH & PRETZEL (4/5) - the crust on the pretzel was nice but I wish the pretzel itself was bigger so I could enjoy the soft inside more, the beet mustard was excellent SCALLOPS STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO (2/5) - would have loved more scallops, the gazpacho didn't pair well with the scallops, strawberry flavor was light, the crispy sunchokes ruined the dish as it left a bitter after taste I was told the duck dish was (5/5)! Fantastic options for vegans/vegetarians, they clearly indicate it on the menu too.

Great little spot! Dimly lit and intimate vibe. Artichoke and lentil dish was 10/10 good, I wanted…read moreto lick the plate. Their simple salad was oddly delicious, perfectly dressed. The cheeseboard was decent, despite the fact that I don't love blue cheese. The steak frites were tasty- slightly overcooked but the flavor was on point. I expected the wine list by the glass to be a little bit better, but I ended up being underwhelmed and unimpressed by of the couple of the glasses that I had. I wanted dessert, but wish they had more than the two options presented. I'm not in Philly much these days, but enjoyed my time here!

Love this French restaurant I went to last week and already want to go back…read more I had the escargot which were a little lemony but delicious and hard to find at most restaurants. We tried the Leeks all dolled up, the vegetable was healthy and very tasty. I had myself a fortified wine for the first time! This is really the reason I tried this place, as I have never had fortified wine before. What is it you ask? Basically, wine with brandy in it making the cocktail come in at approx 15-20% bac. Fortified wine is poured in much smaller glasses than a normal wine pour, but I am thankful I got to try it. I got the duck of the day, which was duck confit, and it was amazing. My friend got the steak frites and I was very impressed with the quality steak, was ordered medium but came out beautifully medium rare which my friend was happy about as he immediately regretted telling the server he wanted it medium. I didn't have room for dessert, but this unique restaurant has so many items that you cannot find everywhere, and it makes me want to come back ASAP. As always people SYOY!!!!

Irwin's feels like the more intimate expression of everything that makes the Bok Building so…read morecompelling. We started with a drink at Bok Bar around 5:30, then walked a few steps across the eighth floor into a former vocational school classroom now home to a Sicilian restaurant. Enormous school windows, worn cream walls, exposed conduit, old tile, flashes of graffiti, palms, and Persian rugs make the room feel sophisticated and faintly exotic without ever seeming contrived. Visually, the room rewards looking around. The graffiti especially caught me; I have no idea which marks predate the restaurant and which may have been added later, but the smaller tags feel completely at home against the aging school surfaces. In the early days of home internet, I was obsessed with Art Crimes, the graffiti site founded in 1994 that still exists in its wonderfully utilitarian form, so those marks immediately pulled me in. Dinner tasted like summer. My wife and I started with focaccia, crudo, and a salad, then moved into clam pasta and pesto pasta before sharing the whole fish. The cooking stayed clean and light while still leaving us full, and our server was excellent. I had a glass of rosé, the huge doors stood open to the evening air, and either the dining room or terrace would have been wonderful. Sicily gave the meal more personal resonance than I expected. I visited years ago during a very different chapter, and my memories of the island remain beautiful but disjointed, fitting for a place shaped by centuries of conflict beneath a repeatedly erupting Mount Etna. I'm grateful I saw it, but I'm even more grateful for the steadier life that followed: marriage, entrepreneurship, 3 young children, a dog, and the chance to slow down enough to notice what actually makes me happy. Earlier, walking through Bok had already explained why Irwin's belongs here. We passed inMovement's enormous gymnastics facility beneath the surviving "Girls Gym" sign, and a fit guy inside happened to be wearing a perfectly worn vintage Venice Beach T-shirt; that tiny image captured the bridge between old South Philadelphia and Southern California running through the building. Bok has the scale and architectural freedom that make this kind of creative reuse feel plausible in Philadelphia or Los Angeles, where an enormous older structure can hold gymnastics, restaurants, and a rooftop bar while retaining its grain. Around us, families, couples, and groups of friends filled the room, with an easy mix of ages and personalities that felt stylish without becoming socially precious. There is something of the brilliant, slightly edgy cousin's apartment in the scene, the place people might once have regarded with mild suspicion before Condé Nast Traveler arrives years later with a photographer and a beautifully edited weekend itinerary. I say that with affection: at its best, broader attention and capital give overlooked buildings and neighborhoods the resources to survive and evolve while preserving enough texture to remain themselves. Walking home to our place near Rittenhouse Square was the perfect final act. I can still remember the New York finance version of myself arriving in Philadelphia because the woman who became my wife was training here, carrying more big city snobbery than I realized and assuming a smaller city meant a smaller life. Years later, pleasantly tired and full after Irwin's, I felt the opposite: I'm happier trying to build something of my own, walking home through a city I love, and heading toward 3 sleeping children and a dog who have made rootedness feel far richer than constant motion ever did.

Dinner at Irwin's was very pleasant. It is located in the same building as Bok Bar. We entered the…read morebuilding ( an old school building) and took the elevator up to the 8th floor. We selected outside seating and the weather was perfect. We ordered cocktails, Focaccia, and pasta dishes. Our waitress was super nice, she explained the menu, and helped us select our cocktails of choice for dinner. The music and people talking around us was not too loud. We left just as the sun was setting ( perfect for a date night).

This place was packed during happy hour but we were able to snag seats at the bar after happy hour…read moreended - make a reservation! The interior of the restaurant is very cute. We had some oysters, scallops and hamachi crudo, and my friend had the shrimp dumplings which he noted were delicious. The hibiscus spritz was light is refreshing. We will definitely be back to try their seafood tower!

We were super excited to try Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar. After work, we were down for some oysters and…read morea great meal! First, love the location of Pearl & Mary -- very walkable with so many restaurants and activities. We started off with oyster shooters and fried oysters. Both were great. The shooter had a bit of a kick to it. I would get it again. The fried oysters (not pictured), were just ok and I do wish they were fried harder. The cioppino...salty! I couldn't finish it and had to send it back. Heavy-handed on the seasoning is an understatement. It's too bad because all of the goodness of the sea was included -- from oysters, to shrimp, fish, mussels! The salt aside, this would have been a great dish. Service was meh. Not sure if I'd visit again. But, as I say, try for yourself! Cheers!

We had a really great experience at River Twice - our servers were so nice and we were there for a…read morecelebration so we wanted something fancy and River Twice delivered. The menu was very seafood heavy for us and we got some bread to offset the seafood dishes but everything was so good, from the scallops to the soft shell caviar crab to the tuna, everything was beautiful and creative. We got gifted madelines at the end of our meal and we were honestly pretty full. This was definitely a treat, I felt so inspired at the end of the meal!

Many of the dishes were too acidic for me. For instance, they had a deconstructed Clam Chowder that…read morewas acidic. Not my cup of tea. However, the protein execution was outstanding. The scallops and the halibut in particular were exceptional. The fish collar was good however I find it odd they don't specify the type of fish you're eating on the menu. Overall, the quality of the ingredients was high, but the plate composition I found lackluster. So the $200 price tag for one made sense from an ingredient standpoint at least. The service was friendly, but kind of kitcshy and unrefined for the price and the dishes they are presenting. I liked the space. The decor and kitchen and clean and pleasant.

Oloroso has slowly become one of our favorite spots in the city for Spanish tapas. The food is…read morealways terrific, the cocktails are excellent, and the whole place just has such a warm atmosphere. This visit we had a Gin Mare martini, a lovely Spanish garnacha, jamón y queso croquetas, scallop brochette, tajín de pollo, and an incredible traditional paella loaded with shellfish, chicken, and chorizo. We finished with churros and chocolate sauce for dessert, which were absolutely worth it. Such a fun, delicious evening, and we're already looking forward to going back.

Snagged a reservation on a Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised with almost everything we…read moreordered. First, the vibe is great. Cozy and romantic and we were seated with a great view of the open kitchen, which compared to some other open kitchens, was humming away and directed by the head chef/owner. We first ordered several dishes from the tapas menu: Eggplant, Albondigas, Bacalao, and Roasted Beets. The eggplant was custardy on the outside and perfectly charred on the inside and its savory yet sweet profile would convert any eggplant hater. The beets were nicely steamed and sprinkled with a flavorful pistachio dukkah, though the coconut kefir swoosh on the bottom wasn't super flavorful. The albondigas were good, the pork/beef mix a bit overworked but the tomato sauce they were in was bright and perfectly spiced and made a perfect sauce to dip the abbbbsolutely DELICIOUS housemade sourdough slices this course came with. Last of these was the bacalao fritters, perfectly fried and topped with a citrus aioli. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Order these. Next was the raciones course, which is basically just tapas but just more meat-centric. We ordered the chicken leg with berbere and saffron couscous (came with housemade pita bread squares) and the Spanish sausage with roasted long hots. The chicken was our least favorite of the night. Overcooked and lacking much flavor, though the couscous made up for it with its saffron essence and sweet and soft dates and apricots. The pita bread, just like the sourdough was DELICIOUS. (Can you tell I like bread?) The sausage was salty and perfectly charred and another favorite of the night. They have a tapas/raciones tasting menu for $55 and the above cost two of us about $100 so we might try the tasting menu the next time though, we left full satisfied. Definitely will be back!

What a lovely ambiance the minute you walk in the door at Leo's!…read more We arrived early for the $55 pre-Theatre fixed price menu. The host greeted us warmly and immediately found us a table right by the window so we could people watch. The bartender showed us a menu of drink options and we chose the apple spritz. There were several types spritzes, so we chose the classic. He prepared it with pride and presented it to us. It was absolutely delicious! The music was mellow and modern in the restaurant. We were there early, so it was not overcrowded. We did make a reservation just in case. The restaurant is located directly inside the Kimmel Center which allowed us convenient parking. We were very impressed that there were several gluten-free options on the menu which made life much easier. We ordered the yellowfin tuna and the Amish chicken as an entrée. But we were really impressed with the appetizers, which were perfect sizes for us. The carrot entrée which seemed more like a wonderful, no village of some sort was captivating and scrumptious. Our server took the time to talk to us about each entrée. He was enthusiastic and kind catering our every whim. We were offered a flight of mini desserts and barely had room to taste them because we were so full from the rest of the meal. I inquired about a gluten-free option and they immediately brought me a delicious fruit sorbet, which was the perfect palette cleanser for the night. We had plenty of time left to stroll the streets and wander over to the Academy of Music for the show. Epic night as far as I am concerned. Its convenience, surprising elegance and thoughtfulness was appreciated. Bravo Leo! We give you a standing ovation for this orchestration.

Went to my first taste collective event at Leo. This place is located in the Sidney Kimmel Center…read more I started out with a Pine~app~le Chord. I really liked the jalapeños with pineapples. It was a spicy yet kind of sweet experience. This was a 5 course experience. Course 1 was Lettuces by Leo- I really liked this dish. It definitely went above a traditional salad. It had nice healthy long lettuce with whipped feta and bell pepper hot sauce. It was amazing- honestly wish restaurants would make this quality salad. Course 2 was Badger Flame Beets. I usually don't like beets but the sunflower seed with blackberry really added to the dish. It had a good peanut butter feel to it. Course 3 was Coriander Cured Hiramasa. I really liked the sushi feel with the Sicilian olives and cherry. It added a unique feel to the dish. Course 4 was Burnt Honey Duck Breast. It was decent for duck and the course stuffed me. Course 5 was the Polenta Cake. I didn't like how they tried to do their twist of cheesecake with it. I don't feel like the polenta really added to the dish.