Baddies on a Budget: Philadelphia Eats Edition
Philadelphia may be just one of the most underrated cities on the East Coast. Although it does get portrayed in sometimes negative ways in the media the city is still rich in American history and culture and worth the visit. I have been living in Philly for nearly four years now, and besides the history you need to come here for the food. From one broke college student, to possibly another there are so many budget friendly places to try that are also so delicious.
One thing about me is that I am a huge coffee fan. I will go to any and every coffee shop that I learn of and sit there working on my laptop for hours. One place that I had stumbled upon was Café Tolia, located on 2nd Street in Old City. This area of the city is already filled with amazing coffee shops, but this one has stuck out to me the most. It has such a homey feel to it, and the staff are all so nice. The menu is filled with many breakfast pastries and lunch sandwiches, which can be deemed as a little on the pricier side, but the quality and portion size makes up for it. The coffee is priced very reasonably priced, and this is one place I definitely recommend if you are in the area.
This next cafe is one my friend had brought me to. Cafe K’Far is an authentic Israeli restaurant located on 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square. Compared to Café Tolia, this place is definitely cheaper, but it also does have that breakfast pastry and lunch menu. Their coffee is so unique, as they have many traditional Israeli lattes and flavor combinations, and it is so obvious that all of their pastries are made fresh everyday. The Borekasim is a must get item, it is a traditional puff pastry with three different fillings, and is so savory. Pictured below is the potato and scallion feta borekasim, as well as the scallion cream cheese, and egg and cheese bagel. Getting a coffee and a pastry for take out, and sitting in Rittenhouse to enjoy it is such a great way to enjoy your morning.
One thing that Philadelphia excels at is the happy hour. If you happen to be here in the summer, you need to go to a SIPS event. It is an event that happens every Wednesday during the summer, where handfuls of restaurants have special happy hour deals that have drinks and appetizers for under 10$. I had gotten the chance to go to Vinyl during this event and I had a great time. There was live music and for a drink and an appetizer my bill had come out to $12. This place also turns into a pretty fun going out spot at night!
My go to spot as of lately has been Darling Jack’s Tavern. The restaurant is on 13th Street, and features so many classic Italian dishes and yummy cocktails. Getting a pizza and an aperol spritz makes me feel as if I am in Italy living my best life, but in reality I'm in Philadelphia, spending $15 on that entire meal. The ambiance of Darling Jack’s is incredible, making you feel as if you are in an upscale restaurant when in reality you are not. Although their main course dishes definitely lean to the more expensive side.
Right across the street from Darling Jack’s Tavern is El Vez. This is my favorite Mexican spots in the city, but I do not come here that often. Because when I do go, I spend a lot of money. To me the prices here are fine, and comparable to other places in Philadelphia, but many of my college friends believe it to be on the pricier side. The vibe of the restaurant is really cool, and the food is so filling. The first time I ever went I happened to be there when their lunch special was going on, and I had gotten one of the best burritos I had ever had, and I still think about it to this day. They also have a vintage photo booth in the restaurant, which I always go to after eating. Although if you want to check out other Mexican spots, El Camino Real and Juno are two great spots.
Chinatown is another amazing, and cheap place to grab a bite. Bubblefish has the best sushi in all of the city, and it is a place I will never get sick of. The restaurant is small, but the service is quick and it is never crowded. Dim Sum Garden is a few blocks over, and this is the best place to go to with a group of friends. Everything on the menu is $10 or under, and it is great to order a bunch of different things and share with everyone in your group. The scallion pancakes and the crab rangoons are my favorite things on the menu, but the soup dumplings are what they are known for.
I feel like whenever people talk about restaurants in Philly, Giuseppe and Sons always gets mentioned. And it deserves the mention. This place has happy hour every single day (on weekends it is only at the bar) and the menu is filled with so many Italian dishes, appetizers and desserts. Similarly to Darling Jack’s Tavern, this place also has the upscale feel but at Giuseppe and Sons the main course meals are definitely pricey. The quality and quantity of food makes up for it though. I had lived in Rome, Italy for five months and their carbonara is just as good here as it is in Rome.
Of course you cannot talk about food in Philadelphia without talking about a Philly cheesesteak. I’ll admit, I used to be a hater. Something about bread, meat and cheese just does not seem like an appetizing meal to me. My roommate and I were in Reading Terminal Market, another must go place for food, and we decided to split a cheesesteak from Spataro’s and it was incredible. Unfortunately Spataro’s is no longer in Reading Terminal but there are so many other places around the city to get them. Cleavers, Genos and Angelo’s are all great spots to try as well.
