5 Delicious Excuses to Hit Philly This Summer

Here’s a bit of incentive to hop on a train into the City of Brotherly Love.

The Philly food scene is currently bursting with delicious news and rave reviews. Need a bit of incentive to hop on a train or follow Lancaster Ave. eastward into the City of Brotherly Love before summer’s end? We can do that.

1. High Street on Market Named #2 Best New Restaurant in U.S.

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One of Philadelphia’s most talked-about restaurants, High Street on Market, was just named the No. 2 Best New Restaurant in America by the prestigious editors at Bon Appetit magazine. The restaurant was chosen from a list of 50 highly regarded spots nationwide. The magazine’s Andrew Knowlton praised both executive chef Eli Kulp and head baker Alex Bois for creating one of the best bread programs in the country, saying, “If … you are wondering if the No. 2 restaurant on this year’s list got here on its dough alone, the answer is—unequivocally and emphatically—a very carby yes.” The award comes on the heels of Kulp being named a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef 2014 in its July issue (talk about a hot streak!). 308 Market St., (215) 625-0988, www.highstreetonmarket.com.

2. Artful Cocktails at Townsend

Fans of inventive cocktails should make their way immediately to Townsend, which has assembled an ambitious drinks menu to complement chef/owner Townsend Wentz’s artful French fare. Cocktail whiz Keith Raimondi shakes (and stirs) a variety of seasonally influenced and frequently rotating cocktails. Recent offerings have included King Cole (bourbon with demerara and Fernet Branca), One Sunday Evening (Cynar with green Chartreuse, fresh lemon, sugar and egg white), and Better Loud Than Too Late (Wray & Nephew overproof rum with Rhum Barbancourt, Stregga, pineapple, demerara, fresh lemon and Memphis BBQ bitters). Cocktail-loving night owls: the bar serves until 2 a.m. six nights a week (closed Tuesdays). 1623 East Passyunk Ave., (267) 639-3203, www.townsendrestaurant.com.

3. New Esteemed Cider Program at Petruce et al.

Some days you just need an alternative to beer, wine or cocktails. Enter Petruce et al. and its diverse and exciting selection of real ciders. With styles from international cider powerhouses as well as lesser-known artisanal domestic options, the restaurant’s list is a just-right complement to the wood-fired cuisine of brothers and co-executive chefs Jonathan and Justin Petruce. The cider list, which rotates often, offers selections that are the antithesis of mass-produced ciders, representing only those made from 100 percent juice and often including ciders fermented exclusively with natural yeast. Ciders are available by the bottle, and in 5-oz. and 3-oz. tasting pours, ideal for creating flights and trying something new. 1121 Walnut St., (267) 225-8232, www.petrucephilly.com.

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4. Twin Lobster Dinners at Oyster House

Trust us: You do NOT need to fight the traffic and get to the shore for superb seafood. Save the gas money and the aggravation and head to Oyster House for its wildly popular—and amazingly affordable—twin lobster dinners. Every Wednesday through the end of August, enjoy two 1-lb. lobsters, shipped direct from Maine and out of the water for less than 24 hours before being steamed to order and served alongside fresh, local corn on the cob with a side of drawn butter. It’s a feast for only $26! Weekend bonus: Every Saturday throughout the summer, Oyster House’s punches and Bloody Caesars are all-you-can-drink for just $18 (with the purchase of any brunch dish, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.) 1516 Sansom St., (215) 567-7683, www.oysterhousephilly.com.

5. Drinks at the Brand-New Yachtsman

It’s a known fact that you can’t say goodbye to summer without having sipped on a drink in a coconut. Soak in the island vibe at the new Yachtsman and have Phoebe Esmon, one of Philly’s finest bartenders, pour you a Caribe Welcome, a delightful concoction of Don Q Gold rum, apricot liqueur, coconut water, coconut cream and lime, served in a fresh young coconut. (She’s also known for her namesake Phoebe’s Pina Colada.) 1444 Frankford Ave., (267) 251-3234, www.yachtsmanbar.com.

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