Philly cheesesteaks at Geno's
Of course, when in Philly we had to try the cheesesteaks. We wanted to try Pat's too but time escaped us. I'm convinced there's better cheesesteaks than theirs, though. I'd have to say of all the food we ate, this was the most underwhelming. They were so quick to get out orders it wasn't very welcoming.
Rybread
This little cafe really packs a punch! it's about a block away from the Eastern State Penitentiary. We had breakfast AND lunch here it was so good. Everything on their menu is super creative. They're all named after places and the flavors follow suite. I ordered an Austin salad, my first time having avocado and tortilla chips in my salad. Needless to say I had no idea what I was missing.
Alma de Cuba
This was a beautiful find. Alma de Cuba is a bit more upscale than Zack and I are used to, but it was suggested by one of his relatives and we had to give it a try. The ambiance is, for lack of a better word seductive. I ordered the chicken imperial on top of a bed of rice and fiancé got the honey mustard glazed salmon. Both of us can agree that when we visit Philadelphia again we will absolutely be returning. The food was mind blowing--everything was fresh, the chicken was juicy and tender, the rice was soft and pillowy, and although it doesn't look like much food when first presented, it was just enough. For dessert we split a peanut butter bombe, which is a chocolate and peanut butter mousse covered in dark chocolate ganache, with marshmallow ice cream and caramelized bananas. Pure. Bliss. This restaurant really made us want to find food this good in our area.
Reading Terminal Market
Excuse our partially eaten pieces of heaven I mean doughnuts. This place is an absolute MUST when in philly. My cousin along with several others were pretty adamant about that. The best way to describe it is a huge indoor farmer's market with every food imaginable. The Amish have a very strong presence here and everything they made was glorious. I could assume it would be because everything they made truly is "farm to table." It's easy to spend the whole day here just to eat everything. My suggestions would be to definitely try Beiler's Donuts and Famous 4th Street Cookies (which you can order online whaaaaat).
Marrakesh
This place is definitely for the adventurous foodies. You should know that the front door doesn't have a knob and you have to knock and wait for the owner to let you in. The idea behind this whole experience is this is how you would be served if you were to have dinner at a Moroccan home. This includes seven courses of delectable traditional Moroccan food. You get to choose the meat for two of the courses, but otherwise everything is already decided. Make sure you're starving, and you go with at least one or two other people since you will be served tons of food to be shared amongst everyone. After the owner seats you he goes over all of this with you as you wash your hands under the elaborate kettle he provides. Why you may ask? because you eat everything with your hands. The decor is also elaborate and inviting, surrounding you with vibrant colors and patterns. Everything I ate was like nothing I've ever eaten before. It was so tasty we were disappointed that we couldn't finish.
So not only was our time in Philadelphia fun, but it was quite delicious. Zack and I are definitely interested in finding more local foodie experiences after this venture. I never realized just how good food can be!
