There are numerous perks to living so close to Center City Philadelphia, but I think my favorite perk is the fantastic variety of food‑ no matter what you are up for, Philly probably has it. With hundreds of restaurants to choose from though, the budget can take a bit of a hit. However, this time of year, Center City hosts its annual Center City District Restaurant Week- so, you’re stomach and your wallet can agree for once.
For Restaurant Week this year, my roommates and I decided to go to Ocean Prime, a gourmet seafood and steak house that is situated on South 15th Street. It is a modern American restaurant with a very contemporary and sophisticated atmosphere. For our first course, we each ordered the signature salad- it is a bed of romaine lettuce and field greens that is topped with goat cheese, green apples, and walnuts. For the second course, I had their filet mignon with creamy whipped potatoes and green beans (It was Heaven on a plate!). Then, to finish off the meal I ordered a decadent layered carrot cake, and honestly it was the best carrot cake I have ever had.
Ocean Prime’s delicious carrot cake
My roommate Emily enjoying vegan raspberry sorbet
Overall, the experience was 10/10 and it was so nice to get off campus, enjoy exquisite food, and catch up. Plus, we had a fancy three course meal for half the original price thanks to Restaurant Week.
Now, we went for dinner so it was a formal affair. If you are looking for a lunch place, Center City Restaurant Week offers a three-course lunch for $20 at specific restaurants. My roommate Claire suggests going to Fratelli’s Italian Bistro on Chestnut Street. She says, “the food there was great and the atmosphere was somewhat casual making it perfect for lunch”.
Fratelli’s Penne Alla Vodka
Restaurant Week was here until Friday, February 3rd. So hopefully you got go out and treat yourself to some of Philly’s best dining options. If you didn’t, no worriers, as it’ll be back next year. Participating restaurants book quickly so reservations are strongly encouraged. To prepare for the next Restaurant Week here is a list of all the restaurants that participated this time around and their menus: