Dinner By The Sea

The largest four-masted sailing ship in the world that is still afloat is one of Philadelphia's finest restaurants!

The women in my family have gone out for dinner during January to celebrate the New Year since I was a very young child.  When I was sixteen I begged my Mom to let me go with them.  I was old enough and I was one of the women in the family!  I was thrilled when she said "yes".  We were going to the "city" for dinner.  We were going to eat on a sailing ship on the water.  I was so excited.  The "Moshulu" has a rich and exciting history and has been a Philadelphia restaurant since 1975. 

Since the launching of the Moshulu in 1904, she has had a long and exciting career on the seas working the ports of Europe, South America, Australia, America and Africa. She was confiscated by the Americans in one war and by the Germans in the next. She has traveled around Cape Horn 54 times. She has hauled coal and coke, copper ore and nitrate, lumber and grain. In lesser days, she has served as a floating warehouse. In grander days, she won the last great grain race in 1939.

The ship is beautiful.  There is something spellbinding about looking up at the majestic masts of the Moshulu.  The views of the waterfront and the city are breathtaking.  You can sit on the outer deck for drinks before going downstairs for dinner.  It is so relaxing to sit and feel the sea breeze on your face. 

The outside deck area in the evening is wonderful; a very romantic setting!

The dining areas are lovely.  There are large windows everywhere so you are always able to see the scenic backdrop.  The tables are elegantly set with linen tablecloths and china. 

If you are dining with your lovey, ask for a table next to a window. 
Holding hands while gazing at the water will be a wonderful start to your evening.

The food is gourmet.  The menu is varied and offers the finest quality choices.  While I usually choose fish when I'm out for dinner, if a restaurant has lamb or duck I will pick that instead.  At the Moshulu I always go for the duck.  The duck breast is done with a thyme au jus (another sauce that's great to dip your bread in) that has a wonderfully rich flavor.  They also have crab cakes that are heavenly; the dish comes with a bacon fennel herb salad (and you know how I feel about anything with bacon in it).  The Moshulu is famous for their steaks; they offer prime rib, New York strip, or filet mignon.  The steak is served with a Cabernet thyme reduction sauce.  It is such a tasty sauce.  I'm not a big steak eater, but my husband enjoys their prime rib, so I've picked off his plate a time or two.  Last January's New Year's dinner with the ladies was bittersweet; it was the first one without my grandmother, but the first where my new daughter-in-law was with us.  And the tradition continues...  

Make sure you leave room for dessert!  From what I hear The Moshulu serves a wonderful artisan's cheese plate (like I'm going to choose that for dessert).  While I've tasted their chocolate red velvet cake and their strawberries and creme brulee, the dessert you absolutely must try is the Moshulu Coup.  It's another one of those ridiculous desserts; it is a flourless chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream, topped with caramel peanuts, Chantilly lace cream and chocolate sauce.  Talk about rich and delicious.  I would like to say it's big enough to share, but you'll just end up elbowing out your dinner mate - so get your own and take the extra home for later!

If you're looking for a place for any type of special evening or celebration, try the Moshulu.  Sitting on an old ship while dining with friends is such a sweet escape from the everyday.  You'll enjoy the ship, the view, the ambiance, and definitely the food.

Moshulu
Penn's Landing
401 S. Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA  19106
215-804-4299
www.moshulu.com

A Taste of History

Philadelphia is rich with sites celebrating the history of our country; this restaurant delivers a taste of the cuisine from 18th century colonial America!

While Philly has modern-day museums, theaters, shopping, and restaurants, tourists are drawn to the historic sites.  The Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross' House, Independence Hall, and the Constitution Center attract many people to the Olde City section of Philadelphia.  "City Tavern" helps celebrate the city's history with a dining experience celebrating the customs and cuisine of colonial America.  The restaurant is a vision of the past.  John Adams visited the year-old City Tavern in 1774, saying is was the "most genteel tavern in America".  The Tavern is lovely, with old fashioned furniture and place settings.  The employees dress in colonial outfits keeping with the 18th century theme.  The tavern has seven rooms, two wine cellars, and a wonderful outside garden area.  The rooms are decorated with wooden furniture and old fashioned nic-nacs.  The windows are huge (from floor to ceiling).  I've been to City Tavern many times and love the atmosphere and old time ambiance.  But the award-winning menu is what keeps us coming back.

The costumed wait staff shares a brief history
of the Tavern while serving your meal.

I've tasted many of the dishes at City Tavern and have loved everything they serve.  Over the years the menu has changed, but the items they offer are exquisite!  Do yourself a favor and try the basil shrimp for an appetizer.  These jumbo shrimp are served with bacon and fresh basil, with a horseradish barbecue sauce.  What a delightful way to start a meal.  The shrimp are fresh with such a nice flavor from the basil, and bacon - what doesn't taste good with bacon!  The sauce is a very nice change from regular cocktail sauce.  The sweetness of the barbecue sauce mixes very well with the heat of the horseradish.  There are two dinners I would like to highlight in this review; the turkey pot pie and the rack of lamb.  The colonial turkey pot pie is a traditional comfort food.  Tender turkey chunks are served in a hearty sherry cream sauce with mushrooms, peas, and potatoes topped with a flaky pastry crust.  The pot pie is served in a pewter casserole dish.  Life is a little slice of heaven when you're sitting by the window of City Tavern on a fall evening watching the trees blow in the breeze while eating this classic dish, and chatting with dear friends!  And now for the rack of lamb...this meal is elegant!  It's picture perfect to see and absolutely delicious to taste.  The lamb is roasted with rosemary au jus and basted with Dijon mustard sauce and walnuts.  It is served with mashed potatoes and asparagus with Bearnaise sauce.  This is a Thanksgiving Day type meal; when you're done you need to undo the top button and take a nap!  But, ummmm, so good!



Visit the City Tavern Gift Shop
You Can Purchase Tableware, Cookbooks, and Their Herb Rub and Sauce (shown above)



If you have family and friends visiting the Philadelphia area, treat them and yourself to this classic restaurant.  There's something very special about sharing the history of our country; dining at the City Tavern gives you that feeling!  City Tavern is going to be part of Philadelphia's Restaurant Week -

Restaurant Week - $20 3 Course Lunch, $35 3 Course Dinner
Join Chef/Proprietor Walter Staib for Center City Restaurant Week that celebrates local ingredients. City Tavern recreates 18th Century dining, when the farm to table movement was the only option and all food was scratch cooking. Chef Staib's menus are full of late summer's bounty, just as the founding fathers would have dined! September 12-16 & 19-23, 2011.

City Tavern

138 S. Second Street

Philadelphia, PA  19106

215-413-1443

www.citytavern.com 

Molto Bene

Serving Italian-style comfort food has earned this warm and casual restaurant a Zagat's rating of "Excellent"!

We found this gem by accident.  Needing both knees replaced, I was in a  lot of pain and could hardly walk.  My friend Marlene is the coordinator for our dinner group and was trying to find a place that had parking on site and no steps to make it easier for me to attend our Christmas dinner.  That's how we ended up at "Spasso Italian Grill". 

This restaurant is very pleasant and cozy inside.  It has a rustic feel with its old world decor and an open viewable kitchen.  The tables are spaced far enough apart to maintain privacy and elbow room.  There are comfortable u-shaped booths down one side of the dining room that are great for a small party or a romantic setting for two.  The food and desserts are made on the premises, and they make their own pasta.

As you're deciding what to have for dinner they bring you crispy and warm Italian bread with a plate of oil and mixed vegetables.  There is some type of pepper in that mix that adds a bit of heat.  I'm one of those people who could eat all of the bread and skip dinner!  The menu is large with a ton of choices and they always offer chef's specials for the day.  One of the best dishes I've had at Spasso's is the seafood risotto.  The rice was done perfectly with a sauce that had wonderful flavor.  There was a multitude of shellfish on top.  This was one of those dishes that you tell everyone about because you want them to try it so they'll believe you when you tell them how wonderful it is!  On another visit to Spasso's I wanted to try their pasta; everyone raves about how much better home made pasta is than processed boxed pasta.  The fettuccine shrimp was fantastic!  The wide pasta noodles were heavenly; there is definitely more flavor and consistency to home made pasta than the pasta I get at the market.  The jumbo shrimp was cooked perfectly (I absolutely hate shrimp that is not done enough; undone shrimp is a gooey gelatinous mess).  The sauce was a pesto cream sauce.  There was enough sauce to add another layer of flavor to the dish, but not enough to drown the pasta or shrimp.  The sauce was so good that I was using the bread to sop it up!  The other ladies in  my group have tried many of Spasso's entrees and haven't found anything that disappointed!  As you can tell, we've been to Spasso's many times.

I usually don't get dessert when we're out; I never have enough room left!  But, the first time we went to Spasso's the waitress convinced us to try their home made cannolis.  Decadent is the word that comes to mind when I try to describe how good they were.  The shell on the outside was very crisp and light, with a dusting of powdered sugar.  The inside was creamy and very tasty (this was the first time I had a cannoli that I didn't think was too sweet).   Yes, I ate the whole thing!  I've had friends recommend the tiramisu; if you've never had this Italian pastry, it's lady fingers soaked in espresso with a mascarpone Italian cream filling.  Did you know that if you have dessert on someone's birthday or a holiday, it's calorie free?



Cannolis - Fried Dough Filled With Italian Cream



Spasso Italian Grill

34 S. Front Street

Philadelphia, PA  19106

215-592-7661

www.spassoitaliangrill.com



Go for the Gold

In trying this restaurant I thought I would hate, I learned to keep an open mind...and that other than Lima beans there is no food that I don't like!

With all of my dinner groups we have a rule; when its a person's turn to pick the restaurant, there are no objections, complaints, or cancelling allowed.  So when my friend Deb picked "Zahav", Marlene and I called each other to moan and complain.  Why does Deb always have to pick something weird or foreign?  Why can't she pick something we all like?  Mar and I agreed that we would eat light and then go to McDonald's on the way home!  Boy, were we in for an unforeseen treat!  This Israeli eatery is beautiful inside.  Two sides of the restaurant are floor to ceiling windows with a great view of Dock Street in the Olde City section of Philadelphia.  Everything inside is a gorgeous cherry wood, with quiet lighting, and a wide-open feeling.  It's very elegant, soothing, and relaxing.  In reading the history of the restaurant, "Zahav" means gold in Hebrew.  It is a reference to Jerusalem. 

Zahav offers a "small plates" menu that allows you to try more items on the menu.  To start off, the waiter brought us their Laffa bread and hummus.  This delicate flatbread is baked in a wood-burning oven.  It is fantastic!  And the hummus was definitely the best I've ever had.  It was creamy and so flavorful (sometimes I think hummus is boring and has no taste)!  For the appetizer, please do yourself a favor and get the grilled cauliflower.  This dish was soooo good; the cauliflower is fried in chive, oil, mint, and garlic.  Then try the salatim, which is an Israeli take on salad.  This dish comes in eight small ramekins on an iron serving rack.  Each ramekin holds a different type of salad.  The "salads" are different types of vegetables cooked by various methods.  Every one of them was delicious (even the Okra - which I didn't think I would like).  The eggplant dish was unbelievable!  And there is just enough of each to have a couple of spoonfuls, but not enough to stuff yourself before the entree. 

For the entree I had the lamb kabob.  The spices on the outside of the lamb were superb; there was such flavor and the meat was so tender.  And again, the size of the portion was perfect.  The lamb kabob was served with a side of turnips.  I love turnips and these were done differently than I had ever had before; but they were wonderful (I hate to put this in writing, but I think they were even better than my Mom's)!  Deb had the roasted chicken with couscous and Mar had the braised beef.  They both enjoyed their meals also.

   

We did not have room for dessert, but did enjoy the ambiance as we relaxed with coffee and tea.  One of the things that I enjoy about a really good restaurant is when they don't rush you.  They leave you alone to digest your meal and enjoy the shared conversation with your dinner-mates.  Our waiter would quietly visit our table to refresh our beverages and never bothered us about paying and leaving.  We had a wonderful time at this lovely restaurant, and Marlene and I did not need to stop at McDonald's on our way home!

Zahav's Fried Cauliflower - Absolutely Delicious!

Zahav
237 St. James Place
Philadelphia, PA  19106
215-625-8800
www.zahavrestaurant.com

Feeling the Sunshine

"Eat, Drink, and Be Monkey" is the motto of this Northeast Philly cafe!

My friend Deb grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and introduced me to a lovely little cafe called "Three Monkeys".  This restaurant is a contradiction in cuisine styles and tastes.  The cafe is set up in three sections.  You can enjoy fine dining in the elegant Ridson Ferry dining room, featuring candle-lit tables with a Victorian era setting.  The bar area features a turn of the century hand-carved bar.  You can order from their selection of microbrews or appropriately named drinks such as a "monkeytini" or "horny monkey ale".  But my favorite area of Three Monkeys is Monkey Court.  This outside patio area is just what you need to relax, unwind, and enjoy being outside of a cubicle, four walls, and air conditioning.  Monkey Court is like a taste of Key West, with twinkle lights in the trees and signs hanging on the fences.  Enjoy sitting under an umbrella at one of their tables or converse and watch the latest game around the Tree Bar. 

Monkey Court offers typical pub grub such as burgers, sandwiches, and salads but you can also get their regular lunch and dinner options like wasabi crabcakes or calamonkey.  I lunch their often with my friends Deb and Sharon.  We have tried different selections from their menu, but we seem to go back to our favorites;  Deb and I get the french dip and Sharon gets the salmon salad.  The french dip consists of thinly sliced roast beef with melted provolone cheese on a croissant.  The sandwich comes with a bowl of au jus for dipping and a side of either fries or side salad.  The sandwich is delicious and I'm always happy if au jus is dripping down my fingers (I enjoy being a sloppy eater)!  Serving the french dip on a croissant, rather than a roll, makes this classic lighter and less filling.  Sharon seems to enjoy the salmon salad and rarely leaves any to take home.  The salad is mixed greens with a house-made vinaigrette.  There is a nice big piece of grilled salmon on top.  Sharon breaks it up and mixes it in so she gets salmon in every bite.  The food is standard bar food, but it is always tasty, fresh, and served hot.

One of the things I love about having sandwiches and salads is that there is usually room for dessert.  Three Monkeys offers some wonderful goodies; we usually get three desserts and share.  They offer a variety of desserts of the day, but always have Monkey Bread.  This gooey cinnamon pull-apart cake is wonderful!  I'm always hoping that one of the desserts of the day is something chocolate.  Since both Deb and Sharon are chocolate-lovers (and I'm not), they will concentrate on that dessert and leave me more Monkey Bread!

Three Monkeys Cafe

Three Monkeys is also opened for Breakfast
and offers Weekend Brunch Specials

9645 James Street
Philadelphia, PA  19113
215-637-6665
www.3monkeyscafe.com

Sweet Treats

Known for outstanding seafood brought in fresh daily, I believe this established Philly restaurant serves two of the best desserts in the city!

McCormick & Schmick's is my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia.  I've been eating there with friends and family for years.  The restaurant is right in the middle of Philly; across the street from City Hall and surrounded by shopping, theaters, and museums.  The menu is printed twice a day; once for lunch and again for dinner.  They bring in the freshest and highest-quality seafood.  My family has been going to M&S for Thanksgiving dinner for a long, long time.   The dining room is open and airy with huge windows looking out onto the scenery of the city; but often when I dine there with a group of friends or with my family, we reserve one of their private dining areas.  These areas are off to the side of the main dining room and allow you to really enjoy your meal (and with my dining group and family, be as loud as we want without bothering the other patrons). 

I have had many of the different menus items at McCormick & Schmick's and have never been disappointed.  They do serve steak, pork, and chicken, but are famous for their seafood.  Some of my favorite dishes are the Maryland Crab Chowder, Blackened Catfish, Jumbo Sea Scallops, and Stuffed Salmon.  They serve their food with different sauces and sides that compliment the entree.  For Thanksgiving they serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but also all of their fresh seafood.  I usually get their Fish Chowder; which is a crock filled with different types of shellfish in a tasty broth.

And onto dessert...while I can't decide whether the Warm Bread Pudding or Upside Down Apple Pie is better, my friends Chris and Nancy will tell you it's the bread pudding.  We have learned through experience to go light on the appetizers and only have one piece of bread to make sure we have room for dessert!  The bread pudding is made with brioche bread,  vanilla custard, bananas, and pecans all covered in a light anglaise sauce and served warm.  I promise you, it is worth every single calorie!  It is so decadent and rich, you'll want to run your finger around the bowl when you're done, just to get the last speck of this heavenly dessert!  It makes my mouth water thinking about it!  The upside down apple pie is ridiculous; it is made with cinnamon covered green apples, baked in a candied walnut crust which is drizzled with warm caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.  It is so delicious; it's tart and sweet at the same time.  You can taste each ingredient in every bite, and together this apple pie is wonderful! 

I am not a "sweets" person; I would rather have a salty food than sugary.  But, I definitely make an exception when dining at McCormick & Schmick's - I make sure to leave room for dessert!  If you are walking around the city and want to stop for a drink and a snack, stop by M&S for dessert and a glass of wine!  What a perfect way to end a day of shopping or touring in Philly!

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant
1 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA  19107
215-568-6888
www.mccormickandschmicks.com





McCORMICK & SCHMICK'S SUMMER PACKAGE - DINNER AND A MOVIE!



A Double Delight Night Out

While reviewing an outstanding authentic Italian restaurant, I'd like to introduce you to my children!



My son Michael and daughter-in-law Hollis, who live in California, are vacationing with us for two weeks.  Jonathan, my younger son, is leaving for college in North Dakota in ten days.

Because we are a very small family and spread all over the country (thank God for Skype), we value the time when we can be together.  One of our favorite things to do is go out to eat; there is nothing better than chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other's company over a good meal.  On Sunday we celebrated Mike's 25th birthday by going to Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant.

When I was growing up my best friend was Monica Massanova.  Her Mom was a wonderful cook who made the best Italian food (my favorite was her Spaghetti and Crabs).  I learned to love the holidays at her house with the Feast of the Seven Fishes and the various types of pasta.  I still have never had lasagna as good as Monica's Mom made (the best I can do is throw a Stouffer's frozen lasagna in the oven; and half the time it's still cold in the middle)!  Because of my love for Italian food, my husband and children have been to many Italian restaurants and each have their favorite.  When we were deciding where to go for Mike's birthday I knew, with the entire family together and needing someplace homey and comfortable, it had to be Italian. 

Maggiano's is comfortable!  It has old world charm and red-checkered table cloths.  It is definitly a family place; the tables are larger so there's plenty of elbow room.  They serve in the old ceramic dishes with designs painted on the sides.  It's like being at your Grandmother's house.  Maggiano's serves two ways - you can order family style or individual entrees.  When I go to Maggiano's with my girlfriends we order family style; it's a great way to be able to try the many different appetizers and entrees.  But when I go with my family, everybody wants their own dish (and you get stabbed with a fork if you reach for a taste)!

We are a family of people who like to try new and exciting dishes; except for my husband Mike Sr.  He likes his food very plain with no sauces, no toppings, and won't eat anything he can't pronounce.  He has become so regular with his eating habits that if you name the restaurant, I can tell you exactly what he's going to order!  So, at Maggiano's he ordered...spaghetti and meatballs!  I know, I know of all the great Italian dishes Maggiano's has to offer, that's his choice?  Well, the rest of us do better.  Mike had the gnocchi's.  He loved the rich vodka cream sauce that covered the little pillows of potatoes.  Hollis had the lobster carbonara; there were big chunks of lobster, along with peas, asparagus, and a thick carbonara sauce over spaghetti.  And being Italian, Hollis twirls her spaghetti on a spoon (unlike the rest of us who are Irish and cut our pasta down to fork sized pieces).  Jon is the meat-eater of the group and went with the steak with garlic mashed potatoes.  And being a good cook (God knows where he gets that from), he fried the leftover mashed potatoes today for lunch.  For me, I chose the crab and shrimp cannelloni in a white cream sauce.  Ooooh, was that delicious!  There was so much crab stuffed in that cannelloni shell.  There were three cannellonni's on the plate, but I could only eat one.  I had one for lunch today and Brad, my coworker, snatched the other one right off my plate!

visit http://blog.maggianos.com
for chef's recipes, cooking tips, and how-to videos

Maggiano's Little Italy

12th & Filbert Streets
Philadelphia, PA  19103
215-567-2020
www.maggianos.com

Gone to the Dogs

Did Guy Fieri get it right?  Yes, he did...

While I don't cook, I do love the Food Network channel.  On an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Guy visited the "Good Dog Bar" in the Rittenhouse Square section of the city.  The next morning I e-mailed Marlene and Deb and made plans to dine there for dinner.

Most of the bars in Philly have changed into trendy, yuppy meet-and-greet restaurants.  Not the Good Dog; this two-story brick establishment is an old-fashioned bar with a juke box, pool table, dart board, and television screens showing the local sports teams' games.  We sat upstairs in the dining room for dinner.  Because the bar is small, the tables are tight.  We had to turn sideways to get to our table and the back of our chairs butted up against the people behind us.  And it was LOUD in the bar.  The music was cranked up and because it was very crowded with people talking, you had to raise your voice to be heard by your dinner-mates.  I don't mind that atmosphere; being part of the masses out having dinner and cocktails - it's fun!  It's the type of place you would go after work to unwind or with a bunch of girlfriends for a girls night out.  It would be perfect for a Bachelor or Bachelorette party.  It would definitely not be the place for a first date or romantic night out with your significant other.

The Good Dog has a good-sized menu with lots of choices, but we picked items that Guy reviewed on Triple D.  This little bar spared no expense for a top-notch chef!  The food was scrumptious!!  I had the duck pot pie; and it was perfect.  The top layer was golden brown, flaky, and crispy.  There was a lot of duck meat inside, along with potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, and mushrooms.  The duck gravy was so good I kept breaking off the shell and dipping into it.  But, the star of the evening was the mac and cheese.  We ordered the mac and cheese as a side dish to share.  It is one of those dishes that when you try it you start laughing because it is absolutely ridiculous how tasty it is.  Elbow macaroni is surrounded by three types of cheese - gruyer, gouda, and cheddar.  There are crushed corn flakes on top that lent a crunchy texture to the mac and cheese.  We were like three swordsmen using our forks to poke the other guy out of the way while we dove into that dish of mac and cheese.  Along side of the dish was a big hunk of homemade blueberry cornbread.  Big fresh blueberries exploded in your mouth, while the cornbread was a great texture; moist and not too dry. 

                                             Good Dog Bar
                                          224 S. 15th Street
                                     Philadelphia, PA  19102
                                            215-985-9600
                                   http://www.gooddogbar.com/

The Good Dog's motto is "Come, Sit, Stay!"  If you're out for a good

       time and good food you will enjoy yourself at this little bar. 

Garden of Fragrance and Taste

Don't judge this book by its cover...this hidden fine-dining establishment is really a classic!

The first time my dinner group visited the "The Rose Tattoo Cafe" we weren't sure if it was open or had closed down.  With blackened windows, the front door sits facing the street corner.  As we stood around trying to decide what to do, my friend Pat noticed a tiny little arrow pointing up the street.  The six of us walked up the street and found the entrance on the side of the building.  We all looked at each other wondering if this place was going to live up to its reputation.  Ahhh, what a pleasant surprise. 

As we went into the entryway there in front of us was a glass display case filled with desserts!  All you have to do is show a bunch of middle-aged women chocolate macademia fudge brownies and creme brulee and you've got them hooked!   The restaurant design resembles a cafe in New Orleans.  In the middle of the room on the first floor is a small bar with high stools.  Around the outside of the bar are private dining areas.  On the second floor there is a wrap-around terrace with seating for larger parties.  The entire area is lush with tropical plants and flowers.  Each dining area is separated by wrought-iron columns.  It makes you feel like you're sitting on a patio in the French Quarter on a warm summer day.

And the food is fantastic!  On one visit we started with the Crispy Calamari.  The calamari had such a great taste; I don't like when calamari is double-breaded.  I don't want to taste only the breading; I want to taste the calamari.  What a delicious appetizer that was; with three different dipping sauces.  I have been to The Rose Tattoo three times and each time I have gotten the Jambalaya for my entree.  While I do like to experiment and try different options at a restaurant, if I find that one special meal that no other restaurant can match - I stay with it (did you ever talk yourself into trying something different and then you end up disappointed?).  This Jambalaya is the very best I've ever had.  A tomato creole sauce surrounds fluffy saffron rice with chicken, ham, andouille sausage, mussels, shrimp, and clams.  There are so many flavors in this dish.  Its one of those meals that you "ummm" out loud while you're eating it.  This Jambalaya does have a nice spicy kick, but not enough to burn.  The lunch portion is enough for me, but the dinner portion is huge; enough to share with your special someone!

The Garden Room Bar

The Rose Tattoo Cafe

19th & Callowhill Streets

Philadelphia, PA  19130

215-569-8939

www.rosetattoocafe.com

This cafe is perfect for a family gathering, a night out with friends, or a romantic first-date or anniversary dinner with your lovey!  And don't let the outside throw you - inside you'll find paradise!