Philly’s Santucci’s Pizza is our latest favorite neighborhood spot. When I lived in RI I would often meet friends at Pizzeria Regina in Boston for an incredible pizza and a long wait in the crisp winter air. Since moving to Philly I haven’t quite found a pizza place that is as good, and I’m still on the hunt.

The best I’ve found so far is at Santucci’s Square Pizza. Since having Raffi, PB and I look for more casual, laid back restaurants where patrons wouldn’t be too offended by a stroller and a minute or two of tears now and again. We enjoy dining out and don’t want to lose that just because we have a baby. We were strolling through Philadelphia’s Italian market one weekend when we walked by Santucci’s. I quickly headed to Yelp and saw the reviews were good so we decided to stop for lunch.

Santucci’s is a classic pizza place. It is small and casual with no decor to really speak of. It feels like home in a way, like the type of place you’d want to return to time and time again. The food is great, and the prices are reasonable. I had a cheese pizza and a Caesar salad. The pizza is famously square with the sauce on top of the cheese. The crust was the extreme opposite of salty and had the perfect ratio of crunch vs. chew. The pizza is hard to describe in flavor, but I will sum it all up by saying that you can taste that the ingredients are fresh. I love that. PB had spaghetti and meatballs. While it was tasty, it was definitely not as delicious as my pizza.

Since that first encounter we’ve now gotten takeout pizzas a few times from there. We recently found out they deliver to our new home (we close Thursday and move in 10 days!!!!) so I know we will be indulging in their pizzas even more often.

We are still on the hunt for a pizza place that rivals Pizzeria Regina, but for now, Santucci’s is the winner.

Santucci’s Square Pizza
901 S. 10th Street (At Christian Street)
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-825-5304

Good morning to everyone on this rainy summer day!

Many of you are headed my way for the Healthy Living Summit. I am so thrilled it is in Philadelphia this year so you can see what a beautiful city we live in… even in the rain. While I will always be a Rhode Island girl at heart, Philly has begun to take over just a little bit as the years go on….

For those of you looking for places to eat this weekend, here are some of my favorite places within walking distance from the hotel:

*DiBruno’s
18th & Chestnut
Perfect for lunch, DiBruno’s is an Italian market/cafeteria. During normal lunch hours the upstairs is open and they serve salads, sandwiches, soups and normal lunch fare. Downstairs in the market area they have fresh pressed panini, a daily special (which is often meatball subs) and lots of prepared foods that they will heat up for you if you ask.
Highlights: the caprese panino, the San Pellegrino aranciata in a can
What to watch for: If you going during the lunch rush expect to have to fight for an upstairs table.
www.dibruno.com

*Scoop DeVille
18th & Chestnut, next to DiBruno’s
This is one of my favorite ice cream shops of all time. They have a very basic list of ice cream flavors that they blend with everything under the sun to make a creamy unique soft serve ice cream.
Highlights: The vanilla ice cream blended with frozen strawberries and milk chocolate chips.
What to watch for: The price tag. A small cup of ice cream can cost you $5-6 depending on what mix-ins you select.
http://www.scoopdeville.net/

*Capogiro
13th & Sansom
Welcome to Italy with this authentic gelato. At Capogiro they focus on what’s available in season to create fresh, creative flavors as well as the usual gelato classics of pistachio & hazelnut. Their cones are incredible and come straight from France. This is not a place to miss.
Highlights: I love the classic hazelnut (nocciola) gelato in a cone.
What to watch for: While the price tag is high, it is worth every penny. The smallest size is plenty as the flavors are rich, so don’t let your eyes order for you.
http://www.capogirogelato.com/

*Amis
On 13th between Pine & Lombard
Amis is fairly new to the Philly scene, and it still has the excitement of a new restaurant. The tables are packed every night, and the menu is fresh, innovative, and often changing. They have a great cocktail menu and even make their own homemade cherry soda (which is divine).
Highlights: The swordfish meatballs are unique and tasty.
What to watch for: The salad portions are very small.
http://www.amisphilly.com

*Barbuzzo
13th & Sansom
I can’t wait to go back to Barbuzzo. Their pizzas taste like they came out of a classic oven in Italy, and the service is impeccable.
Highlights: The vegetable sampler. The classic margherita pizza.
What to watch for: There is no room for large groups here. Stick to 4 or less if you can.
http://www.barbuzzo.com

*Serafina
On 18th at Rittenhouse Square
Serafina is exactly what you want out of a last minute dinner. I wouldn’t go here on a special date, but the prices are reasonable and the food is good. This is a chain restaurant.
Highlights: The salad portions are large. The menu is sure to please all.
What to watch for: They don’t accept reservations, so get there early.
http://www.serafinarestaurant.com/serafina/philadelphia.html

*Parc
18th & Rittenhouse Square
Perfect for large parties, this French bistro is a Rittenhouse classic. I’ve been eating there since I met PB four years ago, as the food is always reliable and the prices reasonable. You also can’t beat the people watching- it is right on Rittenhouse Square. This place is great for lunch or dinner.
Highlights: The salad with shrimp and avocado. Yum!
What to watch for: The menu doesn’t often change. This is both good and bad, depending on what you like.
http://www.parc-restaurant.com/

*Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market
Saturdays, 9:30 AM- 3:00 PM at Rittenhouse Square
If you have the time to sneak away, you must go to the Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market. Not only will you find the season’s best produce and flowers, but plenty of fun treats too. Great for people watching!
Highlights: The Wildflour Bakery scones are incredible. The homemade lemonade stand is refreshing.
What to watch for: Nothing. It is a really fun market to visit.

*Image Source

Another Northern Liberties find.

I love a good breakfast joint. There’s nothing better than running some early morning errands on a sunny day and then sitting down for a break for a good dish of eggs or some classic french toast.

YUM.

I’ve only been to Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat once, but ever since I’ve been trying to get PB to take me back. I’ve literally tried every excuse in the book, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’m not sure why because it was one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in Philadelphia. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s because I’ve been running him down with all of the house projects!

Honey’s is not on the main strip of Northern Liberties, but rather it is tucked away in one of the neighborhoods. They pride themselves on using hand gathered eggs from free range chickens in Lancaster County, locally grown vegetables whenever possible, and almost everything (including the mayo) is freshly homemade.

Doesn’t that sound like the type of place you want to visit?

The decor is nothing special and nothing to note, but the environment is hopping at all appropriate brunch hours on the weekend. You’ll find new families, Philadelphia’s hipsters, hungover party birds and more all in one setting. It’s what you want out of a breakfast place. We had a wait of about 20 minutes when we went, but they have benches outside and the time passed quickly.

Highlight: The french toast. We ordered a side to share among all of us, and I wish I had ordered a whole order for myself. Ok, and the eggs were fantastic too. You could taste how fresh they are.

What to watch for: I guess just the wait, but again, with the benches outside the time passed quickly. And it’s always a sign of good food when you have to wait for it. Get there early if you can’t stand waiting for a table!

Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat
in Northern Liberties
800 North 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

**Read about other Philadelphia favorites on the Philly page. We also have a list of fun things to do!

I really didn’t want to write this, but I realize that would be unfair to all of you.

…I just don’t want to give up our perfect seats.

Amis Trattoria is the latest Vetri restaurant for us to try. Osteria is my favorite go-to restaurant in Philadelphia, and we love Vetri as well. When I saw Amis on The 2011 Philly Mag 50 I knew we had to go as fast as possible (random aside- my goal is to visit all 50 of these restaurants… we’ve been to 13). I made a secret reservation for PhillyBoy and I, had him mark his calendar for a super secret date.

I was the wife of the year that night.

Amis is my new favorite restaurant. I can’t wait to take my dad there, I can’t wait to go back, and while we were there I wished I had an even bigger appetite than I already do.

The restaurant has little faults, but its biggest fault is big. The tables are really close together, so close that you practically hit elbows with your neighbor. As soon as we were seated at our too-friendly table, PB started looking around for a better table.

Spotted.

They have a few seats right in front of the chef’s station, and the view is unbeatable. We could see the kitchen in action firsthand, and I loved the thrill of it all.

Enough of our secret best table!

The food…. the food! We may have overdone it a bit, and PB and I had to roll home, but it was worth every magnificent bite. We had three appetizers and two entrees.. and then the chef sent us another pasta dish that we just had to dig into… and we didn’t stop there. We both really wanted to try dessert since we had been watching them go out all night, so we took one to go and enjoyed it at home after digesting a bit.

I probably gained 2 lbs that night.

It was worth it.

Highlight of the food for me was the zucchini & bufala mozzarella bruschetta appetizer. The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside (read: just right), and the zucchini and mozzarella combination was brilliant.

I need to go back as soon as possible.

So all that to say I must really love you all because I shared my little secret.. the best restaurant in Philly and the best seat there.

Now, please come visit so I have an excuse to go back!

P.S. Check out my latest Babycenter post.

I’m not dainty. Or girly. Or super feminine.

I wish I was, but I’m not! I like to think I’m sophisticated and cool in my all black clothes and lack of frills, but… I’m probably not even that.

Alice’s Tea Cup is a cafe made for the quintessential dainty, girly, feminine woman. Fairy wings line the wall and real, mismatched china make the table settings. Children who go there are given the fairy wings to wear, and kids and adults alike are transformed to different place and a different time.

Can you remember the last time you drank out of a real tea cup? I can! It was Harrod’s in London 6 years ago when my aunt took me to have a traditional tea. With Alice’s Tea Cup there is no reason to travel all the way to England; they serve traditional afternoon tea!

Highlights, for me, include the incredible berry scones (served on the top tier) and the egg salad sandwiches (served on the middle tier). The scones had not just bits of berries, but whole berries dotted throughout. They were warm and just a bit crumbly but also soft. I wanted to take one home for PB, but thought it might be strange to order a scone to go. As I left I learned that in fact many people do that.

The service is warm and friendly and the experience is fun and nostalgic.

Now I just have to figure out how to get PB to take me there……

Have you been to Alice’s Tea Cup?

Alice’s Tea Cup
3 locations
http://alicesteacup.com/

When I was 22 my dad and I went to Las Vegas for business. Being my first (and so far only) time to Vegas I wanted to take advantage. One night I headed to the lounge area at Tao all alone. The doorman let me skip the line since I was by myself, and I hopped on the elevator with my heart racing. I had enjoyed plenty of dinners alone in Italy the previous year, but I had never gone out for a drink without at least plans to meet up with friends shortly thereafter. Tao was happening and hot. The music was blasting, beautiful people were everywhere, and the drinks I ordered were sweet yet strong, just the way I like them. I ended up meeting two Calvin Klein models (a guy and a girl) and they took me under their wing in their VIP section. It was a night to remember.

Our friend Jon is turning 30 in a couple of weeks, and his wife planned a fabulous surprise dinner for him at New York’s Tao. Needless to say I was really excited.  Although our reservation was early, the place was already packed full in both the bar area and restaurant. The whole venue is dark and every detail adds to the overall vibe of the place. It feels mysterious and warm and overall exactly what you would expect from a hot Manhattan restaurant.

Surprisingly, our table was ready just minutes after we arrived, and we sat in the main room at a large round table. We immediately ordered some appetizers, opting for the chef’s choice of a sampler. I still can’t decide which dish was my favorite. The chef chose to present 4 dishes to us, and we added a few to round it out. Some of the apps included the rock shrimp special of the night, satay of chilean sea bass, vegetable dumplings, squab lettuce wraps, and vegetable spring rolls. Every ingredient in every dish is carefully selected, and the incredible burst of flavor in each dish displayed that. I personally really enjoyed the rock shrimp and vegetable spring rolls.

For dinner I ordered a sand pot of lobster, scallops and shrimp in a black bean sauce with a side of jasmine rice, but I had food envy. PB had the pad thai with chicken and it was the best pad thai I have ever tasted. Fortunately he doesn’t mind me taking forkfuls of his food because I did that a lot!

We all finished the night off with a surprise dessert sampler that the birthday boy shared, sent by our friends who couldn’t come.

Pros:

-delicious appetizers
-cool vibe
-fresh ingredients
-knowledgeable and efficient service

Cons:

-they were trying to give us the hint to leave when we weren’t ready to leave yet
-lobster wasn’t cleaned well (lots of shell everywhere in the dish)
-a few mistakes with orders

If I went back I would share edamame and rock shrimp with friends and then order the pad thai with chicken… I can’t wait to go back!

Tao
42 East 58th Street
New York, NY 10022-1910
(212) 888-2288

Walking into Flour + Water I immediately felt at home. The smell of bread baking welcomed me at the door and tucked me into a bed of pillowy comfort. We put our name in and enjoyed the 45 minute wait while perusing the menu.

The restaurant is dark and mysterious, with dark wood tables and candles sending a small burst of light here and there. Diners can enjoy their meals at community tables, in the dining room, or at the bar, and on this Sunday night all three were packed.

We were seated at the bar and our journey began. Our amazing bartender, Eric, knew the ins and outs of every item on the menu, and he encouraged us to ask a lot of questions. His descriptions made my mouth water, and we had a tough time narrowing our selection to 3 dishes.

We started with the beets with roasted young carrots, ricotta salata, mustard, wild arugula and whole wheat cracker.  My husband told Eric how I loved how fresh the dish tasted, and Eric casually mentioned that our beets were still in the ground in Marin only 60 hours ago. The daily menu changes about 25% every evening according to what the local farms have to offer.

The braised squid with fennel, clams, young fennel,  artichokes, cerignola olives and tarragon aioli that we ordered for our second course was intense. I wasn’t confident that the flavors would work well together, but each bite of squid with fennel and artichoke was better than the last. It was reminiscent of a dish my mom used to make when I was a kid, and I was so happy for that food memory.

For our final course we had the funghi pizza. I was feeling adventurous, and this pizza fit that feeling. The toppings could have been so simple and mundane, but instead the mushrooms with rapini leaves and taleggio cheese was complex and rich. We, both hearty eaters, couldn’t finish the pizza. Sad to leave two pieces to waste, we brought them back to our hotel room for a late night snack.

The wine we had was an incredibly smooth Brunello di Montalcino on special. I don’t know much about wines, but I do know I’d like to buy a bottle of this wine.

Flour + water is exactly what I want in a restaurant. The produce is sourced locally. The dishes are interesting and up to date. The menu is Italian, making me feel at home. The service is exquisite. The prices are reasonable and the décor is warm and inviting.

I now understand why Jessi & Jesse suggested it to us.

It was my favorite dining experience of the last few months.

I only wish we got to try the pumpkin cake. And the margherita pizza. And the autumn pumpkin tortelli. And and and…..

Just go there. You’ll understand.

Flour + Water
3401 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA
415.826.7000

Have you ever had a dish so good you wanted to order a second order, just to be sure that what you tasted was truly heaven on a plate?

I have.

Cantina Dos Segundos is in Northern Liberties, an area of Philadelphia we don’t visit often enough. I joined some (blog) friends for dinner to help them carbload before the Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half Marathon. On a suggestion from Lauren, I ordered the mixta salad.

The name doesn’t display the magnificence of this salad. With avocado, hearts of palm, jicama, orange sections, radishes,
almonds, and mixed greens in a piquin chile vinaigrette, it is unique, interesting, and simply fabulous. I loved the different textures and flavors, and I was actually sad when I finished the dish. I did not leave a single morsel of the salad on my plate.

I can’t wait to go back soon- next week?- to have it again and to make PhillyBoy try it. It was that incredible.

The restaurant itself isn’t anything special. It is quite dark inside and looks just like any normal neighborhood spot. But that salad? That salad is special. You must see for yourself!

The company was incredible too. We had a great group of ladies together, including the visiting Ashley!!! I love that we always have so much to say and don’t want the night to end.

In attendance?
Leslie from AndHerLittleDogToo
Kelly from The Running Phoodie
Gina from FitBlogr
Stephanie from The Bright Side
Chrissey from Philly Girl Runs
Ashley from Healthy Ashley
Lauren from Goodbye Texas, Hello PA (list taken from her!)

And we made a fabulous forest of trees.

Cantina Dos Segundos
931 N 2nd St
Northern Liberties
Philadelphia PA
215-629-0500

Ze Café is an unassuming restaurant in New York City, and if you didn’t know it was there, you would literally walk right by it.

They have no sign.

For a restaurant that has no sign, it was extremely packed the evening I visited. They say it is packed every night. I was having dinner with Amy and her sister Lisa, both of whom I adore. They selected the dining spot, and when I visited the website I knew I would not be disappointed.

Ze Café has a rustic aesthetic with a modern feel. To me it felt like an indoor garden where we all happened to sit and relax. Our server gave us ample time to make our selections, and the chef was great at accommodating our requests.

The food…

Oh, the food!

The meal was incredible and carefully prepared. Ze Café has its own garden and farm in upstate NY, and my meal was so fresh you would assume it was picked from the garden that morning.

We were all twins and started with a simple salad. It came with edible flowers that made the dish a part of the garden. I only ate one little piece of the flower, and it had incredible flavor. It is really hard to explain what an edible flower tastes like- you must go there to see for yourself.

For dinner we all went with the half portions of gnocchi. The gnocchi was served with lump crab meat, corn, and tomatoes. It was summer heaven in a bowl, and the gnocchi (pronounced NYOH-key, by the way) were little pillows so soft and delicate I wanted to sleep in them. They soaked up all of the summery flavors of the dish, and I savored every doughy bite.

We couldn’t stop there.

I really had no room for dessert, but I really wanted to try one of their famous pies. After a bit of discussion- we are all passionate foodies, after all- we went with the peach pie a la mode.

I imagine it tasted like what hot summer days in the South feel like.

The pie was everything you could want in a peach pie… and then one step further. It was as classic as classic can be, which, in my opinion, is the only way a pie should be.

I almost didn’t want to share my experience with you, for fear that I won’t be able to get in next time I visit New York. Especially since it was so busy in the middle of the week. I just loved it too much not to share. I love these girls too.

For other restaurant reviews see my review page!

Ze Café
East 52 Street, just off First Ave
New York, New York
http://www.zecafe.com

I did not realize how romantic my husband is.

Don’t judge me for saying that!

In our first year of marriage he did lots of romantic things, but usually they were spontaneous.

For our one year anniversary, however, he had spent time organizing a terribly romantic evening.

His Choice: Dinner at Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Philadelphia

He had gorgeous flowers waiting, and we shared a small bottle of my favorite champagne, Veuve Cliquot. Dinner reminded me of the dinners on our honeymoon. Our entire focus was on each other (no cell phones in sight!), the service and food were exquisite, and we were dressed up. It was fabulous!

Fountain is a formal dining establishment, and patrons dress up, a rarity these days. The menu is seasonal, fresh, and interesting, and it was really difficult for us to decide what to order. In the end.. we made great choices!

1st course:

Taste from the Chef:

2nd course:

Dessert. The creme brulee was the best I have ever had.

PB’s lemon curd mousse was amazing too.

After dinner we leisurely strolled home in the heat and then watched The Couples’ Retreat, which was filmed at the St. Regis Bora Bora, where we went on our honeymoon!

It was a perfect evening.

The next day…

Her Choice: Go Vertical

Knowing my husband was probably planning something fancy, I decided to go another route. My surprise for him was a two hour lesson at Go Vertical, a rock climbing gym in Philadelphia.

Our two hour lesson turned into three and then into four, and we had a blast! We learned how to billet each other (when one person uses the rope to ensure the other’s safety) and it was a great exercise in trust. And fun! Our amazing instructor, Bob, had faith in us and had us try this white route. Although I tried to do it 3 or 4 times, I never got it. We are going back this weekend just to conquer that route!

By the end of the four hours our muscles were literally giving out on us, so we grabbed lunch at Sabrina’s cafe, ran a few errands, and then relaxed at home.

Our second year of marriage is shaping up to be even better than the first!!!!!!!