#60 European Republic - Sandy's synopsis

European Republic is known for its fries, dips and extremely affordable wraps and sandwiches. 

Their fries come in 3 sizes -  each size being accompanied by an increasing number of dip choices

We ordered the largest option which came with 3 dips and shared. For our dips, we went with Parmesan, basil and lemon/dill. They're all creamy white sauces with a hint of flavour. I personally liked the basil the best.  The fourth dip you see there in the photo was the dregs of the BBQ Cheddar that we had initially wanted but they had pretty much run out.  As delicious as that sounds I didn't like it at all. 

As you can see the fries are of the thicker variety. I tend to like the thinner cut fries but these were still very good and served as a fantastic vehicle for the dips. We were three people at dinner and we did not finish the fries - so it is a large portion if you also plan on having an entree.

For the entree, I cannot comment on the super affordable wraps because for some reason I wanted more deep fried things and ordered the wings. They hit the spot - they were greasy, battered mildly and moderately spicy. It got a little too greasy for me after 3-4 wings but until then it was good junk food. 

All in all, European Republic has a colourful and clean seating area with very good service and affordable quick bites to eat. 

European Republic

602 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

215-925-3509

#60 European Republic - Sam's synopsis

cozy yet not..

European Republic is best known (to me, at least) as a place to get french fries with a plethora of dipping sauces. Which is exactly what we had set out to do. I have been to the other European Republic in Old City - my last excursion involved Erin and I participating in a Beer Week event and stumbling to get some sustenance before heading out to extend the evening. It seems that both locales are similar in decor, with big photos and paintings of idyllic European locations adorning the walls. The restaurant itself is cozy, but feels a little sterile at times with its table and chair choice. Regardless, the woman helping us at the counter was very friendly and helpful - she gave us lots of suggestions, and even gave us some of the cheddar BBQ sauce free of charge, since we wanted it but there was only enough left to fill half a container.

FRIES

Since there were three of us, Sandya and I made the executive decision to order the large fries before Erin arrived, which allowed us to choose 3 sauces. As I already mentioned, we wanted the cheddar BBQ sauce, but they were running low so we went with parmesan, lemon dill, and basil. I am kind of glad that the BBQ cheddar was low, because I didn't end up liking it very much - too artificial tasting. However, the parmesan was delicious, and the lemon dill and basil were also incredibly flavorful. While the sauces all looked the same, you could easily distinguish them based on taste. I also ordered the tomato, basil and mozzarella wrap as my meal, which was very fresh tasting and also very cheap. This is one of the major benefits of European Republic - it's got tasty, affordable food that hits the spot and will also satiate that fried goodness craving. Which by the way, I haven't mentioned yet, but the french fries are great too. They aren't the best stand-alone fries I've had, but they are the perfect amount of crispiness and not overly seasoned. Normally, I'd be a little disappointed in that last fact, but it works (and is probably that way purposely) because that way you can enjoy all the different dipping sauces without having conflicting flavors.

There are a lot of places for a quick fix in Philly, and I'd definitely recommend European Republic if you're near one. The quality of food for the price you pay, and the variety of options on the menu (dipping sauces and actual wraps themselves) are stellar.

And with this review, we are finally done with our first block from hell, which consisted of 10 restaurants. And yet we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into our minds knowing that we have at least two more blocks like this...

European Republic
602 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 925-3509

#59 Serpico - The other Sandy's synopsis

As a founding member of the official “Foodie” club at work – we are not really very official – I got
coerced into writing the guest blog for our dinner at Serpico. There was definitely some arm twisting
involved. I have wanted to go to Serpico for some time now, since I had heard many great things and I just hadn’t gotten a chance to make it over there. Let the excitement begin!

The space is really well put together in typical modern interior décor of a high-end restaurant. Since the space is pretty small, it isn’t good for large groups, and so we had to split our group into 3 separate reservations. Since I had the first one, I asked them to see if they could at least seat us all next to each other in the booths, which they kindly accommodated (a good start to the night).

The bar top, which looked like a single large, rustic natural wood piece, seated only 6 people. It was a really nice touch however, and very inviting for a small bar. I actually spent a lot more time at this bar, but will get to that later on in the post! The walls were painted all throughout like a chalkboard and every spot seemed to be filled with menu items, written very painstakingly. Looking at the handwriting throughout, it was clear that it was written by 1 person. That had to have taken half a day to complete and just imagine when changes are needed!! The best part about the space however, is the large open kitchen with counter seating all along it. That is the place to sit if you haven’t done so here and I will definitely be doing that on my next visit here.

I was joined by Vera and Nicole for the 6:30pm reservation. So onto the food and drinks! The 6 cocktails on the menu are all named after the main ingredient, like Gin for their gin based cocktail, etc. Very original, right!?! Either way, I got the Rye cocktail for their Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey based drink. It was delicious!! As a nice touch, they use a large block of ice in each glass, so it doesn’t melt quickly and dilute the drink. A sign of a real good cocktail bar!!

Rye Whiskey Cocktail

The menu is divided into small, medium and large plates; all served family style to share. We ordered 2 small plates and 3 medium plates to start us off and figured we would go from there if we feel we needed more food.

As the 3 of us enjoyed our cocktails and got to know each other a little better, Chef Peter Serpico who was on site, was working on the magic in the open kitchen. The first two dishes on the small plates that we got were the Hamachi & Cobia Tartar and the Raw Fluke.

Raw Fluke

This was a 50/50 start with the Tartar just average (lacking some flavor or punch). The fluke on the other hand was excellent. Very similar to a Hamachi with Yuzu at a Japanese restaurant, the fluke was fresh, and worked very well with the celery for crunch and charred jalapeno for heat.

Next on the menu was their version of the Peking sandwich… the Deep Fried Duck Leg sliders.

Deep fired duck leg sliders

Another really good dish accompanied by some awesome pickles. The duck was extremely flavorful and just enough hoisin to round out the taste buds.

Next up the Korean Fried Chicken Wings! Fried twice for good measure and crunch, with hot & sweet sauce smothered all over it.

Korean fried chicken wings

The wings itself were good but didn’t necessarily stand out from any other good Korean chicken wings, but when you include the kimchi, that is what sets it apart.

The last dish out of the medium plates we ordered was by far the best… the Long Hot Ramen!!!

Ramen covered with nori powder

This is not your traditional ramen. It included pickled peppers and huge soft boiled egg and completely covered in nori powder. It may not look the most appetizing when it comes out with copious amounts of nori to the point that you cannot even tell if there is anything else in the bowl. But breaking up the egg and seeing the soft yellow center ooze out in contrast to the green nori powder - you start to get the idea. Mixing it all up, dividing it among the 3 of us we dove right in not sure exactly how this would taste. It was definitely the best dish so far. I could have eaten an entire bowl of this stuff. The ramen was perfectly cooked and the nori was in fact not overpowering as I was expecting, making this an excellent bowl of ramen.

Having just enjoyed our 5 dishes, we all felt content. But, maybe we could eat just a bit more? As we
decided on what that may be another round of drinks was also on the cards. Nicole and Vera figured out what they wanted, but I couldn’t make up my mind. Mostly due to the fact that I really wanted to keep drinking more whiskey cocktails and they only had the 1 on the menu. Chatting up our server, I learnt that she is also one of the head bartenders at the restaurant and in fact the Rye drink I had just had was her concoction. It took some convincing but I was able to get her to agree to make me another whiskey based drink of her own. I half expected a Manhattan or a twist on it, all the while thinking what a pain the ass I really was! ;) But to my surprise, she actually did come up with a completely new cocktail that was excellent and took the time to let me know what it included. Unfortunately I do not remember the ingredients now but that whole experience on the second cocktail definitely left a good impression.

Although on the downside Nicole had to wait a long time for her drink and when our server realized she hadn’t yet gotten it, she took it upon herself to go to the bar and make it herself. Another good impression to make up for the delay!

Back to the food and we decided to go all out… this is the 2Girls1Street visit to Serpico after all!
We ordered the special menu item of the huge serving of dry aged Sirloin that came with brussels sprouts.

Dry aged Sirloin

The accompaniment as per the other dishes was really good, the Sirloin itself however, very
disappointing. For $75 that was not worth it at all. If that is on the menu avoid it at all costs. We couldn’t finish it as we got full in the end, but it didn’t help that we were all not overly enthralled by the meat.

After finishing our meal, we lingered around enjoying our cocktails while we also waited for the other 2 parties to finish. It was 9:15pm at this time. For a 6:30pm seating we were now holding up the next reservation. The manager came over and requested if we would take a seat at the bar instead. He then asked the bar tender to “take care of us”, who poured 3 shots of craft liquors that they use in their cocktails. I don’t remember but as Vera and Nicole left, I finished all of them!! Of course I did!

3 shots at the bar

While I then waited for the last group to finish up, the couple next to me at the bar then had an extra 10-Year Tawny Port that they then offered me since they were going to get seated for dinner and why would you drink Port before dinner?!? And yes, I finished that as well!!!  That is how I spent a lot of time at the cool bar top!!

All-in-all a very good experience and will definitely go again, sit at the kitchen counter, definitely not order any special sirloin and enjoy some awesome ramen!

Cheers!

#59 Serpico - Ari's synopsis

So Stephen Starr’s overplayed in Philly. The hype for this place comes entirely from ramen. Is this going to be Momofuku-inspired? Not sure how strong the association is there. Never been there anyways, and the cookbook intimidates me. A good broth is serious art.

Duck leg appetizer

The front is nondescript. Out of place for that part of South Street. It’s a tourist destination, you have to be visible. So why do you choose that corner? Good spot if you want heavy foot traffic, though it’s not like you’re near theaters or that sort of area. The bar never looked too busy anyways. Forward-looking? Tried looking up property prices, gave up.

Fluke

The food was a mix. Started with the fluke. Delicious. Just a hint of acidity (lemon?) and perfect texture. Might have been one of my favorite dishes of the night. Duck leg: Excellent. Nothing unique, but I liked the presentation. Good bun. Hoisin sauce was nice. Nothing wrong with it. But nothing really unique here. The bean and meat dish? Bland. Might have just needed salt (which all ended up in my entree). No real distinct texture (the beans a little? but they were soft) and the flavors ended up too blended together. Entrees: Trout. Salty. I assume it’s from the way it’s prepared, understandable. Probably should be paired with something that absorbs the flavor a bit better though.  The crab underneath was delicious. Potatoes added good texture, but the sauce was heavy enough that I couldn’t taste them at all (for the better, I got the sense they were bland). The crab and potato was a great mix, but wasn't the right accompaniment for the trout. Roe: Roe’s always good. And it looked nice on the fish. Other entrees: I think they were good? Don’t remember. Sam’s thing had good mushrooms. Steak: Amazing salt, some of the best I’ve ever had. Think the steak was good, don’t remember too well. It was aged. Desserts: Sugar is good. None of them were super memorable though. Would go back eventually.

Trout + roe

Serpico

604 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 925-3001

#57 Olympia II and #58 Cafe Bean - Sandy's synopsis

I wonder where Olympia I is. Actually I don't anymore, because my experience here was very mediocre. They do, as advertised, sell cheese pizzas by the slice as well as other pies. They also sell Greek food like gyro's and souvlaki's as well as american sandwiches. Basically they sell generic truck food and pizza. Not to diss trucks, I love truck food and would rather go to a truck than eat at Olympia II. 

So to kick off our experience, I decided to order some Greek food and try what I assume is their specialty. The elderly lady behind the counter taking our order was very contrite and managed to look at everything, even puppies I'm sure, disapprovingly. 

I ordered the Chicken souvlaki and a soda. While we waited for our order at a booth, a younger person came out of the restroom and took over the counter. He was much more jovial and would definitely look approvingly at puppies. I noticed the elderly lady was doing most of the cooking while the younger chap managed other things. A family establishment perhaps?

This photo looks very cute to me. Is food allowed to look cute?

The souvlaki was okay, nothing spectacular. It was at this time, while we ate our mediocre food that Sam noticed these vending machines that give you junk in balls for 25 cents. I'm sure there is a better way to phrase that.The highlight of my time at Olympia II was exploring these machines and re-living the American childhood I never had. 

Bling

After Olympia II, we sauntered across the street to Cafe Bean. It is a small coffee shop with about 7-8 tables. They have a large variety of flavours to add to your coffee and a small selection of food. The highlight of Cafe Bean though is their Star Wars Diorama. Yes, they have a Star Wars diorama that even included an over-sized Salacious B Crumb and it is awesome. He should be a mascot for a bakery or something with a last name like that.

Coming back to the food - I ordered a mint latte and shared the banana bread with Sam. The latte was delicious and the banana bread was forgettable. 

Will I come back here? Probably. Considering its' proximity to my house and the fact that I can drink good coffee surrounded by Star Wars characters (an ambiance few can say they achieve), it is a win in my book.

Olympia II

616 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

215-592-6574

Cafe Bean

615 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

215-629-2250

  

#57 Olympia II & #58 The Bean Café - Sam's synopsis

the bane of my
saturday afternoon

With so many restaurants on this block, we were bound to have a two-for-one event eventually, so we decided to combine the coffee shop and the pizza place into one outing (seems logical, right?). First up was Olympia II, a pizza/Greek joint that feels like it belongs in the late 90s. Do you remember those machines that you would put $1-2 worth of quarters into and get out sweet sparkly stickers and/or temporary tattoos? Those still exist, and they had multiple ones to choose from. They also have your standard quarter vending machines, which I suppose still exist in malls and grocery stores, but really seemed to have reached their zenith during my childhood. In fact, I got pretty excited about these machines and got $2 worth of bling - although the first item I received was just a chain with NOTHING ON IT. That wasn't even one of the advertised products! I wanted the necklace with the fake gun on it. Of course I had to try again - this time I got a slightly longer chain with an undetermined item on it. It might consist of daggers, swords, poison vials, or cigars. The world may never know, and now it's sitting beside my bed because of course the chain broke within the first 3 hours of me purchasing it. Some things never change. Maybe I should have gone for a sticker instead.

$$$BLINGBLING$$$

On top of the vending machines, the 90s vibe was furthered by the tacky trays our food was sometimes served on (I did not get a tray sadly), the faded decorations, and the overall layout of the restaurant. I got a lunch special which consisted of 2 slices of cheese pizza and a fountain soda for about $6, which isn't a bad deal. The pizza was alright. It wasn't terrible, but not that flavorful and the crust was pretty bland. Adding salt and dipping the crust in the leftover pizza grease helped a bit. The staff was a mix between slightly annoyed at customers and cheerful, and the customer base consisted of what looked like regulars and college sports players. I don't think I'd go out of my way to return here again.

After our lunch, we crossed the street and entered the Bean Café. The first thing that Sandya pointed out was a large glass display box filled with Star Wars figurines arranged in a scene that somewhat mimicked events on Tatooine. The walls were covered with photographs for sale that had scenes of various comic book/cartoon character figurines in some interesting poses. They had a couple of Pokemon ones, but I think my favorite was of Aquaman with a surfboard with his back to us, looking (presumably) longingly at the water. They also had a few random phone charms for sale - I was particularly excited to see a character from Barbapapa. I must confess that my knowledge of this franchise is rather limited, but I do own a small shopping bag with these characters on it that I purchased for $1 at Otakon many years ago. I was attracted to the colors and bizarre concept of some of them turning into airplanes and using each other for transportation. I almost bought said phone charm but in the end decided against it.

dat steamed milk tho

I ordered a chai latte and we decided to split some banana bread. I was pretty meh on both - the banana bread was too dry and not really flavorful. The chai was pretty standard (I enjoyed the copious amounts of steamed milk), but didn't have any defining quality that set it over the edge. They seemed to have some exciting coffee-containing lattes, and the overall vibe of the place was relaxing so I enjoyed that. The bathrooms were covered in graffiti, in what I guarantee is a purposeful manner, and the bathroom I used did have "I <3 SF" written in it, so I'll just go ahead and believe that someone carved that in there about me. So +5 points for stroking my ego Bean Café. Otherwise, I don't think I'd go out of my way to come here again.

Olympia II
616 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 
(215) 592-6574

The Bean Café
615 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 629-2250

#56 Golden Empress Garden - Sam's synopsis

dem walls
dat face (sorry Sandya)

Don't confuse Golden Empress Garden with Empress Garden, the latter being in Chinatown. I was expecting a fiesty short-haired waitress thanks to browsing some Yelp reviews, but alas, it was not meant to be. Instead, we had a friendly young man as our waiter - I should mention this is the first sit-down Chinese restaurant we've encountered, although the menu is pretty much laid out like the flyers for Chinese restaurants you get slipped under your door. Before I even get to the review, I will say that this is flat-out the best Chinese restaurant we've encountered on our saunter - every dish was just fresher and tastier than any of the other places we've been to so far. Also, it had a beautiful interior - seriously the nicest stone walls I have seen in any restaurant on South Street we've encountered so far.

wonton soup

Of course, I ordered the wonton soup as a starter - it's my baseline assessment of any Chinese restaurant. This, again, is the best one I've had so far. It wasn't overly salty and the broth was a bit different than usual - I think it was more vegetable based than chicken based, which went really well with the wontons. The wontons themselves were great too. You know how sometimes wontons from cheap restaurants are kind of waxy and lack any flavor? These ones were nice and chewy, and didn't taste like I was chewing on cardboard. The pork filling was nice too, complemented well with some scallions. We also ordered some fried dumplings as an appetizer, and Erin ordered a scallion pancake which she kindly shared with us. Both were very good - nothing out of this world, but definitely not bland or overly dry.

fried dumplings

I ordered chicken (real, not fake) and broccoli. The reason I mention this is because Golden Empress Garden is slated as being a vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant. They have an entire menu devoted to faux meat items, which is almost as extensive as their meat-friendly menu. I'm pretty sure we ordered food from here during a ~girl's night sleepover~ and it being pretty tasty except for the faux Peking duck (sorry Julie). Sandya got the fake General Tso's chicken, so read her review for comments on that, but it's nice to see a Chinese delivery place that caters to herbivores without being overly obnoxious (see: Pure Fare and/or the juice place we went to that I can't even remember the name of because it was so terrible and overpriced). I enjoyed my meal, and it was even better the next day for leftovers. The meat seemed like better quality than you normally get at these types of restaurants, the vegetables were fresh, and the sauce was not overly salty OMG MSG IN YO FACE. It actually had some flavor to it other than salt - but what that flavor was I couldn't tell you, because my palate is not yet so refined.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon - eating tasty food with friends. In the future, I will be ordering take-out from here when I have a hankerin' for wonton soup. And as an added bonus, we even previewed a future stop by grabbing beers at Woolly Mammouth's afterwards - an even better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Golden Empress Garden
618 South Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 625-6688