[ food & drink ]
✚ Date Night <<< continued from page 31
No one has ever called Olney the Paris of Philadelphia. ³ RANGOON An exotic tour of Southeast Asia with your main squeeze is the stuff that honeymoon fantasies are made of, but if that’s not in your budget, a trip to this Chinatown Burmese joint is much more affordable. Flavors are out of the ordinary (that thrilling Southeast Asian combo of salty-sour-sweet-spicy) and chardonnay by the glass is $4 for a generous pour. Somehow the salads at Rangoon are the most exciting part of the menu: We’re particularly fond of the deep-fried watercress with flash-fried leaves dressed in a striking blend of basil, chile, lime and mint. 112 N. Ninth St., 215-829-8939, rangoonrestaurant.com. ³ KRAKUS MARKET The old-timey feel of the diner in Port Richmond’s Krakus Market is warm (in a Soviet kind of way?), and there’s something decidedly romantic about sharing a comforting meal here with that someone special. Servings are hearty — think plate-sized potato pancakes and steaming bowls of bigos, a Polish hunter’s stew (that has to be good for virility, right?). Plus, the selection of oversized (and high ABV) bottles of Polish beers ensures that you’ll both get back on the El feeling all warm and fuzzy. 3150 Richmond St., 215-426-4336, krakusmarket.com. ³ THE PUB Full disclosure: We’re apprehensive about sharing our most beloved, super-secret date spot with the public. Sure, there’s a towering neon sign advertising this stuckin-another-era gem in Pennsauken, but still. The Pub is pure magic. Make your way into a massive dining room that feels like Medieval Times — if they had Medieval Times in the ’70s. Drinks come in two varieties: over-thetop girly (mudslides and massive pina coladas) or manly (a Manhattan served with a full shaker in reserve to reup your cocktail). The menu and portions are similarly massive, but a steak plus multiple trips to the endlessly intriguing salad bar is the way to go here. 7600 Kaighns Ave., Pennsauken, N.J., 856-665-6440, thepubnj.com. ³ HONORABLE MENTIONS: Fountain Porter (1601 S. 10th St., 267-324-3910, foun-
tainporter.com) for the best and cheapest burger in town, an A+ beer selection, candlelit vibes and an all-vinyl (we’re pretty sure they’ll say yes to reasonable requests) soundtrack. Nick’s Old Original Roast Beef (2149 S. 20th St., 215-463-4114, nicksroastbeef.com) because roast pork sandwiches plus ice-cold Budweisers and life-changing gravy fries really do put us in the mood. (caroline@citypaper.net) 32 | P H I L A D E L P H I A C I T Y PA P E R |
O C T O B E R 1 7 - O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 | C I T Y PA P E R . N E T