In July I was informed that as a traveling foodie, I should definitely check out Philadelphia’s food scene. I was at first confused, as I had never heard of Philadelphia as a top food destination, but had known it has some famous things like Philly Cheesesteaks or many Amish / Pennsylvania Dutch foods. But I was told Philadelphia truly is a hidden gem of a food city, showcasing a wide array of fantastic ethnic foods from around the world, reimagined or elevated American classics and regional / historic Northeast specialities. Boy, it did not disappoint, and I think after a 3 night trip, I barely scratched the surface. Oh did I mention its all at a fraction of the cost of its more well known neighbors NYC and DC? Yeah, so even better!

One restaurant that I was told I must go try was Friday Saturday Sunday. Located just off the bustling Rittenhouse Square, in a corner townhouse. First floor is a bar, ranked amongst top bars in the city, where you can enjoy great drinks, do walk-in seating for the upstairs tasting menu or order from a lighter a la carte menu. Upstairs is the main dining room. Reservations go fairly quick, I would say about 1-2 weeks out, so be sure to book online through Resy, credit card required at time of booking. If not, walk-in for a seat at the bar, go early or right when they open at 5PM and try and avoid Friday nights, their busiest night of the week.

At USD $130 for an 8 course tasting menu, it is quite worth it in my opinion. Given the quality and portion sizes you get. The service is wonderful. Friendly, welcoming and strikes a nice balance of casual but still sophisticated. It embodies American hospitality in my opinion. Though my waitress I think could have been a tad better, I was not offered a wine pairing program (not listed on menu), but did overhear a waiter offer it to another table nearby. There is also no dress code, all are welcome and all treated the same. Food is as the website says “seasonally inspired and rooted in classics with each dish bearing its own mark of creativity.” Indeed they achieve just that. The menu rotates and changes based on what is available, and indeed there are some classic dishes here that have a bit of a twist. The dishes are a mix of various cuisines, with a dash of local ingredients and American identity. Cocktails and wines are also great here. Cocktails definitely very creative and the bartenders downstairs are super fun.

I was very impressed. From start to finish, each dish was great. The stand out to me is probably the Sweetbread, I have never in my life had such an incredibly tasting sweetbread. Fried to perfection, not a hint of gaminess and just down right tasty.

The Meal

Being Frank cocktail: Vermouth, botanist gin, passionfruit liqueur, laphroaig, besk, rosemary. Boozy, balanced, refreshing. Very good. Smoky but the citrus and sweetness of the passion fruit cuts through and rounds it out

Tuna crudo, royal ossetra caviar, manzano pepper, sabayon

Just look at those defined layers! Lots going on texturally here.

Summer vegetables, lovage, hibiscus sorbet, ricotta, so refreshing

Homemade squid ink Gemelli pasta with scallop XO sauce, fruits de mer (squid, clams), pork lard

Sweetbreads: mushroom, plantains, poached egg. The most incredible dish of the night. The best sweetbreads I have ever had in my life, tasted like Chicken McNuggets or  Taiwanese salted fried chicken popcorn (鹽酥雞). And that plantain for a touch of earthy sweetness.

Fish: forget what kind, pea greens, grilled leek, coconut. Very thai tasting, quite good

Grilled quail: pate, coco bread. Very flavorful, albeit a tad on the salty side.

BBQ Lamb Cheek, chermoula, yam, very tender, melt in your mouth, no lamb taste at all

Semifreddo, bay leaf, verjus, feuiletine, fermented tomato

chocolate cannele

Assasin’s Handbook: cognac, jamaican rum, averna, mulledwine shrub, habanero. Spicy and delicious

I also had a glass of lovely albeit a tad quirky Slovenian Rose and Lebanese Bekka Valley red to pair with my meal.

Over all an eye-opening meal, honestly. Partly because I just never thought Philadelphia would be a place I’d have such a wonderful, good value meal with that amazing sweetbread, but also because well, yes those sweetbreads. The chef and team here are doing really neat things to redefine American fine dining in my opinion, and to show that you can do so without being stuffy or pretentious. You can reinvent while staying classic.

Friday Saturday Sunday

https://www.fridaysaturdaysunday.com/

261 S 21st St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Wed-Sun 5PM-11PM

Walk-ins available for bar seating

Bon Apetite!

TheGastronomicTraveler