<p>We’re visiting D2 who goes to college in the area next weekend. She’s got a commitment on Saturday from 10-2:30pm, so Dh and I were looking for touristy things to do. We’ve been to the Philadelphia Art Museum (saw the Frieda Kahlo exhibit). We like art museums and art galleries and like to walk. We’re planning on taking D2 and friends to the White Dog Cafe for dinner, but any restaurant recommendations are welcome too.</p>
<p>If you like Rodin’s work, the Rodin Museum has one of the largest collections outside of France. The gardens are not at their best this time of year, but the museum is very good.</p>
<p>The museum at the PA Academy of the Fine Arts has a lot of works by 19th and 20th century American artists, with changing feature exhibits.</p>
<p>Mutter Museum. Franklin Institute. Barnes Foundation Museum.</p>
<p>The Barnes Foundation is a must-see for any art lover during one of your trips. It usually takes making reservations a month or so in advance.</p>
<p>I have a restaurant recommendation in Philadelphia, Iron Chef Morimoto’s restaurant downtown:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/]Morimoto[/url”>http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/]Morimoto[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Taking the experience as a whole, it was the most amazing restaurant experience I’ve ever had. Fabulous decor. Fabulous service. Fabulous food.</p>
<p>Well, I went to Constitution Hall…really enjoyed seeing those rooms…and I also went to Ben Franklin’s grave…was deeply moved by the engraving on his son’s marker… how “he was a delight to all who knew him” since he died at the age of 4…still brings tears to my eyes even as I type this… I also went thru Dolly Madison’s home… which was interesting…all of the above is doable in the time frame you mention…I took the subway to the Constitution Hall area and walked the rest of the time… stayed at the Radisson, their corporate rates are best I have seen in a long time for a city location. No restaurant recommendations… but, I did enjoy the city very much…</p>
<p>Other posters have already given you some good in-Philly suggestions. I’d add just walking around the South Street area, too.</p>
<p>Not sure where “in the area” your D’s school is, but Brandywine/Chadds Ford might be a different destination for you, either this time or on another visit. The Brandywine Museum (aka the Wyeth Museum) is a small gem. (Longwood Gardens & Winterthur are nearby, too.) We’re fans of the Simon Pearce forge/store/restaurant - not so much for dragging our college D and/or friends to, but for taking small S2 to watch glassblowing, and then doing holiday shopping in the retail store, which also has seconds.</p>
<p>I second the Barnes…and quick, before it moves. You might need reservations though. Close by White Dog are the Penn archeology museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Even though you’ve already been to the Art Museum – there’s a wonderful show there now on the Gees Bend quilts, if that would be to your liking.</p>
<p>You could go to Reading Terminal Market for a late breakfast or lunch or just to take it in. Always one of my favorite Philadelphia things!</p>
<p>Go to the lobby of the new [Comcast</a> Center](<a href=“http://www.gophila.com/c/philly_favorites/380/u/the_comcast_center/2966.html]Comcast”>http://www.gophila.com/c/philly_favorites/380/u/the_comcast_center/2966.html) at 17th and JFK and see the huge video screen - it’s pretty amazing. Then go downstairs, where there’s a terrific food court.</p>
<p>Barnes Foundation is interesting though to be honest - I think it has the largest collection of hideous Renoirs I have ever seen! I loved the Franklin Institute and so did our boys.</p>
<p>We have to eat BBQ everywhere we go, and found Sweet Lucy’s
Smoke House to be very good.</p>
<p>If you want to go back to the Art Museum, everyone loves the Gee’s Bend exhibit there now (a particular community of African-American quiltmakers in Alabama). If you are around Penn, you could check out the University Museum (mainly Egyptology, and lots of Northwest Indians, other anthropological/archaelogical stuff) and/or the Institute of Contemporary Art (current R. Crumb retrospective Really Take You Back, if you are A Certain Age).</p>
<p>If you can get Barnes tickets, though, and like art, do that. Maybe your last chance to see the original setting.</p>
<p>If you’ve never been to the Italian Market, that’s worth a few hours on a Saturday morning, and it’s at its best then. Basically, the area around 9th and Washington in South Philadephia.</p>
<p>White Dog is OK. If you want to be a little hipper in the same area, you could try to get reservations at Distrito (new small-plate super-cool kinda-Mexican restaurant recently opened by Philly’s second-hottest chef/second-hottest restaurant entrepreneur – second to different people in each category. But lots of luck getting a reservation.) or Marigold Kitchen (excellent high-end BYOB at 45th and Cedar). Also about a block from the White Dog is Pod, which is owned by the same group that owns Morimoto (he’s the hottest restaurant entrepreneur), and from which the Morimoto decor interresteddad loves was lifted. It’s not as fabulous as Morimoto, but it’s not as fabulously expensive, either, and it’s pretty good. My kids would choose Pod (hypermodern vibe, Asian-fusion cooking) over the White Dog (Americana, Another Mother For Peace) any day.</p>
<p>Farther afield: Our current faves are Tinto and Amado (the other, similar restaurants founded by the Distrito guy, Jose Garces), Osteria (high-end Italian in a marginal location on North Broad), Table 31 (bistro/steakhouse for businessmen by the founder of too-haut Le Bec-Fin). Morimoto is great, as are almost all of Steven Starr’s restaurants (Buddakan, Alma de Cuba, Butcher & Singer, El Vez, Continental Midtown, New Continental, Tangerine, Parc). High theatrical value. For a great ratio of quality and entertainment to price, the Continental Midtown can’t be beat, and young adults love it.</p>
<p>The essential Philly restaurant experience of the moment is a great, teeny BYOB that a young chef opened for a song in a storefront to make his bones before asking people to invest $2-$3 million in a destination restaurant. In addition to Marigold Kitchen, noted above, some great ones right now are James, Mercato, Pumpkin, Zahav, Matyson, Tiffin.</p>
<p>If you haven’t eaten in a week or two (or don’t plan to), or if you want to take Pritikin to the utmost, Foga de Chao, a Brazilian chain restaurant, is a great choice. You sit there, and people come by and put different kinds of meat on your plate until you beg them to stop. You have to beg them a lot before they stop. Most if it tastes wonderful. You can have some vegetables or salad if you insist. </p>
<p>Or you could go the traditional South Philly route, old-fashioned Italian at Ralph’s, Dante i Luigi, Kristian’s, Mezza Luna, Cent’Anni.</p>
<p>Buy a Phillies World Series Champions tshirt and a Philly Phanatic stuffed “animal”.</p>
<p>mathmom – Yes! The Barnes Foundation has more hideous Renoirs than one could possibly imagine! Mixed in with some great Renoirs! If Renoir painted it, Albert Barnes bought it and hung it on some wall. You look at them and wish Barnes had put Renoir on his payroll and told him to burn everything that wasn’t really good.</p>
<p>Luckily, most of Barnes’ other favorite artists were more judicious with what they were willing to sell him.</p>
<p>One could argue whether the Barnes or MOMA has the best collection of French late-19th/early 20th Century art. But the Barnes is so crazy and over-the-top, it really has to be seen to be appreciated.</p>
<p>Another quintessential Philly experience – go to Geno’s Steaks on Passyunk in South Philly. Don’t get a cheesesteak (you can do much better hundreds of other places, like Tony Luke’s on Oregon). But, especially if your kids have grown up believing that Mumia Abu-Jamal was framed, it’s worth contemplating the Memorial Wall to Danny Faulkner, the young cop for whose murder Abu-Jamal was convicted. Just as on CC, there are many sides to every story, and not EVERYONE hates Sarah Palin.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We found out after the fact that Morimoto’s doesn’t have to be hidenously expensive. The portions were larger than expected.</p>
<p>We ordered a sushi platter with four pieces per person, three appetizers (for 3 people), and 3 entrees (for 3 people). We shared everything and could not finish it all.</p>
<p>If I were doing it again, I’d probably skip the sushi platter or one of the entrees and focus on a “medley” of appetizers.</p>
<p>You could easily go there and spend $50 a person (without booze) and have a feast. Expensive, but I’ve spent that at a some restaurants that don’t come close to the wow factor.</p>
<p>The rock shrimp tempura appetizer and the seafood toban yaki entree were two of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I had to buy the cookbook to figure out how to make them.</p>
<p>I second Morimoto…great sushi and the shrimp tempura was the best I’ve ever had…(sorry, better than Nobu.) I think the expensiveness factor depends on if you are with sons or daughters. My hungry boys can pack it away! Another nice casual restaurant either on Wood or York is Radiccio Cafe–BYOB. No reservations. My kids loved Pod (me, not as much). My D loves Buddahkan, and Starr’s newest, Park(my H loves).</p>
<p>Cuba Libra is a fun, very atmospheric Cuban restaurant you might enjoy as well.</p>
<p>The Penn Archeology museum is fascinating & beautiful.</p>
<p>McGillins Old Ale Pub is a fun and inexpensive place to eat. It’s on Drury Street near City Hall.</p>
<p>If you’re not in an “art” mood, a tour of Eastern State Penitentiary is interesting.</p>
<p>Another spot I visited when there in Sept. was the Second Bank of the US…which has an incredible portrait collection of all the early Americans that mattered!! I found the paintings to be just luminous…and if you haven’t gone before, you might enjoy it now. Here is something that describes it, from a web site with 10 places to see while on a walking tour of the Independence Hall area:</p>
<p>[A</a> Walking Tour of Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA](<a href=“http://philadelphia.about.com/od/travel/ss/independence.htm]A”>http://philadelphia.about.com/od/travel/ss/independence.htm)</p>
<p>"As you exit Philosophical Hall, make a left and walk back towards Chestnut Street. Turn right on Chestnut and walk about half way down the block until you come to the Second Bank of the United States. </p>
<p>This building was built between 1819 and 1824, and is one of the finest examples of Greek revival architecture in the United States. The Second Bank was incorporated in 1816 and was one of the most influential financial institutions in the world until 1832, when it became the center of bitter controversy between bank president Nicholas Biddle and President Andrew Jackson. The bank ceased to exist in 1836 after Jackson vetoed the bill to renew its charter. The building continued for a short time to house a banking institution under a Pennsylvania charter. From 1845 to 1935 the building served as the Philadelphia Customs House. </p>
<p>Today the building is home to the “People of Independence” exhibit that includes 185 paintings of Colonial and Federal leaders, military officers, explorers and scientists, including many by Charles Wilson Peale. </p>
<p>The Gallery is open from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free.</p>
<p>Here’s another great site for walking tours:</p>
<p>[The</a> Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia](<a href=“http://www.theconstitutional.com/selfguided/index.php]The”>Self Guided Tours | The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia)</p>