Voted a Top 10 Foodie Street in America by Food & Wine Magazine, East Passyunk Avenue presents another year of its best foodie event, Flavors of the Avenue. More than twenty of South Philly’s most talked about restaurants are opening their doors to you this spring on Saturday, April 26th from 12 – 4 p.m. Get a taste from many award-winning chefs and restaurants including last season’s Top Chef winner, Nicholas Elmi.
Philly PR Girl was delighted to take a peek at the worldly tastes the Avenue has to offer. We stopped by eight tasty locations: Noir, Will BYOB, Le Virtu, Fuel, Ristorante Tre Scalini, Pollyodd, Lucky 13, and Ms. Goody Cupcake. It all culminated with a late night happy hour at the newly remodeled Townsend Philly.
We kicked off the night with refreshing watermelon and feta salad and rich arancini at Noir. Flavors of the Avenue sponsor, Skinny Girl, provided their low-calorie wine to wash it all down (which happily made us feel less guilty). Hopping right next door to Will BYOB, we were enthralled with the intimate ambiance and the beautifully arranged dish prepared for us. Orchid root powder and olives were artfully presented with a deep green pea soup that was poured in tableside. There was certainly no lack of color in our appetizers!
Further along the avenue, Le Virtu welcomed us with a friendly environment and chewy porchetta. Paired with veggies, it was the perfect combination of textures to start our entree tasting. Afterwards we went to Fuel, which we have claimed as the mecca of flatbreads. First, we cleansed our palettes with a refreshing “Hulk” juice, which was sweet and tangy. More guilt-free options were available as we sampled the T.B.M. and portabella mushroom flatbreads, which are both under 500 calories and can be made gluten-free. Topping off our entrees at the gorgeous Ristorante Tre Scalini, we devoured some trippa in unido, an Italian delicacy!
Our tour took a crazy turn at Pollyodd, the first ever non-PLCB retail liquor store in the state of Pennsylvania. We mingled and laughed with Joan Verratti, the CEO and President of the first distillery in the United States to be owned by a female. Pollyodd offers 10 flavors of cello, 5 water-based and 5 creams. Joan made us feel like family with her heart-warming business inspiration and eccentric personality. (More on Joan’s story here.)
Before our night ended, we couldn’t pass up on some local bar action at Lucky 13 Pub. Crispy buffalo tempeh was a surprisingly delightful vegan chicken-alternative. Followed with some Cincinnati 6-way (penne, chili, sour cream, and cheese galore), we were happily waddling our way to the after party. Our preview of the brand new Townsend space was truly gorgeous in its architecture and details. We can’t wait to see the finished product and taste their menu. Dessert at Townsend was provided by Ms. Goody Cupcakes that had a celebratory shot of liquor in them! Accompanied by the sangria and blackberry white-whiskey cocktails, it was a sweet way to end the night.
Tickets for this event are now sold out, so next time, be sure to hustle to attend this foodie-favorite event. East Passyunk Ave restaurants and shops will still be open for business though, so you can still enjoy some of the finest Philly foods. Follow East Passyunk Ave on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Bon appetit!
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