Rittenhouse Row: A Foodie’s Paradise

If you found yourself wandering around Center City as an escape from finals around May 3rd, you may have happened upon a transformed and notably tastier Rittenhouse Square. Originally part of an effort to transform the “Rittenhouse Row” area into a chic and desirable destination for Philadelphia’s elite and foodie populations alike, The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival is now dedicated to improving and maintaining the Rittenhouse Square experience. Although the outdoor festival is an annual tradition designed to provide Philadelphians with a taste of the many new and / or established vendors selling their wares in the beautiful downtown area, we had the rare opportunity to avoid the typically 50,000+ crowd and sample some (read: all) of what these 100+ vendors were preparing for the street fair at The Rittenhouse’s Ballroom and Grand Salon earlier this month.

While we would have liked to have shared everything about each of the extensive list of hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches, salads, desserts and even cocktails sampled, we instead decided to offer a few “fantastic four” lists to help you navigate the food frenzy’s highlights.

When it came to the seemingly endless food options, here were our top four picks:

4. Luke’s Lobster: Shrimp Sandwiches
A center city classic, Luke’s Lobster made its appearance at Rittenhouse Row with a variation of its infamous sandwich. Switching out the lobster for baby shrimps, the sandwich was served on a lightly toasted mini-roll and topped with light yet mildly spicy seasoning to provide a satisfying bite. While many guests wondered what happened to the traditional lobster roll, the servers were nonetheless busy making enough mini-sandwiches to satisfy the ravenous crowd throughout the evening.

3. Metro Bakery: Lemon Herb Goat Cheese Crostini w/ Eggplant Caponata
In an effort to highlight some of the more savory offerings in the store, Metro offered Rittenhouse Row attendees a bite of its take on a crostini: the olive-oil glazed sliver of Italian bread was topped with a generous helping of fluffy and creamy goat cheese. Next, the coponata introduced the dish’s primary source of flavor: with hints of fresh herbs and delicate chunks of corn and tomato underscoring the warm smokiness of the eggplant, even one bite of this crostini proved that Metro is not just for those seeking a sweet treat.

2. DiBruno Brothers: Specialty Platters
A Philadelphia classic, Di Bruno Brothers epitomizes the philosophy that no meal is complete without cheese; with platters replete with charcuterie, house-made spreads and a variety of fresh and dried fruits to complete their four featured cheeses, this station was an event favorite. Cheeses included: a pleasantly piquant sharp Provolone, a sweet and nutty aged Gouda, a mild, French cheddar-like Cantal, and a dry and salty Pecorino.

1. Marathon Grill: Farm Fresh Salad
Featuring a delightfully light and refreshing blend of baby kale, quinoa, feta cheese and roasted beets, we learned that Marathon was testing a new genre of creative yet healthy combinations at Rittenhouse Row. With the cool and smooth texture of the beets complimenting the slightly crunchy quinoa and the feta’s salty accent contrasting the kale’s bitterness, this dish was well-rounded and popular throughout the evening.

If you’re more into desserts or the sweeter delights, here are our top four recommendations for you:

4. Craft Caramels by Lill: Caramel Sauce + Bites
Craft Caramels by Lill is the greatest thing you’ve never seen, as they have no brick and mortar location just yet. However, their apple cider caramel sauce certainly deserves one. Created by a former journalist turned restless housewife using creativity in the kitchen the “Naked” sauce was rich and flavorful (it’s accented by real apple cider!) but also offered an ideal amount of sweetness within its creamy folds. Other flavor combinations – which were unique but did not sacrifice the pureness of the “Naked” version – included Anise Licorice, Rosewater Cardamom and Bacon Habanero.

3. Termini Bakery: Ricotta-Stuffed Cannoli
Termini Bakery’s cannoli was everything one could desire from a cannoli. Filled as guests approached the table to best preserve the crispness of fresh shells, the generous yet light and airy cream, mixed with bits of chocolate chip provided a nourishing and textured balance between indulgent and simply scrumptious. We may have had to go back for more on this one…

2. Lacroix: Coconut Floating Island with Guava Lime Curd
If the name of this dessert is confusing or obscure, it’s because of the creativity of this Rittenhouse-based restaurant’s pastry chef Tova du Plessis. As she told us while she created personalized desserts for each of us, this unique concoction was entirely her imagining. Indeed, watching the creation of the floating island was half the fun: the treat consisted of a meringue-like textured foam first injected with the citrusy curd, then dropped into liquid nitrogen and artfully rotated until frozen solid. From the first bite, the cross-section of the island’s shell-like surface contrasted with the smooth, creamy interior.

1. The Continental Mid-Town: Nutella Tart
The Steven Starr favorite made an appearance with a new dessert concoction: a filling of creamy, whipped Nutella ganache and crunchy hazelnut praline topping inside cookie crust. While it hasn’t quite made it to their menu yet, it was definitely a winner and offered a much more complex combination of flavors than the Vanilla Panna Cotta with balsalmic strawberries offered beside it.

And lastly, whether you’re looking for a refreshing beverage to accompany the multitude of dishes offered at Rittenhouse Row or you’re seeking the perfect happy-hour destination in the Rittenhouse area, here were our top 5 favorite cocktails and drinks from the evening. Because the appeal of these cocktails was as much in their presentation as in their taste (and also because many of the drink recipes are well-guarded secrets), we’ll let pictures do most of the speaking.

4. Lacroix: Green “Groothie” w/ Cupcake Prosecco
Intended to provide the hotel’s spa-goers with a refreshing fruit- and vegetable-based smoothie to indulge in while relaxing, this version (with Cupcake Prosecco) featured a bubbly sensation to enliven the otherwise cool and uber-healthy beverage.

3. Whisper: White Hot Summer
Drinks are always equal part strong and sumptuous at Whisper; this cocktail was no exception. With fruity elements, a hint of lemon and lime and a sprig of basil mixed to temper Captain Morgan’s White Rum, this beverage was surprisingly bold but undeniably satisfying.

2. Ranstead Room: Snap Dragon
Although it appears scant and simple, this creative cocktail was crafted by a bartender who explained that it was the result of serious experimentation and careful customer research. As he explained Ranstead’s approach to “bartender’s choice” (an expertise acquired after years of experience and a tendency to encourage experimentation), he blended lemon, white rum, Liqueur 43, and Cointreau to craft this cocktail. Because one cannot expect anything less than subtle extravagance and sleek innovation from Ranstead, the Snap Dragon’s dessert-like essence was boldly rounded out with a spray of allspice dram.

1. Devon: Beach Bum
Despite the creative combinations and stunning complexities of the many drinks offered at Rittenhouse Row, Devon’s Smirnoff-based beverage swept the house – or, perhaps more fitting, the beach. If the pineapple accents don’t invoke the pina colada-like sensations of this drink, the description should help: pineapple juice first mellows the pungency of the flavored vodka before the whipped cream topping adds a creaminess which fits with the sweetness of the pineapple.

If the highlights above weren’t tempting enough for your palate, be sure to mark your calendars for next year: this event is a spring tradition in the city of Brotherly Love, and the outdoor version offers fashion, music, and other entertainment (photo booths, games, raffles, giveaways and more!) as well. With samples as well as reasonably-priced bites from over 100 vendors, a few of the city’s infamous food trucks, and even some of Philadelphia’s most renowned chefs, this event has something for everyone.

–Priya Ramchandra and Victoria Sakal