Chuck and I are both originally from Philadelphia. He grew up just across the bridge in South Jersey and moved into Philly right out of high school, and I grew up in the northern burbs, moved around after college, and moved back a few years before meeting Chuck.
We really miss Philly food, there are just some things you can’t get here in Florida.
So recently, I had a client hosting an industry event, who flew me in for the event. I added on an extra night to explore our old stomping grounds in South Philadelphia, and then another on the end to spend with family.
The Bella Vista neighborhood of Philadelphia is in South Philadelphia, south of South Street, and encompassing the iconic Italian Market. So there is fantastic food to enjoy everywhere you look.
Rather than stay in a larger Center City hotel, I chose a quirky boutique hotel called the Philadelphia Hotel Bella Vista. It’s a cluster of townhouses whose owners had an antique shop, and all of the rooms are decorated in unique, curated collectibles.
The hotel offers suites, rooms with private baths and rooms with shared baths.
I chose the City View Room on the third floor, a room with a queen bed, a shared bath, and a shared kitchenette. The room was decorated in a Caribbean vibe, sunny peach-toned walls with ocean blue accents and nautical-themed décor.
The room also had a balcony that overlooked the Center City Philadelphia skyline, while it was a dozen or so blocks off in the distance, it was nice to sit, relax and take in the views.
The hotel was very quiet, once I booked I was emailed an access code for both the front door and my room as well as a phone number and email in case I needed anything.
Italian Market
The hardest part of the trip for me was exploring the Italian Market and knowing I wouldn’t be able to stock up and take much home with me.
The market is now a mixture of Italian, Mexican, and Southeast Asian grocers, stores, and restaurants, so there is a lot to explore.
I made a beeline for Isgro’s Italian Bakery for a freshly filled cannoli. We lived a few blocks away, and this used to be a regular occurrence.
During my 24 hours in Bella Vista, I also had dinner at Ralph’s, the oldest Italian restaurant in the country. A tiny little row house that makes ‘GRAVY”, not sauce has incredible homemade meatballs served with a bit of South Philly attitude and delicious home cooking.
I had delicious lasagna, the rich, dense kind with plenty of ground meat, ricotta cheese, and gravy.
I also came back past Ralph’s the next morning to hit up Sarcone’s, known for their incredible bread and tomato pie.
South Philadelphia tomato pie is different from southern tomato pie, which is more like a quiche with fresh tomatoes. This is expertly made bread dough, baked in a large shallow rectangular pan, and topped with rich, chunky gravy; and a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
It’s AMAZING, and while to some, it resembles a pizza, it’s just not the same.
Old City
Bella Vista is walking distance to historic Old City, and the Independence National Historic Park. I got up early and headed to Old City before the crowds.
I saw children from nearby St Mary’s school walking to go see the Liberty Bell, something I think I last did when I was about their age. So, I ducked in and looked on in awe like I had years before.
I wandered around Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, the First Bank of the United States, and the new Museum of the American Revolution.
More Time
Even though we were both raised in the city, we have talked about heading back for a week to just explore new restaurants, eat some iconic foods at little hole-in-the-wall places, and see some new museums and historical sites we hadn’t explored in ages.
Be sure to check back to find out about my visit with two fantastic foodie friends impacting the Philly food scene.
We really need to take a trip to Philly- it’s close enough for a weekend trip but we’ve never been!
There’s so much to see and do and the food is incredible!
Reading this before bedtime and all this talking about food made my mouth water, ha ha! I’ve never heard of tomato pie before, but it sounds delicious! However, if I had to choose, I’d definitely try that lasagna. That looks and sounds sooooo delicious!!
Tomato Pie is probably one of Mark’s all-time favorites. (He’s a pizza junky) – in the southern US, they make a tomato pie that is more of a quiche. Do NOT be fooled by imitations. LOL
Reading your post reminded me on my US road trip some years back! I always wanted to try the Philly Cheesesteak back then but never got the chance! Mmm looks like you made me hungry! 😉
You have to try a really Philly Cheesesteak! We’ve had too many bad imitations across the country.
Sounds like you had a great time revisiting your old stomping grounds.
It was great to be back home with time to explore!
Philadelphia is such a beautiful town and yes, there is so much more to see and do than just the fantastic historic downtown area. For me as a history buff, I am still fascinated by the history of the place.
This looks really cool, especially the Italian Market. Philadelphia is definitely on my bucket list.
It’s worth the trip, the history, food, and art make for a wonderful trip.
Being a foodie myself, whenever I visit a new city, I always look for popular eateries recommended by locals. And when you are in your hometown after a long time, its always a good idea to check the old food junction to re-live to memories from past.
The Philly food scene has taken off in the last few years since we moved. While there are great old favorites there is a ton to explore.
I was in a day trip in Philly and I saw all the main landmarks. I wish I know about the Italian Market when I was there…
It’s not really far from Old City and a must do if you make it back
With all the restrictions, a drive to Philly sounds very exciting 🙂
I visited Philly last summer and loved it! We mainly visited the Old City area, it was great to finally be able to visit Independence Hall. The Italian Market looks wonderful, I would love to try some of that tomato pie. The pastries look delicious as well. I hope to go back one day (sooner rather than later).
ABSOLUTELY, Philly is so much more than Old City. And there is a ton of scenic beauty out in the suburbs – from mountains to beaches.
I can see why you miss the food there. It seems to be a Mecca! I would head first to the Italy section – look at all those cannolis!
The cannoli are AMAZING we lived right in the Italian Market for a few years and the bakery was too close for comfort.
It’s kind of cool when you grow up somewhere, move away, and then return to see it with new eyes. Was there anything that you noticed now that you don’t remember as a child?
Was the food all as good as you remember? It all looks tasty!
We actually both lived/moved back to Philly as adults and only moved away about 8 years ago… so restaurants have changed but much is still the same. The food was AMAZING, we miss that most living in Florida