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Arthur Eitchells isn’t shy about how the 50 Best Bars list came about.
It’s “completely stolen from Philly Weekly,” the Philadelphia Magazine staffer and Foobooz.com editor explained, citing a March 2008 list by the South Philly Review’s sister publication as the inspiration, adding he contributed some picks to it. “They got a lot of grief from advertisers, so they never did it again. I was doing Foobooz as a hobby, and I had no advertisers to lose. So I decided to recreate it in the same spirit by pulling writers and noted people with good livers.”
The ’14 list, the sixth iteration was published earlier this month, is quite South Philly-friendly. Eighteen of the 50 bars are in the neighborhood, and nine of the top 20 are here, too.
Topping the list is Rittenhouse’s Pub & Kitchen, but numbers two through four are Point Breeze and Pennsport staples: American Sardine Bar, 1800 Federal St.; The Industry, 1401 E. Moyamensing Ave.; and South Philadelphia Tap Room, 1509 Mifflin St., accordingly.
“We were very very happy. That one is pretty cool — two in the top five feels pretty good,” Scott Schroeder, the head chef at American Sardine Bar and South Philly Tap Room (the latter has been on the list every year), said. “We definitely work hard at being a neighborhood spot. That’s our goal. We talk about it. We’re a part of the neighborhood, grew with the neighborhood and, in general, adjust to the neighborhood, and that was sort of the same concept with Sardine Bar.”
The Tap Room opened 11 years ago, and Schroeder came on board six years ago. He works closely with Mark Regan to staff both kitchens and keep creative dishes on both menus.
“We don’t have any approach that’s different – we’re not very modern or anything. All we try to do is use good ingredients that we can use and afford,” Schroeder explained, noting that expensive dishes don’t always mean great dishes. “I eat at high-end restaurants and the simplest stuff is always the best thing on the menu.”
The Good King Tavern, 614 S. Seventh St., is a newbie to Queen Village and the list, and pulled in a number nine ranking in a year’s time.
“It was a total surprise. We had no idea it was coming,” Chloe Grigri, an Urban Outfitters Philadelphia Navy Yard refugee who opened her French-inspired bar with her father said. “My dad and I have talked about opening our restaurant for a really long time,” with her dad’s childhood in Aix-en-Provence providing the culinary inspiration. “That’s where the concept for the food and wine and drinks originated from, as well as the space itself, and how we kind of re-imagined this charming old building.
“I love this neighborhood. It’s a nice pit-stop for industry people on their way home.”
She called on Paul Lyons, who had helped with the opening of Habanero and Barbuzzo in Center City to manage the kitchen.
“One thing led to another and now we’re a fully-functioning restaurant coming up on our one-year anniversary,” Grigri said.
Devil’s Den, 1148 S. 11th St. (No. 15), Brauhaus Schmitz, 718 South St. (No. 16), Southwark, 701 S. Fourth St. (No. 17), Royal Tavern, 937 E. Passyunk Ave. (No. 18) and Garage, 1231-1233 E. Passyunk Ave., (No. 19) round out the top 20.
“A restaurant opens every week in Philly now,” Kip Waide, who owns Southwark with his partner, Sheri, said. “What wasn’t happening 10 years ago was that no one had cocktail bars back then. We serve awesome farm-to-table food and we happen to have a bar,” but noted that the “farm-to-table” tag is just a reflection of how carefully they source their produce and proteins. “You pay more for food, and you’re limiting yourself by cooking in season. We don’t have tomatoes now, or strawberries or asparagus,” he admitted, but added that with “any restaurant of quality, it’s a given that you’re not serving strawberries in winter.”
He noted that South Philly Review Restaurant Reviewer Phyllis Stein-Novak gave his Queen Village mainstay three toques just before Craig LeBan gave him three bells.
“She beat him to the punch, actually,” he said.
Passyunk Square got represented by Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St. (No. 26), Townsend, 1623 E. Passyunk Ave. (No. 32), Fountain Porter, 1601 S. 10th St. (No. 34), Stateside, 1536 E. Passyunk Ave. (No. 42), and Pub on Passyunk East, 1501 E. Passyunk Ave. (No. 49). South of South’s Grace Tavern, 2229 Grays Ferry Ave., (No. 24) Sidecar Bar & Grille, 2201 Christian St. (No. 44) and Bob & Barbara’s, 1509 South St., (No. 23) fared well, with Bella Vista’s Percy Street Barbecue, 900 South St., (No. 28) earning a nod, too.
“The only criteria is that you rank your 10 favorite bars. That’s the only point that I stress — that you actually go there,” Eitchells said.
He added the list “speaks to where people are going. A couple hot areas, I feel, are in South Philly, which is reflected in the list.”
Places like Devil’s Den and Royal Tavern, he said, “those are the places that you go because they’re kind of an extension of your house and you wanna hang out there.”
Schroeder, a Whitman resident of South Fourth and Wolf streets, said South Philly is the place to be.
“I love South Philly. I live down here and work down here. I don’t spend too much time north of Washington,” he joked, adding: “We still have some space to grow down here. and Point Breeze is starting to go places and Pennsport’s starting to go places.”
If this list is any indication, he’s right.
Staff Writer Bill Chenevert at bchenevert@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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