The Endless Road Trip: Philadelphia’s Top 10 Eats 8. A Plate of Cheese and a Pail of Grapes
Sometimes it takes more than just a glass of wine. Actually, for us over at ES it usually takes a bottle (or two). But why have a bottle when you can have a bucket?
Trekking around Philly can be exhausting, but luckily there are no shortage of BYOBs where you can put your feet up. Based on several strong recommendations, we ventured to Wedge + Fig, a gem of a market-cum-restaurant in Old City. If the weather is right, head thru the side door and walk down the exposed brick walkway to a secret courtyard at the rear of the market — it really isn’t a secret but you’d be forgiven for thinking so — here you’ll forget about your day and find yourself enamored with the tall walls, rusting fire escape and silence of the city. Oh yeah, and the cheese.
The menu is simple: tell the kitchen what kind of wine you brought and they’ll pick the cheese and meats. The nearest wine shop, Pinot Boutique had a display of Pardocx Vineyard’s paint cans full of paint cans full of wine, and obviously we couldn’t resist. Despite our klassy choice, the folks at Wedge + Fig were still nice enough to pick out a matching cheese plate for us:
I always feel guilty in a BYOB — they’re not making money on the alcohol so I tend to order more food to make up for it. This occasion was no different. A bacon lattice mac ‘n’ cheese pie, say what? Yes please.
Unfortunately, it was a dream quickly dashed, as our waiter returned with a “We’re sorry, we’ve sold out of the bacon mac pie.” Sensing that she had trampled on our hopes, she followed up with a “Would you take a plate of mac, some bacon, and a mini pumpkin pie instead?” Hell yes we would!
You see, these BYOBs love their customers as much as we love them and they are constantly striving to impress. They want you to return, they need you to return, and I’ll be sure to the next time I’m in Philly.
