Check out some of these fun summer specials at Philadelphia area restaurants!
Il Portico (located at 1519 Walnut Street) in Center City will be offering free grilled pizzas during happy hour (6-8 PM) at the bar beginning in June and continuing through the summer. Choices are: fresh cherry tomato and anchovy, quattro formaggi (four cheese) and Milanese.
Il Tartuffo on (Main Street in Manayunk) will be opening its Grill Bar starting in June and continuing through the weekends all summer. Chefs will be cooking al fresco in front of diners (there are lots of outdoor tables and you can watch the world go by as your food browns).They will be grilling veal chops, lamb chops and wild boar (cinghiale) scaloppina. There will also be skewers of beef, veal, chicken and sausage or seafood skewers made of shrimp, calamari, scallops and salmon.
Washington Square (210 West Washington Square) in Philadelphia. – All summer long, on Sundays guests can enjoy a leisurely afternoon relaxing in the garden’s magical setting, which is unlike anything else in the city. “Sunday barbecues are the perfect way to wind down the weekend,” says Shane Solomon, Chef de Cuisine. “We hope to establish a new tradition with these weekly cookouts.”
Each Sunday, Chef Solomon will set up a grill in front of the restaurant. Guests can enjoy grilled to order items from the new a la carte barbecue menu, which includes: Half Pound Hamburger; Vegetable Kabobs; 10 oz. New York Strip Steak; and Catch of the Day. To accompany these dishes, Washington Square will also offer a selection of side dishes that include: Corn on the Cob; Potato Salad, and Cole Slaw. Guests can also order barbecue items to go.Washington Square also offers Cocktails for Two, which are summer-inspired drinks served in an oversized glass for two, which include: Blue Raspberry, Bacardi Razz, grape juice, Blue Curacao and pineapple juice; Guava Vanilla, Bacardi Vanilla, Malibu Mango, guava juice and fresh lime, among others. Website: www.washingtonsquare-restaurant.com.
Estia is now featuring Greek Nights. Estia (located at 1405 Locust Street) is now adding even more excitement to their authentic Mediterranean experience.On the last Friday of every month, Estia will feature Greek music, dancing and entertainment starting at 10pm. During the festivities, guests can take advantage of an exclusive three course dinner and a glass of red or white wine for $50.
Appetizers include homemade spinach pie stuffed with fresh spinach, feta and leeks or horiatiki salata, a classic Greek salad made with vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives and wood barrel aged feta cheese. Both are served family-style. For dinner, guests can choose a fresh grilled whole fish with ladolemono sauce or lamb chops seasoned with olive oil, lemon & fresh herbs and served with potato tiganites and tzatziki. karidopita, a traditional Greek walnut cake, is served for dessert.
Estia specializes in whole grilled fish, served by the pound, which is flown in from the Greek islands, the shores of Morocco, Tunisia and Portugal. Guests are able to choose their own fresh fish from the restaurant’s expansive displays, and watch chefs cook it to perfection over a charcoal grill. www.estiarestaurant.com
And…..For those with money to “grill” so to speak, Barclay Prime has an amazing offer!
To kick off the grilling season, beginning Memorial Day weekend, Barclay Prime, (237 South 18th Street), will offer guests the opportunity to bring the restaurant home for the ultimate backyard cookout, with the Barclay Prime Deluxe Grilling Package. The posh package, priced at $7,500, includes dinner for ten, with steaks, appetizers, salads, sides and desserts — plus a Viking 30″ Stainless Steel Premium Gas Grill.
Chef Jim Locascio will deliver each Deluxe Grilling Package and christen the grill by preparing the dinner. He said, “We created this package so our guests can enjoy Barclay Prime’s exquisite cuisine at home, All you have to do is place the order and we will prepare everything. When we leave, the Viking grill stays!”In addition to the Deluxe Grilling Package, Barclay Prime will also offer three Cookouts To Go, priced at $150 for two people, $250 for four and $350 for six. Perfect for taking to the shore or the mountains for a weekend away or simply a great dinner at home, each of the Cookouts To Go comes packaged in a soft cooler packed with ice and available for pick-up within 24 hours of ordering. The packages include: Dinner for Two, choice of one appetizer, one salad, two steaks, two sides and one pie for $150; Dinner for Four, choice of two appetizers, two salads, four steaks, four sides and one pie for $250; Dinner for Six, three appetizers, three salads, six steaks, six sides and two pies for $350.
Barclay Prime is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 pm; Friday and Saturday from 5 until 11 pm. Lunch is served Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. For more information or reservations, please call 215.732.7560.