Philadelphia Trip Easter 2017

phillytapfinder.com

with regards to TH, check instagram and bring a chair.

 

the Beer Shoppe is within walking distance of Tired Hands. good selection but like all Philly area stores will be pricy. I usually drive down to State Line in MD for larger buys. Whole Foods or Wegmans have better prices.

distributors can now sell singles so you never know what you may find. the Beer Yard in Wayne has now started putting out singles of their rarer stuff. I walked in the other day and Black Note was sitting on the shelf. good folks too. check their listings for a few weeks prior and ask them to hold stuff for you.

 

If you haven't already use seekabrew to compare distribution between two states.

 

I'll second Wegmans but not Whole Foods, their prices have gone up and they don't offer mix-a-six. I'd even suggest Giant or Weis markets unless you're looking for specialty stuff.

Other places I like grouped by location and close proximity to each other:
Bar Hygge, Alla Spina
Brauhaus Schmitz, Bainbridge Street Barrel House, O'Neals Pub
Johnny Brenda's, Frankford Hall, Fette Sau, Barcade
McGillin's Old Ale House, BRÜ
2nd Story Brewing, Eulogy, Plow & Stars (worth a look at the interior), Khyber Pass
Standard Tap, The Abbaye

 

I forgot food. John's Roast Pork seems right up there for me as far as "Philadelphia food" goes, although it's in an odd location. But if you're down there you're not that far from Pat's and/or Geno's for a cheese steak. If you do that (I like to get one from each and compare) the Garage is right across the street and you can bring them in and grab a beer. Alternately, The P.O.P.E. is nearby, and 2nd District Brewing... some others in the general Passyunk area. You could even walk down from South Street, hitting The Devil's Den and Hawthorne's, but John's would be too far.

 

I am guessing a possible can release reference

 

Breweries: Tired Hands, Forest & Main, Second District. Prioritize those three and then if you have time venture out to places like Neshaminy Creek, Crime & Punishment, Brewery ARS, Yards, etc.

Bars: phillytapfinder dot com is your friend, but start thinking about Monks, Fountain Porter, City Tap House, Jon's, Jose Pistola's, Khyber Pass, Martha, POPE, and Tria Taproom, just to name a few.

Shops: In the burbs, try a local Wegmans or Whole Foods if you're looking to balance selection with palatable prices, or a beer distributor, as they were recently approved to start selling 4- and 6-packs and single bottles. In the city, any of the Foodery locations, Beer Heaven, Bottle Bar East, Northern Liberties Beer, Monde Market, Hawthorne's, etc. should be of interest. Some of those places will let you grab beers out of the cooler to drink on site (and they have drafts and food).

Eats: The list is endless. What type of food/budget are you looking at?

 

Regarding Tired Hands Brew Cafe, I've never not been able to get in, nor had to wait to get in - but you may have some difficulty getting a beer at the bar, or have to wait for a table (I think I waited 45 minutes once when they first opened), but you can always walk over to the Fermentaria. Again, you might have to wait for a table, and have trouble getting a beer, but in general it's fairly easy and open there.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Brew Cafe is closed on Monday, and opens at 4 pm on weekdays! Noon on Saturday and Sunday.

The Fermentaria opens at noon everyday.

 

You can reserve a table at the Fermentaria on their website if you know when you will be going.

 

Many is the times I've stumbled from one to the other.

 

TambaTime thanks for all the suggestions for brewery options that are worthwhile. Also thanks to Nero for pointing out that there are two separate locations for Tired Hands and one that is open on Mondays. I would have assumed the brewery hours were the only hours to look at.

 

If you feel like driving a bit farther out (past Tired Hands), 45 minutes due west will get you to Hidden River. Awesome beers, great little place to visit. Their IPAs are all NE style and are all very, very good.

 

They're a little overboard with the IPAs right now. Over half their board was IPAs last night.

 

And how were they?

If I didn't have so much beer right now in my fridge, I'd go grab some this weekend.

 

No idea, I don't drink them.

 

Let's start with the easy stuff: Go to John's Roast Pork, and assuming you're with another person, order one cheesesteak and one roast pork sandwich, share both, and enjoy. Don't waste your time with the touristy cheesesteak spots unless it's (a) after midnight and (b) you're solidly drunk.

Take a look at Kanella South, which should fulfill your Mediterranean/Greek needs. Another place I highly recommend is Zahav. I guess you could classify it as "modern Israeli," but I'll just call it the best pound-for-pound restaurant in the city; tremendous food and you won't spend a paycheck there.

Other spots worth considering: Stargazy, Cheu Noodle Bar, Serpico, High Street on Market, Vernick, among many others. It's hard NOT to find good and interesting spots to eat in this city nowadays.