Giants road trip 2011: Philadelphia
Adding to the lively Philadelphia atmosphere, people gather for a casual drink, traditional cheesesteak or elegant three-course dinner at the dozens of sidewalk cafes on Market Street between Front and 4th Streets. Credit: B. Krist for GPTMC
The Giants head to Philadelphia to face the NFC East rival Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 25. If you're making the trip down to Lincoln Financial Field for the weekend, here's a quickie travel guide of things to do, places to go and food to eat while you're in town.
Good eats
If you're ready to trade cheesesteak for strip steak, go to Butcher & Singer in Rittenhouse Square. Order the stuffed hash browns on the side. Those can count as your vegetable.
For primo Italian food, the hot spot is Osteria on North Broad Street, which isn't your soggy neighborhood pizza joint. It's real-deal, Tuscan dining, with a menu filled with unpronounceable cheeses, foreign words such as "contorni", and plenty of brick-oven pizza options. Magnifico!
If you're in Old City checking out the historical sites, you might as well finish your ole-fashioned trip at City Tavern, which is made to look and feel like the 18th-century restaurant it once was. You're sure to see bearded men walking around in costume. And the venison is good, too.
Off the beaten path
The Mütter Museum is a must-see for anybody who liked dissecting things in high school biology, who won't get too grossed out seeing diseased limbs preserved in formaldehyde, and who might actually be interested in checking out a piece of John Wilkes Booth's thorax (no joke). Taking its cue from a 19th-century medical research lab, it is an unforgettable attraction. And you might even learn some anatomy.
Family time
Kids will love the Franklin Institute, a gigantic science museum right in the heart of the city, which features a cool electricity exhibit, a life-size locomotive, an IMAX theater and a giant walk-through heart. What kid doesn't like a good science museum? This one is up there with the best.
Must do
Run up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, a la Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky." Turn around. Put arms in air. Carry on with rest of the day.
Without the kids
Philadelphia has no shortage of nighttime options and Time in Center City is a great spot for a late cocktail, wine, whiskey, brew, whatever. Many Saturday nights feature live music, too.
Whiz Wit or Witout
Everybody's heard of Pat's and Geno's cheesesteaks, but Tony Luke's on Oregon Avenue (minutes from Lincoln Field) is another local favorite that will surely satisfy your cheese whiz craving. Don't be offended if the staff makes fun of your accent. Just enjoy the food. The menu is far more extensive than Pat's or Geno's, too.
