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Deals on the Avenue: East Passyunk Restaurant Week Begins February 24

So many restaurants, so little time, and no babysitter! Philly parents share their top picks for the week.

Part of what makes East Passyunk one of our favorite areas of the city is its incredible restaurant scene. In such a relatively small area, you’ll find so much varied and exciting food, that the Avenue deserves its very own Restaurant Week! And for the eighth year, two dozen award-winning restaurants of East Passyunk will be offering three-course prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus from February 24 through March 6. Menus at $15, $25, and $35 range from the casual favorite P’unk Burger to date night standby Fond.

 

So where to go with your kids to experience the food and deals without incurring the wrath of fellow diners and your tiny picky eaters? We caught up with Philly dad and East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID) Executive Director Adam Leiter and discussed our families’ top picks for the week.

Flannel

1819 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

Come hungry because $25 (for lunch or dinner) will get you all kinds of delicious Southern comfort food like Chicken & Waffles, a PB&J brownie, and the incomparable Mac Daddy (mac and cheese, served in slices, people!) just to name a few choice selections. Leiter’s take? “Flannel is one of the best spots to get your kid addicted to brunch, enough said.”

Bing Bing Dim Sum

1648 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

Our family’s personal favorite spot is Bing Bing, which is both trendy and kid-friendly at the same time. Kids will love the bright street art, and if they have a little trouble with chopsticks, the restaurant has little plastic training tools for little ones, as well as highchairs and sippy cups. Their menu might be a little spicy or adventurous for especially picky eaters, but for your budding foodies, $35 (dinner) to sample some of the most creative and fun dishes on the Avenue is a steal. We especially recommend the dumplings and the Dan Dan noodles! Tip: this is a little more “adult” leaning and on the smaller side, so we tend to come for an early dinner on a weekday, as opposed to 8 pm on a weekend, to keep everyone happy.

 

 P’unk Burger

1823 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

With a $15 menu at both lunch and dinner, P’unk Burger is sure to please. Kids can eat foods they really want—like burgers, fries, and shakes—but parents can feel good about the fact that their “Little P’unks” are eating food that is made thoughtfully with organic, locally sourced ingredients. Owners Marlo and Jason Dilks have six kids of their own, and opened their restaurant with families in mind. Leiter shares that his seven-year-old son particularly loves to sit at their arcade game table in the window nook, so prepare to linger over that Black and White Shake while the kids go nuts! Something to keep in mind: this restaurant is cash only, and has an ATM on site.

LaScala’s Birra

1700 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

With creative Italian food, artisan pizza, and a full bar, this is a great balance between grown-up meal and kid favorites. The $35 dinner menu includes easy choices like meatballs, pizza, and chocolate cake for the little ones, while you can opt for mussels, spicy tuna, and order an off-menu but well-deserved cocktail. A tip from Leiter: “they’ll get your little chefs in training going with some balls of dough to play with while you wait. Maybe if you’re lucky Davide will show them how to master their throwing technique…wait, we don’t want to encourage that behavior! Stick to stretching it out and keeping them occupied with appetizers instead.” Duly noted—meatball trio, pronto!

Mamma Maria Ristorante

1637 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

For another Italian option, Mamma’s homemade authentic recipes take center stage in their very filling $35 dinner menu. Leiter adds, “Mamma Maria’s is a classic and a chance to continue passing down the experience through generations.”

 

Redcrest Fried Chicken

1525 S. 11th St.

 

“Redcrest Fried Chicken specializes in three things that always puts a smile on my kids’ faces: biscuits, mashed potatoes, and some of the best fried chicken in the city,” Leiter tells us. You can’t go wrong here. Popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, all kinds of tasty sandwiches and sides… it’s lovingly fried deliciousness. And to further sweeten the deal for Restaurant Week, their $15 menu is not only good for lunch and dinner, but you can even do pickup if your kids really aren’t feeling a restaurant that day.

Pistolas del Sur

1934 E. Passyunk Ave.

 

Hello, bargain diners—Pistolas has a $15 lunch menu (and a $25 dinner menu) that is fantastic. Tacos, enchiladas, churros—your kids will be thrilled. Definitely go for lunch—not only is it cheaper, but it gets louder at night anyway. Though that may not necessarily be a bad thing if your kids don’t mind the noise—Leiter shares that his family likes Pistolas because “your kids can share their day with you at full volume and nobody will give you dirty looks.” His family also favors this spot because they have been particularly attentive to his son’s allergies, and accommodating and knowledgeable about their ingredients.

 

 

 

Lead photograph by Laura Swartz. Additional photographs courtesy of East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District.

Contributing Writer

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