The Best Dishes Eater Philly Ate in October

With our Eater editor dining out several times a week, there’s lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. For this recurring feature, we highlight the best things that Eater Philly editor Ernest Owens ate. Check back monthly!

Ernest Owens

414 South 2nd Street, Head House Square

Chillier weather in the fall provides a great opportunity to embrace the fun and coziness of in-door dining experiences. High tea season is here, and Bloomsday is making it more culturally and socially accessible to all! This time around, I ditched the pomp and circumstance that often surrounds posh nature of High Tea socials — and enjoyed their Philly-style version in Head House Square. Here, fancy tea sandwiches are replaced with savory tomato pie bites, deviled eggs instead of the typical crudités, and fudge brownie bites instead of macaroons. It’s less stuffy and more fun. And bonus points to them for including Philly-based bakeries and businesses to help put this festive teatime together. This event takes place the first Saturday of the month and is $68.25 per diner, with reservations available via Resy.

Vernick Fish

One North 19th Street, Center City

“It’s not a happy hour, it’s a social hour,” my husband told me before we kicked-off our anniversary dinner at Vernick Fish. The critically-acclaimed restaurant has officially launched their new social hour menu (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm) that includes lighter fare for those looking to have a snack and cocktail before a show or serious dinner. In this scenario, one shouldn’t treat it as a happy hour. It’s a little more sophisticated than that. The menu is paired down with three small plates, four specialty cocktails, and three wines. Food wise, their ceviche mixto is a dynamic bite that includes a flavorful trio of aji panca, jicama, and plantain chips. Their very light, but meaty crab toast is served with pickled chili, toasted milk bread, and tarragon. The super crispy carlamari is a tasty snack that’s served with long hot aioli, and shaved fennel. It was the perfect jumpstart to a lovely date night — memorable, without being over-the-top.

The Morris

225 S 8th Street, Center City

Fall dining for me represents gamy, richer, fuller entrées. Bye-bye light fish dishes, hello roasted red meats! The Morris embodies all of this for me with their rabbit pot pie entrée. It’s a culinary love letter to autumn with its braised rabbit, seasoned mirepoix, peas, and show-stopping puff pastry. The rabbit is tender and compliments the buttery puff pasty that’s neatly placed on top of the pot pie separately (rather than baked within it as traditional dough-based pot pies typicaly are). This allows for each part of this exceptional ensemble to work well — the deconstruction makes for an easier feast. Yes, I dipped pieces of that flaky pastry into the savory seasoned goodness of the mirepoix and it warmed my soul. For a reasonably priced $31 — you, too, can have a similar dining thrill.

Mawn

764 S 9th Street, South Philly

Restaurants like Mawn are more than just a place to eat — but a culinary cultural gem. One doesn’t just go here to simply try Cambodian food, but to sensually learn new flavors, spices, vibes, and foodways. Here, executive chef Phila Lorn is a serving a masterclass in South Philly that can best be experienced with their $65 per person tasting menu. A friend recently took me here for a belated birthday dinner and leaving it in the chef’s hands was one of the best dining decisions I made this month. For nearly two hours, we dined on head on soft shell shrimp (that was sautéed with fish sauce caramel, bird eye chili, and Thai basil), an earthy burmese ginger and melon salad, Thai crab fried rice that was brilliantly prepared with crispy garlic, scallion, and crab butter, and so much more. It is moments like this that remind me why Philly restaurants remain top tier.

Eleanore Starkman, courtesy of Caribou Café

1126 Walnut Street, Midtown Village

Caribou Café is a French dining institution in Philly. For years, this restaurant has been one of the gold standards for what some would consider “Paris on a plate” in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. So when renowned restauranter/chef Townsend Wentz (owner of Oloroso, A Mano, Townsend EPX, among others) took over this Midtown Village hotspot, I was curious to try his take on the beloved classic. The beef bourguignon at the new (and arguably improved) Caribou Café is exceptional. It’s an ideal fall dish — with the saucy, rich, and bold beefy essence that one would desire this season. Everything works well with this dish — the balancing celery root puree, caramelized onions, smoked bacon, and tender mushrooms. For $32, treat yourself (or invite the whole crew) out to a worthy French classic that’s also a Philly food treasure.

Levain Bakery

1518 Walnut Street, Rittenhouse

So, there are some out-of-town hype trains that come to Philly and aren’t worth it (sigh, Raising Caine’s). But then there are some that truly meet the moment and take you away. Meet Levain Bakery, who recently opened their first flagship location in Rittenhouse earlier this month. There’s been long lines and heavy foot traffic since its grand opening and for good reason. The cookies are as big in taste as they are in size. While every cookie is worth a try at Levain, I’d recommend the fall chocolate chunk cookies. No, this isn’t a PSL with chocolate chips — but something better. Made with ginger, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and molasses, these 6-ounce cookies are packed with all the seasonal bliss and ooey-gooey greatness you want right now. While these cookies are no cheap thrill (a 4-pack is $29), it’s worth the splurge.