Photo courtesy of Parc

Stephen Starr’s Rittenhouse bistro Parc and Philly’s own Yards Brewing Company are teaming up for a unique beer dinner tomorrow, March 9th, from 6 to 9pm. The menu features a finely crafted 4-course dinner paired with Yards best seasonal beers.

Guests will get a chance to mingle with Yards brewmaster Tom Kehoe before enjoying their dinner, complete with a Grand Plateau with Assorted Shellfish paired with Philadelphia Pale Ale, and dessert paired with an exclusive ‘one-time batch’ Vanilla Tavern Porter.

Cost is $50 per person. Be sure to call the restaurant to book your reservation. Full menu after the jump!

Parc
227 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-2262
www.parc-restaurant.com

MENU:

First Course
Cheeses: Raclette, Gouda, Tomme Du Berger, Le Chevrot + Pass Gougeres
Yards Extra Spcial Ale

Second Course
Grand Plateau with Assorted Shellfish
Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale

Third Course
Choucroute Garni with Yards India Pale Ale Braised Cabbage OR Pan Seared Sturgeon with Braised Oxtail
Yards Belgian Style Saison

Intermezzo
Yards Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale Sorbet

Dessert
Dark Chocolate Ganache with Caramel Sauce & Toffee Tuile
‘One-time batch’ Vanilla Tavern Porter

Highlights from the $15 menu include:

Beef Stroganoff
with house-made noodles, cippollini onions and mushrooms

Roast Chicken
with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts

Trout Meuniere
with lemon brown butter and sautéed spinach

Duck Confit
with baby arugula, rosemary shoestring potatoes and rosemary-mustard vinaigrette.

For more information on the specials, and to find out when they are serving a dish you want, be sure to call Fork.

Fork Restaurant & Fork:Etc
306-308 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2709
(215) 625-9425
www.forkrestaurant.com

Inside Sampan

This Friday, March 5th, Sampan is introducing their new lunch menu… and giving it away. Well, some of it. On the first day of service, Sampan is dishing out free pork Bahn Mi sandwiches to guests, complete with chips and a non-alcoholic drink.

Not interested in the pork sandwich? The entire lunch menu will be available for purchase, and includes a selection of Bahn Mi, Vietnamese hoagies, and a variety of noodle dishes.

Lunch will be offered at the Midtown Village restaurant from 11:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, with prices ranging from $6 to $9.

Expect a serious line for this fantastic deal. You can catch me somewhere near the front of it. Sorry, no cuts.

Sampan
124 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 732-3501
www.sampanphilly.com

Inside the Bistro

This past Saturday, Bistro St Tropez launched a special prix-fixe menu in honor of the Philadelphia Flower Show.

The $30 per person menu will run through Sunday, March 7th, 2010. Delicious entrees include cherry wood-smoked Atlantic salmon and herb-roasted organic French chicken breast.

I’ve posted the full menu after the jump! Take a look.

Bistro St. Tropez Flower Show Menu
Now through Sunday, March 7th

Bistro St Tropez
2400 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 569-9269
www.bistrosttropez.com

First Course (Choice Of)
Ginger and Cardamom-Scented Scarlet Carrot Soup
with sheep’s milk cheese croutons and baby arugula leaves

Salade Printemps
bibb lettuce and radicchio salad with candied kumquats, roasted beets,
radish, shaved fennel and tarragon vinaigrette

Main Course (Choice Of)
Cherry Wood-Smoked Atlantic Salmon
with creamy sweet pea risotto

Herb-Roasted Organic French Chicken Breast
with lardoons artichoke gratinée, petit carrots, spring asparagus and pan jus

Dessert
Cherry Clafoutis
with toasted almonds, crème frâiche and confectioner’s sugar

Inside Union Trust steakhouse

Is March the best month ever? For steak lovers in Philadelphia, the answer is most definitely yes.

Eight popular Philadelphia’s steakhouses will begin offering up special prix fixe menus, Sunday through Thursday, through out the month of March. Participating steakhouses include:

. Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
. Delmonico’s Steakhouse at the Hilton
. Morton’s the Steakhouse
. Palm
. The Prime Rib
. Saloon Restaurant
. Smith & Wollensky
. Union Trust

The three course menu is priced at $50 a per person, with each steakhouse offering up their own, signature dish. Call in advance to see what’s being offered up.

For addresses and websites for all the steakhouses, hit the jump!

Union Trust
717 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-6000
www.uniontruststeakhouse.com

The Prime Rib
1701 Locust Street, Phialdelphia, PA 19103
(215) 772-1701
www.theprimerib.com

Palm
200 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 546-7256
www.thepalm.com

Morton’s the Steakhouse
1411 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-3115
(215) 557-0724
www.mortons.com

Saloon Restaurant
750 South 7th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-2944
(215) 627-1811
www.saloonrestaurant.net

Smith & Wollensky @ The Rittenhouse Hotel
210 W Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-1700
www.smithandwollensky.com

Delmonico’s Steakhouse at the Hilton
4200 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
111 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 563-4810
www.davios.com

The Sopra Lounge at Positano Coast, Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Recently, Positano Coast brought back their wildly popular 5 course, $55 menu. Designed for two guests to share, this special limited menu is currently available, Sundays through Thursday, until March 4th, 2010.

Highlights from the menu includes Tuna Crudo, Grilled Tiger Prawns, and Braised Berkshire Pork Shoulder.

Positano Coast goes BYOB on Sundays and Mondays, so be sure to bring your favorite wine if you visit on those days. Be sure to try their signature drink, the Lemon Drop cocktail. It’s one of my favorite cocktails in the city.

Positano Coast
212 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 238-0499
www.positanocoast.net

Photo courtesy the Sheraton Society Hill

Another big snowstorm tomorrow? Looks like it, and the Sheraton Society Hill is the first hotel to break out a deal.

Guests can enjoy a special Snow Rate deal: $104 (plus tax) for the room – parking included – February 24, 25 and 26!

The Sheraton Society Hill is located in the heart Historic Philadelphia, steps away from America’s most historic square mile, which includes such sites as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, just four blocks away. If you get chilly in the snow, there’s an indoor heated swimming pool or whirlpool.

Call the hotel directly at 215-238-6000 and ask for the Snow Package or call Toll Free 1-800-325-3535 and ask for the Snow Package for the Sheraton Society Hill.

You can learn more about the hotel over on visitphilly.com.

Sheraton Society Hill
One Dock Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 238-6000

Starting this Friday, South Street’s Bridget Foy’s will be offering up a special Philly Foods, Philly Beers prix fixe menu.

The special three course menu will run from Friday, February 26th through Sunday, March 7th. Every entree is paired with a local beer; Sausage & Peppers with Sly Fox, Herr’s Crusted Fish & Chips with Kenzinger, Scrapple Stuffed Pork Loin with Victory, etc. I’ve got the whole detailed menu pasted after the jump, so have a look.

While you’re there, order up a Voodoo Chilled Cocktail. All proceeds from that drink go towards Haiti relief.

Philly Foods Philly Beers Menu
February 26th – March 7th, 2010
3 Courses with Beer Pairings $35

Bridget Foy’s
200 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-2306
(215) 922-1813
www.bridgetfoys.com

Starters

Cheesesteak Soup
Paired with Flying Fish ESB

Roasted pork & broccoli rabe spring rolls
Paired with Stout’s Scarlet Lady

Deconstructed Hoagie Salad
Dogfish Head 60 Min. IPA

Entrees

Sausage & Peppers over creamy provolone polenta
Paired with Sly Fox Seamus Red Ale

Herr’s Crusted Fish & Chips made with Kenzinger beer batter
Paired with Philadelphia Brewing Co. Kenzinger

Scrapple Stuffed Pork Loin with lager glaze
Paired with Victory

Dessert

Butterscotch krimpet Tiramisu made with Dock Street Sexual Chocolate
Paired with Dock Street Sexual Chocolate

O’Reillys Stout Float
with Basset’s Vanilla Ice Cream and cookies

Chocolate Pretzel Cheesecake
Paired with O’Reily’s Stout

Korean short rib tacos, Photo by Meal Ticket

By now you’ve maybe heard about Meritage bringing back Ansill’s famous Korean short rib tacos. If not, well, now you have.

The delectable short rib tacos are available now through Saturday, February 27th, and cost $3 a pop. According to Meal Ticket, the “tacos are a melange of marinated short rib, Korean BBQ sauce and kimchi on a crispy flour tortilla.”

Sounds delicious? That’s because they are. For more on Meritage, visit their official website.

Meritage Restaurant and Wine Bar
500 S 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 985-1922
www.meritagephiladelphia.com

[ via Meal Ticket ]

Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé

I know, I know. Restaurant Week is long over. But worry not, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion has the same deal all winter long.

For $35 you can enjoy Roy’s 3-course Winter Prix Fixe menu. The winter menu bonds fresh, savory ingredients to create marvelous new preparations inspired by the chilly weather outside.

The menu items are either warm in temperature, hot in spices, or simply rich in Hawaiian/Asian influence to remind you that there are places in this world not experiencing below 30 temps and mounds of snow.

The Hawaiian atmosphere inside Roy’s is a good start. You will be surrounded by friendly servers, warm air and aromas, and of course bamboo and flowers galore. I can attest to any dish with Roy’s tiger shrimp, and one of the prix fixe entrée choices, the Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs is just as mouth-watering as it sounds.

Also, a nice perk of the winter prix fixe menu is that as a dessert option it includes Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé, and it is TO DIE FOR and their most popular sweet treat.

With dinner, indulge in a glass of wine from Roy’s very extravagant list, or try one of their traditional sake’s. You can certainly afford it with this deal! Think warm. Think Hawaiian. Aloha.

Check out the menu after the jump!

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion
124 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 988-1814
www.roysrestaurant.com

APPETIZER (Choice of One)
Maine Lobster Bisque
Brandy & Cream
Rock Shrimp Tempura
Shishito, Shimeji, Malaysian Curry Aioli
Vietnamese Lumpia & Bibb Lettuce Wrap
Green Papaya, Mint, Basil, Citrus Nam Pla

ENTRÉE (Choice of One)
Dynamite Crusted Salmon
Tempura Vegetables, Happy Rice, Drunken Nori Sake Sauce
Pulehu Smoked Sirloin Steak
“Loaded” Red Bliss Potatoes, Shiitake Mushroom Pan Sauce
Lemon Basted Tiger Shrimp
Macadamia Nut Gremalata, Spiced Coconut Pumpkin Sauce
Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs
Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Natural Braising Sauce

DESSERT (Choice of One)
Leslie’s Warm Strawberry Guava Tart
Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé

What sort of burgers are we talking about here? Have a look at the burger menu.

New Mexico
Roasted green chilies, pepperjack, chipotle aioli

Head House Market
Herb Mayo, gruyere, mushroom, fried egg

Standard Burger
Wisconsin cheddar, shaved romaine, tomato, red onion

Turkey Burger
Cranberry relish, avocado aioli, Gruyere, alfalfa sprouts

Veggie Burger
House-made black bean veggie patty, mushrooms, peto aioli, spinach, gruyere

As for the beers that are a part of the $10 deal, you’ll have your choice between Dogfish Head 60 Min. IPA, Philadelphia Brewing Co. Kenzinger, Yunegling Lager, Stout’s Scarlet lady, and two seasonal rotating taps.

Bridget Foy’s
200 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-2306
(215) 922-1813
www.bridgetfoys.com

Need some convincing? Well, we’re delighted to report that, thanks to Mayor Nutter, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) and SEPTA, parking in Center City is free all long weekend, including Monday (at all PPA-operated garages and lots, as well as all on-street metered parking), and SEPTA fares have been reduced. Which means that you can spend your hard-earned cash on more fun affairs, such as:

- Valentine’s Day Weekend
- Presidents’ Day Weekend
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Shops
- Museums
- etc.

And that’s not all. Spread the Love will continue next week with more parking and transportation deals, while free parking returns throughout next weekend (click here for more details). Now, that’s a lot of love.

So get out there. Let’s embrace our social selves and make some Philadelphia magic!

Spread the Love Winter Promotion [visitphilly.com]