What do you get when you combine the best parts of a diner and a cool club? Spring Garden’s Silk City Diner Bar & Lounge. That’s what.
A long time favorite, The Silk City Diner was reopened in June after falling on hard times. Owner Mark Bee took some of the best parts of the original, added a heavy dose of renovation and a sprinkle of the magic that made his first project great (Northern Liberties’ North 3rd) to produce a hipster hot spot that everyone will enjoy. Any questions? Silk Citys MySpace page says it all.
Situated on the corner of 5th and Spring Garden Streets, Silk City contains both a classic diner and nightclub. A group of us went to Silk City for a late dinner and found a full restaurant at 9pm on a Sunday night. As we waited for our table to be readied, we soaked in the dimly lit nightclub atmosphere punctuated with splashes of red neon. The emphasis on cocktail culture was evident as we were seated in the diner; a well-stocked bar back existed were toasters and trays of silverware would normally exist in more traditional diners.
Armed with menus, we sat down to watch the evening traffic flow by on Spring Garden Street. The menu offers a good mix of both traditional diner food and standard items, but with a twist. Here’s the line-up we chose:
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“Miso Corny” A vegetable stir-fry tribute to the Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket |
| Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, peas and mushroom gravy |  |
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Grilled Portabella Burger with spinach, roasted red pepper, caramelized onions and crumbled feta cheese. |
| Grilled Niman Ranch Organic Beef Chili Dog |  |
Side of Fried Green Tomatoes
Side of Garlic Spinach
Unsatisfied by my non-existent exploration of the menu?
See the rest of Silk City’s menu here.
We didn’t find a dud in the bunch. The vegetable stir fry would have been perfect, if I didn’t have to listen to Tushar’s repeated rendition of the infamous quote. My meatloaf was delicious and substantial. Patti’s Chili Dog was so wrong, but so right. And Sue’s Portabella Burger was exceptionally well prepared - the onions were actually caramelized and the feta was fresh. Lastly, the sides were excellent.
We had a great meal and a fun time at the Silk City Diner Bar & Lounge. For me, the combination of the food and atmosphere was really special. Oh yeah, the service was great too. We recommend Silk City highly.
Silk City Diner Bar & Lounge is located at 5th & Spring Garden Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19123 (215) 592-8838
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