Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, Rocky, cheesesteaks, (love that provolone!), and wine bars? Yes, my beloved city has embraced the wine culture. Thirsty wine lovers certainly have no lack of choices in this city of places where they can quaff down a good red one. And just a bit of gossip, but I heard that a little place called Tria started all the fuss.
I decided to visit Tria Wine Bar one spring evening about two years after its opening. I had quite a personal relationship with the restaurant because I applied for a job there in its infant stages but apparently I wasn’t as hip as the owner would have liked and he politely never called me back. But I never hold grudges, especially not when it comes to wine tasting. Tria, however, specializes in more than just wine. You can sip on an array of amazing microbrews, and taste gourmet cheeses from around the globe, hence the name Tria, a salute to three fermented luxuries.
Tria’s owner Jon Meyerow reinvented a location in the city’s famous Rittenhouse Square neighborhood from a light and airy icecream parlor into a sexy lounge atmosphere. It’s tiny, but that’s a small price to pay for such a huge food and beverage experience. Tria offers small plates, sandwiches, cheese selections and delicious desserts. As you can imagine, the wine and beer list is off the planet. After all the hype before its opening, I am happy to say that it’s no dissapointment.
Now that we can blame Tria for Philly’s wine bar craze, there are a few that have come along afterwards that are definitely worth a mention. One is called Vintage, located in the heart of Center City. I found Vintage to be a little less serious than Tria, which actually was a lot of fun. Though they have small plates on the menu also, you can get a full meal at Vintage. Another great wine bar I visited with a friend is called Amada. This is a delectable wine and tapas restaurant, modern atmsophere, sort of spanish zen decor, if you can imagine. Amada is a magnificent place for sharing plates of food, and has, of course, a great selection of Spanish wines and also wines from other regions. Amada is in the Old City area taking over the space of the now defunct restaurant and lounge Adriatica (ohhhh the memories).
What I am most proud of when it comes to the quality of wine bars opening in the city recently is the eclectic selection of wines from which you can choose. As much wine as I have consumed and served in my years as a wine educator, I was still able to find something interesting and foreign at all these wine bars. I love the idea that the owners and sommeliers have put in the time and effort that it takes to be interesting. So now when you head east for that long awaited visit to the Liberty Bell within a few blocks radius you can have a great glass of wine and maybe learn a bit before it’s all over.
Ahhhhh, I do love this city.
Cheers,
LisaÂ
