Depending on where you live in the city, a trip to Mt. Airy may be longer than the wait at Dallesandro’s. And if you don’t live in the neighborhood, the restaurants and bars there make a trip outside of the Center City grid so worth it. Even though restrictions may have shut down the Supper Sessions and indoor dining for the year, you can still get some great food from any of these five places in the neighborhood.
THE SPOTS
Jansen is one of those fine-dining spots that never leaves you with second thoughts when paying your bill. This renovated 18th-century cottage has historic charm spreading from its cozy interior to the backyard garden. It also has a massive heated tent set up for outdoor seating. And the food is some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the city, with dishes like grilled tuna served on a bed of soft rice noodles in a savory soy-pork broth. For those looking to fancy up your next meal at home, you can place same-day takeout orders online.

To remix the words of Philly legend Allen Iverson, “We’re talking pasta.” Specifically the amazing ravioli from Trattoria Moma, which is stuffed with wild mushrooms and swimming in a light cream sauce that has some sweet but subtle garlic flavor going on. The only way A.I. will forgive us for changing his famous quote (after he somehow reads this) is if he goes to taste all of the amazing Italian dishes coming out of Trattoria Moma’s kitchen.
If indoor dining was still open, the flatbreads at Earth Bread + Brewery would have you constantly mouthing “oh what did they order?” when someone’s meal passed by your table. Thankfully, the corner and neighborhood spot is still open for takeout, and you can’t go wrong with the wild mushroom flatbread that’s topped with a blend of four kinds of cheese (mozzarella, Grana Padano, Asiago, and goat). It might seem like five types of mushrooms and four kinds of cheese on a pizza would be overwhelming, but each slice is balanced and tasty.
Open for takeout, delivery, and dining on their outdoor patio, Mt. Airy Taproom serves up hearty meals like the brisket sandwich, fried chicken sandwich, and steak frites along with a bunch of rotating options of local and house craft beers. And while choosing just one thing on their menu may be more difficult than using FaceID with those wild LED face masks, we’ve got one standout dish for you: the crab cake sandwich. The patty is both well-seasoned, juicy, and has just the right amount of crunch.

Greek food, especially the stuff from Malelani Cafe, is always one of our go-tos. One bite into any of their pita sandwiches or flaky baklava at and you’ll see why. The chicken shawarma features tangy grilled chicken, spicy roasted eggplant, and housemade tahini, all on a soft warm pita. This massive, packed wrap is about as large as Joel Embiid’s shoe, but we have complete faith you can tackle it.