Midnight cravings for greasy French fries are often hard to ignore -- but so are mom's orders about eating healthy in college.
And although hunger may strike before any sage warning comes to mind, college students can now choose all day, every day the food that best fits their taste -- and their pockets -- while still holding on to those New Year's resolutions.
Located on 39th and Walnut streets, the Philly Diner offers all the advantages of a good meal without the hassle of leaving campus.
Its location near Freshgrocer and the high rises makes it an easy and safe place to reach at any hour.
True to its origins, the diner has somewhat of a 1950's look, making the ambiance as familiar and interesting as the experience it gives.
| Philly Diner 3925 Walnut Street (215) 382-3400 Fare: Diner Under $7 A great diner hangout serving full breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus. |
From the chrome banisters on the wall to the big dessert display, everything serves as a reminder of the heyday of diners, and of the comfortable times people have been enjoying there since.
With its own bakery and fresh provisions, the diner prides itself on keeping a vigilant eye on food's quality and taste.
During their two years on campus, co-owners Hossein Elbana and Ziad Froukh have come up with a good number of typical American dishes -- wraps, sandwiches, steaks and the essential sundaes, all available for take-out at the same price.
The house's specialty, however, lies in their wide assortment for breakfast -- and here eggs take the lion's share. Any way you can imagine an egg done, they have it, served with pancakes, French toast, sausage, you name it.
For the vegetarian crowd, Philly Diner also offers quite a number of salads and appetizers. Hot and cold dishes can be whipped up around the clock for an even healthier snack.
Being Italian, I gladly took the opportunity to experience a "typically American" meal. My first Philly cheesesteak ($5.99) came filled with lean meat and cheddar cheese, served on hoagie bread. On the side was a considerable amount of French fries roughly cut and definitely not greasy -- beating any other kind I have tried in my Penn years.
My companion chose the beef burger deluxe ($5.49), which, true to its name, came in a sumptuous amount, accompanied by the ever-present French fries.
Both of us had trouble finishing our portions, but eventually managed to clear our plates -- after an hour of unrushed conversation and constant service.
In fact, the diner's waiters and waitresses were quite solicitous in refilling our glasses and making sure everything was fine throughout the meal.
While we had no problems during our visit, if anything had gone wrong, I'm sure the staff would have been prepared to handle it.
All in all, mom would be proud.
