Exploring shopping and food in West Philadelphia

Instead of heading into Center City for a bite to eat or a day of shopping, sample some of University City's finest establishments west of 40th Street. and Doree Shafrir Discussion of the area past 40th Street -- if it occurs at all -- tends to take on a negative tone for many Penn students, and sadly enough, the demise of Murphy's Pub (commonly known as Murph's) last semester means fewer and fewer University students will venture out west this year. Without the lenient carding policies and the lure of cheap lager to draw the student body, why make the trek? Just a few reasons are listed here. Not only is University City replete with thrift stores, it is an ethnic food mecca -- the Thai, Ethiopian and Indian restaurants just west of campus are probably the best in Philly. And if, amidst the urban rush of Penn life, you feel a mite nostalgic for suburbia, a walk west (on Pine, Spruce, Locust and Osage especially) can be just what you need. So if you're bored with classes, longing for a good swingset, in dire need of something polyester or just hungry (and sick of the Food Court), don't swing for a cab -- just walk west. Here are a few places we recommend: RESTAURANTS ·Hong Kong 39th Street Cafe 3900 Chestnut Street 386-1802 Just outside Hamilton Court and Cav's, our West Philly exotic dining experience begins. This charming former pizza place (the decor still harkens memories of Ocean City) is rarely full and always bending over backwards for customers. More importantly, the food rivals some of the best Chinatown venues for authenticity -- and it's cheap. Try the $3.95 lunch specials (the slightly spicy, intensely flavorful Szechuan braised bean curd, a.k.a. mapodofu, is a great vegetarian option) or B.Y.O.B. at night and share a few of their noodle dishes. And if you decide to carry out, the magazines (from The Economist to Vanity Fair and Details) in the front make it doubly worth the wait. ·Pattaya Grill 4006 Chestnut Street 387-8533 Just off 40th on the ethnic food locus that is Chestnut Street, you'll find an amazing Thai restaurant. Make that three amazing Thai restaurants -- all of them affordable and delectable. But each has its own personality. While Thai Singha House (on the other side of 40th) is dark, intimate, and more traditionally Thai, Pattaya Grill is light, airy, and fused with French cuisine. Thai staples --from the "peanutilicious" noodle dish pad thai to the effervescent whole-body experience known as lemongrass soup -- are fairly inexpensive, while the more French-influenced specials (mostly seafood dishes) are pricier. Your best investment is in the fabulous (and fabulously cheap) Thai curry selections, and a good white wine. The sommeliers will cordially help you out with the last part, making you feel delightfully swank in the process. ·Jow's Garden 349 South 47th Street 471-3663 Another experiment in Thai-fusion, the farther-out Jow's Garden (located on 47th St. between Pine and Spruce -- walk out on Pine and enjoy the quaint residential neighborhood and passing dog-walkers) is an absolute must-do during your stay in West Philly. The Thai menu is more extensive and traditional than Pattaya Grill, and not necessarily adapted to the wimpy Western palate -- but if you can't handle the fiery flavor, they'll help you out (and the timid can always order pasta and sauce). Jow's also has a lunch truck on Walnut St. -- the most affordable Thai option in the city. Order curry (and get acquainted with the menu) one afternoon, and make the journey out to the restaurant (with some friends, okay?) later on. ·Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant 229 South 45th Street 387-2424 If you're brave (or taking the Penn Shuttle) you can enjoy dirt-cheap Ethiopian food and a full bar as late as 2 a.m. at this charming 45th and Locust venue. Vegetarian dishes start around $3.50 and deliver enough food for your entire house to share. This is a great place to get take-out, and every entree is spicy and satisfying -- and equipped with enough spongy sour bread to mop up every last morsel. Enjoy. ·Koch's Take Out Shop 4309 Locust Street 222-8662 Hands down, Koch's is the best deli in the city of Philadelphia -- and so many newspapers and magazines have waxed poetic about its mouth-watering array of fresh cheeses and meats (which the beguilingly surly Koch family will assuredly pass around for you to sample), its soothing kugel and rice pudding, and its luxurious milkshakes, that you'll have no dearth of reading material while you wait in line and debate what to get. Our recommendation? Anything. This place is worth a daily pilgrimage, but at least make it out once every few weeks -- Bob Koch will remember you, and remind you that West Philly is a pretty pleasant neighborhood to live in. It's closed right now, but a sign outside promises they'll be back September 4?see you then. ·The Restaurant School 4207 Walnut Street 222-7346 F.Y.I: Prix-fixe at Le Bec-Fin is roughly $100 a person. In search of another option for that three-month anniversary? Three courses at under $15 each sure ain't bad, and if you go here, you don't even need cab fare. The chefs-in-training serve a different menu nightly, differing (predictably) in tastiness, but if you're indecisive -- and not all that picky -- dining here is an elegant, uncharacteristically bucolic (for West Philly, anyway) experience that almost always tastes accordingly. ·Assorted purveyors of naan, samosas and yellow rice It's virtually impossible to go wrong if you're eating Indian in U. City. Around five Indian restaurants within a two-block radius creates competition, and consequently, every one is scandalously cheap (generously discounting students, too) and offering an enticing buffet. Go when you're ravenous and you'll feel like a thief -- with the spectacular array of lentil/chickpea-based, masala and saffron-effusing stews, soups, and traditional Indian breads, it's impossible to go wrong. Better yet, there's no agonizing wait (just say "buffet" and grab a plate or two), and there's even a salad bar. ·Dahlak 4708 Baltimore Avenue 726-6464 Just up Baltimore Avenue is a little taste of East Africa -- Ethiopia, to be exact. Welcome to the wonderful communal world of Dahlak, where everyone shares everyone else's food and no one uses plates or utensils. Anything with chicken or lamb usually goes over quite well, even among the culinarily cautious, and the menu is also full of vegetarian options, which comes in handy when dining with non-carnivores. Even better, most entrees (both meat and non-meat) are under $10, and to go along with the meal, a pitcher of mango juice is always a safe bet. SHOPPING ·The Second Mile Center 214 South 45th Street (between Walnut and Locust streets) 662-1663 If you're in need of a green velvet couch, a pair of winter boots or polyester shirt (or some combination thereof), the Second Mile Center is the answer to your prayers. This cavernous warehouse of all things used is a welcome refuge from overpriced vintage "boutiques," which pretend that paying $45 for a frumpy housewife's dress is reasonable, dahling. At Second Mile, however, most stuff is under five bucks, which shouldn't put too much of a dent in anyone's wallet. ·Toviah Thrift Shop 4211 Chestnut Street 381-7251 On your walk home from Second Mile, pop into this small (and somewhat claustrophobic) secondhand shop, which doesn't specialize in anything special but where you might just find a prize hiding among the racks. The store also has an excellent collection of old -- and sometimes used -- postcards, which are always fun to send to long-lost friends and other loved ones. ·52nd Street Forget about Liberty Place or even the Gallery -- the place to go for trendy clothes in Philadelphia is 52nd Street between Market and Spruce streets. Easily accessible by the #21 bus, which runs down Walnut Street, or the Market-Frankford El (which stops at 52nd Street), this four-block area features shoe stores and nail salons galore, not to mention more tight polyester pants in pastel colors than anywhere else in town. And best of all, everything is cheap. Really cheap, as in $9.99 for a pair of sandals and $12.99 for a pair of pants at Rainbow, just one of the many clothing stores catering to the fashion and budget conscious shopper. At the end of the day, grab a snack at Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's or sample the (inexpensive) fare at one of the many mom-and-pop establishments that line the street.