Times Discovers Art+Food In Philadelphia

The New York Times’ Randy Kennedy comes to Philadelphia to take in some art from Fluxspace to the Mural Arts Program. He also gets some good eats along the way.

For the rest of my dining, in the spirit of the trip, I decided to stick exclusively to restaurants in Philadelphia’s unusual bring-your-own-bottle scene, a huge number of no-wine-list establishments that have sprung up partly because of Pennsylvania’s state-controlled alcohol sales system, which means smaller profits and expensive licensing costs for restaurant owners. Many of the B.Y.O.B. restaurants are tiny, run by chefs who, maybe because of the absence of a bar, put the focus intensely on the food, which can be fantastic.

Among the spots he visited:

• Hibernia Deli Coffee Shop
• Matyson
• Little Fish
• Old City Coffee
• Paesano’s

Art to Make You Laugh (and Cry) [New York Times]