Will More Philly Restaurants Speak Out Against Donald Trump?

Left: The logo for Le Virtù, the South Philadelphia restaurant that recently spoke out against Donald Trump. Right: An official White House photo of Donald Trump.

Check phillymag.com each morning Monday through Thursday for the latest edition of Philly Today. And if you have a news tip for our hardworking Philly Mag reporters, please direct it here. You can also use that form to send us reader mail. We love reader mail!

Listen to the audio version here:

Will More Philly Restaurants Speak Out Against Donald Trump?

The social media feeds for popular South Philadelphia restaurant Le Virtù are normally filled with gorgeous photos of their much-raved-about Abruzzese food and, in more pleasant weather, pretty people sitting on the restaurant’s pretty Passyunk Avenue patio. But things looked a bit different last Saturday afternoon as the world processed the news that the United States had bombed Venezuela and made off with its president and his wife, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, flying them to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges.

Soon after, Le Virtù took to Facebook and Instagram, posting an illustration of the Statue of Liberty in mourning, along with the following message:

Another sad, shameful day in this cynical, criminal, fascist grift. We don’t have the words. We hope the world can one day forgive us for the evil and stupidity we’ve empowered and unleashed. But the job before us has never been clearer: it’s time to clean house of wannabe Nazis, mafiosi, and pedophile-adjacent thugs. They need to be thrown into the rancid dumpster fire they themselves started.

No one can accuse Le Virtù of mincing words, that’s for sure. And this wasn’t the first time that Le Virtù got political.

But it’s pretty unusual for Philly restaurants to jump into the political fray. In 2024, though, just ahead of the general election, Jewish deli stalwart Hymie’s, on the Main Line, allowed a fearmongering pro-Trump television advertisement to be filmed in the restaurant. (I know people who still refuse to eat there as a result of that ad.) And then there’s Norristown sandwich shop Lou’s, which I frequented as a kid, which in 2024 hung a giant “Trump-Vance: Make America Great Again” sign in the front window for all of the passersby on Main Street to see.

“If about half of the market is on one side [of the political divide] and about half the market is on the other side, why would you risk one side being turned off by your political views and, therefore, not supporting your business?” Philadelphia public relations executive Peter Breslow posited to me back when I reported on the Hymie’s controversy.

Well, it’s now January 2026. We’re all reading how Trump’s approval rating continues to drop as his disapproval rating climbs, how he may be losing grip on his MAGA base. Then there’s the whole Marjorie Taylor Greene thing. It made me wonder: Will we soon see other restauranteurs following Le Virtù’s lead and wear their politics on their white-jacketed sleeves?

To find out, I put that question to three local eatery owners, all of whom agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity (thereby illustrating the tension in the air). All said they’re staying out of it, at least for now. Two are staunch Democrats who say they’re horrified by the Trump administration’s activities; the third is a lifelong Republican and Trump voter who has lost confidence in his president. But none are ready to put their restaurants in the middle of the fray. “We’re here to feed people,” said one. “Not preach to them and certainly not to argue.” Another said that he used to post anti-Trump content on his personal Facebook page but stopped after receiving serious backlash against the restaurant – not just from anonymous social media trolls but also from longtime customers and acquaintances.

“It just wasn’t worth it,” he told me. (“It never is,” was Breslow’s take.)

Oh, Lenny

Most Major League Baseball players retire into quiet lives filled with lots of golf and few scandals. But this would not be the case with former Phillies center-fielder Lenny Dykstra, aka Nails. Since retiring from the Phillies in 1996, Dykstra has had his share of issues, ranging from money laundering to indecent exposure to grand theft auto to making terroristic threats. And now comes word that Dykstra is facing drug possession charges following a New Year’s Day traffic stop near Scranton, where he lives. His lawyer insisted in a statement that Nails will be “swiftly absolved.”

Needles Dropping?

Here’s how to recycle your Christmas tree in Philadelphia.

Dry January?

Then you’ll want to know about these 11 zero-proof bars and bottle shops for all your non-alcoholic needs.

By the Numbers

4:30 p.m.: Kickoff at the Linc this Sunday for the Eagles-49ers wild card game following our disappointing 24-17 loss loss to frigging Washington yesterday. Current odds on the Eagles winning the Super Bowl? +1000. In the preseason, oddsmakers had us at +650. Not a great trajectory. But, hey, we’re Philly-Philly. Anything could happen.

10 cents: What you’ll have to pay for a paper bag at Philly retail stores now that a new law just went into effect city-wide. Lots of folks were griping about this over the weekend instead of just bringing a reusable bag with them when they shop, like the rest of us have been doing for years now.

$60: What you’ll pay for a three-course, prix-fixe dinner at Fork, Double Knot, Oyster House, and a bunch of other Center City restaurants later this month for Restaurant Week, aka the Philly food event that restaurant workers love to hate. If this is your thing, now would be a good time to make a reservation.

Need a Vacation?

I don’t know about you, but the holidays, while joyful and a great time to reconnect with family and friends, are positively draining. And when they are over, I need a vacation. So this guide to seven amazing wellness resorts landed in my inbox at just the right time. I’m lookin at you, Providenciales.

Local Talent

Kudos to Wilmington actor Terri Lynne – recently seen on Broadway in The Book of Mormon – who makes her movie debut this week in The Conspiracists, a mockumentary about the world’s first-ever “truly inclusive” conspiracy theorist convention, ConCon. Lynne plays Daisy, one of the event’s organizers. The vast majority of the film was shot in Delaware, all for a whopping $250,000. The Conspiracists gets the red-carpet world premiere treatment this Thursday at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House. But if youd rather not trek to The First State, the movie starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video this Friday and will also be available on demand via Verizon TV. Check out the trailer here.