Where to Eat in August: Oyster House, Omakase by Yanaga, and More

Oyster House has been shucking oysters on Sansom Street since 1976 and been carrying on the Mid-Atlantic seafood tradition ever since. It’s a fried seafood joint and classy seafood restaurant all rolled up in a casual atmosphere. The most fun place to sit is at the oyster bar, where you can watch the staff shuck oysters (some staffers have been at this craft for 25 years). If you’re coming for oysters, they focus on varieties farmed in the nearby Mid-Atlantic and New England waters, including Sweet Amalia’s, which has been making waves on the oyster scene over the last few years. Even if oysters aren’t your style, they’ve got lobster and shrimp rolls bursting with flavorful seafood, Maryland crabcakes packed with meat, and some of the most tender scallops you’ll ever enjoy.

Omakase has been on the rise in Philadelphia over the past few years, and chef Kevin Yanaga’s new spot is an outstanding choice for sushi-lovers who want to entrust their dining experience to the chef’s wisdom. Known as the “Philly Sushi Whisperer,” Yanaga invites only eight diners at a time to the counter and in an intimate face-to-face meal, he will personally walk you through a 25-course menu. It’s a kaiseki-style omakase, meaning it relies on what’s seasonally available, so expect a different exciting experience every time you visit. To make it an even more flavorful journey, request the wine and sake pairing for your omakase.

What do you get when an archaeologist who loves wine opens a restaurant? You get Jet Wine Bar! Owner Jill Weber’s love of travel, culture, and history all play into her eclectic but cohesive role as both an archaeologist and a restaurateur. It shows in Jet Wine Bar’s intriguing wine menu, which often features Georgian wines as well as unique vintages from Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, and other historically significant wine regions around the world. Though wine is Jet’s area of expertise, they also offer refreshing sangrias and other crisp cocktails perfect for sipping in the wine bar’s garden. If you need some bites to pair with your drinks, try the farmer’s platter, which is packed with artisan cheeses, charcuterie meats, and other tasty accoutrements.

Call 215-735-1116 for reservations.

It’s tricky to describe Jansen. It’s somewhere between rustic and elegant, fine dining and comfort food, and playfully modern but old-school and traditional. You can see all those juxtaposed components at play in dishes like the oysters Rockefeller with spicy chorizo and the Maryland-style crabcake topped with onion rings. The dining room feels like you’re dining in someone’s colonial-style home, complete with a cozy stone fireplace, but nothing beats dining outside on their patio surrounded by lush greenery — a must-have experience before the summer is out.

There was a time when the steakhouse concept was overdone, pun intended. It seemed the days of dimly lit dining rooms where diners cut into rare steaks in Oxford leather booths were coming to an end, until Alpen Rose came onto the scene. The low-key establishment on 13th Street brought new life to the idea of the steakhouse. Steak-lovers have their pick of high-quality cuts, including dry-aged New York Strip and a tomahawk rib eye, but the menu isn’t limited to just beef. There are quite a few seafood options to choose from, including oysters, a pretty elaborate seafood tower, and even octopus.

Tequilas might have just renovated the inside of their restaurant, but they’re still serving the same incredible Mexican dishes that they’ve become known for over the last 35 years. The ceviche is as zesty and refreshing as ever, while mole poblano still packs immense herbs and hot chile flavors. But a trip to Tequilas is incomplete without sampling some of the small-batch Tequilas and mezcals. Co-owner David Suro grew up in Guadalajara near the agave fields of Jalisco, and over his lifetime he has developed relationships with Tequila and mezcal producers, and has worked closely with them to import a wide collection of the most unique agave spirits you’ll find in Philly. If agave spirits are something you want to explore, keep an eye out for their Agave Spirits Night, a monthly series geared toward educating folks about one of Mexico’s most celebrated culinary traditions.

Philly meets Tel Aviv on one of the most inventive menus in the city. Musi is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the menu changes constantly with the seasons as well as available ingredients. Chef Ari Miller’s new brunch menu from FrizWit brings the same kind of upscale playfulness that Musi is known for. You won’t regret trying the halloumi on sautéed tenerumi and pickled kumquat, or the lemon and black pepper spaghetti served in a green coriander and tomato sauce with a bit of bacon. Regardless, leave a little room for the Eggs in a Pretz, an egg sandwich served on pretzel baked with green tahina.

Call 215-377-9466 for reservations.

Looking for a date-night spot that’s casual but will still impress your date? Ambrosia is one of those intimate corner BYOBs serving hearty portions of traditional yet innovative Italian dishes. Burrata is having a moment, and this is the place to try it. The creamy, mild cheese pairs perfectly with the roasted eggplant caponata. Despite the number of Italian restaurants in Philadelphia, squid ink pasta isn’t something you come across too often on menus. There’s nothing like the rich, briny flavor of the squid ink-coated pasta. If you’ve never tried it before, Ambrosia’s squid ink spaghettini served with calamari, crabmeat, and Calabrian chile is the place to start. But be careful — squid ink will tinge everything it touches black, including your mouth, but it’s so worth it.

Miguel Toro has been in the restaurant business for some time, and throughout his tenure in the dining scene he’s wanted to share the culinary traditions of Peru. As the owner of Vista Peru, his passion, dedication, and pride shine through in every dish. Kick off your meal with one of their many exciting ceviches (the ceviche mixto comes with fish, shrimp, and calamari) or creamy sopas. For the main course, try the Peruvian Cantonese-style rice served with steak and topped with a fried egg.

Who says hotel bars are just for travelers staying at the hotel? The Grove at Assembly, located in The Logan hotel, is a tropical-themed rooftop oasis right on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. There’s nothing quite like sipping cocktails and eating oysters during happy hour while taking in views of Logan Square. Try the Rose Gold margarita, made with a mix of Tequila and dry curaçao and flavored with lime, agave, orange blossoms, and rose petals, which give the citrusy drink a floral hint. The Grove is an incredible place for after-work drinks, but they’ve got a solid seafood menu, so if you get hungry while lounging on the roof, you can have a nice meal. Dig into the salmon cakes or indulge in a lobster roll made with brioche bread overflowing with lobster mixed with a creme fraiche aioli.

Call 215-963-1500 for reservations.