Where to Eat in November: Southwark, Oloroso, Sally, and More

Opened in 2004 and straddling the line between neighborhood watering hole and fine-dining destination, Southwark remains a rarity in this city. And it’s only gotten better with chef Chris D’Ambro and partner Marina De Oliveira’s team since 2015.

Tuesday kicks off happy hour for the week from 5 to 6 p.m. featuring wine, beer, and cocktails for $10 or less; a smoky grilled double patty, bacon, blue cheese, and onion burger, seasonal salad, and cheese plate all for $15 or under. Wednesday through Saturday dinner service is when pasta steals the show in three distinct styles: dumpling (gnocchi), filled (ravioli), or extruded (bucatini), accompanied by seasonal local greens and garnishes clipped straight from the patio garden.

And of course, you can always scale up to a $300 per person seven-course (plus drink pairings) chef’s counter tasting in the back at Ambra.

All walks of life can be seen and overheard at La Viola. The BYOB has been part of Rittenhouse’s buzzing restaurant scene for two decades, beloved by college students, couples, theater lovers, and even the Biden family.

Run by a multi-generational family, La Viola restaurants (East and West are across from each other on 16th Street) remain iconic. Quintessential nostalgic Italian staples reign here: Caesar salad; tender lemon chicken with sauteed spinach, plus roasted garlic and oil pasta on the side; penne al’oriolo in a rich vodka tomato sauce with porcini, peas, and pancetta; gnocchi alla stagione with ricotta cheese, fresh basil, and Gorgonzola in a fresh tomato sauce.

Don’t sleep on the nightly specials and definitely ask about the basement cellar.

Get focused and shift into soup mode. No rules and an always-evolving cuisine means chef Jesse Pryor is able to utilize local ingredients to cook from scratch at this Third Street ramen haven.

There are plenty of bowls to slurp on the menu: clear chicken broth, spicy pork tantanmen, plus a vegan version of the spicy sesame flavor profile with seared marinated tofu, and a vegan Yasai Paitan creamy garlic mushroom broth with portobello, simmered daikon, and bamboo. Housemade noodles and dumplings also set this ramen shop apart as a gourmet jawn.

Stop by for a solitary lunch or dinner Fridays through Mondays, and be on the lookout for a curry and coffee spot plus ESO Ramen Workshop, a ramen creative space opening up nearby.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Southwest Passyunk has finally received its marquee spot with the arrival of Stina. Expect more than its name suggests — chef Bobby Saritsoglou’s BYOB excels at flavorful, wood-fired  expressions of Mediterranean fare. Moroccan carrots, Turkish shawarma, Greek gyros, and lamb merguez pide are just as beautiful and delicious as the newly added salad of chicory lettuce, pomegranate, and goat cheese with wood-fired acorn squash.

Save room for ongoing specials like juicy, herbaceous beef kefta kebabs with short rib bacon pilaf rice, sumac red onion, and tabouleh; or this fall’s apple cake with hibiscus red wine-poached lady apple, sesame almond granola, honey ice cream, and Greek honey.

And recently, Stina launched a monthly local artisan series partnering with local food makers for a one-night-only multi-course prix fixe menu and wine pairing. Stay tuned for their November collaboration with Tulip Pasta & Wine Bar and Wayvine.

Many restaurants may brag about tapas-style dining, but few do it justice like Oloroso. You might miss it walking down Walnut Street’s unfinished development east of Broad, but the large interior space boasts some seriously impressive cooking that spans Spanish and North African Moorish influence.

Start by adding their new happy hour to your rotation: Wednesday through Sunday 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with a gratis amuse-bouche (deviled eggs with XO sauce were a recent offering). Ask Bodhan behind the bar for a glass of sherry, too.

Then progress to a tasting menu of your choice: Tapas and raciones for $55 per person gets you four courses, while the five-course Gusto tasting menu includes a bit of everything off the menu, including dessert, at $75 per person. Best yet is their two-top chef’s counter at $95 per person, where chef Jason Peabody tailors each tasting with surprise items and his team’s most-loved current seasonal tapas, sending out 18 to 22 dishes — and the stories behind them — throughout the evening.

While Philadelphia has a plethora of Puebla-inspired Mexican restaurants, Cantina Dos Segundos has been representing Oaxaca and Jalisco food and drink culture since 2010. The popular Second Street hangout caters to nearby residents and young crowds with takeout, delivery, and dine-in options.

Not to be missed are the vegan cheese, corn, and black bean fried empanadas; crispy brussels sprouts with a mole-style chipotle peanut glaze and queso fresco; housemade blue corn sopes with pulled chicken and creamy refried beans; and the newest fall addition: the lightest, most moist cornbread pumpkin tres leches. With over 100 small-batch agave spirits, a meal isn’t complete without a proper tasting flight.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Natural wine, playful drinks, and comforting Pennsylvania-sourced dishes are just the tip of the iceberg at Bloomsday Cafe. The European-style bar cafe is favored by gastronomy nerds for its expanded wine bar, retail wine shop, pastry program, and educational events that all remain casual, fun, and approachable.

Enjoy a pastry basket and PSL while at the Headhouse Farmers Market. Or bring friends to indulge in tinned fish glory served with crostini, olives, soft-boiled eggs, and greens. Expect tons of vegetable-forward plates, patatas bravas of course, plus newly added Stone Arch Farm steaks and pork chops, and the perfect fall pasta: house cavatelli with pork sausage, cannellini beans, and broccoli rabe. Can’t choose? Trust the staff to guide you in the right direction.

Happy hour Wednesday through Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. now means trying out The Werks (a selection of dishes sized for two) over glasses of draft vermouth, a passion project of the team that can be dressed up as a heavier cocktail or kept simple and low-ABV.

Latin and Caribbean food is overdue for its moment in town. If you’re still discovering the cuisine, try the greatest hits at Mixto on Pine Street.

Classic dishes and drinks are all excellent here, especially the Puerto Rican mofongo with fried pork chunks and tomato-based creole sauce and the Peruvian lomo saltado (steak tips) with yellow rice and fries.

Toast the night away with your besties over glasses of caipirinhas and margaritas at one of the most fun places in town.

Call 215-592-0363 for reservations.

Cool, weird, but approachable is one way to describe Sally, Philly Mag’s Best New Restaurant of 2021. Young professionals, families, and their dogs love it here, as do new guests tipped off by enthusiastic word-of-mouth recommendations.

Come for inventive sourdough pizzas like crispy bacon and sunchoke pie with Washington Crossing cheese and caramelized onions, or the OG roasted clam and creamy leek pie (think: clam chowder on a pizza); or try the newest version of their Japanese yam dish with horseradish crema and bacon-fat cooked shallots with a side of cured pork belly and mustard seed jus.

The small, tight-knit team embodies the spirit of its namesake, the owner’s maternal grandmother, who loved to entertain. And in less than two years, they’ve grown with the neighborhood, from takeout-only in the middle of the pandemic to opening a pizza kitchen in the dining room. Whatever brings you here, don’t leave without trying a bottle of their impeccably chosen wine.

The International Bar under the El is sophisticated yet low-key, with globally-inspired snacks like Chinese salt and pepper wings and bifana Portuguese sandwiches. This fall, keep an eye out for sourdough focaccia with squash, coconut curry, and pickled Fresno chiles; and steak tartare with Perrystead Dairy whey and pickled cucumbers.

Regulars flock here with good reason: the dishes change seasonally, DJs spin every night, and, well, don’t forget the weekday happy hour. (Or Sunday Yappy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m.,when dogs join their humans outside under heat lamps.) Nearby late-night hospitality workers head to the second-floor Service bar (currently open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) for a special post-shift drink from a 24-tap system featuring vermouth, sherry, sake, amari, and grappa.

And swing by during the FIFA World Cup games starting Nov. 20 for specials with Aperol and Peroni. 

No reservations. Find more info here.