Where to Eat in February: Libertee Grounds, Spice Finch, El Poquito, and More

The Wayward is a beautiful addition to the Canopy by Hilton hotel focused on American-tinged French food, with a twist or two.

Visitors swing by for live music, cozy lounge meet-ups, and happy hour specials ($5 wines by the glass, $7 featured punch, plus oysters, duck fat popcorn, and pomme frites), in addition to full-service meals. Popular dishes include an elemental pan-roasted chicken with lemon and root vegetables; mussels with leeks, Bayonne ham, saffron broth, and frites; and a juicy onion soup-inspired winter burger. Soups, salads, and dessert (especially the croquembouche drizzled in a pecan and gin caramel sauce) round out any meal. Consider their Manatawny Stillworks gin-infused cocktails like the citron presse with salted honey, lemon, ginger, and egg white as excellent accompaniments.

An 8,500-square-foot indoor mini golf space serving pan-Asian fare, regional beers, and cocktails is the concept you didn’t know you wanted but actually deserve. Imagine this: 32 beers of various styles on tap (all from within a 40-mile radius), an upstairs main bar and dining room, plus takes on familiar bar bites like the Indian-inspired lamb kheema cheesesteak: a lamb and rib eye blend, grilled with masala spices and American cheese, and topped with housemade cilantro lime aioli on a Carangi Baking Company roll. There’s also Laotian crispy rice with mint, lime leaves, and peanuts; a Sichuan-inspired chicken sandwich with buttermilk-dredged chicken thigh dipped in an aromatic Sichuan chile oil, ginger sesame slaw, housemade pickles on a seeded brioche bun; and for dessert, a s’mores tart with brulee’d meringue.

Your Resy comes with an indoor table (or in the outdoor beer garden come springtime) with or without mini golf (note that tee time is one and a half hours after your seating) — perfect for a group activity.

For one of the best deals in city dining right now, check out Spice Finch’s four-course tasting menu for $69.

Here healthy, light, vegetable-forward dishes with a satisfying jolt of spices, citrus, and herbs are influenced by the cuisines of Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt, and Greece.

For brunch, the shakshuka and market vegetable frittata are musts, and during happy hour (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) at the 20-seat marble top bar, the non-alcoholic options are in harmony with the food. Take the Tradewinds mocktail, an homage to a hot Moroccan mint tea with housemade coriander syrup and fresh lemon. Or the N/A Groni, which mimics the classic cocktail’s bitter/citrusy notes. Move on to the trio of spreads with seasonal hummus, garlic yogurt, and melitzanosalata (a Greek red pepper and eggplant spread) or crispy za’atar-coated chickpea wedges served with garlic yogurt. Larger entrees worth sharing are the deboned and butterflied whole black bass served with preserved citrus, fluffy basmati rice with sumac butter, and a leek vinaigrette; and the fall-off-the-bone tender lamb shank braised with dates and served with roasted and pickled vegetables, warm grain salad of couscous, puffed rice, and hominy.

Bella Vista has welcomed a new Iberian and European-style corner bar inspired by owner Chris Fetfatzes’ Portuguese and Greek heritage. At Grace and Proper, the aesthetics and menu offerings in the more than 125-year-old building fit perfectly with its Italian immigrant neighborhood history, along with other touches from Spain and Portugal.

There are small boquerones from Sogno Toscano in Italy to snack on, onion soup using Italian lardo and Portuguese white wine for cold-weather comfort, a garlic and white wine roasted Portuguese bifana sliced pork loin sandwich with piri piri hot sauce on Teixeira’s Bakery bread from Newark, N.J. [aka Little Portugal], and pasteis de nata served warmed just like at Lisbon’s Pastéis de Belém.

Cocktails and tinctures like the porto tonico with Betty Buzz non-alcoholic sparkling mixer, young wines, and Madeira port are great excuses to sit around and linger among the natural light-filled room covered in original mosaic tiles, flooring, and aged wallpaper.

No reservations; walk-ins only.

Tucked below Samuel’s on Sansom Street is an Italian-American restaurant-meets-speakeasy that serves big decadent dishes like chicken Parm, veal Milanese, and Sunday gravy in a sunken dining room lounge.

Happy hour at the long bar sets the tone for this low-lit sexy space with unbeatable prices: focaccia-style square slices for $3, meatballs for $4, classic-inspired cocktails, plus substantial New World and Italian wine selections. While low and slow cooking is the inspiration behind the menu, the salmon tartare is light, immediate, and delicious. And the grilled branzino is simply served over tomatoes, artichokes, gigante beans, salsa verde, with a grilled lemon wedge.

After eight years in Chestnut Hill, El Poquito remains the go-to joint for Mexican staples. This year welcomes a new kitchen team expanding the cantina-style menu to include additional larger entrees and family-friendly platters.

Weekly specials include rotating guacamoles with seasonal ingredients, a cheesesteak empanada with onion rings, and a crab and spinach fundido with flour tortillas. Long-time favorites aren’t going anywhere, either: shrimp ceviche, chicken wings smothered in Valentina hot sauce for a sweet-spicy bite, and brussels sprout tacos. Enjoy a Mexican coke, Jarritos soda, or margarita throughout the meal.

Finally, Philadelphia is home to a proper smash burger thanks to three Nayar brothers’ Fishtown taproom, Two Robbers. The popular seltzer company has scaled up its product line across the mid-Atlantic since its 2019 debut. It also recently opened a modern multi-programmatic space that boasts art installation, retail, bar, and communal seating under one roof.

Food and drink are just as vibrant as the space: the ketchup-dusted papadum “chips” inspired by the brothers’ Canadian and Indian upbringing are a perfect palate teaser. The scallop crudo and stracciatella amuse-bouche are surprising yet delicious small bites. But the perfectly executed smashburger (a portobello Juicy Lucy veggie burger is also awesome) and diner-style poutine fries paired with a sessionable seltzer are the real stars of the show. Select drafts are $7 and dynamic cocktails ($14 or less) like mango punch michelada amplify Two Robbers’ varied seltzer flavors.

No reservations; walk-ins only.

Tabachoy, a food truck-turned-28-seater dining room in South Philly, is the newest brick-and-mortar addition to Philadelphia’s Filipino restaurant community. The long-awaited opening and warm reception have proven the demand for well-represented, home-cooked Filipino cuisine — something chef and owner Chance Anies is more than ready to deliver.

At $30 to $50 per person with a BYOB fridge, family-style sharing with a group is the best way to understand the baseline of Anies’ flavor profiles: vinegar, citrus, and acidic flavors are well-balanced with salty and sweetness. Get introduced to pork adobo with garlic rice, the national dish, plus lumpia spring rolls (not previously available on the truck), and ukoy sweet potato carrot fritters with shrimp and fried cilantro. Chance’s fried half-chicken and gravy can give any other restaurant’s version a run for their money, and the minced pork sisig with a fried egg or crispy Lechon kawali with chile vinegar is hard to deny. Don’t leave without ube ice cream or Basque-style pandan cheesecake, and stay tuned for a spring brunch service.

Wood-fire cooking techniques and sustainable sourcing remain the core of Scott Calhoun and Dave Feola’s vision at Ember & Ash. With an open hearth kitchen, an extensive bar overlooking Passyunk Avenue, and an intimate second-floor dining room, there’s a space for everyone depending on your mood.

Snack on chicken liver mousse, barbecue dry rub wings, or salt-baked potatoes crushed up and fried with chile aioli. Sip on a glass of wine (all under $12), Korean-spice non-alcoholic margarita, or Concord grape fizz (also N/A) — all thoughtful drinks that will stand up to the grill. For large dinner portions, the build-your-own lettuce wraps with beef shin braised in tons of Southeast Asian herbs and spices is a bright and vibrant plate finished with green curry sauce. Other standouts are the gemelli pasta with oxtail ragu and whole dorade with a mountain of vegetables like carrots and charred gem lettuce, plus pistachio and miso citrus sauce.

Red Owl Tavern is a New American restaurant and bar perched on the corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets surrounded by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily between the lively bar downstairs and the quieter upstairs dining room.

Tourists, hotel guests, and sports fans flock here for typical American continental fare done with ease and splendor. Barbecue pork belly burnt ends and the tavern wedge salad on Bibb lettuce with bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, and chunky blue cheese are great starters. Charred cauliflower is showcased in two entrees: underneath a large trout filet and shawarma-style with couscous and pine nuts. Ask about their winter drink specials, too.

Call 215-923-2267 for reservations.

Adding to the plethora of exciting collaborative projects to discover is chef Reuben Asaram’s pop-ups. The former Buddakan sous chef left the fine dining world in 2019 to immerse himself in traditional Mexican cuisine, inspired by the relationships he cultivated with line cooks throughout his career. He now bridges Mexican cooking concepts with flavors and spices across the Asian diaspora like koobideh (Persian ground beef kabob) tacos; blue corn tamales with buttery pork curry, avocado crema, and sliced onions; brisket nihari nachos, charred corn queso, guacamole, and beet crema.

On Saturday, February 4 he partners with Daniel Solway for a Santé taco omakase dinner and wine pairing. On the menu is a brisket bone marrow curry taco; potato-filled “samosope” with caraway seeds, pipian verde, and tamarind crema; spiced lamb taco; and a pork bahni mi taco.

Visit www.santephilly.com for reservations.