A hidden gem: Almanac!
Hello my friends! I realize you may have missed me and the written words of my reviews, so I apologize profusely for my absence. For today’s blog post, allow me to introduce you to a fantastic hidden gem in Old City, Almanac. Located at 310 Market Street and situated above Ogawa sushi restaurant, Almanac is a cozy, dark, and intimate speakeasy that you’re sure to love. Once you go, it will definitely be on your favorites list.
I want to thank owner Albert Zheng, host Zsa Zsa, bartender Chi, server Jules, and beverage manager Rob Scott for a wonderful evening. If you haven’t been to either place, I apologize again, but dinner was amazing, the cocktails great, and our overall experience was fantastic!
To start, we each received a small cup of tea to wet our palates, and warm hand towels for our hands and face. We each wound up ordering three cocktails over the course of our dinner. In no particular order we each had the following, the Kyushiki Old Fashioned, Juban District Manhattan, Magic Arrow, L’Orange, and Newark to Narita. This is one of the most creative cocktail lists I have seen in Philadelphia in a long time. Each were expertly made and delicious. A lot of time and thought went into the creation of these drinks and you could taste it in every sip.
The food was equally delicious, and we ordered a good sampling from their menu. Barring any food allergies, I highly recommend ordering the following, the spicy bay scallops with crispy rice, grilled tako with chimichurri, wagyu hot dog, karaage chicken sandwich, and the yuzu miso glazed chicken wings! Everything was expertly prepared, and we both absolutely loved the textures, flavors, and attention to detail displayed by the staff. Wet napkins were provided, and needed for the wings, plates were cleared quickly, and every question we had was answered!
Once again, thank you so much to everyone at Almanac for a terrific time, and we’ll definitely be back! Be sure to check out this wonderful speakeasy. A couple of important notes before you go. Walk-ins are welcome but there are only 21 seats so reservations are highly recommended. There’s a two-hour time limit for table seating and no time limit at the bar, which only has five seats. Be sure to specify which seating option you prefer when making a reservation. Also, photos are fine to take, just don’t use a flash. Also, please refrain from using your phones flashlight app to read the menu. Ask a staff member for a table light. They want to keep the ambiance at a certain level. Once you go, you’ll appreciate and understand. Cheers!
