The Real Deals of Center City Sips

It’s back, and it’s a lot to handle.

Center City Sips, much like Restaurant Week, is the worst and best thing for this city. Flocks of overzealous bar hoppers migrate through the city like locusts, drinking their way to oblivion, weighing themselves down with cheap food, most of which tastes like they’re priced. Yeah, it makes participating restaurants and bars a lot of money, and yeah, it’s good for getting business back from those saving money for beach weekends, but now your time between orders just got longer. So if you’re going to do it, do it right.

Here’s what we recommend:

Better Air

If the weather’s nice, there’s nowhere better to be than outside:

• The Corner – It’s just so pretty up there on their roof deck—especially if you’re holding a drink made with pineapple and jalapeno infused tequila.
• Crosswalk Cafe – No cocktails, but a glass of wine overlooking Philly’s oldest architecture makes more sense.
• M Restaurant at The Morris House Hotel – Flying Fish and an Eden-like courtyard is a perfect match.
• Marathon (1818 Market) – Lots of room to hang.
• Raw – Sushi in an outdoor private dining room.
• Sampan – The Graffiti Bar is offering Asian Mojitos, craft beers, and a sizable menu of small bites.
• Table 31 – The Comcast Center’s outdoor plaza really bumps during CCS, so people watching here becomes a grand ol’ time.
• Milk Boy – $3 Sly Fox and windows that open wide to the street.
• Top of the Tower – We’re higher than a motherf***er. — Nicki Minaj. It’s not outdoors, but if you want “better air,” you can’t get any more of it than 50 floors above the city.

Even Better Air

Hotels aren’t stingy about their air conditioning. If it’s too hot, which it very well might be, go here:

• 10 Arts
• 13 at Marriott
• Elephant and Castle 
• Winthorpe & Valentine
• Urban Enoteca

Better Drinks

Watch out for the blue colored drinks. Do better by these:

• Bar – $5 Picklebacks.
• Square 1682 – A classic Daiquiri made with good rum, in the summer, for $5. Can’t beat it.
• Opa – Sansom Street’s Greek restaurant is including a couple of Greek wines among their drink selections.
• Perch Pub – House-infused vodka martinis, Sly Fox, and a great view of Broad Street.
• Tequilas – This should be your margarita go-to.
• Vintage – Always an interesting selection of house wines. Always .

Better Bites

App prices are halved—here are the good ones:

• 10 Arts – Salmon tartare.
• Jane G’s — Asian fusion-nixed and ready to go.
• Caribou Cafe – Different sliders and a Paté Maison—start scoffing at the competition across the street.
• Devil’s Alley – Bar food, a bit better.
• Jones – Their famed mac and cheese, but cheaper.
• Pennsylvania 6 – Crispy Pig Ears