Philadelphia’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Pope

Amada, one of the 50 Best doing something special for the Pope | Photo by Nina Cazille

It’s almost that time. With Pope Francis on his way, Philadelphia’s preparations have been a bit hectic to say the least. If you’re wondering where to eat during this weekend of Pope madness – fear not – we checked in with Philadelphia magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants to see who’s open and ready to feed the masses.

Most of our 50 best will be open during their regular hours of operation, a select few are offering some specials during the Papal visit.

Jose Garces’s flagship Amada is open its normal hours over the weekend and will be featuring a special prix fix menu for both adults and children. Amada will also be offering 10% off the bill to those who present a valid Pennsylvania ID.

Tasting menu only Marigold Kitchen in West Philadelphia, will be open normal hours on Friday and Saturday 5:30pm-11:30pm and taking reservations 5:30pm-9:00pm. They will also be featuring a new fall tasting menu, introducing new items for the season.

Rittenhouse Square’s Russet will be open 5:30pm-10pm for dinner Friday, 10am-2pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. The regular menu will be served except on Saturday, when at 11am chef Andrew Wood is kicking off a “Holy Spit Pig Roast.” Wood will be serving porchetta sandwiches with Roman potato salad, braised greens and pickled hot peppers for $15 a person until sell-out.

Sbraga on South Broad Street will be open their normal dinner hours Friday and Saturday 5 pm-10 pm, offering a fresh menu for the fall season. Kevin Sbraga’s eponymous restaurant will also be open Sunday when the restaurant is normally closed.

Collingswood’s Zeppoli will also be open during normal dinner hours, 5:30-10pm. Chef/owner Joseph Baldino will be honoring the restaurants Italian roots by making a special recipe he learned from his time studying abroad in Rome. He will be crafting ricotta cheese torts with granacotta, which is a desert famous for serving Popes like John Paul II in The Vatican City.

50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia Pope Weekend

All restaurants are open normal hours unless noted.

50 Best Restaurants [Philadelphia Magazine]