04/26/09

Great Time

by jaquino83

Our waiter Ed was awesome. He was very attentive. And even brought over some ginger and ginger ale for one of the girls in our party who wasn't feeling well. Everyone agreed that their food was great. I orderd a special salad, sweet breads & lobster ravioli, we shared the mussels and I ordered the beet and goat cheese sorbet. I can't complain at all. We stayed for dinner and to hang out afterwrds. We stayed for 5 hours because we were having such a good time. Thanks to Ed for making our night a great success!

• Pros: Waiter, Food

11/09/08

currently at the top of my list

by imalwaysright123

After reading these reviews I had to see what all the hubbub was about. I was pleasantly surprised by how owners Jason and Delphine Evenchik were able to transform the old Ludwigs into a hot downtown destination. The GM, Terry, was welcoming and courteous.

I ordered the duck accompanied by white beans and root vegetables - a real hearty fall dish. While I was expecting the wine selection to be as elaborate as Vintage's, I found the same variety with the whiskeys.

Generally friendly staff and nice to have live music right around the corner from my house. We went on a Saturday night to find the regular band the Hi Hopes, who were awesome. It has my recommendation.

• Pros: offers everything i want, live music, great food, good drinks, in an arm's reach of my home
• Cons: parking a little difficult

10/30/08

Please This Place Is CHEESE!

by RealLifeFoodie

I always laugh when I read Citysearch reviews because you can always tell the ones that are written by the employees and friends of the owners and the real people that have something to say. Although I agree that FoodDoggy probably should not live in Philly if he feels that way, I also have to agree with most of what he has to say. Philly is a wannabe NYC. With that being said this place is awful. Yes Unique, yes a good design and some cool stuff going on there, but the menu is so boring and stupid and every dish we have ever had there so improperly executed that it is obvious they know nothing about food and are relying on the trendy scene that just eats what they are told to eat and claim they enjoy what the setters tell them they should. So whether you are a friend or not, please write an honest review. If you have eaten here you know that the food is mediocre at best and totally unimaginative and horribly executed. The service is obnoxious which is pretty much par for the course with this type of wannabe joint. I just think that they are way over priced and the food is totally lousy. Over cooked meats, stale bread, sauces that completely overpower the nuances of every vegetable or protein they are teamed with. That's fine in a lot of ways if the price is right and you know you re going to get that when you walk in the door. But when a place builds itself up and plays itself as something special and serious about food and you have the experiences that we have had there you kind of lose respect for the owners, the staff and anyone that goes there for anything outside of getting drunk. I think they should cook things they know how to cook or hire a chef that can bring a food concept that will compliment their over all concept. So PLEASE BE HONEST even if you are a friend, because a real friend will tell their friends when they are screwing up.

• Pros: Great Meet-Market, good scotches
• Cons: Food, Service, Music

10/29/08

Like it.

by RingoRules

I live in Midtown Village and as such have a vested interest in helping sustain the renaissance the area has enjoyed over the past few years. I frequent the area's bars and restaurants because I like the edge they have to them, something found exlcusively in establishments that have taken a neighborhood back by force. Time fits this bill. It is unapologetically different in its concept and its mission. I've so far been 4 times (like i said, I have an interest) and have done all the places' "rooms". Whether you want a nice dinner in the huge-windowed chandeliered dining room, a stiff whisky (or even a whiskey) or interesting beer on the cozy wood-lined bar, or feel like getting a bit seedily exotic in the upstairs absinthe lounge, your order is filled here. The food is excellent on the full dinner menu, and the bar menu doesn't disappoint. Drinks are poured well and with a side of knowledge from the bartender, and their selection of wines and beers is thorough to say the least. This place sets a lofty goal for itself - - catering to many different crowds at once (and I wouldn't want to be on the business end of the Rent payment on a place this size) but it really fires on all cylinders. I will be back. Five stars.

• Pros: great look, great food, tons of options
• Cons: can get crowded on weekends

10/29/08

Great bar scene

by bcjphilly

Sounds like "Fooddoggy" is a little bitter and washed up. If NYC is so great compared to Philly, then get your a$$ up there!

I enjoy the food, drinks, and people at Time. It's a great bar scene, not at all pretentious like the Starr restaurants, and not overpriced. Excellent selection of wines, beers, and whiskeys. The bar food has is great, and while I've only had 2 or 3 proper entrees, I've enjoyed my meal every time I've gone.

10/28/08

Great crowd, selection & diversity

by ctrcitydrnker

Time has really cleaned up the old biergarten, and removed the german kitsch-en with a hearty menu and phenomenal beer and scotch list. The crowd is pleasingly egalitarian-one of the great charms of the neighborhood in that you rarely see a place where bankers, sports fans and Univ of Arts students go to hang out, and a menu that can cater to the tastes and price points of all of the above. Gone is the biergarten vibe, (and the smell), but the "new century "vibe of avant garde meets olde garde where you can choose from a Glenmorangie to absinthe is just the melting-pot this city needs. Too many places in the city are full of people who look and eat, and drink the same-the convergence of choice and menu on offer at time creates a great vibe. The juke box rocks too. I'll be back!

• Pros: diversity of drink menu
• Cons: can get crowded at weekends

10/28/08

Food Drink and Ambiance Galore!

by sippinandstalkin

Wow, I felt like I was I don't know where! The food put out of that kitchen by the chef Josh, who came around to say hi, was absolutely fantastic. I started with the Cauliflower soup that smelled of truffles as it was poured tableside, great taste and texture with a nice lighness to it. I had the monkfish as my main course, great, I love monkfish anyway but this had a nice pair of proscuitto wrapped fennel ...wild amount of flavor in that bundle of joy. My date had beef served two ways that I tried, really nice as well braised something and grilled rib eye I think, kind of a take off of that English stew dish served with a little mustard toast. There was a great jazz band that playing and the whole place had a really nice comfy vibe to it. After dinner we went over to the pub side to watch a bit of the game and digest and have a couple drinks...what a cool spot.

• Pros: Food, Ambience, Live jazz

10/26/08

Nothing good to say

by FoodDoggy

Jason and Delphine just ride the wave of cheesy wannabe trendy hipsters. They know nothing about the business and nothing about food. It's not too hard to fool Philadelphians as they still have very under developed palates. I mean look how popular the Starr places are and people think that slop is great. Also they think they are hipper than New Yorkers and it's so sad to watch them parade around their little blue collar wannabe-NYC little town of Philly thinking they are so hip. Philly is just NCY's septic tank from dining, to fashion, to music, to the arts and anyone that thinks the food at Vintage or Time is good proves my point. Keith Murphy is just a drunk and would not have an original idea even if his brain wasn't soaked with cheap bear and even then he wouldn't know how to execute it. The half retarded GM is just as bad and Delphine is just a little whiny frog that is more worried about getting her name published than anything else. Jason is just a mixed up alcoholic coke-head that doesn't mean any harm, but gets bullied by his wife. I mean these are people that claim to be Buddhists, but don't know the difference between Buddhist deities and Hindu deities and worst of all have no concept of Karma. They may be successful, but it will only be due to the fact that the sad little Philly trendy hipster scene is so clueless and lame. Ciao

• Pros: None
• Cons: Food, Service, Owners

10/08/08

Felt Welcomed.

by j33

3 bars with each a different theme. whiskey and martini bar with live music, pub style bar and upstairs absenthe bar, although felt somewhat tech club style. enjoyed some pints at the pub bar. good music at the martini bar. good relation with bartender at the pub . treated as a reguar.

• Pros: felt welcomed
• Cons: none that i seen although i did not eat.

The folks you brought Midtown's venerable wine bar Vintage take another stab at success with a radical redo on the old Ludwig's space.

by Contributor

In Short
Fab foodie duo Jason and Delphine Evenchik take gastronomic goodness to another level at their highly anticipated Sansom Street boite. The nightspot sports three flavors of the storied elixir absinthe, one of the city's best scotch, whiskey, bourbon selections and a bevy of bovine goodness that fits the bill to suit any carnivore's cravings - from more modest appetites to the ridiculously ravenous. Flatiron steak makes for hearty fare when imbibing on a single malt or two while wild boar chops make for adventurous dining experience. A Sunday brunch and jazz happy hours makes this Center City hideaway worth smoking out this off-beat locale.