Today's post is not about enjoying a meal in a small European bistro as you might imagine, but refers to the food prepared for those attending the First Continental Congress when it convened in Philadelphia in 1774. They met at The City Tavern on Second Street. It was not a year old when some of the most influential men in the colonies gathered there to form a united opinion in response to the "intolerable acts" of the British.
Last night I was there for a completely different reason. I was not there to protest but to enjoy an authentic 18th Century meal. It is indeed a foodie destination to experience the ambiance and food of a different place in time. And as you might expect, it is not cheap. But with a BOGO coupon (you can get one at the Visitors' Center at the Independence Mall) it was affordable for the two of us. The menu is impressive as you will note on the link I have provided which welcomes you to the tavern. So I went all out and ordered the lobster pie. It was a generous portion of bits of lobster, shrimp and mushrooms swimming in a cream sherry sauce, covered by a flaky pastry blanket. I savored every morsel and was glad to have kept my spoon to slurp up every last pool of the velvety sauce that my bread could not catch. Oh, and the bread was authentic, too. Three different kinds were served, including two slices of Anadama Bread, the same kind of cornmeal and molasses loaf I had just baked at home.
Our hostess and waitstaff were all in costume and were courteous and conversational, not hurried but at the same time mindful of our 7:30 curtain call at the Kimmel. It's no wonder that John Adams, when he arrived in 1774 called the place, "the most genteel tavern in America."
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