PHILLY TE AMA! DINE AND DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY IN PHILADELPHIA

Hispanic Dining And Salsa Dancing Heat Up Nights In The City Of Brotherly Love

PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 2009 – Visitors in search of nighttime fun will fall in el amor with Philadelphia’s Hispanic dining and dancing scene. Well known for its bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) spots, steakhouses and hometown flavors, Philadelphia’s Center City and surrounding neighborhoods boast authentic flavors that add spice to any night. And those looking to don their dancing shoes and groove to authentic Latin sounds can head to many of the fun nightclubs and lounges around the city.

Fitting in all of Philly’s best day and evening activities means spending a couple of nights. That’s easily done thanks to the two-night Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which includes free hotel parking and a gift at check-in and is available at more than 30 hotels throughout the region any two nights of the week. This package and many others are bookable at gophila.com.

Here’s a look at how to experience the tastes and rhythmic sounds of Hispanic Philadelphia:

Dining:

·         Inside three floors of island elegance, Alma de Cuba is a great spot to sip a classic mojito and feast on authentic Cuban cuisine, including ceviche of all sorts, black bean soup, tuna empanadas and loads of other Latin-inspired dishes. 1623 Walnut Street, (215) 988-1799, almadecubarestaurant.com

·         In 2004, Chef Jose Garces started his Philadelphia restaurant empire with the opening of the casual yet sophisticated Amada, which serves up Spanish tapas like manchego and artichoke empanadas and super clever combos of Spanish cheeses with homemade spreads.  217 Chestnut Street, (215) 625-2450, amadarestaurant.com

·         Like its Passyunk Avenue sibling Cantina Los Caballitos, Cantina Dos Segundos serves up creative Mexican fare such as veggie “beef” tacos and slow-roasted goat along with flights of tequila, fresh fruit margaritas and a fiesta-like atmosphere. 931 N. 2^nd Street, (215) 629-0500, cantinadossegundos.com

·         Chef Garces (featured above) drew inspiration from Mexico City for University City’s Distrito, a brightly colored, fun house-like eatery with cuisine like chili-marinated lamb chops, scallop and pineapple skewers and hibiscus cosmos. 3945 Chestnut Street,

(215) 222-1657, distritorestaurant.com

·         Chef Marcie Turney creates contemporary Mexican dishes at Lolita, an intimate spot with a décor of sultry reds and blacks against a backdrop of exposed brick walls. This BYOB spot is also BYOT—as in bring-your-own tequila to add to fresh margarita mix. 106 S. 13^th Street,

(215) 546-7100, lolitabyob.com

·         Latin-American and Caribbean plates are the specialty at Mixto, a neighborhood favorite serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Patrons pour in for the mouthwatering mojitos and sensational sangria, along with the fun atmosphere. Bartenders create the non-alcoholic batido de frutas (fruit smoothies) with imported Latin American fruits. 1141 Pine Street,

(215) 592-0363, mixtophilly.com

·         At Sazon, Northern Liberties’ Venezuelan BYOB restaurant, the atmosphere is simple and the fare, like arepas and arroz con pollo, is hearty and features plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. 941 Spring Garden Street, (215) 763-2500, sazonrestaurant.com

·         It’s all in the name at Tequilas. The beautifully decorated, upscale Mexican restaurant keeps dozens of fine sipping tequilas on hand to complement the expertly prepared, authentic Mexican cuisine. 1602 Locust Street, (215) 546-0181, tequilasphilly.com

·         Garces’ second Philadelphia hotspot, wine bar Tinto specializes in “pinxtos,” the Basque region’s Spanish- and French-influenced version of tapas. 114 S. 20^th Street, (215) 665-9150, tintorestaurant.com

Dining, Dancing And More:

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