Babymoon & Philly Food Spots

This past weekend Matt and I had the chance to get away for a little babymoon weekend just the two of us. My parents came down from Vermont and wanted to spend some alone time with Riker, so after having a family dinner Friday evening, Matt and I hit the road for a two-night stay in Old City, Philadelphia. The first time we did a babymoon, when I was pregnant with Riker, we did a 4 day trip to Martha's Vineyard which I would've loved to do again, but the drive was too far. Philly is so close to us but we don't often go for overnighters, and this was the first time we stayed in Old City in a couple years. I forgot how much I love this town!

Matt and I really make an effort to have regular date nights and time alone, but we don't often get to do an overnight just the two of us these days, and I have to say I feel like taking a short getaway every now and then really is important to our relationship. We had so much fun just being spontaneous and eating leisurely meals and laughing, laughing, laughing. Not that I ever forget, but spending some alone time together reminds me all over again how much I love this man.

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We were only in Philly for a short time, but we did a lot of walking, a little sightseeing, and a whole lot of eating. My sister's boyfriend Justyn had recommended a bunch of pubs and restaurants we might like, so we had a list of places to check out.

Friday night we wandered around Old City for a while and stopped into Eulogy, which was an awesome little spot. Matt had a few craft beers and we split an order of their famous fries with homemade dipping sauces.

Our concierge had told us about a famous ice cream spot around the corner, the Franklin Fountain, which has been there since the 1920s. The line is insane even in cold weather, but so, so worth it. We ended up going there both nights so we could sample a few of their flavors as well as their homemade hot fudge and peanut butter sauce. Amazing!

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Saturday morning we slept in and laid in bed till 9:00 watching HGTV and eating some fruit I brought from home. I honestly can't remember the last time we stayed in bed till 9:00 watching TV. It felt amazing. After we got moving, we split up for a while to do his & hers workouts. Matt went for a run around the city, and I went for a jog/walk on the pier. We were staying right at Penns Landing so could see the water from our hotel room, which was really pretty in the morning light.

The rest of the day included some time at the hotel pool, about 6 miles of walking all around the city - from Old City through China Town to center city - some great food, a stop into the famous Reading Terminal Market for a snack, a visit to the Philly Art Museum, a nightcap (for Matt) at Monk's Cafe, a visit to a really old candy store (the place totally looked like Willy Wonka's) for a treat for Riker, and of course ice cream to top the whole night off. I mean, after a morning jog and then 6 miles of walking, I figured I'd earned it. ;)

Our favorite food spots included:

FarmiCia

I had my heart set on a good brunch, so was excited when I found Farmicia on Yelp and it got such great brunch reviews. It was only a short walk from our hotel, too.

This place had a farm-to-table feel and the staff was incredibly friendly. We were starving by the time we got there, so ordered an appetizer of lox and capered cream cheese with bagel crisps.

For my meal I ordered a crab & spinach omelet with hollandaise and a side of cheese grits. I initially ordered a side salad, but the waiter convinced me to order the grits. Who knows when we'll be back again? They were pretty fantastic.

FarmiCia has a brunch happy hour where all drinks and cocktails are 50% off, and I definitely was feeling a little bummed that I couldn't have a Bloody Mary or mimosa like everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be doing. Oh well, only 2 more months till baby girl is here and then it'll be cocktail time. Until then, it's coffee for this girl.

Matt did partake in a breakfast stout to wash down his breakfast quesadilla and homemade scrapple.

Tria Taproom

We hit up Tria Taproom for dinner after walking the city and then walking around the museum for 3 hours, so it was quite the oasis when we arrived. Tria has a few different spots in the city, but we wanted the atmosphere of their taproom. Everything - both beer & wine - is on tap, and they have a list of really unique flatbreads.

We started with some oyster poppers, and what may have been the best salad I've ever had in my life. It was a burrata salad (if you've never had burrata, it's fresh mozzarella filled with basically strings of mozz that have been soaked in cream, and it's delicious), topped with wood grilled broccoli rabe, crispy shallots, red onions, greens, and fresh herbs.

We each ordered a flatbread too, which I really wanted to finish because it was so good, but I only made it about halfway through.

Matt's flatbread was topped with smoked mozzarella, fig jam, smoked duck, foie gras mousse, and fresh tarragon. No joke, he said it was one of the best meals he'd ever eaten.

I ordered the "breakfast flatbread" which was topped with smoked mozzarella, blue cheese, potatoes, crispy shallots, green onions and a fried egg (it came with bacon too, but I ordered it without). I've seen egg on pizza a few times on Food Network and have been wanting to try it, and have to say it was really good. The yolk adds a nice creaminess to the pizza.

I would highly recommend both of these places if you're ever in Philly!