By now, everyone has heard the story: Back in 2003, two industry veterans turned Girard Avenue beer-and-a-shot joint Johnny Brenda’s into a lauded gastropub and indie venue. Other businesses followed them into Fishtown — the neighborhood north of the city that sits along the Delaware River — and these days it’s possible to get everything from excellent Japanese cuisine to classic Pennsylvanian fare on the same strip. This is the neighborhood that convinces visitors to move to Philly, but it’s also kept its local artists.
So while the place still retains its working-class charm in the form of dive bars and delis, Center City’s cooler cousin to the north has attracted top chefs and concept restaurants, firmly established itself as one of the top culinary strips in the city.
New to this update: Post Haste, Emilia, and Picnic; and for now, we are dropping Bastia, Laser Wolf, and Cake Life.
