In South Philadelphia, not far from the sports stadiums, you’ll find Popi’s Restaurant. This is a neighborhood place with lots of regulars, entertainment on weekends, and some very good food.
I’ve been going to Popi’s for years now, sometimes stopping in for a drink at the bar, other times having an expansive meal with friends. Either way, you’ll find yourself in a friendly environment, hosted by people who truly care about your experience.
Last night, my wife and I were there with a dear friend, the three of us at a corner table, relaxing, catching up, and generally having a great time. After a trio of salads we moved on to the entrees. Our friend ordered the chicken marsala, which is pictured below:
My wife likes Popi’s crab cakes and ordered them as her entree, as can be seen here:
I’m a simple guy and last night was looking for hearty food. Thus, I decided to go with rigatoni bolognese, an old standby.
Add a few glasses of wine, lots of conversation, a great waiter, and it all comes to a fine evening out. Popi’s is the kind of place you think of when you want a quality italian meal in a setting where you feel like you belong. The staff is on point, the hostess keeping an eye out, and everyone else in the place is enjoying themselves. That feeling is contagious, which is why I keep coming back to this place. Sometimes my wife and I will stop in just for dessert and a drink at the bar.
If you’re in the Philadelphia area, or not, give Popi’s a try. After all these years, they’ve never let me down.
We arrived without reservations but with a hankering for some reliable Italian dishes. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who found us a nice table. There is a bar and seating outside, as well as a nice fellow playing the piano. I ordered a mixed salad, which arrived promptly and was well presented. Take a look:
The greens, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers were garden-fresh, crunchy, and delicious. I appreciate a good salad to start, especially in Aruba, where vegetables (for some reason) are too often an afterthought. My wife likes a Caprese salad and here’s a view:
Again, a very pleasant presentation. Moving on to the entrees, my wife ordered grouper in puttanesca sauce. She thought it was great and here is what it looked like.
Don’t miss that little shaving of ginger on the bottom there. I went with the tried and true spaghetti bolognese and this meat sauce was a bit sweet but very good indeed. Here it is:
To think that this was the appetizer portion! I didn’t finish it until the second half was consumed for lunch the next day.
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