New food hall in Philly. University City isn’t usually “my” area, but it sounds worthy of a visit.
@Bigley9, have you been?
New food hall in Philly. University City isn’t usually “my” area, but it sounds worthy of a visit.
@Bigley9, have you been?
I have not. It’s pretty new and I don’t get to UCity very often - lots of stops between here and there ![]()
Yeah, same kinda. Not our hood, generally, and we’re unlikely to make it there this visit.
Maybe in December…. ![]()
No. It looks to me like it’s more about real estate than gastronomy. Every one of those cuisines (and more!) can be found in the Philly metro area in settings that are far more authentic and serious.
At this point in my life, I eat only one meal at a time anyway.
Right. Most food halls gather these places under one roof in a relatively central area — see TimeOut in Lisbon or KERB in London and Berlin, et al.
If one were indecisive about lunch, or went with a group where peeps wanted to eat any number of different things, it can be quite convenient to have that many choices under one roof.
I’m not sure what you mean with “far more serious and authentic” when it’s literally the same people running those restaurants ![]()
Natascha, in my experience, it’s not uncommon for “the same people” to own restaurants with varying degrees of authenticity. But I think I may have made the wrong point in my response. What I wanted to get at was my disappointment with the downtown food courts I have experienced.
It didn’t matter if they were in Philly, London, or even here in downtown Lancaster, the food was lacking something all too often, and in all of these places - well maybe not downtown Lancaster - I’ve found far better alternatives.
I think it is important to distinguish Gather from places like Wonder that are true sludge. I’m also pleased to see that they have given young/emerging chefs grants to get started in the Gather space. If it was closer to me, or if I find myself in U City for some reason, I would check it out.
Oh, I wasn’t a big fan of the TimeOut market in Lisbon, either, TBH.
The KERB in Berlin wasn’t half-bad, but you’re right that the ‘home’ restaurants by the same owner might produce better quality. If I’m feeling adventurous, I might try to check it out for lunch tomorrow ![]()
Bigley9, the Southern Market Center in Lancaster has described itself as an “incubator” of restaurants and food businesses and might be worth a visit if that’s your interest. My own experiences haven’t been all that positive though.