Family-Friendly Happy Hour

Nomad Roman 

My family was in the city and we needed a place to go for dinner. I have a mom, dad, 28 year old sister and a 13 year old brother. My brother can be a picky eater, which 13 year old isn’t? So we have a joke in our family, that the restaurant has to be “BF” or “bubby friendly” because “bubby” is one of our nicknames for my brother, Matthew.

Families who are dining out in Philly: if you’re looking for a great restaurant with an amazing deal, dine at Nomad Roman. I know finding places in the city can be tough to bring children, but Nomad is the place to be.

Nomad Roman offers locally grown, organic produce and all natural meats. The pizza is prepared in a wood-fired brick oven and cooked right in front of your eyes. Who wouldn’t love a delicious meal like that, something with fresh with local ingredients?

The best time to go is during their happy hour which is 4:30pm-6:30pm. During this time, all pizzas are $5 and $7, which is basically half-priced and beer is $4 and wine is $5. My family was in sort of a rush because my parents and brother still had to drive home from the city because my brother had an early morning at school. The service couldn’t have been more helpful and quick.

What’s great about the pies here are that they’re personal-sized and just the right amount. Matthew is a pizza connoisseur and loves their margherita pizza, so he ordered that. Both my sister, Catherine and my dad got the Spicy Soppressata which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, soppressata, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, parmesan, honey and sea salt. They loved the heat from the spicy soppressata. My mom got the Pepperoni Pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, Applegate Farms Pepperoni, parmesan and sea salt. She loved the size and flavor of the pepperoni. I ordered the Trenton Tomato Pie which was an “upside down” pizza which included: Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper, parmigiano and basil. I loved how the pizza had a little “kick” to it due to the crushed red pepper.

Five personal pizzas for only for $35! Which family of five can say that they dine out in Philly for $35? I’m telling you next time you’re in Philly, try Nomad Roman for happy hour! It’s a great and affordable place to go with family or friends! Definitely will return.

4 Course Meal

Ela

Ever since my dad, sister and I went to the restaurant Ela on our bacon and beer tour, we've been wanting to go back to try a full meal there!

Ela is located in Philly's Queen Village that offers new American cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. The menu is always changing with the chefs, creative twists on the fresh ingredients.

Ela is very affordable getting a great deal of both quality and quantity of food. This restaurant offers 4 courses for $45, 5 courses for $55 and 6 course chef's tasting for $65. My sister and I both decided on having the 4 course meal, which there are a lot of "bites" to choose from!

For starters, my sister and I thought we enjoy our dinner with "elixirs". My sister, Catherine got the "180 by Summer" which is white wine, watermelon and Thai basil. I got "We Were Younger Then" which is dark rum, smoked pineapple, lime, falernum, and mint. These drinks were perfect for a hot, summer day!

For my first bite I got the Gazpacho which was made up of mangoes and hibiscus. I never had gazpacho with mangoes before, so it was nice and refreshing for a cold soup! Catherine got the Hiramasa Crudo which featured au poivre, fig, black truffle and concord vinegar. She loved the black truffle sauce!

For our second course, I got the Gnocchi which was served in crispy potato skins, sour cream and onion. It tasted just like a baked potato! My sister got the Porcini Pasta which had fava beans and saffron ricotta. The saffron ricotta was so fresh and something you're not used to having, so it was a treat!

For the third meal, I got the Lancaster Chicken which was tender cuts of chicken wrapped in ham served with parisian potatoes and asparagus. This was probably the best chicken dish I've ever tasted! It tasted like chicken pot pie without the crust. Catherine got the Rohan Duck Thigh which was served with goat cheese grits, romaine and blueberries. Now Catherine love grits and she said this was the best she's ever had, especially paired with the blueberries!

Surprisingly we had room for the "final bite" or known as dessert! I got the Cookie Dough which was warm cookie dough topped with vanilla ice-cream. This was so rich and delicious in flavor, it was one of my favorite desserts I've ever had! Catherine had the Strawberry Rhubarb Soup which had angel food cake and coconut mascarpone. It was a unique dish being served in a cold sauce, but she enjoyed it very much.

As you can see, this is a lot of food! But it's definitely worth $45, and I highly suggest going to Ela to see what it's all about!