Located on South Philly’s bustling East Passyunk Avenue, Townsend is an excellent French restaurant helmed by organic-chemist-turned-chef Townsend Wentz.
I was lucky enough to score reservations to the white-tablecloth bistro on a recent Friday evening for dinner and have been looking forward to going back ever since. From an expansive menu offering a variety of seasonal ingredients, my dining companion and I chose several first-, second- and third-course dishes to share and enjoy.
For our first course, upon the recommendation of our server, we chose a broiled oyster dish featuring fresh East Coast oysters, fennel, spinach and crispy bacon with a delicious pernod cream sauce, and a unique Hamachi plate including sesame, cucumber, cilantro and lime. My first experience tasting Hamachi was delightful, as the fish was fresh and perfectly marinated.
We weren’t sure the second and third courses could live up to the deliciousness and uniqueness of the first-course dishes, but they most definitely did. We pined for more of the escargot dish we quickly polished off, featuring perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts and tasty bacon-sherry crème fraiche, and ate up every last bite of the braised rabbit pot, with roasted loin roulade, tender carrots and potatoes.
Though East Passyunk Avenue offers so many incredible dining options featuring cuisine from around the world, I can’t wait to go back and visit Townsend. According to our server, the restaurant will soon be offering a tasting menu.
Townsend
1623 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19148
tel 267 639 3203
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