Silk City is what lies at the end of a Silk Road..
Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray
Published September 7th, 2022
Pictured above from top to bottom, Silk Cakes ($14), Shrimp and Grits ($20), Summer Lobster Omelet ($18). Photo Courtesy of The Brunch Besties.
There are few restaurants that contain a history similar to Silk City. Built in 1952 underneath a subdivision of the Paterson Vehicle Company. Silk City was a part of a chain of diners of the same name and similar design that were built by the Paterson Vehicle Company, under the direction of Everett Abbott Cooper. All of the remaining locations, including the one in Philly, are a part of the national registration of historical places. Cooper dubbed the diner the name “Silk City” due to a boom in the silk industry, as the company also had expanded into silk manufacturing.
Although it started off as a quaint diner, Silk City expanded into a cocktail diner in 1954. Which became the center of nightlife to the Philadelphia area for quite some time. Silk City can even be attributed to the birth of the Neo- Soul Movement as it was home to Back2Basics, which served as ground zero for the Neo Soul Movement. Back2Basics was regularly hosted in the cocktail lounge on a weekly basis during the 90s that displayed new and underground musical talents. Talents to the likes of Erykah Badu and Questlove to name a few. If you are interested in reading about the history of Back2basics, you can read about it here.
By the time that the original ownership stepped down in 2006, and the restaurant was purchased by its current owner Michael Bee. Bee is a Philly native, having grown up in kensington, and spent most of his life in Philadelphia. Prior to owning Silk City, he had a background as a general contractor, property developer, and real estate (My City Paper). He owns two other restaurants, Franky Bradley’s in the Gayborhood and N 3rd Street Bar and Restaurant, located in Northern Liberties.
After renovating the kitchen, diner, and the addition of a Beer Garden, Silk City once again became the spot in town to go clubbing, sample beer, or have a delicious brunch. It garnered such acclaim that it was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Dine-ins, and Dives hosted by Guy Fieri in 2010.
We visited silk city on July 13th, 2022. Reservations were made in advance, to secure a spot for brunch. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. So much so that we sat in the beer garden. There was lots of greenery in the form of various plants and vines. There was a bohemian vibe to the beer garden. With the seating being varying shades of distressed wood, and likewise for the tables.
Once we were seated and got a moment to review the menu, we ordered the Summer Lobster Omelet ($18), Shrimp and Grits ($20), and Silk Cakes. Nina ordered the Adult Mocha ($13), which contained Vodka, Godiva Chocolate liquor, salted caramel Kahlua and Cold brew coffee. It was refreshing and creamy, but a cold zing of alcohol to it. Overall it was a pretty good drink, and we recommend you get it if you go. Now, onto the food.
Summer Lobster Omelet
Pictured above is the Summer Lobster Omelet ($18), Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.
This menu item caught our eye. It is described as having Fontina cheese, chives, roasted corn, heirloom tomatoes, and home fries. The presentation was clean and simple. We rated it 4 out of 5 stars. In terms of the omelet, everything was proportioned well and cooked perfectly. The corn was embedded into the omelet, which was nice because it added diversity in texture. The fontina cheese paired well with the lobster, which was lightly seasoned but delicious. The chives and heirloom tomatoes added a refreshing twist to the dish, with the tomatoes specifically adding a burst of tartness that balanced well with everything else.
There were a few critiques we had. Firstly, the tomatoes could’ve been cut a bit smaller. They were a bit chunky and made it difficult to eat. Secondly, there could have been a bit more lobster. The home fries were relatively pedestrian and bland. We had to rely on the condiments to add flavor to them. But overall, this was a unique dish that we both enjoyed. It was like a summer lobster chowder in an omelet, which is not commonly done nor well executed. And for that we rated this dish 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Silk Cakes
Pictured above is the Silk Cakes ($14), Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.
One thing we love to do when we go to restaurants, whether for the blog or personally, is try out signature dishes because they can be really interesting and delicious. Much like the silk cakes, which are described as, two brown sugar and malted vanilla pancakes with candied bacon and maple butter.
The presentation was nice, it was consistent with the clean and simple plating that we had seen in the other dishes. These pancakes were light, buttery, but also put the cake in pancakes. The maple butter paired well with the malted vanilla in the pancakes and married well with the candied bacon.
The main critique that we have is that the bacon and the other elements of the pancakes were put in the center of the cakes. Which did not leave an even distribution of flavor. Once we began to eat outside of the center of the cakes, it started to taste basic. Overall, another unique and delicious dish that we rated 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Shrimp & Grits
Pictured above is the Shrimp and Grits ($20), Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.
We chose this dish because it is a brunch classic and also the description caught our attention. The plate was described as having cajun shrimp, cooper sharp grits, and scallion poquito chimichurri sauce.
The presentation was gorgeous. The shrimp looked like they were floating in an island or lagoon, but it was so elegantly executed it didn’t look cheap or gimmicky. However, the flavor was a bit disappointing. The grits were a bit bland and cakey. The chimichurri sauce was delicious and had a fresh earthy flavor. The shrimp was well seasoned. There were poached eggs as well, which did not augment the texture of the grits.
A few cons of this dish were that the tomatoes felt out of place. The dish would have been stronger without them. The poached egg, although delicious, also didn’t feel necessary. If anything a fried egg could have been utilized and it would have accomplished the same thing in terms of incorporating an eggy flavor. Overall, we give this dish 3 out of 5 stars.
In Closing…
Our experience at Silk City was good. The service was amazing. We received all of the dishes pretty quickly after we ordered, and our server was attentive. The vibes of the beer garden are perfect for a summer brunch.
We appreciated the rich history behind Silk City and how the owner, instead of tearing away the history, embraced it. But not only embraced it but recognized the importance of that history and made an effort to carry Silk City into the future. In terms of the food, if the critiques we made were taken into consideration then the dishes would have been perfect.
Silk City is definitely a restaurant that we would recommend, it has a chill vibe and the food is decent, so if you’re in the area feel free to check it out!
Please let us know what you guys think. Would you go to Silk City? What do you think of the history of the restaurant? Let us know in the comments down below.
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XOXO,
The Brunch Besties