City Spotlight: Philadelphia

When you think about the city of Philadelphia top attractions come to mind including the Liberty Bell, the ever so popular Museum of Art scene from the movie Rocky and the Cheesesteak battle between Pat & Geno. Typically one doesn’t naturally think of Philadelphia as being host to top-notch hotels and restaurants. After our recent visit, we are back to tell you, that has all changed.

The Trendsetting Hotel

The Radisson Blu Warwick is one of those hot trendy hotels that is taking the city by storm. Walk into the lobby and you will see exactly what the talk is all about, you might have to do a double take to check yourself and ask, are we still in Philly? Large, arched pane glass windows frame this iconic landmark building and once inside the captivating glow of blue lights and modern décor may keep you in the lobby a little longer than usual. On cold winter nights sip on a complimentary hot apple cider as you check out the stylish furnishings with hanging lit globes along ceiling and thought-provoking scriptures that cover the walls.

The Radisson Blu pulls no punches to enhance guest experience. Guests that opt for business class have full access to the exclusive VIP lounge on the 11^th floor with a full bar and a more than gracious presentation of hot and cold food.  Allow the lounge host to find you a great seat while you enjoy a glass of wine and cheese to start your stay in style.

The property is home to 301 modern, fashionable rooms and suites. Every room includes free high-speed, wireless Internet and a refrigerator. If you have multiple guests and require more space you can always upgrade to a suite with a panoramic view of the city. If your stay allows for a little more relaxation time the hotel has optional in-room spa treatments to take the edge off from that long flight or maybe get in a workout in the 2000 square foot fitness center.

An iconic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel, Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia has the ideal location whether traveling for business or pleasure. The hotel is convenient to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Amtrak’s 30th Street Station and the Pennsylvania Convention Center. A balanced blend of luxury and history you will find yourself in the heart of one of the city’s most distinguished areas when staying here.

Palladino’s

True foodies know that when you travel to the Eastern side of the United States you pack your appetite (along with some cold weather clothes) as there are thousands of amazing restaurants to choose from. New York, Boston, Detroit and of course Philadelphia are all well known for one certain type of cuisine and of course, as we all know what that is, Italian! Many Italian immigrants have traveled abroad to the US bringing the savory flavors from Italy over the past 100 years. Philadelphia is very well known for its hundreds of Italian restaurants throughout the city so one would think it would tough to make it as a chef starting a new venture in this saturated city but that is not the case if your name happens to be Luke Palladino. This 27 year ago graduated from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and as a lot of smart chefs do he migrated to Italy to learn firsthand proper Italian cooking techniques. Throughout his training at the CIA, Luke had a passion for the traditional side of Italian cuisine and wanted to stick to the roots of the way the food has always been made. He prefers to keep it simple yet does his best to bring bursting flavors and modern presentation to each dish.

In 1989, Palladino was voted “most likely to succeed by his CIA classmates and he is absolutely living up to the reputation. After his training in Italy, he started his career as Executive Chef from 1997 to mid-1998 at Venice’s well known Ristorante al Covo. Luke learned so much from this experience being immersed in bringing high-quality ingredients to his customers with an extremely small staff in the kitchen. In the United States, Palladino has worked with some of the country’s most respected chefs, including Paul Bertolli, Jeremiah Towers, Emeril Lagasse and Todd English. With all this experience he opened several restaurants in Atlantic City and is making a serious footprint in Philadelphia with Palladino’s. The extensive menu consists of seasonal Italian cuisine, wood-fired steaks, chops, seafood and handcrafted pasta.

Customers at Palladino’s love to sample their way through Luke’s menu guaranteeing to get a taste of his many years of experience.  Since mastering the art of traditional Italian cuisine he brings signature dishes like the Truflled Grissini (house made breadsticks brushed with white truffle butter, grated parmigiano & wrapped in prosciutto),  Mushroom Crespelle (baked Taleggio cheese & wild mushroom crepe, local arugula,15 year aged balsamico), Spicy Sopressata Focaccia (stuffed with stracchino cheese, topped with pomodoro, calabrese chili, sopressata & scallions) and of course his famous Casonsei Hand Crafted Pasta (candy wrapper pasta filled with roasted beets, smoked ricotta, crushed poppy seed burro fuso). Delizioso!