During a recent visit to Philadelphia, we were pleasantly surprised by our meal at the hotel restaurant, Libertine, located at 261 South 13th Street. It was elegant but casual in appearance and the owner/chef, Derek Davis, actually came out to talk to guests.
The menu...items we ordered sounded heavy but were instead heavenly and light. We began with a Caesar salad - but this Caesar salad was like none we had ever had before, despite the ingredients listed! It consisted of roasted shrimp on a bed of grilled romaine lettuce topped with a light sauce that included anchovies, but the taste was very subtle, rather than overpowering. Our main course was a salmon and green bean dish with what was billed as a refried risotto pancake with cheese that was incredibly good! The kitchen was great about adjusting my meal to meet my dietary requests, too.
Many other items were on the menu as well but we were pleased with our menu choices.
We looked at the dessert menu, which included a homemade double chocolate gelato as well as sorbet, plus some other dishes that sounded wonderful, but we declined that indulgence.
The restaurant was dimly lit and nicely appointed, with many of the tables near the windows in this historic area of the city. We were offered wine but did not have any.
The serving staff could not have been nicer, more helpful or terrific! The owner actually came out to welcome and speak to us! Overall, we would definitely return for another meal!More