Old Original Bookbinder Old Original Bookbinders THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Old Original Bookbinder's

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Old Original Bookbinder's

125 Walnut St. (Second St.)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-925-7027
Map
Cuisine: Seafood
Straightforward seafood dishes, surf 'n' turf, solid wine list.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner daily

Features


THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Old Original Bookbinder's Restaurant Review:


The reinvented version of the original Old Original is awash in bright colors, mahogany tones and silver and blue accents. Central to the décor is an open kitchen and a huge lobster tank sprawled over several dining rooms and through the bar. Chef David Cunningham uses finesse and fine ingredients in what is a rather simple seafood menu---mostly filets---with requisite surf 'n' turf selections. Begin with an assortment of raw shellfish, steamed littlenecks or oysters Rockefeller. Other starters include tuna tartare with soy and ginger and sautéed sea scallops with carrot sauce and vegetable slaw. Desserts, such as coconut tart crème brûlée with pineapple ice cream and hazelnut crunch bar, are large enough to feed two or more. The wine list is pretty solid, though curiously stronger in big California reds than in white wines. If the menu is not as exciting as it could be, the food is made with both the authority of American cooking traditions and the precision of a well-trained chef.