Historic Ship, Historic Meal
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Cuisine Style: Seafood, New American
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in July 2014
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Anthony Bonett
Executive Pastry Chef:
Sandra Valentine
Proprietor / Manager:
Marty Grims
Michelle Delp
Jake Wade
Sommelier:
Dusan Vranic
It was my third day visiting Philadelphia with my daughter for the July 4th weekend, and I had heard about a nice dinner location on the Delaware River, while I was researching places to eat for my visit. This is when I heard about a great seafood restaurant on a ship, but not just any ship, a ship that was over one hundred years old, now decommissioned and turned into a restaurant and bar. This ship was the Moshulu, and I was very impressed. The Moshulu (ex Kurt) is a four-masted steel barque built by William Hamilton and Company on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1904 and is currently a floating restaurant docked in Penn's Landing, Philadelphia. They present the very essence of contemporary American cooking, with an array of dishes and all the Philly dining favorites as one of the grandest fine dining restaurants in Philadelphia.
Menu:
- Starters
- Salads
- Soups
- Sandwiches
- Entrees
- Desserts
- Deck Menu
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Happy Hour
Great history comes from this ship not just from its travels, but how it has become part of an American icon. The Moshulu was seen in the movies Rocky (shown during one of Rocky's workout sessions along the waterfront) and The Godfather Part II (bringing the young Vito Corleone to America in 1901, two years before it was built), as well as in the end scene of the movie Blow Out. My daughter and I arrived, and walked towards the ship, next to it was an old World War Two submarine the SS Becuna, and another Battleship from WW2 as well. We entered the ship into the lobby area and were taken directly to our table, next to the window looking out onto the Delaware River and New Jersey across the way.
Our server Cirilo introduced himself and greeted me with my title and name, which caught me by surprise. I’m used to being greeted by my last name when you go to a fine dining restaurant, but he also included my Chef title as well. The table setting was interesting because instead of chargers, they had a nice wicker mat that added to the touch. At this time I looked over the extensive wine list to see a wide variety of choices, and this was one of the first restaurants I went to that had a very good selection of Croatian wines, and they also had local Pennsylvania wine, always a nice touch, but I settled for an Italian wine the Rivetto Nebiolo Serralunga d'Alba, which was delivered along with the bread selection. According to the winemakers' notes, Serralunga d’Alba is a 100% Nebbiolo. A native Piedmont grape with a late harvest period, recognized for its quality since the ancient Roman epoch. Rich, forthright cherry fruit, open spice, earth, and mineral perfume. Great texture, bright, savory fruit and a nice lift on the palate. Elegant and well-made with fine grip and structure.
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| Bread selection |
As my daughter and I pondered over the menu looking at the wide selections from prime beef steak tartare, tropical style salmon ceviche tostada, double tuna tartare parfait, spicy shrimp, pan seared Pacific halibut, blue cheese and bacon crusted swordfish, pan seared Peking style duck breast, and more. I knew it would be difficult to make a decision with so many wonderful choices. At this time the amuse-bouche was brought out, consisting of a watermelon with lime and sea salt drizzle, very fresh and awakening to the senses.
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| Amuse-bouche |
My daughter and I decided to go for the gusto with a four-course meal, not a pre-fixe, just the items we liked. My daughter started with the crispy calamari and artichoke hearts, with chorizo Spanish sausage pieces, parsley, fried capers, plus a garlic and squid ink aioli drizzle. This dish was extremely tasty, and well presented going beyond your typical restaurant calamari dish.
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| Calamari and artichoke hearts |
So many starters to choose from that looked just fantastic; it made my decision very difficult. I was looking at the pan seared Spanish octopus with saffron potatoes, feta cheese, chickpeas, watercress, and the smoked pepper purée, or the seared duck foie gras, but I had that two nights ago, so it would have been overkill to do it again, and then they had the colossal jumbo lump crab cocktail with the cilantro lime aioli, but in the end I settled for the half dozen chilled oysters, with a classic mignonette dip. The selection was from the Pacific coast, which I prefer over the Atlantic, though living in Florida I have a fondness for the Apalachicola.
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| Pacific oysters |
When we finished the starters the chef presented a second amuse, to ask me as a fellow food culinarian what I thought. He presented a crispy halibut served over a caviar aioli bed, which tasted like pure heaven, a wonderful selection indeed.
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| halibut amuse |
As we enjoyed that, and I continued to sip on the wine, looking out onto the Delaware River, I looked back at my wine, then the river again, then back to my wine, to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, or if my wine hadn’t been spiked, because when you look out the window onto a river, you normally don’t see things like this, a mini steamboat. The next course arrived, and my daughter whom I manage to get her addicted to seafood style soups when she used to live in Charleston had the lobster bisque from the menu, topped with shrimp, oven-dried tomatoes, and a garnish of tarragon leaves. It was very tasty and rich with a hint of brandy; I love bisque style soups myself. Other selections on the menu included heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad, and a chilled tomato gazpacho.
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| Lobster bisque |
For my salad course, I had the Blue Moon Farms lettuce salad, simply because they used local lettuce, endive, and roasted beets, with matchstick potatoes, soft goat cheese, all tossed in an aged sherry vinaigrette. Whenever I go somewhere new, I like to try what is local whenever possible and avoid the Caesar and Cobb salads, because everyone has those. As an example, my daughter and I had lunch at Pat’s King of Steaks, because we were in Philly, and we had to have a Philly Cheesesteak from the place that invented them. Most people may want to go to Burger King and have TGI Friday’s for dinner, but come on people, live a little and enjoy what different cities have to offer like here at the Moshulu.
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| Blue Moon Farms salad |
When it was time for the entrees my daughter had played it a little safe, since I was still in the process of having her think and order outside the box, one thing her mother rarely has her do when it comes to eating out, so this is an ongoing process. Her selection was the Radiatori pasta with “crab gravy,” jumbo lump crab, sautéed arugula, crispy capers, vine-ripened tomatoes, and a Philly style crab sauce, which means the sauce is Italian style to represent South Philly, consisting of butter, olive oil, garlic and mixed spices. Of course, my daughter hates tomatoes, so she picked those out, it’s funny because like any kid she loves ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and sloppy Joes, but she won’t eat whole tomatoes?
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| Radiatori Pasta |
For my entrée I had trouble deciding since several things on the menu were of interest including a few of the items I mentioned above, but also the pan seared diver sea scallops looked great, and the crispy skin Atlantic salmon. In the end, my choice would be a salmon, but it was the one our server mentioned as a special. The special surprised me because it was July, and the season for Alaskan King River Sockeye Salmon ends usually in June, but once he said it, I was sold. My daughter asked the difference because she enjoyed salmon from time to time. I explained the process of how they are born in the river, go out to sea, then return years later to the same river to lay their eggs. I told her to think about nature shows she enjoyed watching and to remember the salmon that jump up waterfalls, gorges, and rapids going up a stream, not down one, and how grizzly or brown bears are there to catch and eat them. I told her that because the fish was so strong from the swimming, and had both salt and fresh water in its body, the taste would be spectacular, unlike any salmon she had ever eaten. I told her it was almost like eating a steak. The salmon was served Asian style with noodles, Brussel sprouts, and a sesame seed soy reduction.
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| Sockeye Salmon |
Side items for the entrées are ordered separately and served family style, so we chose some sugar snap peas and tri-color carrots, with arugula pesto, and fried capers, plus a side of Yukon gold potato purée, and sautéed spinach with roasted garlic, oven-dried tomato, and Boursin cheese topping.
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| Sautéed spinach with roasted garlic |
Dessert:
Now after this meal, dessert seemed impossible, but we had paced ourselves, and gotten half of the remaining entrée to go so that we would have room. My daughter had a dessert special called the black and red, which was essentially a black forest cake and a red velvet cake combo with vanilla bean ice cream. For myself, I went to a more traditional side, the lemon ricotta cheesecake with a citrus biscuit, lemon curd, crisp meringue, and a nice refreshing lemon sorbet.
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| Lemon ricotta cheesecake |
As we left that night, even though it was a day after the 4th of July, the city had another fireworks display over the river, and we caught a great glimpse of it before heading back to the hotel. This is a fun city with great food; you need to add it to your list of travels.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy New American Cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
Alinea Highly creative new American molecular gastronomy tasting menus in Chicago, Illinois
Bridge Street Bistro Third Floor terrace Seafood Centric New American dining, Bradenton Beach, Florida
Chill Restaurant & Bar New American Cuisine, tapas, and exotic cocktails in St. Pete Beach
Harvest Moon Café Farm-to-Fork Daily changing new American fare menu in Sonoma, California
Lobby at Twelve Boutique hotel bistro, new American, and Southern favorites at Atlantic Station, Atlanta
Samantha’s Restaurant Mellow new American fare in North Canton, Ohio
The Mad Hatter Waterfront upscale new American cuisine on Sanibel Island, Florida
The Mill Restaurant New American fare with a southern spin in St. Petersburg, Florida
Z Grille Colorfully inspired twists on American Classics in St. Petersburg, Florida
Zinc Bistro and Bar Southwestern-inspired new American fare in San Antonio, Texas
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Philadelphia restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
Bistrot La Minette Charming French Bistro with movie filmed terrace in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pat’s King of Steaks Home of the original cheesesteak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
|
10
|
9
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1
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Food quality
|
10
|
8
|
2
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Plate presentation
|
9
|
9
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0
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Customer service
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9
|
8
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1
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Alcohol and other beverages
|
9
|
7
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2
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Total regular points awarded
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47
|
41
|
6
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.872340425531915
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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3
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0638297872340425
|
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.936170212765957
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
94% Rating with a 3 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine List:
|
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Wine rating:
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8.5 of 10
Old World selections:
Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, California, Chile, New York, New Zealand, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington State
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine style:
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New American, Seafood
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Required
Walk-Ins:
Not accepted
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Dress code:
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Business casual or Smart casual attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Beautiful décor, Scenic views, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Public Lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$85.00 USD
Moshulu:
401 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19106
United States
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 (215) 923 -2500
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sat
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Brunch: Sunday
10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Dinner:
Mon-Thur
5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Sunday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
Refined and elegant creole fare since 1880
New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
|
Old-world classic Italian & Mediterranean
New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA
|
Country-style local ingredients w/French flair
Constantia, South Africa
|
Other Pictures:
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| World War 2 ships |
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| The Moshulu |
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| Restaurant lobby of the ship |
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| Dining room |
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| Steam tugboat going by |
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| Yukon gold potato puree |
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| Snap peas |
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| July 4th on the 5th |
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| Black and red dessert |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
