Elegant evening at Bookbinders

Erica Graham

With only two more days left of Restaurant Week, there is not much time left to make your last-minute reservation.

If you are really struggling to make a decision, then let me make it easier for you – pick up the phone and call Old Original Bookbinder’s.

Located at 2nd and Walnut Street in Old City, Bookbinder’s is a famous historical landmark that must not be missed.

According to its Web site, the cuisine is primarily “contemporary seafood with New World additions,” which includes its famous five-pound lobsters.

The atmosphere is classy yet comfortable and lacks that air of pretentiousness that one would feel while dining at the Ritz.

Despite its upscale reputation, Bookbinder’s attracts all sorts of people – from travelling tourists just passing by to a wide range of locals who frequent the establishment.

Since the menu is on the pricey side, Restaurant Week is definitely the time to go snag that awesome discounted price.

If you are still unconvinced that Bookbinders is worth the trip, then simply take the advice from the dozens of celebrities and politicians whose photographs adorn the walls of the restaurant, such as Joe DiMaggio, Richard Nixon, The Rat Pack, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali and many more.

The Restaurant Week menu includes three courses: an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert.

I ordered the Alaskan Baked Crab Cake with sautéed asparagus as an appetizer, the Seared Ahi Tuna served over a bed of Japanese sticky rice with a seaweed salad side for the main entrée and the Tropical Sorbet Trio that included mango, pineapple and papaya flavors for dessert.

Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection.

In addition to Ahi Tuna, Bookbinder’s serves many other types of fish such as salmon, tilapia, swordfish, flounder, shrimp and scallops.

There is even a raw bar complete with clams and oyster shooters, if you are daring enough. For those of you who prefer to eat something that does not swim, there are a few steak, chicken and pork entrées as well.

Other than the service being a tad slow due to the Restaurant Week crowd, I really have no complaints about Bookbinder’s.

The food was great and definitely worth the trip and the cost.

Be sure to put Bookbinder’s on your “Things to Do in Philly Before I Graduate” List – you will not regret it.