Select Page
October 16, 2022 – It’s officially autumn which means pumpkin plates and seasonal cocktails are flooding restaurants and bars nationwide — and Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs are no exception. Whether celebrating fall with pumpkin dishes and cocktails throughout the season or on National Pumpkin Day (Wednesday, October 26), we’ve gathered a list of must-try, innovative bites and beverages available on menus from Assembly Rooftop Lounge, Bluebird Distilling, Char & Stave, Forsythia, Urban Farmer, Red Owl Tavern, Townsend EPX, and Stella of New Hope. 
…..
 
Assembly Rooftop Lounge, Center City’s swanky rooftop lounge with panoramic views of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, City Hall, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is the go-to for a pumpkin-esque cocktail hour with its upcoming fabulously fun and seasonal pop-up dubbed Haunted Heights at Assembly, slated for Sunday, October 23 through Tuesday, November 1. The spook-tastic pop-up boasts a booze-forward Pumpkin Spiced Latte ($16) comprised of espresso-infused vodka, coffee liquor, and pumpkin cream, in addition to a smattering of hyper-festive sippers. Haunted Heights at Assembly will also feature spirited décor, scary movies, Halloween-focused bites, and a DJ spinning spooky tunes and classics on Friday and Saturday.

Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday from 4 pm with last seating at 10:30 pm

1840 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy | (215) 783-4171 | www.assemblyrooftop.com

…..

Bluebird Distilling, Phoenixville’s award-winning grain-to-glass craft distillery, has recently re-released the seasonal, limited-edition Spiced Pumpkin Dark Rum, an 80-proof Dark Rum flavored with autumn spices and a pinch of cane sugar, distilled and bottled on-site. This small-batch, spiced sipper provides tasting notes of pumpkin, caramel, baking spice, nutmeg, and vanilla, and is available for purchase at Bluebird Distilling and sister store Char & Stave located in Ardmore, and available to shop across the state of PA by clicking HERE.

Hours of operation are 4 – 11pm Monday through Thursday, 1 – 11pm Friday through Sunday.

100 Bridge St. Phoenixville PA | (610) 933-7827 | www.bluebirddistilling.com

…..

Char & Stave, the chic cafe-by-day, cocktail hotspot-by-night, and bottle shop located in the heart of Ardmore helmed by Bluebird Distilling Founder and Master Distiller Jared Adkins, has one brand-new, ultra-autumnal tipple on its already dynamic craft cocktail menu, the Pumpkin-Spice Espresso Martini comprised of cinnamon, pumpkin, dark rum, vanilla espresso, and pecan — combining its core concepts: coffee and cocktails.

Hours of operation: Monday through Thursday 7 am – 11 pm, Friday 7 am – 12 am, Saturday  8 am – 12 am, Sunday 8 am – 11 pm.

21 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, PA 19003 | (484) 414-4102   | www.charandstave.com

…..

Forsythia, Old City’s contemporary French bar and restaurant helmed by Chef Christopher Kearse, is no stranger to expertly executing a host of pumpkin-centric dishes each fall season, from soups to entrées to desserts. Highlights from the ever-evolving menu include Wagyu Beef Tartare ($22) prepared with fresh black truffle & pumpkin marmalade and brown butter-potato served on Mighty Bread Co. Sourdough, Pumpkin Bisque ($14) comprised of Jonah crab, brown butter crème fraîche, and pumpkin seed granola, Braised Beef Cheek ($48) fashioned with coffee-pumpkin purée, coffee & crispy shallot, bone marrow, and au poivre sauce, and for dessert, the Baba au Rhum ($12) boasts spiced pumpkin crèmeux and mocha.

In addition to the exquisitely-festive pumpkin offerings offered on the standard service line-up,  this month’s installment of the coveted The French AF Series is La Fête de la Citrouille, an all-new, hyper-local selection of five pumpkin-focused dishes, on Wednesday, October 12. During this go-around, imbibers can opt to pair each course with a complementing wine pairing, curated and guided by Matthieu Celerier of Celerier’s Cellar, or enjoy the featured cocktail Harvest Old Fashioned composed of pumpkin-infused bourbon, sage-vanilla simple syrup, cardamom bitters, and Vietnamese cinnamon.

Hours of Operation: Dinner Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm—10pm; Happy Hour Wednesday through Friday, 5pm—7pm; Brunch Saturday through Sunday, 10:30am — 2pm.

233 Chestnut St | (215) 644-9395 | https://www.forsythiaphilly.com/about

…..

Red Owl Tavern, the contemporary kitchen and bar located across from Independence Hall, boasts an expansive repertoire of thoughtfully curated craft cocktails courtesy of Lead Bartender Christopher Devern, including the newly-minted Sleepless Hollow comprised of Boulard Calvados (apple brandy), tempura fugit crème de moka, La Colombe cold brew, pumpkin and fall spiced house-made cream.

Hours of Operation: Breakfast Monday through Friday, 7:30am – 10:45am; Lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30am – 4:30pm; Dinner Monday through Tuesday, 4:30pm – 9pm; Thursday through Friday, 4:30pm – 10pm; Saturday, 5pm  – 10pm, Brunch Saturday, 8am – 4pm; Sunday 8am– 3pm.
433 Chestnut St | (215) 923-2267 | https://redowltavern.com

…..

Stella of New Hope, Bucks County’s modern American restaurant overlooking the Delaware River, offers locals and visitors an elevated and exceptional line-up of seasonal fare, derived from revered Chef Michael O’Halloran. For the first course, diners can enjoy the Parisian Gnocchi ($17) composed of roasted neck pumpkin, garlic-brown butter, sage, spiced walnuts, and pecorino romano.

Hours of operation: Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4 – 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 4 – 10pm, and weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11am – 2pm.

50 S Main Street | (267) 740-2691 | www.stellanewhope.com/

…..

Townsend EPX, Chef Townsend Wentz’s acclaimed French restaurant on bustling East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, serves up vibrant, seasonal offerings perfect for autumn including the showstopping Pumpkin Bisque ($16) prepared with ginger, maple, and pepitas, featured on both the nightly dinner and Sunday brunch menus.

Hours of operation: Thursday through Saturday, 5pm – 2am, Sunday, 10:30am – 2:30pm and 5pm – 12am

1623 East Passyunk Ave | 267.534.4175 | www.townsendepx.com

…..

Urban Farmer, the rural-chic farm-to-table mainstay located in historic Logan Square, is highlighting pumpkin seed in the deliciously-seasonal Kabocha Squash and Apple Bisque ($13) consisting of spiced-to-perfection pumpkin seed and sage oil. This mouth-watering hearty soup is the perfect start to any meal this fall.

Hours of operation: Monday: 8AM–1:30PM, 4–10PM. Tuesday: 8AM–1:30PM, 4–11PM Wednesday: 4–11PM. Thursday-Saturday: 8AM–1:30PM, 4–11PM. Sunday: 8AM–1:30PM, 4–10PM.

1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway | (215) 963-2788 | www.urbanfarmersteakhouse.com/philadelphia-menus/

forsythia beef cheek

 

 

 

 

 

 

– Nicole Schofield