by Deandre Duerr on This is my favorite breakfast/brunch spot in Philadelphia. The food is amazing, the staff is consistent, the low-key/minimalist decor, off-beaten-path location.....I really enjoy everything about Cafe Lift. I've had a ton of everything, the lemon ricotta pancakes, the cannoli french toast, huevos rancheros, the various frittatas - I could go on.... Aside from the main components of their food, they have GREAT whipped cream and the fruit is always seasonal & ripe. Needless to say, you can choose anything on the menu, and you will be more than happy with what you choose - plate are big enough to share - so go with a group! :) If you're just you and one other person, sit at the bar - less of a wait with the weekend crowd around. Remember, this place is cash only! Oh and now that word is getting out about Cafe Lift, there's more of a wait on the weekends. Bottom line: go to this place - you and you're friends/family will love it!
by iza p. on Generally I believe Tao is a bit overpriced...despite the quality and taste of their food (it's great). So I really like it when Tao is part of Restaurant Week. They do offer a moderately priced lunch menu, and when you combine that with Restaurant Week....Tao becomes even more enticing. For appetizers, the veggie dumplings were quite tasty. I mean, you wouldn't have thought that it was only filled with veggies. The chicken satay was okay. I've definitely had better, so these were decent. The little salad that came with it though was also pretty tasty. I probably would have preferred more of that instead. For entrees we shared between 2 dishes...the salmon and a chicken dish...which for the life of me I can't remember what the name was. It was their version of General Tso's chicken though. The salmon was cooked very nicely and I preferred this over the chicken. The chicken wasn't so bad, as it was more chicken than breading...but there was an interesting after taste. I'm wondering if it was due to the green bell pepper that was part of the dish...but who knows. As the Restaurant week menu is always a 3 course meal, dessert involved some fruit (to try to stay healthy), and the fried banana dish. Again, can't recall the name, but you'll know it on the menu when you see it. Fruit is fruit, and though I enjoyed the lychee...we all knew it came from the can. The fried banana was really good. In general, I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a good trendy New York restaurant dining experience. I mean seriously...how trendy can you get with Tao? If cost is an issue, I'd recommend to go during lunch (if Restaurant Week isn't happening). It's moderately priced for lunch...pretty spendy for dinner. I would request to sit downstairs though, as you get a better view of that big old Buddha. Upstairs is okay if you're trying to have a conversation without yelling. The place can get a bit noisy...but I think the noise is just amplified because it's just a large empty space with all that ceiling.
by Val Hudelson on Oh man, the poetry here rocked! Usually I'm not into the scene (most poetry places just don't do it for me) but this place was great. I really felt laid back, and the poets seemed to be really involved with the crowd, reacting to laughs and cheers, communicating, having a good time. Definitely a NYC landmark worth visiting. Pizza joint down the street makes it a trip.
