Philadelphia’s East Passyunk neighbourhood has a well-deserved reputation for being something of a dining destination – particularly Italian cuisine. Which explains why, when Paul Garberson decided to unfurl a Turkish-inflected Mediterranean-cum-Middle Eastern menu in his new, incongruously named restaurant Irwin’s, local gourmets sat up to pay attention.
Set on the 8th floor of the Bok building – a former technical high school turned mixed-use creative development which was designed in the early 20th century by Irwin T. Catharine from whom the restaurant takes its moniker – Irwin’s views of the Delaware river and sports stadiums is a bracing counterpoint to Garberson’s mezze platter of roasted red pepper and walnut salsa, dill-stuffed carrot fritters, crispy fried Castelvetrano olives, and mussel spilling over with rice, herbs and pine nuts.
Converted from the old nursing classroom, the dining room itself is the work of Rohe Creative, the local studio mixing box-tufted banquettes, coppery light fixtures, tulip chairs and a 6 ft chandelier with repurposed furniture – to whit, the soapstone-topped bar from the science room, old science lab tables lined with communal benches from the library, and salvaged yearbook photos in the bathrooms.
Weather permitting, the outdoor terrace is Irwin’s sweet spot – a lofty perch from which to admire city views with a Golden Horn cocktail of gin and tonic, lemon, honey, turmeric and ginger.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
800 Mifflin Street
-
This modernist home, designed by a disciple of Le Corbusier, is on the marketAndré Wogenscky was a long-time collaborator and chief assistant of Le Corbusier; he built this home, a case study for post-war modernism, in 1957
-
Take a tour of Retrofit House, the live showcase inspiring sustainable homebuildingRetrofit House, a showcase for residential redesign using biomaterials and environmentally smart methods, opens in Birmingham, UK, spearheaded by Civic Square, Dark Matter Labs and Material Cultures; we paid it a visit
-
Kohler unveils ‘Pearlized,’ an iridescent new finish with an under-the-sea backstoryArtist David Franklin was inspired by glimmering fish scales and sunsets for this mesmerising debut
-
Dior’s new Beverly Hills dining salon raises the bar for couture cuisineFrom Peter Marino’s onyx bar and faceted mirrored walls to Nicole Wittenberg’s vast, immersive botanical canvas, Dior’s first restaurant outside Paris is here
-
This new Los Angeles restaurant is a mischievous blend of dive bar and 'psychedelic honky tonk'At Marvito, small-batch tequila and a classic rock soundtrack create a delightfully nostalgic night out
-
Fantasy – and incredible seafood – await at Carbone Riviera, now open at the Bellagio in Las VegasInterior design powerhouse Martin Brudnizki drew on the Côte d'Azur and Picasso’s ceramics for Major Food Group’s latest Sin City outpost
-
Welcome to Polymath Park, where you can spend the night in a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieceA pair of determined Wright devotees have turned four endangered modernist houses into an overnight design retreat
-
Faena New York just landed in the Big Apple – and it's an excuse for a good timeArgentine hotelier Alan Faena’s first New York address serves up high-octane hospitality with a dash of leopard print
-
These vintage American motels will have you longing for the open road‘Vintage Motels’ documents how the humble roadside stopover has evolved into a design-led destination for a new generation of travellers
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
