I've always wanted to dine on the
Moshulu, that big four-masted barque docked in the Delaware River at Penn's Landing, so was excited when a friend booked a Sunday brunch reservation at Moshulu for her husband's birthday (he likes boats, and the
Independence Seaport Museum is also right next door).
Inside the funky smelling boat (is that smell that greets you at the door the Delaware River or the nearby dessert bar?) with slanted floors and linen-topped tables is where you'll be dining for brunch (top deck dining is available at the
Bongo Bar and Deck). The atmosphere is country club meets swanky hotel buffet meets not-so-lavish Titanic. Most diners are straight out of church, or a gathering of the entire extended family.
The
$35 Three-Course Champagne Brunch includes the all-you-can-eat First Course Buffet, an entree off the menu, and the all-you-can-eat Grand Dessert Display, and let's not forget the all-you-can-drink champagne, mimosas, and bellinis!
Buffets bring out the gorge in most, and I did eat more than usual, but decided not to get my money's worth of food, but instead get my money's worth of mimosas! That was my buffet strategy, at least.
I went with a mixed salad (it's make your own), green bean and tomato salad, and scone off the buffet table. Also on the buffet: muffins, danishes, sweet breads, bagels, assorted cream cheeses, jams, pasta salad, potato salad, assorted soups, fruit, meat, cheese, olives, and others.
A dining partner's buffet plate of lobster bisque, pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes, salad, and nuts.
For my entree I ordered the portobello panini from the lunch side of the brunch menu. Not a bad panini at all, with balsamic vinaigrette and basil pesto aioli giving the mozzarella, tomatoes, and portobello a good kick. The hand cut and fried chips, unfortunately, were limp.
Already stuffed to the gills, I hit the dessert bar stocked with cookies, marshmallows, fruit, and cakes for dipping into the chocolate fountains (plural!). Assorted parfaits, custards, tarts, petit fours, and cakes are plentiful. I can't argue with dessert, and I won't argue with Moshulu's all-you-can-eat dessert buffet. Their creme brulee was actually better than most!
With the exception of the limp chips that accompanied my entree, nothing at Moshulu's weekend brunch was bad. Nothing was mind blowing either. Moshulu's Sunday Champagne Brunch offerings are on par with any country club or nice hotel, and will fit the bill for your next family gathering -- something for everyone and all-you-can-eat/drink. Plus, you're dining on a more than a century-old boat with
an amazing history, which is pretty cool!
I'd say, as a Philadelphian, it's your civic duty to visit the Moshulu at least once, just to say you've done it. If brunch is not your thing, they also do lunch and dinner daily. Next trip, I'm snagging a seat in the Bongo Bar on the deck solely for the spectacular views of the city and the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Moshulu
Penn's Landing, 401 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-923-2500
Champagne Brunch: Sun, 10:30 am-2:30 pm
Lunch: daily, 11:30 am-3 pm
Dinner: daily, 5:30-10:30 pm
Bongo Bar and Deck: Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm; Sat and Sun, 11:30 am-8:30 pm
Many moons ago we were looking for a BYOB Chinese restaurant to tuck into before a show at the Troc, and landed in Lee How Fook on 11th St. in Chinatown.
Pan seared vegetable dumplings were so tough and chewy, I actually inquired about how they were cooked, thinking they were deep fried for too long and possibly reheated. Nope, just pan seared to within an inch of their lives.
From the vegetable section of the menu, I ordered the sauteed string beans, a dish I often get at Chinese restaurants. But here the crisp green beans were in a cloyingly sweet sauce instead of the usual garlicky bean sauce. Thankfully, I like cloyingly sweet sauces at Chinese restaurants, but the switch-up of sauces surprised me a bit.
Mapo Tofu was a large dish of soft tofu squares and diced peppers in an uninspiring and bland sauce, which is why I usually don't order Mapo Tofu, but this was not my dish.
