(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfoodcritic.com written by guest contributing writer William Knowles. He highlights his passions of of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)
Square 1682, located in the lobby of Philadelphia’s Hotel Palomar at 17th and Sansom Streets, celebrated the return of spring with an outdoor party that featured food, drink and games.
The head chef, Caitlin Mateo, unveiled her seasonal menu with hors d’oeuvres for everyone to enjoy. Among the items on the menu were deviled duck eggs, crab and avocado toast, calamari and mushroom pate. Head bartender Daniel Kulisek enjoyed making an eclectic group of cocktails for the attendees, and there were numerous wine offerings for us to sample. Larger than life sized versions of our favorite games that we played as kids also were onsite to keep the crowd entertained.
Square 1682 seems to lean towards fresher and healthier foods, as well as having steak, poultry and seafood. Brunch and breakfast choices, such as the omelette of the day and chicken and waffles, will attract the early crowd and hotel patrons. Some of the more unique selections for lunch and dinner include a vegan chili, black bean chickpea burgers, mushroom ravioli and even a raw juice selection.
This location is becoming an increasingly popular area within the city and I would recommend trying Square 1682 to experience something new and hip, as the just the menu in itself is very intriguing. See you soon “around town”…
BlueJeanFood 