The city is full of flowers, and not because spring is almost here. The Philadelphia Flower Show is once again at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and as an ode to the annual event, Craftsman Row Saloon has a new Blooming Garden Pop-Up.
Open now at the Jeweler’s Row venue, this colorful and bright activation will be on scene until Memorial Day Weekend. In normal fashion, the restaurant and bar has gone all out with decorations, transforming the space to include lush greens, vibrant colors, water cans, floral bouquets, botanical prints, journals, butterflies, pastel blooms, floral inspired foods, themed cocktails, an over-the-top garden-inspired milkshake and even new bacon bouquets.
“The Mardi Gras decorations from February have been entirely replaced by thousands of flowers, boxwood, and some trees and vines [to] compliment the feel and transport you to a blooming garden,” said co-owner George Tsiouris in a statement.
Tsiouris continued: “The floor-to-ceiling transformation continues both inside the dining room and outside. The nice weather, the early spring buds across the city and the return of the Philadelphia Flower Show motivated us to pull the trigger and create our own special garden-themed experience. For this year, we went over the top with even more beautiful blooms, more decorations and more floral-inspired foods. We can’t wait to host everyone for the spring and summer.”
Craftsman’s latest milkshake creation for the Pop-Up has been dubbed the “Wild(Flower) About You” made with local chocolate ice cream, white chocolate and edible floral bark, strawberry jam puff, rose dust, green sprinkles and whipped cream. Philadelphians can pair the sweet treats with the venue’s new “bouquets” as well.
The latter will be offered in two categories: The Shrimp and Bacon Bouquet (fried and made with bacon roses, fries, diced tomato, chives and spicy ranch) and the Chicken Finger Bouquet (house-breaded tenders, fries, honey-mustard and parsley.)
Other themed food highlights include the Budding Shrimp Pasta (boasting spaghetti, shrimp, herbs, white wine sauce, chive and edible flowers), the Botanical Grilled Cheese (made with a 3-cheese variety, country bread, ham and a rosemary-honey glaze), the Blooming Burger (2 smashed patties, American cheese, pickles, tomato, spicy remoulade, spring mix and blooming onion on a Martins potato roll), and the Field Salad (spring mix, apple, giardiniera vegetables, pecans, cranberry, mozzarella cheese, ranch and a scallion-tomato flower).
Cocktails have also undergone a garden transformation with options spanning the Petal to the Metal Espresso Martini (vodka, kahlua, baileys, espresso, rosewater and rose), Orange Creamsicle Season (vanilla vodka, triple sec and an orange garden ice cube), Botanical Blend Mule (vodka, lavender water, ginger beer and a lavender-dusted lemon wheel), the Fresh Affirmation Sangria (pinot grigio, peach, blackberry and lime), and more.
“Cocktails will boast all the floral feels and come with edible flowers and the best tastes of the garden,” added co-owner Valerie Vasiliki in a statement.
And as the release notes, all of the above will be available on the full larger menu of “comfort food staples” with all of Craftsman Row Saloon’s other dishes, including Dorito coated mozzarella sticks, award-winning burgers, and buffalo mac-n-cheese loaded fries. As the perfect pairing with the shakes, the owners recommend also trying the Donut Fried Chicken with glazed donuts, bacon, American cheese, maple syrup, and the Mac Daddy Burger with smashed patties that are smothered with mac and cheese on a martin’s potato roll.
Craftsman Row Saloon is open this spring and summer, Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 4 to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, from noon to midnight, and Sundays from noon to 11 p.m. To find out more about the Blooming Garden Pop Up (112 S 8th St.), visit craftsmanrowsaloon.com
