Chef Jeremy Nolen got his start in the restaurant industry at a young age, inspired by his father who was also a chef. At the age of 13, he began working with him on the weekends and fell in love with the world of professional cooking. By the time was finished highschool, he had mastered the techniques that would be learned in culinary school and decided not to enroll. Since then, the 38-year-old chef has opened up his own restaurant, Whetstone Tavern and serves as the Executive Chef at Brauhaus Schmitz. Nolen dishes on where to get the best noodles in town and a date spot that’s great for bringing the whole family. Best late night meal? Best meal under $10? Best hidden foodie gem? Best place to dine alone? Place you always take or recommend for out-of-towners? Go-to date spot, hands down? Best place to catch up with friends? Most Instagrammable restaurant? Chef Jeremy Nolen will be at the first annual Brauhaus Schmitz Oktoberfest at 23rd Street Armory from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. For more info, click here.
That’s a tough one as I don’t really go out late but The Good King Tavern (614 S. 7th St) serves their menu until 1AM and the food is really good. You can get entrees late too.
Stargazy’s traditional beef & onion pie (1838 E. Passyunk Ave). It’s such a good lunch and perfect for this time of year. It’s a traditional British pie with mashed potatoes and parsley sauce and it’s so good and comforting!
I guess it’s not really hidden anymore with their recent Bon Appetit nod but Barbacoa (1703 S. 11th St) is great! I used to go to their food truck before the restaurant and the tacos are amazing!
Cheu Noodlebar (255 S. 10th St). You can sit at the counter and have a beer and some awesome noodles. It’s a great place to go alone and just chat with the cooks and bartenders.
Zahav (237 St. James Pl). It’s a really unique restaurant and the food is great. There aren’t many modern Israeli restaurants in the country so chances are out-of-towners don’t have one in their city.
Ela (627 S. 3rd St) is a great spot for a date. It’s in my neighborhood and has a great atmosphere. My wife and I even took our 8 year old daughter with us one time and she loved it!
Besides Brauhaus Schmitz (718 South St)? That’s usually where my friends come to meet and catch up and it’s nice because we have large tables. Other than that, I would say Brigantessa (1520 E. Passyunk Ave). The food is great and there is a bar you could sit at and chat. Plus it’s on Passyunk Ave so you can hit a bunch of other places as well.
I try not to take many pictures while I’m out unless it’s for research or something like that but there are a few that I can think of. I haven’t been to some of them but I follow them on Instagram and their photos are great. Aldine (1901 Chestnut St), Will (1911 E. Passyunk Ave), Laurel (1617 E. Passyunk), and Vernick (2031 Walnut St) to name a few.
Eat Like an Insider: Chef Jeremy Nolen
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