May 26, 2015
Moshulu/Facebook
Moshulu is one many excellent dining experiences the Delaware Valley has to offer.
Spending time by the water can be just the restorative calm you need to put the frenetic pace of work and the surrounding city into tranquil perspective. The way light shimmers over a current, dotted by the reflection of facets on a bridge, reveals a peaceful reminder of how closely civilization and nature coexist.
Research on coastal life even suggests that being near water can significantly improve well-being, with airborne minerals reducing stress and salt water maintaining levels of tryptamine, serotonin and melatonin in the brain.
In Philadelphia, we're fortunate to have a plethora of nearby bodies of water. It's not always so simple to build that time into a busy schedule, however, so it helps to make a firm plan. What better way to do so than a lunch or dinner reservation? Here are five great restaurants in the region for waterfront dining that will satisfy your appetite and raise your spirit.
That dazzling vessel you always pass by on Columbus Boulevard isn't just there for historical decoration. The legendary Moshulu remains the world's only restaurant venue on a Tall Ship. Constructed in Glasgow in 1904 to serve as the four-masted barque Kurt in Hamburg, Germany, the ship was confiscated by the United States during World War I and renamed Moshulu ("One who Fears Nothing") by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
Moshulu underwent several tremors of world history before first becoming a restaurant in 1975. Now an award-winning establishment on the Delaware River, Moshulu offers everything from the sea to the land, running the gamut of lobster, crab, salmon, trout, chicken, steak, duck, pork, octopus, calamari and swordfish. Open 365 days a year, Moshulu also has special holiday menus and takes reservations for private parties.
If you're looking for an all-purpose restaurant, Sunset Pier is a great, affordable BYOB that was ranked "Best of the Shore" by Philadelphia Magazine in 2009. Sandwiches, salads, seafood, and pasta make it a cozy place to relax overlooking the Bay on 86th street. If what you need is a gorgeous sunset in a laid-back, friendly atmosphere, this is the place to go for a casual, but still intimate date.
The menu covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there's also an attached marina/tackle shop offering boat slips, bait and tackle, rental boats, charter fishing and parasailing.
For a sophisticated experience, Watermark hovers above the Asbury Park Boardwalk and represents a return to the classic cocktail lounge, with 8,000 square feet of interior/exterior space. The drink offerings feature a delectable range of in-house infused spirits, iced teas, bloody's, sangrias and champagne cocktails.
The kitchen offers a seasonal tapas menu and brunch for the upcoming summer includes smoked salmon latkes, game sausage biscuit sliders, and spicy seared ahi tuna on a bed of edamame.
