Bomb Bomb Bar in South Philly Is Pure Italian American Nostalgia | Eater Philly

"There’s a very specific nostalgia here for me, not just because the same spot has been serving dinner since 1951 in a building that rival taproom owners bombed twice in 1936, but because chef Joey Baldino’s resurrection of the infamous South Philly dive feels like the intimate, red-tablecloth seafood restaurant I’d bring family to when they’re in town. The menu is small but hits the favorites, and diners choose between one of six bar seats with a brief a la carte menu or table seating with a $62 prix fixe that requires two seafood entrees and one side. For the table format, the retro clams casino, covered in salty, crunchy breadcrumbs, takes me back, and Mom’s stuffed calamari tastes fresh even under a blanket of tangy tomato sauce and spices; sides can be pasta or veg, with options like black ink spaghetti, greens, or french fries with a house made spicy seasoning. At the bar, some former Bomb Bomb specialties return a la carte—original ribs ($16) and fried mozzarella ($12)—plus kitschy frozen drinks like a sgropinno with limoncello and prosecco ($15). The house cocktails riff on Italian American classics, including a Manhattan Italiano with rye, amaro, and vermouth ($16) and a Pepperoncini Vesper, and if you’re after the bar menu you walk through the same facade that’s existed since the 1930s. Insider tip: the accoutrements aren’t just decoration—order the lobster Francese and the staff will beg you to finish each buttered bay leaf before the plate is cleared." - Annemarie Dooling