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Twenty years ago Ellen Yin and Roberto Sella opened Fork at 306 Market Street in a neighborhood better known for its warehouses than destination restaurants. Stephen Starr’s martini bar Continental, opened in 1995, was just starting to pave the way for Old City’s transformation. The artists inhabiting the loft spaces didn’t have many area eateries to choose from — and nothing like Fork’s new American menu. The restaurant is now celebrating 20 years of success with 20 Tastes of Fork, a tasting menu available for 20 diners a night, for $100 a person. It’s being offered through November 17.
The anniversary meal isn’t exactly a tour through Fork’s history, but it does highlight the restaurant’s focus on sustainable and seasonal food — something Fork was doing long before it become de rigueur.
Set aside 90 minutes or so to feast on locally sourced oysters, crudo, duck, rabbit, pasta, and a whole lot more. The plates keep coming, though with the pacing and portion size diners are more likely to leave satisfied than overly stuffed. The wines selected for the tasting menu pairing, which costs extra, are all from winemakers who’ve eaten at Fork.
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Fork has landed on plenty of “best of” lists over the years, as well as Eater Philly’s Essential 38. Take a look at a few of the tasting menu dishes:
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