Wharton Journal

Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Perspectives

I'm terrible with directions. The kind where you ask someone where the bus stop is and they say oh, just go south for 3 blocks, then you're going to want to go west until you get to the light, then go east, and it'll be right there. Honestly, I'm still not even sure if Center City is North or South Philly. In New York, it's easy: you go uptown, downtown, or crosstown. So venturing to Northern Liberties was, well, an adventure. I do know that at some point we drove past Spring Garden, but since no one is ever there unless it's midnight and you're already a little drunk, that doesn't help us much either.

Getting out of Center City to Northern Liberties is a short $10 cab ride away and for Bar Ferdinand (no relation to the band Franz Ferdinand. "Ferdinand" is Spanish for bull, as in the animal), it is well worth the effort. Bar Ferdinand is a Spanish tapas restaurant that serves basic yet tasty dishes in a spacious and casual setting. Now that the weather is shaping up, you'll appreciate the outdoor seating where you can watch paella being cooked on a gigantic wok. Watching this production enticed us to order the Paella for Two. We were expecting the traditional bright yellow saffron rice but instead found that the paella had a consistency similar to Chinese sticky rice. However, it was flavorful and not overly complicated.

Tapas at Bar Ferdinand are very similar to those that are served at Amada and Tinto. The Gambas al Ajillo, a hot dish of shrimp, olive oil, garlic, and chilies was lighter than a similar version found at Amada. Pulpo a la Parilla, octopus, arugula, potato, preserved lemon, fried capers, offered some variety to this traditional dish. The Marisco, marinated shrimp, mussels, calamari, cockies, monkfish, was simple and straightforward, offering seafood marinated in a light garlic white sauce.

Someone recently remarked to me that tapas are just a way for restaurants to run up your bill. Men tend to not like tapas because by definition they are small and by no means hearty. At Bar Ferdinand you can order a full meal without breaking the bank. The restaurant also offers 50 Spanish wines by the bottle, 25 by the glass and a house sangria (both red and white). While Bar Ferdinand is reminiscent of Amada, it is more casual and affordable. Their spacious dining room can easily accommodate large groups, a feat not easily found in many Philly restaurants. Bar Ferdinand has a younger, more energetic feel to it. For those second years counting down their days in Philly, Bar Ferdinand should be on your list of restaurants to try.

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