Lucky 7 Tavern

In my current city of Philadelphia, my neighborhood restaurant, the Aspen Restaurant was terribly missed since its sudden close last fall. My husband and I had such fond memories of walking just steps from our front door to the warm atmosphere of the Aspen indulging in yummy appetizers, cocktails and conversation. After over a year, we finally saw some action going on late in October. We were elated to hear that our cozy hang out would be reopening as the Lucky 7 Tavern. Tucked in the charming Art Museum neighborhood of Philadelphia at the corner of 25th and Aspen Streets you will find the reopened version of the former Aspen Restaurant open for business with a new attitude. The once romantic, table-clothed, date-night friendly Aspen Restaurant has transformed into the bare tabled, Rocky themed Lucky 7 Tavern, a more casual, game-watching bar and restaurant with a great continental menu. While I did enjoy the more intimate feel of the Aspen, I love the new menu and prices. Lucky 7 Tavern, named for the bar in the Rocky movies, is filled with Rocky movie posters and paraphernalia. The back dining room now has 2 flat screen TVs in addition to the 3 flat screens in the front bar area making it perfect for large parties ready to kick back, eat some wings and watch the game or perhaps a boxing match.

Other than the few decor changes, the restaurant is ultimately unchanged with its wood floors and beautiful well-stocked wood bar while the menu has taken on some big, tasty changes. While there are some staples that have survived like the Aspen Burger, an Angus beef patty topped with bacon, bleu cheese and caramelized onions, there are many new interesting items like Truffle Fries, crispy hand cut fries drizzled in truffle oil topped with Parmesan and chives. These fries have a menu section all their own sharing it only with Poutine, traditional Canadian fries made with brown gravy and mild cheeses as well as Chili Cheese Fries, which speak for themselves.

Appetizers continue with the continental style with Fairmount Onion rings, beer battered and served with a Cajun mayonnaise dipping sauce, classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Pork Potstickers and Price Edward Island Mussels. Chicken Fingers come with options of sauces like Honey Mustard, Asian BBQ or Buffalo sauce served with bleu cheese. Lucky 7 Wings are served in the traditional variety as well as Asian BBQ or Honey Chipotle. The star of the salads is certainly the Black and Bleu Salad with crispy bacon, blackened chicken and bleu cheese. Prices stay within the $7-$16 range. The most popular price that you will find on the menu is $7.77, a fair price for the great quality and lucky too.

The burger menu is nothing short of creative with the Gaucho Burger, an Angus beef patty topped with roasted jalapenos, bacon and cheddar jack cheese or the BBQ Burger with spicy BBQ sauce, fried leeks, and cheddar jack cheese. The more refined burger items include the Bistro Burger topped with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese and the Mushroom Burger. The Mushroom Burger, Lucky 7's vegetarian masterpiece is a mixture of 7 different mushrooms blended with seasonings topped with caramelized onions, Gouda cheese and onion mayo. The masterpiece for the carnivore is most definitely the Lucky 7 Burger, a burger that I'm not even sure Rocky could handle. This burger, paying homage to Philly, boasts an Angus patty topped with scrapple, pork roll, bacon, cheese and a fried egg-KO!

After that extreme knock out, the menu eases up a bit with some classic sandwiches like Roast Beef and Pork Sandwiches, and a B.L.T. The delicious Grilled Cheese with your choice of spinach, tomato and fontina or bacon and cheddar is served on sourdough bread with a side of tomato soup. All of these sandwiches come to you for the reasonable price of $7.77 and all served with Lucky 7's fantastic house made potato chips. Borrowed from the old Aspen, Lucky 7 needed some kind of duck item, which is fulfilled with the Duck B.L.T., seared duck breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mango mayo on sourdough.

The big ticket entrees keep it simple with Steak Frites, another success from the old menu, along with Fish and Chips and Hoegarrdden Ribs. Like the Aspen, Lucky 7 keeps a Mexican flair with a menu section named "Afortunado Siete Cantina" featuring nachos, burritos, tacos and fajitas. Soft or hard tacos come with your choice of spiced ground beef, tequila and lime marinated chicken, Tecate battered cod, or slow roasted pork. This enticing diverse menu can be rounded out with a treat from the dessert menu such as Birthday Cake. Rocky would most certainly have had his Birthday Cake and eaten it too at the Lucky 7 Tavern.

Don't think, just do as Rocky Balboa would and go to Lucky 7 Tavern for some good brew and good eats! Rocky would want you to.