Photos | Brion Shreffler

Take a long walk down the elegant alleyway to the left of the Old City Cheese Shop’s storefront and you’ll find something rare for Philly — especially in this neighborhood. The stonework of neighboring buildings rises, chimney-like, around you, while lush ferns and the canopy of an overhanging tree creates an embowered feeling. Candlelight complements lights strung overhead. It’s hard to find a better escape for a casual Friday night summer dinner than the hidden outdoor patio at the Cheese Shop (160 N. Third St., 215-238-1716) — especially since this once-a-week tradition, which features all manner of BBQ-ed meats and combos, won’t run you more than $18.95.

On my recent wine-in-hand visit, they were offering barbecue chicken, ribs, a ribs/chicken combo and lamb chops. Main courses were preceded by slices of crisp Italian bread accompanied by artisanal olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The skin of my chicken was crisp and well-seasoned, while the evening’s sides — cole slaw, a Fourth of July-style potato salad and a large bowl of brown sugar-y baked beans — brought back all sorts of family cookout memories.

The small space behind the Cheese Shop is also utilized to great effect every Tuesday night for film screenings. The patio space can be enjoyed at any time, though, even if you grab their lunch special — $7 for soup and a well-crafted baguette sandwich. And in the off chance it rains, as it threatened to do for a bit this past Friday, the interior has a nice feel, as well.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 11:41 am and is filed under Food Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.