Review

Every December some people over at the bowling alley like to get together for a special holiday dinner. Deez guys never invite me so I just show up every year to kick back a few with deez chumps across the river. Personally, I love the holidays, it’s an automatic excuse to booze it up and gorge myself on some holiday treats. Deez guys was havin their little get together at Panorama in de heart of ole city. It’s far enough away from those trendy spots where you don’t gotta contend wit some punk with spiky hair and a striped shirt just to get near a bottle of booze. Dis place was kinda of a mystery to me, it wasn’t until I had to hide out a night or two at the Pennsview Inn that dis little philly gem first revealed itself to me. First ting first, dis spot has gotta wine bar, with like over 100 bottles up in dis incubator, it keeps da vino fresher den some of da produce on 9th street. For anyone who likes wine (I don’t discriminate when it comes to alcohol) Panorama’s wine bar is a must, it might be more exciting then that night I hit $5200 hundred playin craps in Atlantic City. So, as I was waiting for this second rate bowling team at first class place, the bartender recommended I get a “flight”. I said, “Yo cuz,your about take a short flight to 13th and Locust you keep talkin like that”. In da middle of my outburst da manager came over and explained to me that a flight is like 6 glasses of wine that is filled halfway. Apparently this gives you a chance to sample some of the best of what grapes have to offer. And you can get different packages based on your personal preference that range from type or grape location (Italy of course). Long story longer, I decided on some from da ole country and much to the dismay of da waitstaff I promptly pounded dem down as shots. It was den my boys from Jersey came in and we grabbed a table to indulge ourselves on some of Panorama’s cuisine. Da two strongest things about Panorama (besides da wine bar) is their décor and service, I mean everything was top notch. That much is to be expected when you are the city’s biggest minor celebrity. Da guts of dis place was a visual overload, between the ceiling and the fresco coverin the whole back wall. Our waiter new everything on the menu and was pretty informative about the different dishes. For wine he recommended some good choices and didn’t become a cockroach when it came to upsellin us on our bill. He brought out this risotto dat had some kinda rare mushrooms in it, he said “Great Price”or something, I didn’t care, I wasn’t payin. Needless to say, I devoured it, it was mighty tasty for some rice. What was a disappointment was some of da portions, I ordered dis antipasta and dis guy brought out a plate of meat and cheeses that was fit for a supermodel. I said “Yo cuz, this some kinda joke, whadja get hungry walkin from da kitchen to da table?” I blew threw dis antipasta faster than Andy Reid goes through his first turkey on Thanksgivin. For an entrée, I got some seafood dish, my buddy Lorenzo got a pork chop and Billy “Diggs” got some pasta dish wit whatever. Everything was good and da risotto was outstandin. When you are as big as a house, you kinda look forward going from meal to meal wit a good one here and der. Guess what, da service outstandin, da atmosphere outstandin, da food very good. No complaints here.

Yo cuz, no joke dis place is a bit pricey even for a well known neighborhood personality that I am. I mean $12 for an antipasta that my dog wouldn’t even think is a buffet is an outrage. Rumor down in da neighborhood is I have an outrageous appetite, but I don’t buy it. I meen I am husky…maybe…

Pennsview Inn has their own parking lot adjoined to the building, which never is a bad thing in the city. Them being a hotel… I guess it makes sense. There was plenty of room for my IROC Z and my humongous ass in dis parking lot, but I am sure it gets filled nightly. Consider yourself lucky de got one.

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