Blown Away by Bank and Bourbon’s Fine Dining at Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA
Photos, story by Lauren Aynn
From the moment you enter Bank & Bourbon, you know you are in for a first class experience located inside Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Upon entering for the first time, I was in awe of the atmosphere they have created. From the wooden beams and exposed pipes on the ceiling, to the tufted leather banquettes, Bank & Bourbon offers up a space filled with a rustic, yet modern opulence.
The bar itself features a “bourbon barrel-aging program for unique house-aged cocktails and liquors” as well as a list of craft beers and wine. Also for the coffee lovers like myself Bank & Bourbon partnered with the beloved La Colombe, a fellow resident in the Loews Hotel. The partnership doesn’t stop there though. They have also teamed up with the likes of Metropolitan Bakery and Saint Benjamin Brewing Company as part of their, Flavor by Loews Hotels program.
Bank & Bourbon serves up modern-American cuisine with flare. Chef Joe Thomas Jr. , a native Philadelphian himself, started in the restaurant industry at 14 years old. Joe then worked his way up starting under Bank & Bourbon’s Executive Chef Thomas Harkins after already serving as sous chef of SoleFood, located at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, for over seven years. Joe truly honors the simplicity of ingredients while still imparting his own energy and creativity into his contemporary menu.
The food itself was not only exquisitely presented but full of flavor. While waiting to order, we were presented with a lovely basket of fresh rustic bread with butter from non other than Metropolitan Bakery. A great touch if I do say so myself. I also took advantage of having a cup of fresh La Colombe coffee with our meal. My dining companion, Philly Food Guru, and I then proceeded with ordering our apps which included the hamachi poke, the charcoal roasted carrot salad and of course the cheese board. All of them were absolutely out of this world. My personal favorite was the hamachi poke with soy vinaigrette, avocado, and for a kick, burnt chili. It was truly a perfect way to start a meal.
Next on to the main course, where we chose to try the salmon salad, the crispy chicken sandwich and grilled ahi tuna sandwich with parmesan rosemary fries. I could not get enough of the Ahi tuna with Parmesan fries. The addition of the pickled ginger and basil lemon aioli was sheer perfection. Not to mention the perfectly cooked tuna and those Parmesan fries were heavenly.
Whats a meal without dessert, right!? I don’t know about you but dessert is my favorite part of every meal and Bank & Bourbon didn’t disappoint. In fact, I would happily go back for a meal of just their desserts. And maybe a cocktail or two. On this visit, we decided on the vanilla donut with fresh summer berry ice cream, and a shortbread cookie crumb. While we were tasting we also ordered, The S’mores banana ice cream sundae and the chocolate mocha cake featuring La Colombe latte ice cream. We were warned upon ordering that the S’mores Sundae was a large dessert and should be shared. Not one to fear a challenge, of course I had to order it. Let’s just say they weren’t lying. This dessert was massive and absolutely life changing. From the butterscotch sauce with bananas foster, to the toasted marshmallows made in house, who could resist this sweet treat? Not me.
Overall I can’t say enough about how wonderful our experience was dining at Bank & Bourbon. Not only will I be returning soon but I will be bringing everyone I know with me. If you still haven’t checked it out, What are you waiting for? Maybe I’ll see you there!
