Food by sunlight/ H. Novak

Philadelphia—the city with an unlimited array of restaurants. . . . But where to start? Something quick? Something fancy? Something relaxing? Philadelphia has it all. It is best to explore and stumble upon a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. You may be surprised. But, yes, Yelp and Trip Advisor are helpful.

Mason jar lights!/ H. Novak

My friend and I recently had a scrumptious lunch at Farmer’s Keep, a small restaurant on the corner of 20th and Ludlow Streets. Two sides of Farmer’s Keep are made of large windows that open onto the street. (Unfortunately, we came on a bitterly cold day and so the windows were closed.)

Chalkboards and cast-iron/ H. Novak

The place has a warm organic feel, with mismatching wooden chairs and the hot food in cast-iron pots on the stove near the front. The lighting isn’t quite as cold and doesn’t emit that antiseptic feel that Sweetgreen sometimes has. (I still love Sweetgreen salads!) There is a happy trend toward locally sourced foods—best to eat clean and support local farmers and green technology while doing it!

R’s scrumptious food/ H. Novak

Farmer’s Keep boasts a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and shellfish-free menu. I confess I worried if it would also be taste-free. I could not have been more wrong. At the front are a vast counter and stovetop with a generous array of food in pans—roasted kale, fresh mesclun, slow-roasted pork shoulder, caramelized onions with warm wild rice, spiced cauliflower . . . the choices! Point to whatever you’d like and pay a set price per pound. We ate in silence, letting the symphony of flavors explode in our mouths.

Ludlow Street, midday/ H. Novak

Farmer’s Keep is in a good location if you want to stay in easy range of the museums along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Although most of the restaurants in this part of the city cluster around Rittenhouse Square, Farmer’s Keep is within walking distance of both the Barnes and Rittenhouse Square.

10 S. 20th St. Philadelphia

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