There’s a very specific nostalgia that Bomb Bomb Bar brings to mind, and not just because of the deep South Philly history of the building. Yes, this is the same Bomb Bomb that has been serving dinner since 1951, and the very same building that was bombed twice by rival taproom owners in 1936. If chef Joey Baldino’s original South Philly spot, Palizzi Social Club, is like setting foot in nonna’s house, then his resurrection of the infamous South Philly dive is the intimate red tablecloth seafood restaurant you’d visit when family came to town. It’s a small menu, but all the favorites are there. Diners have two choices for dining. The first is a bar seat which offers a brief menu for a la carte dining. The second is table seating with a $62 prix fixe.
Walk through the very same facade that’s existed since the 1930s if you want the bar menu rather than seated dinner. The house drinks are Italian American twists on classics, like a Manhattan Italiano with rye, amaro, and vermouth ($16) and a Pepperoncini Vesper.
The accoutrements are not just decoration. Take the lobster Francese, for example, the staff will beg you to finish each buttered bay leaf before they take the plate away.