Excursions, a half-hour TV show aired nationally to more than 60 million homes, will be filming at Rembrandt’s when it heads to Philadelphia for the latest episode in its “Best of …” series.
Located in the Fairmont section of Philadelphia’
The original bar, with its high-top tables and live jazz, tends to attract an adult crowd, while the newer bar has become a huge draw for families. During the summer, customers often spill out onto the sidewalk, where Rembrandt’s has 50 street-side tables.
Zarkin has also added a café whose most recent addition is BusCam, a camera that enables customers to see the bus coming from a few blocks away, finish their coffee and get to work on time.
There’s no question that part of Rembrandt’s allure is its location, just outside of downtown and a short walk to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But the food keeps customers coming back.
Rembrandt’s serves lunch and dinner throughout the week and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Specialties of the house include New England Clam Chowder with Italian spices and roasted corn, Spiced Walnut Salad and the Paesano Burger, an 8-ounce sirloin patty piled high with gorgonzola cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, aioli, balsamic drizzle and French fries.
Rembrandt’s also is well known for its pizzas, including the Malfatto, which means “badly made” in Italian. Zarkin describes it as “half pizza, half stromboli.”
A retired computer and telephone technician, Zarkin started running the restaurant in 1999. At 65, he admits he’s not a chef, probably not even a foodie; but he loves being a part of Rembrandt’s.
“I love people, and that’s why I’m here 100 hours a week,” Zarkin says. “What I enjoy most is going into the dining room and saying, ‘Hello.’”
Excursions TV is a half-hour show dedicated to providing its viewers with a fresh and unique perspective on travel. Each feature tells a story from the insider’s perspective, going behind the scenes to discover the most interesting tales and using the powerful medium of television to relay them. For more information, please call 352/377-8430 or email Chris@463media.com.
