Philadelphia was a major city during the Revolutionary War. The “founding fathers” met and discussed all the issues of creating a country within the brick buildings of Independence Mall. It was the capital of the fledgling United States of America while Washington D.C. was constructed. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution were both signed in Philadelphia.

City Tavern (138 S. 2nd St.) attempts to recreate the magic of the late 18th century by offering authentic wait staff in costume, freshly brewed beer from old recipes, and hearty food selections.

 We ordered the sampler before choosing our own pints. I went with the dark porter, but all were flavorful.

The bacon wrapped shrimp with sweet glaze for appetizer was great.

The three entrees pictured are: seafood pasta, meatloaf and lobster pie. The food was not spectacular or life changing, just friendly to your ribs fare.

  Dessert effectively finished us off–chocolate mousse cake and creme brulee, sugary deliciousness.

 Finally, we couldn’t resist posing with Philadelphia’s greatest (and completely fictional) hero, Rocky “The Italian Stallion” Balboa.

A splendid family lunch in the City of Brotherly Love.

Here’s some of the city sights we saw as we walked around downtown.