Six Picks for University City Dining Days, June 12-26

Find deals on Jose Garces bites at Distrito; Image via Facebook

Today is the start of University City Dining Days, which brings prix fixe specials at over 30 restaurants in the West Philly neighborhood every night through July 26. Participating venues have the option of serving a three-course meal for $15, $25 or $30 per person, so we’ve picked two from each category that are worth your ducats. Bonus: fewer students around means prime time reservations should be relatively easy to score.

$15 Dining

Dock Street Brewery
The pizzas here are almost as well-known as the house brewed beers, and that’s exactly what you’ll get for your dime-and-a-half, plus a salad starter and cannoli or tiramisu for dessert (215-726-2337).

Tria Wine Room
The prettiest of the three locations of this wine/beer/cheese cafe has a large wooden deck, where you can choose from a menu of appetizers, sandwiches and desserts that all center on the restaurant’s wide selection of fromage (215-222-2422).

$25 Dining

Grill Fish Cafe
New from the owner of Vietnam Cafe, find Southeast Asian seafood like grilled squid with scallion oil and fluke in spicy ginger sauce, followed by the dessert of the day (215-729-7011).

Baby Blues BBQ
Get the California vibe with varied ‘cue styles at this Venice Beach import, where the special menu features Southern faves like hush puppies and pulled pork or beef brisket platters (215-222-4444).

$30 Dining

Distrito
At Jose Garces’ cantina, you get to choose not one but two dishes for each of the first two courses from a selection of Mexican favorites like chips and guacamole, corn esquites and tacos of all kinds, followed by a flourless chocolate cake or pineapple dessert (215-222-1657).

Rimedio
The recently revamped space at 45th and Baltimore Ave is now dishing out Northern Italian cuisine, and is offering an extra fourth course on the slate for these deals. Start with house cured and smoked bresaola, continue through pasta and grilled fish and finish with fresh blackberry gelato (215-222-9590).