West Side Gravy Offers Great Holiday Dining

This time of year always puts me in the mood for holiday foods that warm the soul. So finding Haddon Avenue's F.W. Woolworth's storefront—and the site of West Side Gravy restaurant—decked out for the holidays made dining that much more of an excitement.

Festively wrapped gifts, teddy bears on rocking chairs, Christmas greens and lots of twinkling lights greeted me upon my restaurant arrival, stirring up nostalgic thoughts of childhood holidays gone by. Even its name, West Side Gravy, sounds comfy, and I was thrilled to stumble upon such a cheerful haven after a particularly chilly walk downtown.

Inside, light hardwood floors, sweeping tin-style ceilings, painted walls and humorous artwork by Suzanne Rende give the space an open, modern feel. Long, dark-green booths and silver tables evoke the spirit of a luncheonette—if a luncheonette were chic, sophisticated or, you know, open for dinner. 

Glancing over a selection of small and big plates, I see a lot of dishes grandma would make, although probably not with the modern twist that head chef Alex Capasso and Chef de Cusine Siobhan Allgood add to the fare.

The West Side mac and cheese is a mix of three cheeses—cheddar, Gruyere and fontina—that hugs baby shell pasta in a mixture of ooey goodness. A vibrant addition of fresh green herbs breaks up both the tastes and colors of the dish and livens it up. A buttery breadcrumb topping adds a nice grittiness to the texture.

I've had cheesesteak egg rolls before, but West Side Gravy's rendition of the dish is absolutely outstanding with a warm mix of shredded beef and sharp provolone that prepare a meaty contrast to the thin, crunchiness of a fried eggroll crust. The taste of fried onions is evident, but not overpowering and a zesty side of horseradish mayo ties all of the tastes and textures together.

The West Side club is like Thanksgiving on a sandwich and satiates my longing for holiday foods on first bite. Smokey flavors from the turkey and bacon are offset by sweet cranberry-pecan bread. I was thrilled at the sight of the crisp kettle chips that accompanied the sandwich, but the chips' bland, lack-of-salt taste sadly failed to deliver.

The meatloaf comes on a bed of mashed potatoes and peas and is topped with a swirl of crunchy, fried onions and a drizzling of that West Side Gravy. And the mashed potatoes are creamy and packed with a rich, buttery flavor. But the meatloaf is a bit dry, and I wish they'd have been a bit more generous with the West Side Gravy—especially with it being the restaurant's namesake. The dollop of the gravy it did have was good: full-bodied and savory.

Next was a serving of coconut cream pie, featuring a light, cool coconut cream filler, and accented by coconut shavings, which were toasty, and even added a bit of a crunch to the otherwise smooth texture. The huge piece of pie sits amid a sugary shortbread crust, making for a satisfyingly sweet and crunchy mouthful.

Overall, West Side Gravy offers a good place to warm-up and enjoy a comforting meal after braving the holiday crowd on Haddon Avenue. I know I'll be back, mostly because I haven't been able to stop thinking about those cheesesteak egg rolls since I left.