Murph's Bar: If you don't get your Italian food from an Irish pub, you're doing it wrong

Have you ever found yourself thinking, "Damn, I'm really in the mood for Italian food, but I also just want to relax and drink a Guinness, preferably in an Irish bar"? Well then, have I got a place for you.

Murph's, an unassuming bar on Girard Av in Fishtown, had been on my list for a while. It had amazing Yelp reviews and the concept of an Irish-meets-Italian joint was something out of my wildest dreams. So, after a rainy Saturday spent doing absolutely nothing, my boyfriend and I decided to reward ourselves for being sloths by eating a ton of pasta.

First: some Yelp reviewers described it as being a dive bar, but personally I found it homey. Then again, I like my bars a little divey. They had an okay draft list, but the real winner was their bottle selection: $5 for a bunch of pretty decent craft beers. I got a $6 glass of Merlot because I was feeling fancy, but we agreed that even if the food wasn't great we had found a new watering hole.

Drinks aside, we were really there for the pasta. We got so excited about all of the choices (a menu as well as a large rotating selection of specialty pastas) that we ended up ordering three meals: Lobster ravioli with shrimp in a tomato cream sauce, taglioline with black truffle and parmesan cream and veal tortellacci with walnuts and truffle oil over capocollo.  

In retrospect we probably shouldn't have ordered three cream-based dishes, but I have no regret. All three were great (and reasonable, with the most expensive coming in at $15), but the star of the show was the lobster ravioli. Stuffed with lobster, topped with shrimp and smothered in a tomato cream sauce, I think I said something like, "I want to eat this every day of my life." Or I would have, if my mouth wasn't stuffed with ravioli. Did I mention that all of the pasta is homemade?

Each meal ends with a complimentary glass of homemade limoncello, brought over by a very nice server who looked at us with fear, respect and a little bit of awe at being able to house one and a half plates a piece.  

Final verdict: Come for the pasta. If you don't want to come for the pasta, come for the good bottle prices. But also order the pasta.

202 E Girard Ave, Food is cash only

PS: Did you know this blog is now on Twitter? Follow me @areadablefeast for even more of what I'm eating, drinking and reading.

Also check out: Best Philly Happy Hours; Cheu Fishtown