Alice
Alice
By: Blake Montalto
In Philadelphia’s Italian Market, Alice is a restaurant offering seasonal American cuisine centered around charcoal oven–prepared dishes. The restaurant is named after Chef and Owner Dave Conn’s mother. Since opening in June 2023, Chef Conn has thoughtfully evolved the menu to showcase the best of each season’s ingredients.
The menu isn’t the only element that changes throughout the year. Alice offers indoor table seating for 36 guests and bar seating for 10, and when the weather allows, it nearly doubles its capacity with outdoor seating.
Alice’s menu unfolds as a thoughtful exploration of flavor and technique, offering small plates designed for sharing, refined individual entrées, generous entrées for two, and a carefully curated tasting menu that showcases the kitchen’s range and precision. Each dish reflects a confident balance of restraint and boldness.
The char-roasted oysters, bathed in garlic lager butter and a side of house-made hot sauce, arrive bubbling and aromatic, their briny sweetness deepened by the flame. Equally compelling are the pristine Barnegat Bay oysters, served raw with cucumber and avocado, a bright and elegant composition that highlights their clean, oceanic character.
The bluefin tuna crudo with leeks and charred lemon is as visually striking as it is flavorful. The coal-roasted octopus with green chile and preserved lemon is expertly prepared in a perforated steel pan, allowing the tentacles to kiss the hot coals. The result is a perfect contrast of textures: delicately crisped edges giving way to tender, succulent flesh infused with smoke and citrus.
The grilled hamachi collar with parsley and lemon is a standout, celebrated for the remarkable way the skin blisters and crisps over the fire while protecting the rich, juicy meat beneath. It is a dish that feels both rustic and refined in presentation and flavor.
Together, the menu reads as both generous and sophisticated, a seamless marriage of coastal freshness, live-fire technique, and thoughtful composition that evolves with the rhythms of the seasons. While walk-ins are welcome, reservations are strongly encouraged, particularly as each seasonal shift brings new dishes and renewed anticipation to the table.
