Venture Inn: Historic Ambience and Great Food in Philadelphia's Gayborhood

Finding something new in gay Philadelphia can be a challenge. You've eaten everywhere before, been drunk at every bar, and probably slept with every decent person on the block. It's the fifth largest city, but it can still feel like a small town. I'm usually content with what we have on the gay buffet, but it is nice to shake up the scenario with a new discovery. While the Venture Inn is not a new player on the LGBTQ block, you--like myself--might have been seduced away from friendly by flash. Situated at the corner of Spruce and Camac, Venture has been providing food and drink for years. You can't serve a fickle community for as long as Venture has and not know your stuff.

For our visit, we bypassed the busy bar and sat in the cozy dining room. The VI doesn't have any windows; it can't as a historic property. This makes it perfect for a clandestine or intimate date with someone you're not ready to (or unable to) unveil to a gawking public. Take somebody to another gay eatery, and four of your ex-tricks are going to spot you from the street. Several tables and booths fill up the room, and the crowd on our visit was as diverse as the population. They are young, old, cute, handsome and all very friendly.

Beginning our meal, we sampled the incredibly delicious scallops ($8), a generous portion of mussels ($7) and the refreshing spring rolls ($9). It was a tough call, but the huge succulent scallops placed just a bit above the two other fantastic appetizers. But all of the appetizers are plentifully portioned, and will make any hungry eater happy.

For salads, we picked the spinach salad ($7) and the crab avocado ($7), both perfect for sharing and more than enough to make a meal for any anorexic gal. The greens and veggies were fresh, with the crab avocado salad tasting as if Mom had whipped it up herself.

Our selection of main courses came next, including the homemade meatloaf ($14), a moist pile of beef wrapped in crisp bacon and served with mashed potatoes. The filet ($23) was perfectly cooked and incredibly tender, and probably the biggest bit of beef you're going to see in any gay bar in town. But the leader of the pack was the lobster ravioli ($22). We're always willing to try lobster anything, so we know our shellfish. This tasted better--and costs less--than almost any other place in the city. No joke, we don't lie about lobster.

The Venture Inn is a perfect option for anyone looking for healthy comfort food. With homemade options all cooked to perfection, and prices that will suit even the most weakened budget, it's a fabulous meal for anybody. It never hurts to be gay, but here it doesn't hurt not to be. While the food is incredible,, you really enjoy it warmly tucked into the friendly confines of the VI. Don't be afraid to linger over your food and order another glass of wine; nobody will rush you out the door. The Venture Inn has been a home-away-from-home for Philadelphians for years, and with food and service like this, will continue to be for several more decades.

Venture Inn, 255 South Camac St, 215-545-8731, $$.