They invited him to Philadelphia for dinner and told him to meet them at LaTerrasse. I loved LaTerrasse. Wicks got the last laugh, however, as she expanded her coffee and muffin shop. The White Dog got its name from a 19th-century mystic and founder of the Theosophical Society named Madame Helena Blavatsky, who once resided in the Sansom Street building and claimed to have been cured of a serious illness by having a white dog lie on her. At night, you can order swordfish with peppercorn sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and warm greens.
Desserts are gorgeous.
But in 1983, the Palladium moved into the handsome Gothic building at 36th and Locust Walk owned by the Christian Association and began serving above-average eclectic fare. And in 1989, Michele Leff and her husband, David Fetkewicz, whose fresh Mexican food in the Reading Terminal Market had earned them a devoted following in Philadelphia, opened a highly successful upscale Mexican restaurant named Zocalo at the corner of 36th Street and Lancaster Avenue. Leff estimates that during the week 30 percent of her clientele comes from Penn and another 15 percent from Drexel University. During the weekend, however, people cross state lines to sample the city's only hand-made corn tortillas, swordfish tacos, glazed duck, Mexican rice pudding, and killer margaritas. Leff, who is hoping to put together an expo of all the area's restaurants next fall, thinks there is a great future for both retail businesses and restaurants in West Philadelphia.