Alice at the Italian Market Festival returns for year three. Chef Dave Conn’s seasonal American restaurant at 9th and Christian is back at the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival — Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 from 10am to 5pm along historic 9th Street — with a street menu built for the occasion, set up just outside the restaurant at the corner.

This is one of the rare times Alice steps outside its dining room. Conn and his team have designed a takeaway menu around the energy of the festival — the kind of cooking that travels well without losing the kitchen’s perspective. Everything is first come, first served throughout the weekend, and all items are subject to availability. Show up early for the best odds on the Spaghetti & Crabs.

What Alice Is Serving at the Italian Market Festival This Weekend

The anchor of Alice at the Italian Market Festival’s street menu is Spaghetti & Crabs at $15 — a dish that carries the kitchen’s whole argument in a single bowl. This is Conn’s cooking brought to the sidewalk, and the crab pasta is the proof. Coal-roasted wings round out the food side at $15, consistent with the charcoal oven cooking that defines Alice’s dinner menu year-round.

On the drinks side: Aperol Spritz ($15), Rosé by the glass at $10 for 6oz or $15 for 9oz, and Peroni at $7. The Spaghett — Aperol, Miller High Life, and lemon juice at $10 — is a “beer spritz” on paper and a knowing nod in practice. It’ll move fast on a warm afternoon on 9th Street.

Alice at the Italian Market Festival: Three Years Running

Alice at the Italian Market Festival is now a fixture because Alice itself is a fixture. Conn opened at 901 Christian in June 2023 — 60 seats, 12-seat bar overlooking the open kitchen, 20 more on the sidewalk patio. The charcoal oven drives the menu: coal-roasted octopus, whole bronzino, dry-aged burger, Iowa Prime Ribeye, crudos, tartare. Dinner service runs Tuesday through Saturday 5–10pm, Sunday 5–9pm.

The Alice seasonal menu approach has always been grounded in what’s available and what works over the charcoal. Alice at the Italian Market Festival compresses that philosophy into four items and a few drinks, built for a crowd that’s walking, not sitting. Reservations for dinner can be made at alicephiladelphia.com.

Alice at the Italian Market Festival and 9th Street’s Annual Tradition

The South 9th Street Italian Market Festival draws thousands to the stretch of 9th Street that has anchored the city’s Italian-American community for more than a century. Food vendors, live music, neighborhood energy. Alice at the Italian Market Festival at 9th and Christian is the most natural stage the restaurant could have — this is the neighborhood it opened in, and the booth is how it shows up for it.

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Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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