PAFA is turning its A Nation of Artists exhibition into a citywide dining trail. PAFA Curated Palette Series, a new partnership with Schulson Collective, launched July 1 with the theme “Red, White & Blue: The American Palette” — a map starting at PAFA and leading guests to eight participating restaurants for art-inspired dishes and cocktails, with a passport program to track the journey.

How the PAFA Curated Palette Series Works

The PAFA Curated Palette Series ties directly to A Nation of Artists, the 17-month exhibition uniting PAFA, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Middleton Family Collection — timed to both America’s 250th anniversary and PAFA’s own 220th, as the country’s first museum and school of fine arts. The dining series isn’t a one-time July promotion: each season brings a new theme paired to different works from PAFA’s collection, refreshing throughout the exhibition’s run. PAFA President and CEO Kristen Shepherd called it a chance to “experience American art where U.S. history began.”

Where to Eat: PAFA Curated Palette Series Dining Partners

At Harp & Crown, the standout is a Pierogi with crème fraîche, caviar, and chive — not the dish you’d expect at a new-American spot with a bowling alley in the basement, which is exactly why it works. The Lesieur’s Fisherman’s Box stacks twelve oysters, six shrimp, and scallop crudo for two, while their tableside Caesar is a small theater piece on its own. Via Locusta brings a Poached Branzino with crispy sunchoke and caper, alongside a Doppio Ravioli filled with fig and gorgonzola.

Pearl & Mary’s Seafood Tower (oysters, shrimp, lobster, crab) and Lobster Roll with tabasco aioli round out the raw bar contingent. Giuseppe & Sons offers Spicy Rigatoni Alla Vodka and hand-pulled mozzarella with salsa verde. Prunella has an exclusive Curated Palette pizza special for July — details to be confirmed via @prunellaphl. Independence Beer Garden, steps from the Liberty Bell, rounds out the trail with colorful cocktails and rotating craft beer taps, putting the series’ America250 framing right at the doorstep of where it all began.

Start at PAFA, pick up the map, and let the passport do the planning. Eight restaurants, one exhibition, and a whole summer of reasons to walk between them. The PAFA Curated Palette Series is exactly the kind of citywide food-meets-art idea Philadelphia does well — go hungry and go curious.

About Post Author

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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