How about a top 3 list of your various favorite cuisines/restos/bars?

Regional Dining Discussions Philadelphia
#1

As someone who travels to Philly fairly often (but not often enough), I’m always curious to hear about local favorites for the many different cuisines available? I’ll start off with a few off the top of my head, but can’t guarantee I can even come up with 3 in each category.

Also, please feel free to add more categories :smile:

(New) American:
Vernick

Beer
Brauhaus Schmitz
Nodding Head

Burgers
Standard Tap
Village Whiskey

Cocktails
Franklin Mortgage
Ranstead Room
Hop Sing, tho I find their speakeasy shtick insufferable

Dim Sum:
Dim Sum Garden
Bing Bing Dim Sum

Greek
The now defunct (?) Kanella

Italian:
Used to be Porcini, but no longer. I’ve liked Paradiso, but that was more than 5 years ago…Osteria has always been a good experience, too. Others I’ve tried that were “no need to return” places are Le Virtu & Monsu.

Lobster Rolls
Luke’s Lobster

Mussels
Devil’s Den

Oysters
Sansom Oyster House
Anastasi Seafood for their buck a shuck happy hour :slight_smile:

Pizza???

Portuguese
I loved the now closed Koo Zee Doo. Shame. Any good Portuguese elsewhere?

Ramen
CheU Noodle Bar (I admit I have not been to other ramen places in town)

Wine Bars
Tria - also great for late night small plates, cheeses, etc.

#2

Having lived in Philly for 5 years and moved back to Boston this past January, here are the Philly-area restaurants I miss most:

Blackfish
Talula’s Table
StudioKitchen
Bibou
Farm & Fisherman
Noord
Vedge
Will
Townsend
Fuji Haddonfield

Oh, and Hop Sing Laundromat.

#3

I walked by Noord (and, of course, have heard about it elsewhere) & was handed their current menu. I’d love to go some time.

#4

Noord’s owners are the coolest couple in the Philly restaurant scene. They’ve also opened a new restaurant Neuf.

#5

I don’t know philly at all, but I do remember an amazing meal at Vetri a few years ago. Is there no love for Vetri? Maybe now that they no longer offer a la carte, they aren’t as popular anymore

#6

Vetri is still the most famous restaurant in Philly, but who says they most miss a place that cost $150/pp before wine? Donald Trump?

I will, however, say I miss Le Bec Fin.

1 Like
#7

One reason I didn’t include a high-end category, in which Vetri (albeit Italian) def belongs – not my cuppa anymore.

That said, people are obviously welcome to post about their top three high-end places if they so desire.

#8

When I ate there, it was still a la carte. I just remember a pigs head ravioli with fennel pollen which knocked my socks off.

#9

That sounds pretty tasty indeed!

#10

Osteria, Amada, Zinc

Not saying they are the best, I just like 'em

1 Like
#11

Just a comment - I can obviously google everyone’s suggestions (or in most cases figure out which category they fit in), however, it would be glorious if you would stick to my proposed format. If it’s not too much to ask, that is '-)

#12

Yeah, that’s going to happen. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#13

If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Would make it easier for folks, but why do that.

#14

I didn’t do what you asked and now you are mad at me.

I promise to be much more careful.

You from Boston?

#15

Mad? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#16

Would it make more sense if you split this thread into one thread per type of food? I can imagine its going to be messy once enough people replies to this one thread.

#17

If only more people replied!

I think at this point we can leave it as is. If we really get a ton of recs, we can still consider it.

#18

Beer
Brauhaus Schmitz
Khyber Pass
South Philly Tap Room

(Side note… Nodding Head is no more… they should be resurfacing sometime… and they are brewing somewhere as I saw their beer at a Bar in Mont Co this week… )

#19

So glad to see you here :smile:

Yes, I’d heard the sad news about Nodding Head.

1 Like
#20

Another bumparino.

Let’s get some good information on this thread, shall we? Von nix kommt nix, as they say in the fatherland :stuck_out_tongue:

“Food is a pretty good prism through which to view humanity.”

― Jonathan Gold