philadelphia recommendations

--
Since previous posters seemed to cover the better french restaurants, I'll try to provide a few choice Italian spots. Frederick's (located at Front and Fitzwater Streets) is, by far, my favorite overall dining experience in Philadelphia. Not only do they have spectacular Northern Italian food; a large, imaginative and varied menu; attentive (yet not obtrusive) servers; and a "chocolate piano" dessert that should be in a museum instead of on a plate, but the house band provides a great mix of live music ranging from Sinatra to jazz to swing. Expect to spend a long time eating there--all entrees come with fabulous bread, salad, soup and a palate cleansing sorbet--but the hours just seem to fly by. If your friend is a member of the opposite sex, consider staying for a few turns on the dance floor. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $50 pp with wine and have a MUCH better time than Le Bec-Fin.

Also good choices for Italian: Dante and Luigi's and La Grolla. Wish I were going to Philly (sigh)... It's one helluva town if you like to eat.

Also, I second the kudos for the White Dog Cafe, which has recently added a piano bar and live entertainment on the weekends. It's located in an old rowhouse decorated in an eclectic, funky style. Great fish entrees, lots of locally grown and organic ingredients, lots of fusion-style dishes. Only caveat: beware the local wines from Pennsylvania. Order a California to be safe.

Amy L. Sykes
Emory Law School, Class of '99
[email removed]

"If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made."
     --Otto von Bismarck

If you're looking for Cheesesteaks (and you should be) go to Jim's on South Street.  Its an easy walk from Center City and Penns Landing.

Dave in Atlanta
Pat K. wrote in message ...
>My husband & I will be in Philly from July 2-5.  It's our first time
>there.  Any restaurant suggestions? Mostly we go for upscale spots
>on vacations but we're open to anything that's special & shouldn't be
>missed.  Thanks!
>
>

Two recommendations.........one VERY downscale, the other up.

Tony Luke's - on Oregon Ave., not far from the airport, for the best roast pork sandwich (try it with spinach incl.) you'll ever have the pleasure of ingesting.  Nothing yuppy about this place.  It's a stand where people park their cars in the middle of the street, run up to the counter, give their names (My husband, Arnold, once felt so out of place that he gave his name as Rocco!), wait a few minutes & then either eat in the car or at one of the plastic tables they have at the side.  On one occasion a group in front of us had just stepped out of a chauffered limo; on the next, the guy ahead of us wore no shirt.

Opus 251 - In the Art Alliance just off Rittenhouse Square.  Light years away from Tony Luke's.  The food is imaginative (I love their vegetarian entrees although there aren't that many of them on the menu.), eclectic, nicely presented.  Service is terrific.  A good place to go when you want an evening that's a cut above.

Carole

My favorite high-end restaurant in Philly is the Fountain in the Four Seasons hotel off Logan Circle.

A little off the beaten track: Kabul on Chestnut between 2nd and Front Sts.

-Sol Siegel, Philadelphia, PA
--------------------------------------------------------- "Just because you cannot understand it does not mean it doesn't exist."
            -Caleb Carr, "The Alienist"