--------------------- PHILADELPHIA ------------------------------------- (As of 9/21/93) I've been putting together a list of good restaurants for selected areas of the country (those that I visit regularly) with an emphasis on flavor, quality & value, rather than ambience & service. Either I've had a very good meal there, or more likely, someone else has recommended it highly. Note that most of the comments in the list are not mine, but are from other people who've taken the time to write up something about their dining experience. If you have additions, corrections, comments, or suggestions for removal, let me know at [email removed] or, even better, post them to the rec.food.restaurants Usenet newsgroup. I'm especially interested in hearing about particular dishes to get or avoid at specific restaurants, so I can include that information in this list, which I will post every few months to rec.food.restaurants Philadelphia ============ 16th St Bar & Grill -- Mediterranean 16th betw Locust & Spruce Alouette ($$) -- Vietnamese/French/Thai 334 Bainbridge Asmara -- Ethiopian nr 44th & Chestnut Astral Plane -- Eclectic Lombard betw 17th & 18th Baci -- Italian Cafe Einstein -- Eclectic Race betw 2nd & 3rd Cafe Nola -- Cajun/Creole South St betwee 3rd & 4th Callowhill -- Eclectic Callowhill at 18th Carolina's -- Eclectic 20th betw Locust & Spruce Catalina's -- Eclectic Hamilton inside Korman Suites Hotel Cefalu -- Italian Cent Anni -- Peasant Italian 8th St, South Philly Cherry St Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant -- Kosher Veggie Chinese 1010 Cherry St (wondeful place -- they make the usual Chinese dishes using wheat gluten or soy bean products) Criniti's -- Italian S. Broad & Shunk (Absolutely wonderful Italian food, 11 tables) D'Angelo's -- Italian Duex Cheminees -- French Dhalak -- Ethiopian Baltimore nr 47th (better even than DC Ethiopian!) DiLullo's Centro -- Italian El Zocalo -- Mexican Lancaster betw 36th & 37th (ok to go to if desperate for some mole) Fez -- Moroccan 2nd below Bainbridge Garden -- Eclectic Spruce betw 16th & 17th Genji House -- Japanese 40th & Locust (excellent sushi) Girasole -- Northern Italian 1305 Locust (maybe the best of the Northern Italian places) Harmony -- Veggie Chinese 135 N 9th St (pretty good, though a bit expensive) Hikaru -- Japanese 607 S 2nd St (good for sushi) Imperial Inn -- Chinese 146 N 10th St (good for Dim Sum) Joe's Peking Duck -- Chinese 900 block of Race St Joy Tsin Lau -- Chinese Race nr 10th (good Dim Sum) Judy's The Knave of Hearts -- Eclectic South betw 2nd & 3rd Kabul -- Afghan 100 block of Chestnut Kawabata -- Japanese Chestnut, between Front & 2nd (good sushi) La Buca -- Italian (great personal service and food) La Trattoria dell'Artista -- Italian 3rd & Cherry Le Bec Fin -- French consistently rated as one of the best in the country Lemon Grass -- Thai Lancaster betw 36th & 37th Lemon Grass Garden / Quan Sa -- Vietnamese 239 N 10th Little Saigon -- Vietnamese 69th St area off of Long Lane L'Osteria dell'Artista -- Italian 3rd nr Arch Magnolia Cafe -- Cajun/Creole Locust nr 15th or 16th Manus Place -- Thai 43rd & Walnut Marabella -- Italian 1420 Locust, 17th & Ben Franklin Marrakesh -- Moroccan on a small alley just west of 4th above South Metropolis Trattoria -- Italian Mezanotte -- Eclectic Italian 17th & Green My Thai -- Thai 22nd & Lombard (consistently very good at moderate prices) New Delhi -- Indian Chestnut betwe 40th & 41st Nha Hang Vietnam 11th St, between Arch & Vine Omar Khayyam -- Persian Lombard, nr 22nd or 23rd Osteria Romana -- Italian Phila Fish & Co. -- Seafood 2nd & Chestnut (decent and fairly inexpensive) Portofino -- Italian Ralph's -- Italian 9th & Catherine Red Sea -- Ethiopian 45th & Locust River Garden -- Korean 48th & Spruce Riverside -- Chinese 234 N 9th (good for Dim Sum) Rose Tattoo Cafe -- Eclectic 18th at Callowhill Saloon -- Upscale Italian 8th St, South Philly San Marco -- Italian City Line Ave in Bryn Mawr Sansom St Oyster House -- Seafoood 15th & Sansom (decent and fairly inexpensive) Sheherazade -- Persian 17th & Lombard (small portions) Shiroi Hana -- Japanese 222 S 15th St (great Japanese Sushi restaurant) Silk of Siam -- Thai 614 W Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr South of Siam -- Thai 40th & Chestnut Susanna Foo ($$) -- Chinese Walnut St (said to be one of the best Chinese in the country) Tandoori Palace -- Indian 40th & Chestnut Tapas -- Spanish 3rd & Girard Taste of India -- Indian Chestnut between 40th & 41st (Go on weekend only for buffet) Thai Garden -- Thai 47th between Pine & Spruce Thai Singha House -- Thai Chestnut, just east of 40th Tira Misu -- Italian Tu Do -- Vietnamese 8th St north of Washington Upstares at Varalli's -- Italian Victor Cafe -- Italian (waitrons sing Opera!) Waldorf Cafe -- Eclectic 20th betw Lombard & South Warsaw Cafe -- Eclectic 16th betw Spruce & Pine Ziggy's -- Japanese 12th & Walnut
Philadelphia, PA