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With the constant climb of New York City’s living expenses, young professionals hoping to start families are fleeing in droves for the nearest urban center: Philadelphia. Long known for greasy cheesesteaks and the Museum of Art steps climbed by working-class (yet fictional) hero Rocky Balboa, the recent explosion of spendable income has rebirthed Philadelphia as a world-class and multi-ethnic dining destination. In no particular order, here are 15 places you shouldn’t miss, none of which even existed 10 years ago.
You’ll find it hard to pass-up Tela’s hot-sauce slathered buttermilk fried-chicken sandwich.
The next craze in dining might just be chef-driven gourmet markets/kitchens, and Tela’s puts Philadelphia ahead of that curve. Chef Chad Williams’ locally sourced menu at this soon to be Fairmount staple includes a hearty country breakfast selection, complete with favorites like corn grits, topped with a fried egg, braised kale and bacon; or Tela’s Irish Oatmeal, the best bowl of oats in Philly. At lunch it’s the Short Rib sandwich, topped with bacon onion jam, blue cheese and horseradish mayo that stands as the true testament to what this kitchen can do at such an affordable price. Look around the tables and you’ll likely spot dishes of Noo-noos and Cheese – this play on mac-and-cheese is from the kids’ menu, but that doesn’t seem to stop anyone from enjoying these al dente whole-wheat “noo-noos”, clung together by a perfectly thickened house-made cheese sauce. When you’ve had enough to eat, order a tangy Four Barrel coffee and stroll through the market side to find specialty items for an afternoon snack, or sign-up on the clipboard for the extremely limited seating at Chef William’s prix fixe dinners, catered to the regular customers.
MUST ORDER: Fried Chicken Sandwich, Short Rib Sandwich, Noo-noos & Cheese, Four Barrel Coffee
If you needed any proof that Philadelphia is a budding destination for even the more rare ethnic cuisines, Xi’an Sizzling Woks provides just that. Until now, Xi’an style Chinese food has been relegated to the most outskirt neighborhoods in Los Angeles and New York, but Philly hosts this unique middle-eastern and Szechuan influenced cuisine conveniently in the heart of Chinatown. Their Pao Mo, is a light and flavorful lamb and beef soup, studded with tiny torn bits of pita bread. The “Chinese Hamburgers” are made of cumin beef, panini pressed in an English muffin shaped pita and stuffed with green peppers and onions. With must-order appetizers like spicy glutinous Liang Pi noodles, it’s easy to pass-over the Spicy Chicken Noodles under the Chef’s Recommendation list. Don’t. The massive platter of thick hand-cut noodles alone could happily feed two people for $16.95. Smaller groups should over order at Xi’an Sizzling Woks and bring the leftovers home, but beware… the spice creeps up on day number two.
MUST ORDER: Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb & Beef Soup, Xi’an Liang Pi, Cumin Beef Hamburger, Sauteed Spicy Chicken & Noodle
Fried chicken and donuts – those four words are probably enough to get any mouth watering, but when this recipe for success comes from Chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav fame, you have some truly cluck worthy wings and treats. Don’t let their Geocities-era-style website fool you, with two locations already serving and two more set to open in West Philly and University City, Federal Donuts maybe on the verge of taking the world by storm next. Until then, this Philly-only institute is the place to go for always changing dry and wet style fried chicken blends. Each box comes with freshly fried simple donuts, but feel free to upgrade to fancy flavored varieties like Cookies and Cream, or Blackberry Anise.
MUST ORDER: Flavors change daily, but the Shabazzi and Za’atar fried chicken are not to be missed if available.
Marigold Kitchen [CLOSED]
Marigold Kitchen uniquely presents beef tartar with garnishes seemingly orbiting the tender meat on the plate.
Often unmentioned in Philly eating guides, Chef Robert Halpern’s modern cooking is served-up in the homey setting of a traditional Victorian townhouse. Now solely hosting an $85 prix-fixe dinner – in which your only choice is fish, meat or vege – the recent evolution of Marigold Kitchen continues to impress. From the opening snack of liquid nitrogen popcorn to a soup of cauliflower bisque topped with ham bubbles, Chef Halpern perfectly punctuates your parade of plates with molecular gastronomy flourishes. But it’s not all smoke and foam coming out of this kitchen. The “beef tartar with too many garnishes to list” is a classic rendition, served with the smallest bottle of Tabasco you’ve ever seen. With its no corkage BYOB policy, Marigold Kitchen is the perfect spot to visit for a long meal with friends.
MUST ORDER: Set menu, but don’t forget to B plenty of your own B.
Our second chef driven gourmet market/kitchen comes from one of Philly’s biggest Chefs and Restaurateurs, Jose Garces. If you knew you couldn’t get through a Philly guide without a cheesesteak recommendation, you were right. Served with shaved ribeye beef, pickled pepper aioli, caramelized onions, and a Taleggio fondue, Jose Garces’ lunch-only cheesesteak puts most of Philly’s messy monsters to shame. But Chef Garces’ skills don’t stop on the lunch menu. The happy-hour menu includes daily selections of meatballs that highlight more than pork and beef. Flavors like lamb with smoked paprika, rabbit with chanterelles, or even scallop with champagne grapes are masterfully braised and served on piping hot skillets. Enjoy each with a plate of house-made mozzarella. Then walk the long olive oil bar, taking tastes from the wide selection, each available for purchase from the attached market.
MUST ORDER: GTC Philly Cheesesteak, House Made Mozzarella, Daily Meatballs, Tuscan Fusilli Alla Carbonara, Steak Frites w/ House Duck Fat Fries
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