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Welcome to the third wave of Philadelphia dining, an era in which locals are more likely to chat you up about their favorite chorizo tacos, wild-yeasted ales, or tasting menu than anything cheesesteak. Yes, the famous sandwich is still around (eat one if you must) but is slowly losing traction to its distant cousin, the roast pork. This is the Philly sandwich to try, be it a traditional rendition at John’s or DiNic’s in Reading Terminal Market or a new-school take, like the one topped with lacto-fermented broccoli rabe at High Street on Market.
Speaking of Old City’s High Street, its chef/partner, Eli Kulp, represents a group of Philadelphia chefs that has had a massive impact on the dining scene in the last few years: the ex–New Yorkers. Like Kulp, Peter Serpico of Serpico, Eli Collins of Pub and Kitchen, Greg Vernick of Vernick Food & Drink and other talented former 212-ers have shifted their careers here from some of NYC’s finest kitchens and restaurant groups. Even in East Passyunk and Fishtown, white-hot neighborhoods that are dethroning Center City as Philly’s dining nucleus, inflated rents are bargains compared to those in the Big Apple.
The recent influx of out-of-town chefs complements Philly’s homegrown talent. This has always been a scene that has fostered and supported its own, and the last several years have seen young chefs rising through the kitchens of Stephen Starr, Marc Vetri, and Georges Perrier and going on to debut compelling, idiosyncratic, solo projects. Like Pierre Calmels, who left the storied (now closed) Le Bec-Fin to open tiny Bibou in Bella Vista, and his LBF successor, Nicholas Elmi, who won Top Chef after opening Laurel on East Passyunk. (To give you an idea of the depth of talent in the 215, Elmi is the second Philly chef to win Top Chef.) And then there’s Michael Solomonov, a former Vetri capo who went on to found Zahav, the restaurant that ignited America’s passion for Israeli cuisine, and win a James Beard Award. Solo (as he’s affectionately known here) is in conscientious empire-building mode with longtime business partner, Steve Cook, and mentoring a new generation of young chefs. You can still catch him working the bread station at Zahav most nights, between annual research trips to Israel and surfing breaks at the Jersey Shore.
The Israeli, Iraqi, Turkish, and Yemenite recipes on the menu at Zahav are just a handful of the cuisines represented in this multiethnic town. Philadelphia has a long history as a city of immigrants, from Western Europeans in the early 20th century to the Vietnamese, Mexicans, and Africans of today. Chinatown reigns as the city’s hub of hand-pulled noodles, breakneck dim sum, and siphon coffee before it was cool, while Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, and Senegalese hideaways occupy tree-lined storefronts and old banks in West Philly. Vietnamese pho halls and bakeries congregate along Washington Avenue in South Philly, also home to the city’s vibrant Mexican population. In the Italian Market, many of the old businesses have given way to industrious taquerias. You can follow the trail of fresh-pressed tortilla crumbs from Bella Vista down into East Passyunk, a hood where it’s not uncommon to hear Spanish, Vietnamese, and five different dialects of Italian just walking down the street.
Jonathan Cichon has proven himself to be a worthy successor to this luxe establishment and one who forges his own way with graceful dishes using seasonal, prestige ingredients. He is bigger on elegance and shorter on whimsy than his predecessors, with dishes like lobster crepes, and chicken liver and foie gras mousse with watermelon glaze. Combined with a 500-plus-label cellar of high-end bottles and a gorgeous dining room overlooking Rittenhouse Square, a meal here is guaranteed to be one of your most memorable. There's also the $75 blowout Sunday brunch—a tremendous value, believe it or not.
Brass rails, silvered mirrors, claret-hued banquettes, and oak wainscoting reclaimed from now-shuttered Parisian restaurants, imbue patina—while small touches like newspapers on wooden poles, create extra realism—in the meticulous stage set placed on Philadelphia's most desirable corner by restaurateur Stephen Starr. Similarly, standard menu items (roasted chicken, trout amandine) hold their own, but the little things—desserts and salads, fresh-baked goods (including house-made macaroons), and excellent onion soup—stand out. Ask for an indoor-outdoor table overlooking the park: you'll get generous views and the pleasant din of the 150 diners behind you without the deafening buzz that is the restaurant's one true downside.
A bit of scrolled ironwork greets diners, followed by a swank bar pulsating with Cuban music that lets everyone know this is a happening place; find a seat here because you may wait awhile, even with a reservation. The service is a bit chaotic, but the mojitos are refreshing and the menu contains a few genuine dishes, such as lechon asado (crispy roasted pork) and a wide selection of ceviche, all prepared by star chef Douglas Rodriguez. The decor is evocative of pre-Castro Havana, with dim lighting, mod seating, and larger-than-life images of tobacco fields projected onto the walls.
Copious portions of regional Italian cuisine are served in the brick-walled dining room of this early-18th-century granary. Don't miss the acclaimed Caesar salad prepared table-side by the genial owner, who thoroughly enjoys animated conversations with his guests. Tuesday-night lobster specials make the trip to the Society Hill area more than worthwhile.
One of restaurateur Stephen Starr's many ventures is housed in an old wood-paneled and marbled brokerage (from which it borrows its name). Here the dishes are traditional rather than fancy (wedge salad, filet Oscar), portions are hefty, and the sides classic (green beans amandine, creamed spinach). A pair of showstopper chandeliers, a New Yorker–style mural depicting tony pooches clad in pencil skirts and smoking robes, and leather banquettes skew closely to the restaurant's avowed 1940s supper club aesthetic. The juicy, dripping burger is the word at lunch.
It's only fair to question whether Capital Grille is a restaurant or an art gallery. When you first enter the Philadelphia dining room of this high-end national chain, you'll find walls covered with exquisitely framed paintings and pedestals bearing bronze statues. Steaks and chops for the power crowd come in two sizes: large and larger. A baby lobster (about a pound) makes an excellent appetizer along with the requisite green salad and shrimp cocktail. The wine cellar is ample and fairly priced for a selection of excellent bottles.
After changing hands a number of times, Osteria is now under the careful direction of chef Jeff Michaud. The menu has everything from amazing brick-oven pizzas (try the Lombarda, with sausage and a soft-cooked egg) to delicate pastas tossed in creamy sauces to a 32-ounce rib-eye steak for two. The neighborhood-making North Broad Street setting with red concrete floors, rustic wooden tables, and soaring ceilings blends loft and countryside, industry and art.
The name refers to a lovely mural rather than a window view from this lively spot inside the Penn's View Hotel. The restaurant has the largest wine cruvinet (storage system) in the country. Besides more than 120 wines by the glass, there's a huge selection of well-chosen bottles. You can sip them in Il Bar or in the main dining room. The food is authentic Italian—simple and hearty. The ambience is either noisy or animated, depending on your tolerance level.
The futuristic atmosphere of this restaurant (all-white tables and chairs and partially enclosed booths—or pods—whose lighting changes color with the touch of a button) is a fitting setting for food with strong Asian overtones that ultimately defies precise description. The sushi conveyor is an entertaining touch. Dim sum, stir fry, and crab pad thai share the menu with entrées such as tea-smoked duck breast, whole branzino with wasabi chimichurri, and takes on fried rice with foie gras and Wagyu beef. Just be warned: the place can be overrun with Penn students.
Philadelphia's foremost practitioner of Italian cooking, Marc Vetri, can still be found at his eponymous ristorante just off Broad Street. In this lovely, sepia-toned town house (the original home of the late Le Bec-Fin) you can expect exquisite but superexpensive custom-built tasting menus (no à la carte) that may involve freshly milled alt-grain pastas, quivering buffalo-milk mozzarella flown in from Campania, and long-standing classics like the golden onion crepe and roasted suckling goat. Don't try to eat here if you haven't made reservations. As an alternative, try booking one of Vetri's popular interactive classes or special dinners in the upstairs dining room.
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