Edited by April White Foreword by food critic Maria Gallagher Copyrighted Material Philadelphia magazine's Ultimate Restaurant Guide Copyrighted Material Copyrighted Material Philadelphia magazine's ULTIMATE RESTAURANT ~~~~~o~~~~~a~:~~"'9h.' liiiiil m GUIDE Temple University Press Philadelphia Copyrighted Material Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia PA 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright © 2004 by Metro Corp All rights, to collective work and individual contributions, reserved Published 2004 Printed in the United States of America Cover and text design by Andrew Zahn Photography by Zoey Sless-Kitain Philadelphia® magazine and Best of Philly® are registered trademarks of Metro Corp eThe paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Philadelphia magazine's ultimate restaurant guide / edited by April White; foreword by Maria Gallagher p em Includes index ISBN 1-59213-146-8 (alk paper) Restaurants-Pennsylvania-Philadelphia-Guidebooks Philadelphia II Title TX907.3.P4W492004 647.95748'11-dc22 2004049794 246897531 Copyrighted Material To those with whom I have shared the most memorable meals: spaghetti and meatballs on Christmas Eve; lunch on the grill at camp; omelets in Africa; pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Paolo's; and boxes and boxes of clementines Copyrighted Material Copyrighted Material [ CONTENTS Foreword by Maria Gallagher· ix : THE PEOPLE ·3 "Everybody Went to Bookie's" by Amy Donohue ·13 What's Eating Georges Perrier? by Benjamin Wallace·· 27 The Last Neil Stein Story by Stephen Rodrick ·44 The Reincarnation of Stephen Starr by Larry Platt· The Mysterious Mr Chodorow by Amy Donohue· ·55 : THE INGREDIENTS The Great Grape Hunt by Benjamin Wallace Chocolates With a Conscience by Victor Fiorillo Thank You for Smoking by Sasha Issenberg· Four-Star Farmers by Amy Donohue········· Miracle of the Loaves by April White Hot Potatoes by Francine Maroukian· Caffeine High by Benjamin Wallace· Brewery Town by Victor Fiorillo· ···67 ·72 ···76 ·80 ·····84 ····87 ···90 ···94 : THE RESTAURANTS Is Philadelphia a Great Restaurant Town or What? by John Mariani· The Reviews Index by Cuisine Index by Neighborhood·· Acknowledgements· Copyrighted Material ·99 101 ·169 ·173 ·177 Copyrighted Material FOREWORD By Maria Gallagher Philadelphia loves to eat Give us a plate of roasted free-range Lancaster County chicken and a Jersey tomato salad, and we're happy; set a cheesesteak oozing with Whiz before us, and we're ecstatic Our two bestknown restaurants, Le Bec-Fin and Pat's Steaks, epitomize the range of our collective appetite Our former mayor, now Pennsylvania's governor, is such a joyful omnivore that Wawa named a hoagie after him We love eating so much that we'll even get up at a.m to watch other people it: 20,000 spectators attended Wing Bowl 2004 My education in Philadelphia food and restaurants began in the spring of 1976, the year I moved to a one-room apartment at 13th and Walnut and began working as an intern at Philadelphia magazine Single and in my early 20s, I was precisely the type of customer who would feed the city's Restaurant Renaissance, though at the time my meager income couldn't feed it very much That year, the city's top fine-dining destinations included Le Bec-Fin, La Panetiere, the Garden, and Ristorante da Gaetano, but a group of young provocateurs-informal restaurants with a distinctly American style-were generating the most excitement At Frog, Knave of Hearts, Lickety Split, Astral Plane, Judy's, Friday Saturday Sunday, and Under the Blue Moon, kitchens were turning out eclectic flavor combinations perfectly suited to the mismatched place settings and on-a-shoestring decor of their dining rooms Cooks were often self-taught, or fresh out of Philadelphia's new culinary arts academy, the Restaurant School Servers wore jeans Blackboard menus were updated throughout the evening to accommodate inspiration-or expunge dishes that flopped Many tastes of that time linger in my memory: Chestnut soup with chicken and cardamom at the Gold Standard on 47th Street near Chester Avenue Swiss chard ravioli with tarragon cream sauce at Russell's at 17th and Lombard Tall wedges of quiche-like shrimp, tomato and cheese pie atthe Fish Market The daring shad roe pate at In Season on 13th Street near Pine Frog's fiery Siamese chicken curry The Commissary's carrot cake Most of these restaurants are closed now, but how we eat today dates directly from that transformative period, commonly called the Restaurant Renaissance It was really a rebellion, led by restless individualists bored Copyrighted Material Ultimate Restaurant Guide Ix key: breakfast () lunch • dinner sunday brunch late-night menu • byob ~, cash only rear of the single dining room, candles burn on tables for two near the front windows, and the clientele-dining on entrees like roasted duck atop a sweet potato mash dotted with brandied cherries-is as varied as the decor of sophisticated black surfaces, hip exposed brick, comfortable bar stools, and a quirky purple-and-blue striped wall 0 $$ VALLEY GREEN INN, Valley Green Road at Wissahickon Creek; 215-247-1730 The pillared veranda of the stately Valley Green Inn, on car-free Forbidden Drive in Fairmount Park, is an urban Eden A glass of pinot grigio and a salade Nil;:oise on a sun-washed afternoon, when painters and horseback riders convene along the creek, is an idyllic experience-in part because cell phones don't work here Inquiries about the resident waterfowl have prompted the inn to post a note on its website: "The ducks which live in the Valley Green area are not the same ducks on our menu." () $$$ Dinner in Vetri's intimate 35-seat confines is like a perfect moment that stretches across two hours, because each dish springs from chef-owner Marc Vetri's training in Italy, amplified by the return trips he makes several times each year Observance of the seasons means that extraordinary winter dishes such as shaved raw baby artichokes with arugula and fondue, and spinach gnocchi with smoked ricotta and brown butter, are in residence year-round Singular Italian wines and startling desserts, such as one in which hot olive oil is poured through a circle of chocolate onto a scoop ofrosemary ice cream, make Vetri a restaurant that appeals to the intellect as well as the senses This is one of the most coveted reservations in town Closed Sunday • $$$$ VETRI, 1312 Spruce Street; 215-732-3478 VIENTIANE CAFE, 4728 Baltimore Avenue; 215-726-1095 The hot-climate cuisines of Thailand and Vietnam rely on kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger, and sweat-inducing chili paste to chase torpor from the table The adorable Vientiane Cafe a 25-seat BYOB with jadeite-green walls and homey cabbagerose tablecloths, does it well, and inexpensively: Three-course lunches are available for $7.95, while at dinner, entree specials like spicy duck with pungent Thai basil are a mere $13.95 Closed Sunday ()., $ In Italian, "enoteca" means "place where one buys wine," and Vivo Enoteca's hipsterdark bar inspires diners to just that The by-the-glass wine list has a few VIVO ENOTECA 108 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne; 610-687-6558 164 The Restaurants Copyrighted Material average entree price: $ under $12 $$ $13 to $20 $$$ $21 to $30 $$$$ more than $30 interesting selections, like La Villa Prosecco and 2001 Castello Di Poppiano, but is underwhelming, with a fairly standard array of chardonnays, pinot grigios and Italian reds The by-the-bottle wine list, however, has clearly been chosen with great care, with mostly Italian and California selections And the service has nice little touches Wines were served in miniature decanters, and the bubbly prosecco in tall, silly glasses Vivo Enoteca's dinner menu is made up of small plates, but is no match for the wines The dessert menu, though, includes a delicious pine-nut tart Closed Sunday and Monday • $$ WHITE DOG CAFE, 3420 Sansom Street; 215-386-9224 On the menu at the White Dog Cafe: innovative New American cuisine and wide-ranging social activism Located in a Victorian brownstone in University City, the more-thantwo-decade-old restaurant is a maze of intimate, comfortable dining rooms Newly arrived Chef Michael O'Halloran-a sous-chefhere in the mid-1990shas updated the restaurant's local-produce-dependent menu with dishes like five-spiced Peking duck breast with a raspberry-ginger glaze and anise-black pepper beef carpaccio But the White Dog's commitment to social projectssupporting local farmers, sponsoring dinner discussions and organizing community outreach-remains unchanged () • 0 $$$ Chesterbrook Village Shopping Center, 500 Chesterbrook Boulevard, Wayne; 610-695-8862 Chef Anthony Bonett is behind the mostly seafood menu at Wild Tuna, balancing modernisms like a tuna trio appetizer (rare seared tuna, Mediterranean-style tuna salad, and tuna tartare with diced melon and cucumber) with suburban standards such as crab-stuffed shrimp with hollandaise sauce Bonett's wife makes the splendid apple tart On Fridays and Saturdays, owner Richard Robinson, a co-founder of Rock Lobster, brings in a DJ The decor, sadly, is nondescript Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday () • $$ WILD TUNA, THE WOODEN IRON, 118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne; 610-964-7888 When Chris Dutton, Steve Brady and Jim Flanigan opened the golf-themed Wooden Iron restaurant in Wayne, they were thinking "upscale country club." And with specialties like wild mushroom ravioli with porcini cream, crabmeat, spinach and chives, they're turning out more ambitious American food than you'll find at most golf resorts There's a handsome dark mahogany bar and framed golf prints, and Dutton's and Brady's wives fur- Copyrighted Material Ultimate Restaurant GUide 165 key: breakfast () lunch • dinner sunday brunch late-night menu • byob f.; cash only nished the place with appropriately cushy forest-green banquettes In stock and waiting for rocks, or not, are 40 single-malt scotches, 50 vodkas, and 100 specialty martinis, such as Flanigan's Love Potion #9-Charbay bloodorange vodka, Cointreau, Chambord, a splash of grenadine, and orange and pineapple juices In addition to the California-heavy wine list starting at $21, there are 14 approachable wines by the glass-hence the happy-looking crowd gathered at the bar every evening Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday () • $$$ WORD OF MOUTH, 729 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood; 856-858-2228 Chef Greg Fenski does many things well at Word of Mouth, but his mashed potatoes are positively haunting: laced with horseradish alongside a New York strip steak, or with fresh herbs to accompany a nicely seasoned but somewhat chewy rack of lamb The house-made gnocchi with grilled shrimp and a fullbodied garlic-tomato-basil sauce is a winner, as is the duck quesadilla Closed Monday: closed for lunch on Sunday () • , $$$ Haverford Avenue and Conestoga Road, Bryn Mawr; 610-527-3200 High-style Chinese elegance has transformed an 18th-century tavern into a special-occasion destination for Main Line crowds Yangrning, whose name means "sunshine, bright and happy," serves up creative Chinese/Continental fusion, with Westernized dishes, like rigatoni in garlic lemon saffron sauce with sauteed chicken tenders, as well as fragrant classics like spicy General Tso's chicken Closed for lunch Sunday () • $$$ YANGMING, YANN, 122 South 18th Street; 215-568-5250 Stepping into Yann requires that you forgive its awkward window space, which is too high for passersby to properly ogle the glistening individual tartes Tatin and dark-chocolate "Jefferson" pastries that are posed gorgeously within Once inside, you'll find that Yann's opera cake, a slim rectangle of ganache, almond cake and chocolate cream, is like eating velvet, and the apricot tart is a pile of golden fruit on a cloud of pastry cream, with tulle-thin pastry French-born Yann Machard, who owns Symphony wholesale bakery in Moorestown, also serves baguette sandwiches and salads at the back bar and in the mellow-yellow upstairs dining room Closed Sunday () , $ ZEKE'S MAINLINE BAR B QUE, 6001 Lancaster Avenue; 215-871-7427 On nights when it's too hot to fire up the Weber, head to Overbrook for Zeke's Mainline 166 The Restaurants Copyrighted Material average entree price: $ under $12 $$ $13 ta $20 $$$ $21 ta $30 $$$$ mare than $30 Bar B Que, and bring home a trunkful of pulled pork, slow-cooked brisket and meaty pork ribs Owner Prentice Cole-a former Daily News photographer, wine merchant, and onetime City Council candidate-serves it up with madefrom-scratch hot and sweet sauces, fresh coleslaw, collard greens, house-baked cornbread and sweet-tart lemonade () • ,~~ $$ Copyrighted Material Urtimate Restaurant GUide 167 Copyrighted Material INDEX BY CUISINE African Asian Fatou and Fama········· ······· ·120 The Bamboo Club···· ·104 Buddakan ·108 Pod ·146 Ray's Cafe and Teahouse· ·148 Ritz Seafood· ·151 Shogun/Serendipity Cafe······· ·155 Swanky Bubbles ·159 20 Manning· 163 269 Fahrenheit Kissen Tempura Bar ·163 American The Black Swan ·106 Bridge Cafe· 107 Cafe Lift· ·109 Christopher's· ·112 Coleman Restaurant ·113 at Normandy Farm Colligan's Stockton Inn·· ·113 Dilworthtown Inn· ·117 Doneckers ·118 Flatspin· ·121 Frenchtown Inn·· ·122 The Gables at Chadds Ford· ·123 The Grill ·124 Hamilton's Grill Room ·124 Jones ·128 Lobster Trap· ·134 North by Northwest·············· ·141 Palm· ·142 Philadelphia Fish & Company· ·144 Plate·· ·145 Red Sky 149 b············ ···1~ Sansom Street Oyster House···· ·154 Simon Pearce··· ·155 Sprigs· ·156 Station Grill ·157 Stonehouse Bistro··············· ·157 Terrace Restaurant· ·161 Trax Cafe· 162 Valley Green Inn·· ·164 Wild Tuna· ·165 The Wooden Iron· ·165 Word of Mouth· ·166 Bakery Country Club Restaurant· ·114 Le Petit Mitron ·134 Petit Pastry Studio · ·144 Yann ·166 Belgian Eulogy Belgian Tavern ·120 Brazilian Samba Churrasqueria & Night Club· ·153 Burmese Rangoon· ·147 Carribean Bahama Breeze Bluzette· Jamaican Jerk Hut ·104 ·107 ·127 Chinese Chez Elena Woo Cherry Street Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant Margaret Kuo's · 111 111 ·136 Copyrighted MaterLfMmate Restaurant GUid~ 169 Oasis········ Suilan Susanna Foo Yangming ·141 158 .158 166 Continental Black Bass Hotel· ·105 Happy Rooster·· ·125 Max's······· ·137 The Old Guard House Inn······ ·142 Rouge 151 ·138 ·161 Diner Country Club Restaurant········ ·114 Daddypops 116 Mayfair Diner ·137 Eastern European Red Hen Cafe ·148 Eclectic Alison at Blue Bell· ·101 Azure · · · 104 Bliss · · ·106 Chloe ·111 Citrus ·112 Claude's ·113 Continental····· · ········ ··· ·114 Denim·· ·116 Django ·118 Elements Cafe ·118 Fioravanti ·121 Fork· · 121 Friday Saturday Sunday·· ·122 Jake's Restaurant····· ·127 A Little Cafe 134 Matyson 136 Mixx 138 170 Index by Cuisine ·138 ·139 ·140 ·145 ·151 ·153 ·157 ·158 · ·159 163 ·165 French Cuban Mixto· Tierra Colombiana Mojo···· Moshulu Next· Places! Bistro Roux Salt· · Striped Bass···· Suede Lounge· Sweet Vidalia Valanni White Dog Cafe Alisa Cafe ·101 Birchrunville Cafe ·105 Brasserie Perrier ·107 Chez Colette·· ·111 Deux Cheminees ·11 Fountain Restaurant ·121 Gilmore's···· 123 Krazy Kat's··· ·129 La Boheme 130 La Campagne··· ·130 Lacroix at the Rittenhouse······ · ··· ·130 Le Bar Lyonnais ·132 Le Bee-Fin ·133 Le Mas 133 Loie ·134 Nan ·· · 140 N 3rd 141 Patou· ·143 Pif ·145 Rat's··· ·147 Siri's Thai French Cuisine ·155 ·156 Spring Mill Cafe Tartine ·160 Yann ·166 Hawaiian Roy's Copyrighted Material ······················152 Indian Karma······· Khajuraho ·128 ·128 Irish The Black Sheep Pub Fad6· The Plough and the Stars·· ·105 ·120 ·146 Italian Angelina· August·················· ·102 ·103 &~iliB~po······~~ Buon Appetito Trattoria & Bar·· ·109 Carambola· ·110 Cucina Forte ·115 Cucina pazzo· ·115 D'Angelo's Ristorante ·116 Di Palma ·117 Ernesto's 1521 Cafe· ·119 Franco Luigi's Restaurant ·122 Girasole ·123 Giumarello's ·124 Hostaria Da Elio ·125 Illuminare ·126 II Portico ·126 10 E Tu Ristorante ·126 Kristian's Ristorante ·129 La Famiglia····· ·131 La Locanda del Ghoittone ·131 L'Angolo ·131 Langostino's ·131 Lauletta's Grille ·132 La Viola················ ······ ·132 Le Castagne ·133 Maggiano's Little Italy ·135 Mamma Maria ·136 Melange Cafe ·137 Melograno ·137 Moonstruck ·139 Mr Martino's Trattoria··· ·140 Nunzio's Ristorante Rustica ·141 Ombra ·142 Penne ·144 Porcini ·146 Radicchio Cafe ·147 Ralph's Italian Restaurant· ·147 Ravenna ·149 Ristorante La Buca ·149 Ristorante Mezza Luna ·150 Ristorante Panorama············ ·150 Ristorante Pesto ·150 Ristorante Valentino ·150 Saloon ·153 Spezia······· · ·156 Stella Blu ·157 Teca ·160 Trattoria San Nicola· ·162 Trattoria Primadonna ·162 Tre Scalini ·163 Vetri ·164 Vivo Enoteca 164 Japanese Margaret Kuo's Morimoto· Teikoku 136 139 ·161 Mediterranean Adriatica Amea·· Arpeggio· Audrey Claire Cafe Fresko Dmitri's· Restaurant 821 Savona· ·101 ·102 ···103 ·103 109 ·118 ·148 154 Mexican Coyote Crossing EI Sombrero EI Vez Fiesta Mexicana Johnny Manana's Copyrighted Material ·114 119 ·119 ·120 ·127 Ultimate Restaurant Guide 171 Lolita· Los Castrines & Tequila's Bar Taqueria Veracruzana ·135 ·135 ·140 Ms Tootsie's Savannah· ·154 ·160 Sushi Middle Eastern Roya Restaurant ·151 Moroccan Figs· Little Marrakesh Tangerine· ·120 ·134 159 Nuevo Latin Alma de Cuba· Azafran Cuba Libre· jPasi6n! ·102 ·104 ·115 ·143 Pizza ·114 The Couch Tomato Cafe ·143 Peace a Pizza· ·159 Tacconelli's Fuji· Kisso Sushi Bar Margaret Kuo's Morimoto····· ·· Oasis Pod· Sagami Shirai Hana Swanky Bubbles 269 Fahrenheit Kissen Tempura Bar ·122 ·129 ·136 ·139 ·141 ·146 ·152 ·154 159 ·163 Steakhouse Capital Grille Chops, Old Homestead The Prime Rib 110 ·112 ·142 ·146 Thai Quick Eats Bonk's Bar ·107 Buffalo Billiards· ·108 Depot Market Cafe ·116 Johnny Brenda's················· ·127 Picnic· ·145 Royal Tavern ·152 Standard Tap ·156 Ten Stone· : ·161 Zeke's Mainline Bar B Que····· ·166 Alisa Cafe · ·· · ·101 Nan················· · ·140 Siri's Thai French Cuisine······ ·155 Teikoku 161 Turkish Konak························· ·· ·129 Vietnamese Pho Xe Lua··········· Vientiane Cafe ·144 ·164 Southern/Creole Bluzette Bourbon Blue Cafe Classics Carman's Country Kitchen Carmine's Cafe·· Jack's Firehouse Melange Cafe· 172 Index by Cuisine ·107 ·107 ·109 ·110 ·110 ·127 ·137 Vegetarian Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille····· ·106 Cherry Street Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant ·111 Citrus ·112 Govinda's Gourmet Vegetarian·· ·124 Horizon's Cafe ·125 Copyrighted Material [INDEX BY NEIGHBORHOOD PHILADELPHIA Art Museum/Fairmount Figs··· Illuminare Jack's Firehouse Savannah············· ·120 ·126 ·127 ·154 Center City East Capital Grille· Deux Cheminees Dmitri's El Vez Girasole La Boheme Loli~ ·110 ·117 ·118 ·119 ·123 ·130 ··············1" Maggiano's Little Italy Mixto Ms Tootsie's Ristorante Valentino Valanni Vetri ·135 ·138 ·140 ·150 ·163 ·164 Center City West Alma de Cuba·· ·102 Audrey Claire· ·103 The Black Sheep Pub ·105 Bliss· ·106 Brasserie Perrier· ·107 Buca di Beppo ·108 Chez Colette· ·111 D'Angelo's Ristorante ·116 Denim············ ·116 Ernesto's 1521 Cafe ·119 Fado······························· ·120 Fountain Restaurant ·121 Friday Saturday Sunday· ·122 The Grill················ ·124 Govinda's Gourmet Vegetarian ·124 Happy Rooster··· · · ·125 n Portico ·126 Jamaican Jerk Hut ·127 Lacroix at the Rittenhouse· ·130 La Viola····· ·132 Le Bar Lyonnais ·132 Le Bee-Fin··· ·133 Le Castagne ·133 Loie 134 Los Castrines & Tequila's Bar ·135 Matyson ·136 Melograno ·137 Oasis····· ·141 Palm··· ·142 jPasi6n! 143 Porcini· ·146 The Prime Rib ·146 Rouge ·151 Roya Restaurant ·151 Roy's ·152 Salt ·153 Sansom Street Oyster House··· ·154 Shiroi Hana ·154 Striped Bass· 157 Susanna Foo ·158 Ten Stone ·161 Trattoria Primadonna ·162 20 Manning ·163 Yann ·166 Chinatown/Loft District 109 Cafe Lift Cherry Street Chinese ·111 Vegetarian Restaurant Pho Xe Lua ·144 Copyrighted Mater&flimate Restaurant Guide 173 Rangoon Ray's Cafe and Teahouse Shogun/Serendipity Cafe· ·147 ·148 ·155 Delaware Avenue/River Wards Bonk's Bar Moshulu Tacconelli's ·107 ·139 ·159 Manayunk Bourbon Blue The Couch Tomato Cafe Jake's Restaurant· 107 ·114 ·127 Northeast Country Club Restaurant· Flatspin Mayfair Diner·· Moonstruck ·114 ·121 ·137 ·139 Northern Liberties/Fishtown Azure Johnny Brenda's N 3rd Samba Churrasqueria & Night C l u b · Standard Tap' 269 Farenheit Kissen Tempura Bar· ·104 ·127 ·141 · ·153 156 ·163 North Philly Tierra Colombiana South Philly · ····161 Northwest Citrus ·112 Johnny Manana's ·127 North by Northwest··· ···· ·141 Sprigs···················· ······ ·156 Valley Green Inn········· ·164 Old City/Washington Square Adriatica 174 Angelina ·102 Bluzette ·107 Buddakan 108 Buffalo Billiards··· ·108 ChlOe' ·111 Continental··· · ····· ·114 Cuba Libre· ·115 Di Palma· ·117 Eulogy Belgian Tavern ·120 Fork 121 Jones····· ·· 128 Karma · ·128 Kisso Sushi Bar 129 Konak ·129 La Famiglia 131 La Locanda del Ghoittone ·131 Morimoto· ·139 Patou ·143 Petit Pastry Studio ·144 Philadelphia Fish & Company ~« The Plough and the Stars······· ·146 Radicchio Cafe ·147 Red Sky ·149 Ristorante La Buca ·149 Ristorante Panorama············ ·150 Suede Lounge············ ···· ·158 Swanky Bubbles ·159 Tangerine ·159 ·101 August······· ·· 103 Buon Appetito Trattoria & Bar ·109 Carman's Country Kitchen····· ·110 Cucina Forte ·115 Cucina Pazzo ·115 Franco Luigi's Restaurant ·122 10 E Th Ristorante ·126 Kristian's Ristorante ·129 L'Angolo ·131 Langostino's ·131 Lauletta's Grille·· ·131 Copyrighted Material Index by Neighborhood Mamma Maria··················· ·136 Mr Martino's Trattoria ·140 Pif · Ralph's Italian Restaurant······ ·147 Ristorante Mezza Luna········· ·150 Ristorante Pesto ·150 Royal Tavern····· ·152 Saloon ·153 Taqueria Veracruzana ·160 Tre Scalini ·163 Frenchtown Inn Stonehouse Bistro ·122 ·157 CHESTER COUNTY West Chester Coyote Crossing Gilmore's Simon Pearce Teca ·114 ·123 ·155 ·160 South Street/Queen Village Azafran Django Dmitri's··· Hostaria Da Elio Next················ Tartine ·104 Other Chester County towns 118 ·118 Birchrunville Cafe ·105 Dilworthtown Inn ·117 EI Sombrero············· ·119 Fioravanti ·121 The Gables at Chadds Ford ·123 Terrace Restaurant ·161 ·125 ·140 ·160 West Philly Fatou and Fama Nan················· Penne Picnic Pod ······ · ·120 ·140 DELAWARE COUNTY ·144 ·145 , 146 ~ ·····1~ Vientiane Cafe White Dog Cafe 164 ·165 Alisa Cafe·· Roux Teikoku· ·101 151 ·161 LANCASTER COUNTY Doneckers BUCKS COUNTY ·118 Lambertville/New Hope Bridge Cafe Colligan's Stockton Inn Hamilton's Grill Room ·107 ·113 ·124 Other Bucks County towns Black Bass Hotel·· ·105 Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille ·106 Cafe Classics ·109 Fiesta Mexicana ·120 MONTGOMERY COUNTY Blue Bell Alison at Blue Bell Coleman Restaurant at Normandy Farm ·101 Conshohocken Coyote Crossing ·114 Copyrighted Mater{S\trnate Restaurant Guide 175 " '156 Spring Mill Cafe""""" , ", ,., "", '157 Stella Blu ' Trax Cafe· King of Prussia NEW JERSEY Bahama Breeze The Bamboo Club Maggiano's Little Italy Peace a Pizza ' , , ·162 , , ", ,104 "",104 Jersey Shore ,135 Claude's ,., Depot Market Cafe·, ," '143 ·113 ·116 ·138 Mixx Main Line Cafe Fresko " """, """, ,109 Carmine's Cafe ",110 Chops 112 Christopher's ' , , , ,112 Khajuraho " '" , ", ,128 Le Mas", ' "" ,133 Le Petit Mitron 134 Margaret Kuo's , """, "" ,136 The Old Guard House Inn""" '142 Peace a Pizza" "" ,143 Places! Bistro "145 Plate , 145 S~o~"·······l~ Spezia· ·156 Trattoria San Nicola·········,,·· ·162 Vivo Enoteca , , ·164 Wild Thna ·165 The Wooden Iron·"····,·· ,, ·165 Yangming 166 Zeke's Mainline Bar B Que···" ,166 Other Montgomery County towns Arpeggio" ", , ·103 Buca di Beppo 108 Carambola , ·110 Daddypops ,.""" ·116 Horizon's Cafe , ,,125 Little Marrakesh , '", ·134 Ralph's Italian Restaurant·,·,·· ·147 Ravenna ·149 Station Grill, ' 157 176 Index by Mojo·' Old Homestead · Ombra Suilan Sweet Vidalia 138 , ·142 , ·142 , , ·158 ·159 South Jersey Amea ················· ··· 102 Bahama Breeze ·104 The Black Swan ·106 Buca di Beppo ·108 Chez Elena Woo·· ···· ·· 111 Elements Cafe· · · , ··· 118 Fuji · · ·123 Giumarello's ,124, La Campagne ·130 A Little Cafe ,134 Lobster Trap ·134 Max's················ , ·137 Melange Cafe·· , , ·137 Nunzio's Ristorante Rustica ,141 Rat's· ······ , ,147 Red Hen Cafe · ·148 Ritz Seafood···· ·151 Sagami ·152 Siri's Thai French Cuisine· , ,,155 Word of Mouth· · ·166 DELAWARE Krazy Kat's········· ·· Restaurant 821 Neighborhc£gpyrighted Material ,·, ,·129 , ,148 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS No meal is complete without dessert (I'm thinking specifically of the clementine and candied ginger semifreddo at Django.) And no book is complete without deserts for those who made it possible My gratitude to photographer Zoey Sless-Kitain; researcher Karrie Gavin; copy maven Sandy Hingston; and designer Andrew Zahn, who achieved the most important thing for a book about food-he made it look almost appetizing enough to eat It took Philadelphia magazine editor Larry Platt and Temple University Press's director Alex Holzman and senior acquisitions editor Micah Kleit to envision a partnership between the magazine and the press, but it took the cooperation of both staffs to make this first book in that partnership a reality: Philadelphia magazine chairman D Herbert Lipson and publisher David H Lipson Jr.; senior editor Amy Donohue and executive editor Benjamin Wallace, who edited-and wrote-many of the pieces included in this collection; food critic Maria Gallagher and the many foodies-Daniel Bergman, Teresa Banik Capuzzo, Kathleen Fifield, Victor Fiorillo, Lawrence Goodman, Sasha Issenberg, Rebecca Kenton, Lauren McCutcheon, John Mariani, Francine Maroukian, Blake Miller, Daniel Morell, Roxanne Patel, Richard Pawlak, Stephen Rodrick, Caroline Tiger, Jason Wilson and Stephen Yeager-who have informed the magazine's food coverage; and Temple's patient director of production Charles Ault and publicity manager Gary Kramer Copyrighted Materia{ Ul Imate Restaurant GUide 177 Best of Philly Philadelphia magazine's Ultimate Restaurant Guide condenses the comprehensive knowledge of the magazine's food critics-and the thousands of meals they've eaten in search of the best the Philly dining scene has to offer-into one informative, easy-to-digest handbook WHAT'S ON THE MENU Reviews of more than 230 of the best restaurants in the Philadelphia region, from Center City mainstays Susanna Foo and Morimoto to suburban destinations Alison at Blue Bell and Carmine's Cafe An easy-to-use index of restaurants by cuisine and neighborhood Profiles of Philadelphia's most influential chefs and restaurant owners, including Le Bec-Fin's Georges Perrier and restaurant mogul Stephen Starr A behind-the-scenes look at the Philadelphia food purveyors who are responsible for some of the nation's hottest food trends-from La Colombe coffee to Metropolitan Bakery's artisanal breads to Jubilee Chocolates April White, managing editor of Philadelphia magazine, is well fed She regularly reports on food, drink, and Philadelphia's restaurant scene for the magazine and authored The Essential Guide to Eating and Drinking in Philadelphia Maria Gallagher, Philadelphia magazine's James Beard award-nominated food critic, has covered Philadelphia's food scene for more than 2S years as a wnter, editor and television producer, working for the Philadelphia Daily News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, WTXF-TV, and Philadelphia magazine Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine ISBN 1-59213-146-8 90000 Cover design: Andrew Zahn Cover photo: Zoey Siess-Kitain Temple University Press Philadelphia 19122 www.temple,edu/tempress Copyrighted Ma1:e~lM 592 1464 .. .Philadelphia magazine's Ultimate Restaurant Guide Copyrighted Material Copyrighted Material Philadelphia magazine's ULTIMATE RESTAURANT ~~~~~o~~~~~a~:~~"'9h.'... Cataloging-in-Publication Data Philadelphia magazine's ultimate restaurant guide / edited by April White; foreword by Maria Gallagher p em Includes index ISBN 1-59213-146-8 (alk paper) Restaurants-Pennsylvania -Philadelphia- Guidebooks... writing restaurant reviews for the Philadelphia Daily News in 1980, I saw firsthand how restaurants could re-energize a neighborhood, and how neighborhood gentrification could spawn restaurants