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Eating
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Eating out
in Philadelphia is a real treat: the ubiquitous street stands sell
soft pretzels
with mustard for around $1, while Chinatown and the Italian Market are good for ethnic food, and Reading Terminal Market makes a bargain lunch stop in Center City. South Street has plenty of fun, if well-touristed, eateries while hipper restaurants cluster along 2nd Street in the Old City. The South Philly
cheesesteak
, a sandwich of melted American cheese atop layers of wafer-thin roast beef, varies from joint to joint around town; some of the best are to be found in the Italian cafAŠs around 9th and Passyunk in South Philadelphia. And bear in mind that a cheesesteak is hot, a
hoagie
(complete with lettuce and tomato) is not.
Alyan's 603 S 4th St tel 215/922-3553. Small Middle Eastern restaurant off South St. Dinner from $7. Bring your own bottle. Brasil's 112 Chestnut St tel 215/413-1700. Good Brazilian food, live Latin and salsa music, and friendly service in a great atmosphere. Circa 1518 Walnut St tel 215/545-6800. A stylish Center City restaurant decked out in marble, mirrors and chandeliers. Offers meat and seafood dinners with innovative twists for around $10. Great happy hours on Thurs & Fri; techno music later at night. City Tavern 138 S 2nd St tel 215/413-1443. Reconstructed 1773 tavern in INHP, familiar to the city's founders, and called by John Adams "the most genteel tavern in America." Costumed staff serve "olde style" food (pasties, turkey rarebit) to a harpsichord accompaniment, but the prices, unfortunately, are as modern as they get, from about $16 for dinner. Lunch is less expensive. The Continental 138 Market St tel 215-923-6069. Trendy retro diner, popular with a gay crowd, serving huge portions in a funky, all-white setting. Delilah's Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Spruce sts tel 215/574-0929. Superb soul food but with scatty service. Nigerian stew with cornbread for under $5; beans and rice even less. Jim's Steaks 400 South St tel 215/928-1911. Black-and-white-tiled Art Deco diner serving some of the biggest and best cheesesteaks in the city, as the constant line outside proves. Try and beat the record - 11 cheesesteaks in 90 minutes. Montserrat 623 South St tel 215/627-4224. Wide variety of fresh, healthy food, with a vegetarian emphasis, served inside or on a large deck overlooking the South St parade. Novelty 15 S 3rd St tel 215/627-7885. Upscale eatery, with a pricey but good selection of mainly fish dishes. Try the Novelty Box for a sampler of the restaurant's different specials. Serrano 20 S 2nd St tel 215/928-0770. Intimate Old City cafAŠ. Creative international cooking, with good fresh seafood. Try the appetizer tasting menu. Diners get preferential seating at the Tin Angel folk club upstairs. Sonoma 4411 Main St, Manayunk tel 215/483-9400. Pleasant, reasonably priced California-style Italian restaurant. South Street Diner 140 South St tel 215/627-5258. Huge menu with Greek and Italian specialties from $6. Open 24hrs seven days a week. Tony Luke Jr's 118 S 18th St tel 215/568-4630. Excellent steak sandwiches and hoagies. Tre Scalini 1533 S 11th St tel 215/551-3870. A taste of traditional South Philly Italian, with reasonably priced dishes and a low-key atmosphere.
White Dog CafAŠ
3420 Sansom St tel 215/386-9224. Trendy, creative food in an antique-filled room near the universities. Arty, student crowd; dinners cost $12-25. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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