As my friends used to call me "CFO" (Chief Food Officer) and I'm natively from Philadelphia, I figured I'd pass on some restaurant recommendations in the general area of the city for those that enjoy good food. I've been to a couple of these and am looking forward to checking out a couple more while I'm in town. Cheesesteak? Go to Jim's and skip the Pat's/Geno's silliness (IMO) -Dave http://www.thefarmandfisherman.com/ I haven’t been yet but the reviews are terrific. Might be BYO, not sure. Probably number 1 on my list of places that I need to check out. http://www.akitchenphilly.com/ Just opened, been here once and loved it. Getting great press, chef started Django and Tallulah’s Table. http://amadarestaurant.com/ http://tintorestaurant.com/ Love both of these places, both run by Jose Garces. Amada probably the tougher to get a reservation. Amada has several rooms, the front dining room is probably where you’d want to sit. At Tinto you’d want to make sure your table is not in the basement room. http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/ Great room, excellent food. But you probably have to be in the mood for the menu… http://www.barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo/ Love this place – one concern is that the dining room might be a little crammed. http://www.biboubyob.com/ A little off the beaten path in South Philly. Another one I’ve yet to get to but always listed as on the top restaurants in town. Also byo. http://www.vetriristorante.com/ Not been here either, always up there as one of the top restaurants in town. Possibly a bit stuffy, and likely the highest priced place on this list.