Cheesesteak? Go to Jim's and skip the Pat's/Geno's silliness (IMO)
+1 on Jim's at http://www.jimssteaks.com/SouthStreet.html When trying a cheesesteak, consider whether you want cheese and what kind. Some folks get Cheese Wiz (aka "wiz"), of which I am not a fan. There¹s also usually Provolone (my choice) and American ‹ or no cheese at all. You should also decide if you want sauteed onions or not. And then you decide if you want it with Italian marinara sauce (aka a "Pizza Steak" = provolone + sauce) or not. If you do not get sauce, people either put ketchup on the steak, or go without anything extra. You can of course get lots of other toppings, from mushrooms to peppers, but these are your major choices. And you can also do a "chicken steak" which, as you might expect, is chicken instead of beef. Common orders: 1 - Cheesesteak with onions and cheese wiz 2 - Cheesesteak with onions and provolone 3 - PizzaSteak with onions
http://www.thefarmandfisherman.com/ I haven¹t 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 Tallulah¹s 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 you¹d want to sit. At Tinto you¹d want to make sure your table is not in the basement room.
+1 on Amada and Tinto. At Amada (in Old City), if you have just a couple of people they have a bar-height table overlooking the kitchen (kind of like at a sushi bar) that is entertaining to eat at. Jose Garces also has a less expensive location next to Tinto - http://villagewhiskey.com/
http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/ Great room, excellent food. But you probably have to be in the mood for the menuŠ
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 I¹ve 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.
Good list! I also like - http://thepubandkitchen.com/ (gastro pub) - http://twentymanning.com/ (bistro) - http://www.barclayprime.com/ (premium steak) If you like Belgian beer http://www.monkscafe.com/ http://eulogybar.com/ Good and close to the hotel - http://www.elvezrestaurant.com/ (mexican) - http://www.rawlounge.net/ (sushi) And, don't forget to eat lunch of course! If you exit the hotel on market, a block away is the Reading Terminal Market (http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/) which has tons of choices and is very busy at lunch. If you go there, one of my favorite local spots is Di Nic's for a sandwich. My favorite is slow roasted Italian pulled pork, with (sharp) provolone and either spinach or broccoli. See also a local magazine's list of the 50 top places to eat now (not all are in the city center) - http://www.phillymag.com/restaurants/the_philly_mag_50/index.html Jason