31. The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (215) 222-4200
Address: 4207 Walnut St.
Description: Be among the first to sample a world of lovingly prepared selections from America’s future culinary stars at any of the school’s four themed restaurants: International Bistro ($$$) for a 3-course, European-style menu; American Heartland ($$) for farmhouse-fresh favorites made with contemporary flair; The Great Chefs ($$$$$) for 5 courses of fine dining specialties created by the city’s most famous chefs exclusively for the school; and Italian Trattoria ($$) for a different regional pasta dish each night. Don’t miss a hand-crafted treat from the Pastry Shop, where students turn out everything from tortes to tarts, croissants to cheesecakes.
32. Marsha Brown
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (215) 862-7044
Address: 15 S. Main St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Laissez les Bontemps Rouler, y’all. Marsha Brown’s a real Louisiana girl who knows her Creole cooking. And she has fashioned her family recipes into some very sophisticated Southern fare at her gorgeous restaurant housed in a 125-year-old stone church complete with stained-glass windows, carved wood accents, and a sweeping golden staircase. Order the gumbo ya ya, jambalaya, seafood court-bouillon (Louisiana bouillabaise), and you’re in New Orleans. Consider the fabulous 3-course prix-fixe ($69).
33. Martine’s RiverHouse Restaurant
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (215) 862-2966
Address: 14 E. Ferry St.
Description: The menu categories are deceptively simple: The “salmon” is glazed with spiced fig and red wine jam, the “chicken” Latin-spiced with a black bean coconut sauce. Add in the river views and you have a destination for dining.
34. Sprig and Vine
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (215) 693-1427
Address: 450 Union Square Dr.
Description: One hundred percent vegan, 0 percent boring. Meat eaters—leave your preconceptions behind. This is anything but rabbit food. Try the curry cauliflower steak or miso-barbecue eggplant. You won’t miss the meat. Brunch is an even bigger wake-up call.
35. Gilmore’s
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (610) 431-2800
Address: 133 E. Gay St.
Description: Former Le Bec Fin chef de cuisine Peter Gilmore creates European-inspired entrees such as crab meat in shrimp mousse and truffled-mushroom-puff-pastry-wrapped chicken Wellington. For dessert, go for the baked Alaska—a sophisticated take on a classic.
36. Mushrooms Cafe
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (610) 388-2000
Address: 878 Baltimore Pike (Route 1)
Description: Located in the heart of the “Mushroom Capital of the World,” this little eatery is the best place to experience the versatility of these fabulous fungi. Start with the house sampler of mushrooms three ways—in soup, stuffed, and in a dip with pita. Move on to the grilled portobello sandwich. Of course, you can order one of the fungus-free items on the menu, but why would you? (All kinds of mushrooms are available by the pound for take-home, too.)
37. Talula’s Table
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (610) 444-8255
Address: 102 W. State St.
Description: This cute, European-style gourmet market offers more than 100 artisan cheeses and an impressive selection of charcuterie, sandwiches, daily-baked breads and pastries, and small-batch specialties such as organic fried chicken, pulled pork enchiladas, lamb kebabs, and more for eat-in at the communal farm table or takeout (picnic anyone?).
38. Teikoku
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (610) 644-8270
Address: 5492 West Chester Pike
Description: Japanese and Thai specialties serenely share a menu in this surprising find on busy Route 3. Stunning in its simplicity both in decor and food preparation, this garden-inspired oasis serves impeccably fresh sushi and sashimi and a wide range of Asian delicacies from sashimi to sate, tempura to pad thai. It’s also a great way to discover the nuances of sake with a flight of 3 or 5 different types.
39. Arpeggio
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (215) 646-5055
Address: 909 Sumneytown Pike
Description: In summer, sit out on the patio and in winter inside with the 2-sided fireplace at this intimate BYOB as you enjoy the global menu that includes everything from kebabs to teriyakis, parmesans, and Florentines. The wood-fired oven also turns out more than 25 varieties of thin-crusted pizzas prepared with daily-made dough.
40. Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 768-1500
Address: 2760 Old Philadelphia Pike
Description: A cute feature at this family-owned eatery is the Noah’s Ark–themed buffet that’s just the right height so kids can serve themselves.
41. Plain & Fancy Farm Restaurant
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 768-4400
Address: 1 mile east of Bird-in-Hand)
Description: One of the best known of the area’s family-style restaurants, Plain & Fancy has been serving Pennsylvania Dutch specialties in a converted farm setting for more than 40 years. Open 7 days. A la carte menu is available.
42. Shady Maple Smorgasbord
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 354-8222, (800) 238-7363
Address: 129 Toddy Dr.
Insider Pick:
Description: Expect to wait in line to get into this super-popular—with both tourists and natives—family-owned and operated spot. At 200 feet long, it may well live up to its billing as the longest buffet in Lancaster County (in all honesty, I’ve never measured any of them, but this one is certainly big).
43. Country Table Restaurant Bake Shoppe & Deli
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 653-4745
Address: 740 E. Main St.
Description: A la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All of the Pennsylvania Dutch favorites plus steaks and seafood.
44. Haydn Zug’s Restaurant
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 569-8450
Address: 1987 State St. (4 miles north
Insider Pick:
Description: The menu is huge and a bit of a challenge to follow until you get used to it, but persevere; it’s worth it. This is my favorite “going out nice” place—it’s cozy, colonial, and candlelit. I love the lamb Dijonnaise and the grilled shrimp with lobster sauce. Order your entree in a half-portion; it’s plenty for all but the biggest appetites.
45. The Circular Dining Room
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Insider Pick:
Description: Milton Hershey wanted his grand hotel’s dining room to be built in a circular configuration because, he explained, “in some places, if you don’t tip well, they put you in a corner. I don’t want any corners.” Although it’s a bit too large to be called “intimate,” this is a truly romantic restaurant with a menu to match. Look for the innovative ways chocolate is used throughout the menu, and don’t miss the cocoa-dusted scallops. The Circular Dining Room has long been renowned for its Sunday Brunch ($39.95), but you can have the same first-class experience sans the seafood, carving stations, and other dinner selections at the breakfast-focused Grand Breakfast Buffet ($18.95) any other day.