Philadelphia - more than cheese steak

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Lunch at Portofino is an elegant affair and cannot be hurried - dishes are made after you order. To get a table at the height of lunch hour, you must call ahead and reserve. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday and for dinner only on Saturday and Sunday.

Dinners are pricey, but their lunch menu is amazingly affordable, with soups and salads starting at $3 and entrées at $7.

A word of caution - if you are a gourmand, then maybe this isn't exactly for you on a hungry day. Their portions tend to be smaller.

The buffet is offered from 8pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday only and is a sweet $17.50 (as of October 2004). They accept only walk-ins. The Rotunda is an informal grouping of sofas, love seats, armchairs and regular and bar tables around a circular area. Walk in and seat yourself, and someone will come by to take your drinks order.

There is everything from chocolate cookies to fondue and chocolate pastries to chocolate ice cream, fudge, chocolate mousse... There is even a waffle counter churning out hot waffles, with all kinds of chocolate toppings, of course.

The atmosphere is informal, with a good number of families and kids. At the same time, because of the subdued lighting and cozy grouping of the seating arrangements, it is romantic. There is a jazz band and/or pianist to complete the experience.

All in all, this is a must. When I first learnt of this buffet, I was sure I was going to go there at least once a month--but it's been 4 months and counting. It really does satisfy your craving for chocolate.

The food is piping hot, spicy, healthy, AND cheap--the tikka masala is not covered with a layer of red-colored grease. They have daily specials, and you can get a platter (a meat dish, a vegetable curry, lentils, and rice) for 5 bucks, and the vegetable platters are even cheaper! Their curries ordered a la carte (starting at $4.50) come with pulao rice, a small salad, and raitha. The curries are really, really good, but the naans, other breads, and samosas are passable.

Closed on Sundays, open for lunch and dinner, 11am to 9pm.

Their appetizers, like roti canai and roti telur, are especially good. A word of caution - some of their fish dishes are served whole (fins, skin, and all), so check with the wait staff if you'd rather have fillets.

When I read the dessert description - molasses, brown sugar, and soy sauce topped with crushed peanuts - it turned my stomach. It came with the rijitsafel as the last course, and my husband took a tentative bite and insisted that I try it. It turned out to be one of the best dessert sauces I have tasted in my life. We actually ended up going there just for dessert a couple of times.

They also offer a three-course lunch special for $7.

There is no lunch crowd at all, but for dinner, it's a favorite of the theater crowd--so you must call in advance.

The food is fresh and hearty, with large portions. Although it's not phenomenal, it's no greasy spoon either. This is the kind of place to take your best friend and hang out.

A lot of their dishes are also offered grilled or broiled for those counting their calories. Their crab cakes must be eaten to be believed.

This is not an exhaustive list--actually about half of the eating establishments.

Nanee's kitchen--Indian and Pakistani--mediocre service, bland food, and my teeth grated on sand in the daal--twice (hey, I was giving them the benefit of doubt).

Chinese Places: There are three or four, and the only consistently good one is Golden Bowl. They do not use MSG in their food and will honor special requests and substitutions.

Delilah's: What can I say about the queen of soul food? Their mac and cheese (voted no. 1 by Oprah Winfrey), although made from five (I think) different cheeses, is not stringy. They use egg in their secret recipe, which breaks up the cheese. It's good if you like that kind of dish, but for me, my cheese should be cheeeeesy!

Termini Brothers Bakery: Brusque service, but excellent desserts at reasonable prices

Amish fare: From Wednesdays through Saturdays, the Amish bring in hearty, homemade, artery-clogging fare that tastes out-of-this-world. They have pot pies, various kinds of salads, roast meats, and desserts--the best is a whoopie pie made up of two large, soft chocolate cookies sandwiching a kind of soft, melt-in-your-mouth cream. Also, Fishers ice cream is really, really good.

Thai Singhania: Really tasty stuff, the only drawback being the layer of fat that sits on top of literally all their dishes.

Mezze (Mediterranean): Expensive and rather bland. Looks good though--large colorful portions!

Profi's Creperie: They offer very good breakfast, savory and sweet crepes--but the trick is knowing what to order when. Their breakfast crepes are offered the whole day and are great to-go. Their lunch and sweet crepes have dressings/sauces that tend to make the crepes soggy and drip all over within 10 to 15 minutes--so order them only if you are going to eat your crepe right away and have lots of napkins handy.

Salad Express Buffet: Regular standard fare, nothing special

Rick's Philly Steaks: A really good place for the perfect Philly cheesesteak. If you are picky, then you can 'build' your cheesesteak, starting with chicken or beef, adding onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese, etc.

Franks A-Lot: One of the worst service I had, and don't even start me on the skinny, dry, pathetic sausage--I don't know how they were voted Philly's best something sometime.

Kamals Middle Eastern: Large portions, fresh and flavorful, but a little pricey

Olympic Gyro: Normal and regular... handy for a quick pickup during the height of lunch hour

Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm, closed Sunday

Apart from the buffet, they also carry a variety of sandwiches and hearty soups. There are individually packed desserts and an assortment of muffins, bagels, croissants, and whole fruits.

There is a small eating place upstairs where you can eat your food after paying for it.

That being said, they do have over 50 (yes, OVER 50) different kinds of oysters, and almost everyone there was shucking them down by the dozen. So, if you love oysters, this is the place to go. The oysters are priced individually, as well as by the half-dozen.

I found this place looking for French macaroons (after the trip to Paris, where we got addicted to them), but the macaroons are dry and hard. (If you must, order them online from Payards in NYC.)

I went there a few times until I noticed the lady licking her finger to separate the plastic bags for bagging and then going right back to preparing the food - that turned my stomach. She does it all the time and very blatantly, but it doesn't seem to bother anyone, as there is always a long lunch line.

Famous 4th Street Cookie Company – Okay, these cookies are a meal in themselves. Soft and chewy, they are really large and are not greasy or overloaded with nuts – in short, just perfect.

Lancaster County Dairy – Located at the north end of the market, this Amish-run store sells juices like no other. Fresh and with zero additives or preservatives, they are worth the slightly high price tags.

Metropolitan Bakery – The rare place where the emphasis is on really good bread. I’d rather just chew on their bread than any of the desserts they offer. That is not to say that bread is their only good item--by all means, feel free to try anything, as you will rarely go wrong. BUT get ready for the sticker shock–-they are pricey.

Le Bus Bakery – Also makes good bread, I am told. I tried a couple and found them to be a tad dry.

Fosters Gourmet Cookware – A fun place to browse and find gadgets you never even knew existed, like a ‘butter warmer.’

Beilers Bakery – Run by the Amish, this is the first store that seduces you at the NW entrance. Almost all their stuff is good – it better be, with all those wholesome eggs, full-fat milk, homemade butter, and sugar. Right now, I am addicted to their Hungarian roll and have had it for breakfast, lunch, and evening snack yesterday – sigh! Their breads, though, tend to be a little dry.

Esh Egg Farms – Right across from Beilers, another Amish place selling cheese. They have samples out the whole day that you can taste, and when the description says ‘really spicy’ or ‘very spicy,’ BEWARE! I am a level 9/10 in spiciness and felt steam come out my ears!!

12th Street Cantina – Let’s just say I've had better--waaayyy better--Mexican food. Then again, I lived in south Texas for a while.

Bassets Ice Cream – If you happen to be there on a Monday or Tuesday, when the Amish aren’t around, then this is an acceptable substitute.

Down-Home Diner – I’ve never been there because I have been told by my co-workers that it really, really is not worth it, even to just check it out.

Andro’s Fine Prepared Foods – Some of the best desserts I've ever had, and the selection changes every few months or so.

Iovine Brothers Produce – The cheapest and freshest produce around. They have a gazillion different kinds of fresh mushrooms, squashes, and peppers, apart from the grocery store staples.

Held for 9 days in early March each year, it draws an estimated 275,000 people. It is the largest indoor flower show in the world and is held at the Philadelphia Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia. The area is centrally located (a block from City Hall and the city center), and serviced by public transport and has parking garages across the street.

Of the 33 acres, about 10 acres are for exhibits. These exhibits range from wildflower meadows to urban parks and country cottages to rooftop gardens. Each year the show has a theme – for 2005, it’s America the Beautiful; 2004 was Destination Paradise; in 2003 it was Festival de las Flores; etc. At every individual exhibit there are experts to answer all your questions.

The remaining space is used to showcase award-winning species and hundreds of orchids, cacti, miniatures, bonsai, and elaborate and original flower bouquets. There are lectures, demonstrations, and culinary presentations held throughout the day daily. Also, there are about 125 vendors from across the US and world selling everything related to gardening, from seeds and plants to tools and furniture. Some of the vendors contribute to the exhibits, and if you see a particular plant you like, you can walk across to the vendor and buy it right there.

Along the outer fringe of the exhibit lining the walls are restrooms, lots of chairs to sit down on, and food vendors selling the famed Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies alongside pretzels, popcorn, and ice cream. Even with so many vendors, this is very definitely a flower show and not some glorified carnival. Initially I didn’t realize the scope and magnitude of this show or the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society – it brings together 200 judges from across the nation to judge over 3,000 entries (all on display at the show) in hundreds of competitions.