Dining in the Philadelphia Area

What gives with Buddakan? The fantastic food, first and foremost. As with his other restaurants, Starr has painstakingly obtained the finest chef and allowed him to assemble a kitchen staff second to none. The dining experience is superlative as a result. Second is the decor (featuring a giant golden Buddha overlooking the dining room).

Buddakan is a true dining destination.

CRABS!!!

When hard-shell crabs are in season, you can't get in the door at DiNardo's. They boil 'em in Old Bay, pile 'em on a cafeteria tray, and place 'em on yer newspaper-covered table with a hammer. Man, oh man, are they good, with a crowd and some beer. Excuse me, I'm a little distracted.

People, please use your valuable cheesesteak dollars wisely. No Geno's, No Pat's. Drive by if you must drink in the atmosphere. But get your actual cheesesteak at Jim's, Tony Luke's (there's one at Citizen's Bank Park now if you're taking in a Phillies game), Chicks, or any number of neighborhood places that will gladly serve up a decent cheesesteak. For an authentic steak, go with whiz (Cheez Whiz) or provolone and grilled onions (never say "fried") if you want them. Mushrooms and green peppers are also acceptable (grilled also), if not entirely traditional. If the place sells beer (Jim's does! Yes, this is an endorsement), go with a Yeungling, Pennsylvania's oldest brewery.

YOU MAY RETURN (salivating) TO YOUR REGULAR ROUTINE.

Believe me: the only excuse to go to a chain restaurant in Philadelphia is... uh... well, there isn't one. There are too many good restaurants here.

Go to Reading Terminal if it's open for lunch. There's enough variety there to satisfy your hunger and cultures to satisfy your soul.

For dinner nearby, go to Chinatown. On this site, you'll find suggestions from cheap to pricey (how much is your per diem on the expense account?) and from all cultures.

There are dozens of great restaurants near 12th and Arch. Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square have several top-rated sites, like Striped Bass and Rouge. Funkier places, like the White Dog and Pod, can be found in University City, farther west down Walnut (buses go straight down Walnut).

Pros: Extremely fresh, mostly local ingredients that are well and creatively prepared; the extensive use of buffalo and game, well prepared; and an ambitious menu.

Cons: Dishes are sometimes precious and fussy. There is uneven service, with the wait staff often standing accused of that most egregious of crimes: boredom.

Jack's is located in the art museum area of the city, across from desiccated Eastern State Prison. Here’s a plug for Eastern State's Halloween Tour: Led by Penn graduate students, you have to wear a hard hat to take the tour of the decrepit building. It's extremely creepy and well worth the minimal price.

A South Street institution for a reason, Jim's has no need for the artificial "Pat's or Geno's?" PR hype. For unlike those pretenders, Jim's steaks are honest-to-goodness tender beef (gristle or oily rainbow? horrors!), sliced and chopped on the grill, with tender onions and peppers for those who want them. A roll up to spec: soft on the inside to soak up the juices, but hard on the outside so they don't drip.

And, at Jim's, unlike most steak places, you can wash down your slice o' heaven with a Yeungling.

In fact, if Jim's ever looking for another name, I suggest Cheesesteak Heaven.

The menu is extensive for a local place, as befits a spot in a restaurant city like Philly. I've been there more times than I can count over the years and NEVER had less than a good meal--and many very good ones. The ambience is wonderful, with an open, light-filled bar and local artwork hanging on the walls. You are never rushed, and lingering over coffee isn't a problem.

All in all, it’s a good place for a meal with friends, a romantic date, or dining alone.

The only "formal" restaurant is the Down Home Diner, the offering of the chef/owner of Jack's Firehouse. He plumbs his Southern roots to produce a unique twist on traditional diner menus featuring huge breakfasts, fresh soups, etc. While not as adventurous as his other place, the food is wonderful.

Other food spots include the venerable 12th Street Cantina, a good Mexican place with fresh, fresh, fresh ingredients, and several Amish stands offering traditional menu items, such as chicken pot pie with a waffle crust and chick fricassee. When perusing these menus, I believe the Amish tend to forget that we don't all farm for a living and therefore don't eat the hearty noon meal!

The one spot I never miss (and neither, apparently, does anyone else judging by the inevitable line) is Fisher's pretzel stand. Centrally located, they make pretzels continually: forming them, baking them, brushing them with butter, salting them. One good thing about the line: the salty goods are always warm when you finally get them!

After breakfast or lunch, it’s time to shop. The meats and poultry, most of it local, are incomparable. You can find free-range and antibiotic-free items with no problem at all. Butchers (yes, real butchers!) will cut and trim to order. They will order special cuts for you and even teach you about meat in case your Joy of Cooking doesn't cover the finer points. The fish is fresh and the variety seems endless. I know I'm rhapsodizing. It's deserved.

I'll just say "ditto the veggies," okay?

To review:
Lunch, check
Meat, check
Poultry, check
Fish, check.
PRETZEL, check, check, check, check…

In the interest of full disclosure, although I've been on several dinner cruises, the one that stands out in my mind is a kind of forced march. After several years of Christmas parties where people made an appearance and ducked out, our human resources department decided that the party would be held on the Spirit of Philadelphia. Trapped like rats, we all prayed for a Russian U-boat attack, especially after we tasted dinner.

You're in the hoagie (not sub, not grinder) capital and you're considering going to... gulp... Subway?

We've got some work to do, Spanky.

First, THE ROLL. Subway is so confused about how to do it right, they have to helplessly offer about six different kinds and hope you know what to do. Well, we figure that if you're paying for a sandwich, WE should have the know-how. A hoagie roll should be just soft on the inside to soak up the special hoagie sauce, but just hard enough on the outside to not get soggy. Ideally, the roll is Amoroso's or Liscio's.

Next, THE FILLING. Although fillings can vary, the most common is an Italian hoagie. Of course, Subway thinks, "Hmmm, how do you make this again?" while an authentic Philadelphia hoagie contains salami, ham, cappicola, and provolone. It comes with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and salt, pepper, and oregano, so be sure to say if you don't want it. Also, note that the roll is first prepared by tearing out some of the soft bread and sprinkling magic hoagie sauce on it. Some people have mayo. I believe that some people think that you can never die young enough. These are the same people that finish up their order with, "Diet Coke, please."

But I digress. You can get other kinds of hoagies, from a tuna hoagie (tuna salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion) to a cheesesteak hoagie (lettuce, tom-... well, you get it).

Finally, how do you find a hoagie? Well, if your only choice is Subway and Wawa, flee to Wawa and order an Italian. Make sure you ask for lettuce, onions, and tomato and salt, pepper, and oregano if you have to use those little computer screens.

Otherwise, ask around for a decent hoagie place. Everyone has an opinion, and it's tough to find a bad hoagie... unless you go to Subway.

The remodel is stunning. There's no "ahoy, matey!" feel aboard the Moshulu, just a reverence for the history of this remnant of the tall-ship era. The ambitious menu is superbly executed and worth every penny, unlike many similar restaurants, which are satisfied with being a gimmick and cheap out on the chef and menu.

And after the meal, head out to Penn's Landing in the summer to enjoy an event, or venture across the walkway to Front Street to enjoy some music in one of the clubs or onto South Street for sightseeing.

Overall, the Moshulu is wonderful splurge for a special occasion.

Why? Because, despite the wonderful food (the burgers are to die for and the inventive menu features things you would find at a fine-dining establishment), it's impossible to enjoy it at dinnertime. Since there is no hostess, table hogs begin to hover over your table while you're midway through your meal. Directly asking them to leave, even if it works, sees them replaced almost immediately, ditto for asking the manager to ask them to back off.

In their defense, these folks have to be aggressive, since, once again, there is no hostess, so it's survival of the fittest in getting a table at all.

It's time for Standard Tap to heed the call of an increasing number of dissatisfied former customers and hire a $6/hour hostess during dinnertime. I mean, c'mon, guys. You're minting money here.