Ask Nicely: Secret Dishes Around Philly

Photo courtesy Zagat

A couple days back, Danya Henninger from the Philly Zagat blog put together a great list of the 20 best secret menu items at restaurants in Philly. And while yes, there are a few odd ones in there to round out the list (the pork pastrami sandwich at Fitler isn’t exactly “secret” and the blistered shishito peppers at Bar Ferdinand come with the patatas bravas), but that doesn’t matter because the list, as a whole, is awesome for those who don’t already know about the existence of these dishes, and a fantastic reminder of some of the best one-off plates in the city for those seen-it-all souls who think they already know everything.

And the best part of the list? She included a few classic secret dishes served predominantly to folks from the Old Country–like the aloo tika chaat at IndeBlue, the Cevapi at Headhouse Crab & Oyster Co., and, most notably, the kip kroketten at Noord (pictured above), which serve a triple purpose. First, they are a taste of home for Dutch guests dropping in on chef Joncarl Lachman‘s dining room. Second, they are just plain awesome. And third, they fill the chicken croquette hole that has been left in the Desert Island Top Five lists of so many gastronauts in town suffering from the closure of so many of our classic diners.

Hidden Dishes [Zagat]