239 Best Dishes to Eat in Philly

Mexican chopped salad at El Vez — A healthy bowl of spicy greens, pumpkin seeds, beans, corn and cheese in a light- -cumin-lime vinaigrette — with the addition of the perfectly grilled chicken, of course.
121 South 13th Street, 215-928-9800.

Pan-seared duck breast at Kaya’s Fusion Cuisine — Finished with a slightly sweet cherry sauce — you’ll need to keep invading forks at bay.
5 Brookline Boulevard, Havertown, 610-446-2780.

Mango butter and Cuban bread at Cuba Libre — We’d order any entrée to get another bite of this free-with-dinner homemade pressed bread and just-barely-fruity butter. (If no one were looking, we’d lick that butter cup clean.)
10 South 2nd Street, 215-627-0666.

Lavraki at Estia — All the swimmers here are cooked whole over a charcoal grill. But this European sea bass, with moist, large flakes, wins the prize.
1405 Locust Street, 215-735-7700.

Fried asparagus at Villa Di Roma — If only all veggies could taste this crispy and good.
936 South 9th Street, 215-592-1295.

Steamed mussels at Matyson: Warning: One bite of these lunch-menu mussels — steamed in fennel, white wine and garlic — and you’ll never go back to your regular options again.
37 South 19th Street, 215-564-2925.

Tuna mixed grill at Hamilton’s Grill Room — Because two types of tuna — one cooked through, one served perfectly rare — are always better than one.
8 Coryell Street, Lambertville, 609-397-4343.

Chicken teriyaki at Ooka — This incredibly moist bone-in chicken breast, served with a gorgeous pile of broccolini and a drizzle of sweet, salty sauce, is way too good to be compared to the standard sugary teriyaki. It’s on a level all its own.
764 Bethlehem Pike, Montgomeryville, 215-361-1119.

Grilled pizza at Chlöe — A harmonious combination of fig jam, bacon, gorgonzola and thyme makes this a true -perfect-all-year-long classic.
232 Arch Street, 215-629-2337.

Buffalo wings at North Third — We’ve seen even the politest eaters do unheard-of things for a pound of these wings: hunch over plates, raise arms up, push elbows out — as if to say, “These wings are mine! All mine!”
801 North 3rd Street, 215-413-3666.

Gnocchi at Blackbird — These dumplings practically levitate.
619 Collings Avenue, Collingswood, 856-854-3444.

Cevicheat Alma de Cuba — The ceviche sampler is a multifaceted, textural joyride.
1623 Walnut Street, 215-988-1799.

Peking duck at Sang Kee — Two courses of goodness — first, impossibly crispy-skinned duck-breast pancakes, and then tender, delicate tidbits tossed with green beans — make this like a delightful Peking tasting menu. ¸ Multiple locations; sangkee-asianbistro.com. Dumplings at Meritage — Whether she fills them with shrimp and steams them or stuffs them with pork or decadent foie gras and pan-fries them, new Meritage chef Anne Coll cooks up an exquisite dumpling. Her six years at Susanna Foo stand her in good stead.
500 South 20th Street, 215-985-1922.

Dumplings at Meritage — Whether she fills them with shrimp and steams them or stuffs them with pork or decadent foie gras and pan-fries them, new Meritage chef Anne Coll cooks up an exquisite dumpling. Her six years at Susanna Foo stand her in good stead.
500 South 20th Street, 215-985-1922.