Restaurant Reviews
The Jaffa Paradox: A Buzzy, Bright Space That Feels Surprisingly Hollow
Under the tall ceilings at an old firehouse in Kensington near where Front meets Cecil B. Moore is Michael Solomonov’s second attempt at an oyster […]
The City’s Newest Hyped Cheesesteak Is Completely Overrated
Across the way, a photographer is bent double, trying to get a dramatic hero shot of a stack of baklava on the counter at Kamal’s. […]
Black Dragon Takeout: A Bold Experiment in Flavor Fusion
Black Dragon Takeout is a place born of food deserts and demographic change. Local chef and activist Kurt Evans knew that Chinese takeout was often […]
Bastia: A Mediterranean Marvel in Fishtown
There’s this scene in Ratatouille where Remy the rat is trying to show his brother (Emile, also a rat) that he can do better than […]
Old City Gets Bold New Flavors With BlackHen
Old City needed a late-night fried chicken joint. A brunch spot. A BYOB. A place to get mac and cheese, hand pies, deviled eggs, and […]
Where Neapolitan Tradition Meets Pizza Anarchy
The white walls at Sorellina seem to glow when the sun begins to set. And at the bar, the plates never stop coming — spreads […]
Breezy’s Deli Reinvents the Neighborhood Market
Breezy’s is what a Wawa would be if there were only one, and it were run by a chef and baker with an incurable hoagie […]
Little Walter’s: Old World Charm, New World Flavor
The server at Little Walter’s looks around the dining room. It’s early yet. Quiet. In the kitchen, the crew are still setting their mise, hauling […]
From Pop-Up to Powerhouse: Amy’s Pastelillos Brings Puerto Rican Flavor to Fishtown
It’s early on a Saturday at Amy’s Pastelillos, and already there’s a line. Well, not a line. A crowd, really. A bunch of Philadelphians milling […]
After a Chef Shake-Up, Rosemary Finds Its Rhythm
The first time I walked into Rosemary, “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band was playing. The cream-colored walls and green ferns in the bar made […]
A Night Out at Kampar’s Kongsi
At the bar, they’re trying to invent a coconut-water daiquiri. It’s a custom job, a one-off, an experiment made with homemade rice milk and coconuts […]
At Soko Bag, Korean Comfort Food Meets Craft Beer
When Soko Bag first opened in January of this year in the old Sal’s Pizza Box on Nutt Road in Phoenixville, the lines snaked out […]
Ding Feng Tang: Where Dumplings Are the Stars, But Variety Steals the Show
Ding Feng Tang is never really quiet. Slow, sure. On Sunday afternoons and Wednesdays between shifts, maybe. There are days and hours where everything downshifts […]
After a Long-Awaited Return, Can Royal Tavern Reclaim Its Burger Glory?
I was at the Royal Tavern on the second day it really felt like spring in Philly, several months after the place reopened. The day […]
Gass & Main: The Pinnacle of Middle-Class Fancy
I’ll never forget sitting in my car in a parking lot in Audubon and eating chef Dane DeMarco’s Cowboy Tots for the first time. This […]