Honey's Sit 'n Eat in Philadelphia is the Northern Liberties comfort-food counter at 4th and Brown since 2005, with challah French toast, latkes and a hangover-grade weekend brunch.
Signature dishes: Challah French toast, Latkes
Must order: Challah French toast; potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce; the brisket-and-egg plate.
Tip: No reservations. Aim for 10:00 weekday or 09:30 Saturday. Cash and cards land equally.
Address: 800 N 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Han Dynasty in Philadelphia is Han Chiang's Sichuan room on Chestnut, the kitchen that ranked the spice scale 1 to 10 and made the city order dan dan noodles by name.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Dry pot
Order: Dan dan noodles, dry-pot rabbit at heat 7, three-pepper chicken, mapo tofu.
Tip: Order one dish below the heat level you think you can handle. The 10 scale is honest.
Barbuzzo in Philadelphia is Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran's 13th Street Mediterranean room since 2010, with wood-fired pizzas and the salted caramel budino that built the reputation.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Salted caramel budino
Order: Wood-fired pizza of the week; salted caramel budino, the dish locals order by name.
Tip: The bar counter overlooking the open kitchen takes walk-ups. Quietest table on a Friday night.
Pizzeria Vetri in Philadelphia is Marc Vetri's Neapolitan pizza room on Chancellor near Rittenhouse Square, with the wood-fired oven from Naples and the famous rotolo.
Signature: Margherita, Rotolo
Order: Margherita with buffalo mozzarella; the rotolo (mortadella, ricotta and pistachio rolled in dough).
Tip: Walk in at 17:30 on a weeknight. The main rush starts at 18:30.
Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia is Joe Beddia's Fishtown reincarnation of the Bon Appetit 2015 America's Best Pizza, with a private hoagie room behind the dining room.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Hoagie
Order: Margherita with sungold tomatoes; a salad of every herb in the kitchen.
Tip: The hoagie room books separately. Reserve it for groups of four to six who want lunch sandwiches.
Nam Phuong in Philadelphia is the 20-year Vietnamese banquet hall on Washington Avenue, with a 200-item menu running pho, clay pots, banh xeo and bun rieu.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Banh xeo
Order: Pho dac biet (everything bowl); banh xeo crepe; sugarcane shrimp paste with rice paper rolls.
Tip: The clay-pot section at the back of the menu is the room's quiet best. The chicken with ginger or the catfish.
Stock in Philadelphia is Tyler Akin's 18-seat Fishtown BYOB on Girard, with a 14-hour pho stock and a rotating khao soi from a Zahav alum kitchen.
Signature: Beef pho, Khao soi
Order: Beef pho with the side plate of herbs; khao soi if it is on the board; a roast pork banh mi at lunch.
Tip: BYOB. Bring a crisp Riesling or a Vietnamese lager. Cash and cards both work.
