Laser Wolf in Philadelphia is Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook's Israeli skewer-grill at Howard and Master in Olde Kensington, the casual sibling to Zahav.
Signature dishes: Beef shipudim, Lamb merguez
Must order: The mixed grill plate with beef shipudim and lamb merguez; the salatim spread to start.
Tip: Walk in at the bar before 18:00 on a weeknight. Reservations stretch out 2 weeks on the Resy calendar.
Address: 1301 N Howard St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Suraya in Philadelphia is the Fishtown Lebanese market, garden and restaurant on Frankford Avenue from Greg Root, Nicholas Kennedy and chef Roland Kassis, opened 2017.
Signature: Whole roasted fish, Lamb shawarma
Order: Whole roasted fish for the table, lamb shawarma platter, the labneh with shrak bread.
Tip: Brunch on the back garden patio in summer is the room's best seat. Saturday 10am books out the fastest.
Fork in Philadelphia is Ellen Yin's 1997 Old City flagship on Market Street, a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur 2022 anchor of the Philadelphia dining renaissance.
Signature: Hand-cut pasta, Roast duck
Order: Whichever hand-cut pasta is on the seasonal menu; the roast duck if it appears.
Tip: The bar runs a separate menu and a half-price oyster happy hour weekday afternoons. Walk in for it.
Parc in Philadelphia is Stephen Starr's Rittenhouse Square French brasserie on 18th Street, a Parisian-cafe room that runs croissants by 08:00 and onion soup past 22:00.
Signature: Steak frites, Croque madame
Order: Steak frites with bearnaise; the croque madame at brunch; a half-bottle of Sancerre.
Tip: The outdoor sidewalk seats on 18th Street face Rittenhouse Square. Book them specifically in summer.
Han Dynasty in Philadelphia is Han Chiang's Sichuan room on Chestnut in Old City, the kitchen that ranked the city's spice scale 1 to 10 and made the dan dan noodles famous.
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-spice scale is honest.
Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia is Joe Beddia's Fishtown reincarnation of the Bon Appetit America's Best Pizza of 2015, with a hoagie room behind the dining room.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Hoagie
Order: The margherita with sungold cherry 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.
Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia is chef Shizhou Da's Shanghai dumpling room, reopened January 2025 on Race Street in Chinatown with a doubled soup-dumpling operation.
Signature: Xiao long bao, Hand-pulled noodles
Order: Xiao long bao by the basket; hand-pulled scallion-pancake noodles; the XL straw soup dumpling.
Tip: Sit at the front window seats to watch the pleating. Cash works but cards land too.
