Philadelphia

See the Districts articles for specific listings.

cheesesteaks

No trip to Philadelphia is complete without trying the cheesesteak, Philly's most famous homegrown food, a sandwich made of a fresh roll filled with grilled shaved beef and cheese as well as onions, mushrooms, and other optional sides. The spiritual homes of the cheesesteak are Pat's King of Steaks (http://www.patskingofstea...), where the cheesesteak was invented, and Geno's Steaks, where they claim to have improved on Pat's version. They are located next to each other in South Philly.

Although Pat's and Geno's are the most famous cheesesteak joints, there are many others to choose from, particularly in South Philadelphia—John's Roast Pork at Snyder and alley-street Weccacoe is considered by many locals to offer a standout, and many prefer Jim's Steaks (http://www.jimssteaks.com) or Tony Luke's (http://www.tonylukes.com). Though South Philadelphia is the undisputed home of this sandwich, Steve's Prince of Steaks in Northeast Philadelphia off Cottman Ave. is outstanding. 'The Great Northeast' is also home to Chink's Steaks, a delightful drug-store throwback on Torresdale Avenue near the Delaware River. No cheesesteak aficionado can call himself such without a visit to Dalessandro's Steaks or Chubby's on Henry Avenue in the Roxborough section of Northwest Philadelphia north of Manayunk and East Falls. This regions best steak, though, is found at takeout only Sorrentino's on cresson in Manayunk. Sonny's in Old City, on Market St between 3rd and 4th, also serves an excellent cheesesteak in a location convenient to Independence Hall. Philadelphia's other notable sandwich is roast pork which can be found at Dinic's in the Reading Terminal Market, Tony Luke's, John's, or a latin version at Porky's Point (http://www.hollyeats.com/...). Lastly, the city's best Roast Beef sandwich served on a locally baked sarcone's roll is at caffe chicco (http://philadelphia.citys...).

A caveat before ordering a cheesesteak, particularly at the often crowded Pat's and Geno's—know how to order. There is somewhat of a 'no soup for you' attitude at these busy and fast-service oriented establishments which can really make a tourist stand out. The way to order is as follows: It is assumed that you are going to order a cheesesteak, so unless you are not, don't specify this. First, say the type of cheese—only american, provolone, and whiz are generally available. Ask for swiss at your own risk. The only condiment that is not available in a jar outside the stand will be fried onions; with or "wit" in Philly parlance or without "witout" will specify your preference on the matter. So 'Whiz "Wit", Provolone "Witout",' etc. Not too complicated, and a straightforward way to have a nice local moment on your travels.

fine dining

Philadelphia has an extremely vibrant culinary scene, with many young and enterprising new chefs coming to the City of Brotherly Love for its food-obsessed culture. Local restauranteurs such as Stephen Starr (http://www.starr-restaura...), Marc Vetri (http://www.vetriristorant...), Iron Chefs Masaharu Morimoto (http://www.morimotorestau...) and Jose Garces (http://www.grg-mgmt.com), and others have become household names and food celebrities in their own right, transforming Philadelphia's food scene and exporting its concepts to other parts of the country. In part, the scene is bolstered by a culture of organic and sustainable foodstuffs coming from local farmers.

local and street food

You can also find cheesesteaks at Reading Terminal Market, located at 12th and Arch Sts. Here visitors will find many stands selling produce, meats, flowers, and baked goods. Reading Terminal Market is a good place to get lunch if you are in the area. The multitude of vendors and low prices provide plenty of options for a quick meal. It's also home to one of the city's best pretzels Miller's.

Philadelphia's most famous snack is the salted soft pretzel, which, while shaped with the three holes like soft pretzels everywhere else, are distinctive in that they are flattened into a wide rectangle and are made in long chains in which the wide sides of the pretzels are attached. A person may typically buy two, three, or more attached pretzels at a convenience store or from a street vendor. The price is low, especially compared to national vendor brands sold in other cities and in malls. Unlike pretzels served in many other cities, Philly pretzels are not served hot, but at room temperature and often eaten with mustard.

The most famous sweet snack is from the Tastykake brand. Their main factory is in the Navy Yard in far south Philly, so every flavor and type of TastyKake is sold in Philadelphia, and they are usually extra fresh, since they do not have to travel far to the retail outlet.

Also unique to the area are Goldenberg's Peanut Chews (http://www.peanutchews.com), a bit-sized chocolate bar with a chewy peanut center. Originally developed as a high-energy ration bar during WWI, but still popular today!

Scrapple is a favorite comfort food of native Philadelphians. Best described as a spicy breakfast pork product, scrapple is of Pennsylvania Dutch origin and is made from pork by-products you're better off not knowing exactly what's in it and cornmeal, cooked into a thick pudding, formed into a loaf, sliced, and fried. You'll find it on the breakfast menu of many neighborhood diners in Philly. Ask for it very crispy.

Some other Philly foods include Philadelphia Cream Cheese, water ice, and hoagies.

Located in the far Northeast of Philadelphia at Byberry and Roosevelt Blvd. is the Kraft/Nabisco factory. Drive by with your windows down and take a whiff!

Wawa is a chain of local convenience stores similar to, but better than, 7-Eleven. They are most famous for their deli ordering terminals, which allow you to specify via a touch-screen monitor exactly what you want on a sandwich. Although locals refuse to consider Wawa's cheesesteaks as authentic, due to its use of ground beef rather than sliced or diced beef, the Wawa option is still delicious and you get to customize it with a wide range of options.

byobs

Pennsylvania's draconian liquor laws make it very expensive and inconvenient for restaurants to obtain liquor licenses. As a result, many restaurants—including some of the best—are BYOB, that is, Bring Your Own Bottle. These restaurants will advertise their BYOB-status, and will usually help you out by supplying corkscrews, glasses, or club soda, so long as you supply the beer, wine, or spirits. You'll have to pick wine or spirits up at a state-sponsored liquor store, or six-packs of beer from a neighborhood bar. Convenience stores do not sell alcoholic beverages. Even if you don't drink, or don't want a drink, dining at a BYOB can pay off as the restaurant doesn't need to pay off a license and can charge a little less for the food.