October 30-November 5, 2003

cover story

Eat great food! Drink decadent drinks! Avoid trendy traps!

Snack time: WIP's Big Daddy Graham, an award winner for his on-air snacking skills , gets his grub on at Capogiro, our winner for "Best Sweet Spot". Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Our choices in the world of food and drink.

Saddest Loss of Down-Home Dining

Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, done the minute you order with a garlic-spinach omelette. Sirloin steak sandwiches and fresh-cut potatoes for the fries. The loss of Nifty Fifty's at 10th and Passyunk is severe for those who like to eat well on a budget. The storefront is still empty, proving it is a hard act to follow.--MA

Greatest Bliss Attained from Spring Ginger and Tea Leaf Salads

The only Asian restaurant in Philly that never fails to make jaded New Yorkers incredibly envious is Rangoon. When I moved here, four unconnected people cited Rangoon as one of the city's best eateries (and dining values), and that it remains. Genuinely nice people run it, always helpful with suggestions. The sublime salad offerings -- which also extend to watercress, calamari and mango -- open the door to a great menu. You'll want some "thousand layer bread" and crispy lentil fritters to start.--DS

112 N. Ninth St., 215-829-8939.

Best Reason Why I Should Be the One to Write About Trader Joe's

It's two blocks from my apartment, 'nuff said? Even so, there's plenty of tasty stuff I've yet to try, and at these prices -- wait, this is turning into a commercial. If Joe really wants to ensure that I never, ever go to the Whole Foods near the Free Library again, here's my tip: More produce. Got it? And speaking of which, what are the apples doing at the other end of the store?--MP

2121 Market St., 215-569-9282.

Best New Coffee Concept

Adding a much-needed caffeine source to upper Fairmount, The Crooked Frame has also filled its homey corner nook with eclectic art and crafts available on consignment, giving the neighborhood arty types one convenient place to sip latte and sell their wares.--EL

26th and Brown sts., 215-235-5282.

Worst Restaurant Area

I've often wondered about the circulation woes of the Inquirer and Daily News. Now that I work across the street, I understand. It's tough to put out a paper to get the masses a-clamoring with such uninspiring lunch options on Broad Street between Arch and Spring Garden. Save for a smattering of yeoman lunch counters and trucks, the sustenance options at the intersection of Broad and Callowhill can be described as spartan. It's true that journalists eat a lot, but we'll also eat just about anything, which, in this case, could be our undoing. With promising early reports from the new Café Lift, however, perhaps things are looking up.--BHo

Saddest Blow to Dining Atmosphere

The closing of the gritty, down-home outdoorsy section of Dahlak. It lacked pretension, had furniture that looked like it might have been rounded up by Dumpster divers and was on the edge of a parking lot. But what sunsets and exquisite cheap meals.--MA

4708 Baltimore Ave., 215-726-6464.

Coolest Place to Eat Incredible Goat Curry Before a Kimmel Center Show

Jamaican Jerk Hut offers a simple but welcoming atmosphere (and a dining garden when weather permits). Owner/chef Nicola Shirley, trained at the Culinary Institute and, er, seasoned at the Four Seasons, serves up heaping portions of traditional Jamaican cuisine including the scrumptious jerk style lavished on chicken, snapper, pork and shrimp. The goat is indeed delicious and of course plenty of plantains are on hand. If you're concert-bound, don't get stupefied by eating too much of Jerk Hut's inexpensive, great-tasting food!--DS

1436 South St., 215-545-8644.

Best Reason to Consume Animal Protein

Kibitz in the City has been showered with praise since its opening, but enough cannot be said about the pastrami: One warm slice and your vegetarian inclinations will be a thing of the past.--EL

703 Chestnut St., 215-928-1447.

Most Disgusting N.Y.C. Food Style That Came to Philly

The silly overstuffed deli sandwiches at Kibitz in the City look so good, which is, of course, the point. Mile-high piles of pastrami, corned beef, or whatever, are a venerable New York City deli tourist-trap tradition. But why bother? This is not a better sandwich. It's just obscenely overdone and impossible to eat with any dignity.--PB

703 Chestnut St., 215-928-1447.

Most Missed $5 Lunch

It slipped away without warning, and Cuvee Notredame took with it the best lunch bargain in the city, the $5 steak frites. The lunch (and the place) are missed.--EL

Best Franchising

As if by sheer magic, Las Cazuelas, the fantastic Northern Liberties Mexican restaurant, made the corner of Second and Bainbridge in Queen Village into a gorgeously warm and intimate spot. There's an attentive staff, out-of-this-world food (don't miss the spicy tomato soup) and a strolling mariachi who knows when to walk away from a romantic dinner for two. Welcome to the neighborhood.--LH

627 S. Second St., 215-873-0250.

Best Chinese Pastries

Grab a tray and a pair of silver tongs and help yourself to the Hong Kong pastries at K.C.'s Bakery. Take your pick from egg custard pies to red bean cakes. You’ll even find a hot dog wrapped in soft, Chinese-style dough, a nod to the globalization of American fare. One of the original Chinese bakeries in Chinatown, the small franchise now has two branches within two blocks of each other. Their tapioca drinks are a nice complement to the sweets.--HiH

109 N. 10th St.,145 N. 11th St., 215-238-8808.

Best Venue for Sipping a Cup of Coffee and Watching Bella Vista Gentrify

The huge windows that front Bella Vista's Cafe Izmir, which seems to have found someone to properly manage it after a year of flux, look out on a strip of Ninth Street that has been fairly development-heavy as of late. But the coffee and home-baked pastries -- try the perfectly sweet pumpkin bread -- are still reasonably priced enough that any worries about rising rents can be kept at bay long enough to order a second cup.--MJ

620 S. Ninth St., 267-679-0761.

Best Chopped Liver

The residents of the Philadelphian have long recognized the beauty of Klein's Supermarket, an on-site store where you can't walk two steps without being offered help finding the rye bread or diabetic-friendly pancake syrup. But the real treasure is the chopped liver, which Klein's delivers from its lowly metaphorical status (as in, "what am I, …?") to something very near to sublime.--EL

2401 Pennsylvania Ave., 215-232-1120.

Best Place to Get a Tamale Served By a Cute Waiter

La Lupe's best boasts are many, but the always-crowded taqueria is by far the best place to have a pork-filled tamale and enjoy the scenery -- and we're not talking about the Italian Market wares outside.--EL

1201 S. Ninth St., 215-551-9920.

Best Place to Impersonate a Lady Who Lunches

Jones' low lights and casino-diner feel can make even the middle of a weekday afternoon feel like it's time to kick back and relax. But it's hard to feel truly decadent without a cocktail or two, and Jones' menu is happy to imbibe, um, oblige -- but then, what did you expect from a drinks menu that includes the Lazy Day, a tart combination of Tanqueray gin, grapefruit juice and club soda? --MJ

700 Chestnut St., 215-223-5663.

Lisa Schell of Tiffany's Bakery. Photo By Michael T. Regan

The Only Reason to Go to The Gallery

You might think it would be to shop or to watch the dramas of high schoolersí lives unfold, but really, itís the birthday cake. Yes, birthday cake. Tiffany's Bakery in The Gallery has been making a top-quality classic b-day cake in every size, shape and variety for years, and itís still the best (made by folks like Lisa Schell, pictured). The atmosphere is somewhat lacking ó I mean, it is in The Galleryís food court after all ó but itís some damn good cake for the cash. --DA

Ninth and Market sts., 215-627-1306.

Best Banana-Nut Bread

Each morning, Metropolitan Bakery offers an assortment of pastries and breads, but one of their most delicious borderline breakfast foods is a slice of banana-nut bread. It's even more sinfully scrumptious when the café adds chocolate to this standard fare. With its delicate crust, moist center chock full of nuts and strong banana aftertaste, the Met's banana-nut bread tastes close to the fresh loaves that came out of my mother's oven.--HiH

262 S. 19th St., 215-545-6655; 126 Market St., 215-928-9528; 1114 Pine St., 215-627-3433; Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch sts., 215-829-9020; 8607 Germantown Ave., 215-753-9001; Suburban Square, Ardmore, 610-649-8395.

Best Feminist-Themed Café with Middle Eastern Cuisine

Mt. Airy is home to many quirky eateries, and the tiny Rinker Rock Café, named for a female pioneer, is the neighborhood's latest offering at the altar of offbeat. The half-cafeteria style of service can be confusing, but the food -- kofta, hummus, something called a dosa waffle boat and vegetarian lasagna -- is fresh and interesting.--EL

7105 Emlen St., 215-247-5800.

Best Frozen Dumplings to Make in Your Own Kitchen

Deep in the bottom of the freezer at the Chung May Market, you'll find hefty bags of frozen Hungry Man-sized pork and cabbage dumplings. Priced at $10 a bag, they're more expensive than most other brands of Chinese dumplings. They're definitely worth your money, since just six of them make a meal. The thick, doughy skin is kneaded by hand instead of stamped from the same factory machines that manufacture the thin wonton skins. Here in Philadelphia, this New York-based brand is only found at this market.--HiH

1017-21 Race St., 215-625-8883.

Best Cheap and Cheerful Bento Box

So you don't exactly get a wooden box -- the traditional way of serving Japanese food for people on the go -- but Tampopo offers you a sweet little compartmentalized tray, loaded up with all the fine, cheap Japanese food options you could wish for: sashimi, seaweed salad, gyoza dumplings and edamame, or richer dishes like their tender and expertly glazed teriyaki beef. Sitting with such a compact meal requires a measure of skill -- it's so tidily purveyed that you'll fight a constant battle not to appear less than graceful as you wield your chopsticks.--JF

104 S. 21st St., 215-557-9594.

Best David vs. Goliath Dessert Battle

Your cocoa-loving appetite is Goliath. Audrey Claire's diminutive pot de chocolat is your underestimated tiny opponent: Yes, this contender measures only an inch deep, and would be considered an easy defeat by most chocoholics. But don’t be fooled: The dark concoction -- more of a cream than a mousse -- contained within a demure white china dish is so rich and thick that it cannot be demolished by one person alone. Since it’s available as part of Audrey Claire’s midweek $30 prix fixe menu, this proposition has been extensively if unscientifically tested by yours truly. Which is to say, I dare you.--JF

276 S. 20th St., 215-731-1222.

Best Utilitarian Pho Without the Ambience

Sitting at austere cafeteria-style tables, you'll feel like a minion in Ho Chi Minh's army chowing down breakfast before staving off American imperialism. A large bowl of piping-hot pho appears out of a steel-framed doorway to the kitchen and is briskly brought out to the long rows of patrons. No vermicelli or broken rice dishes. No summer rolls or Saigon 33. Ph'o' 75 on Washington Avenue only does pho, which means their broth is stewed for quite a long time. Be ready for steaming, flavorful pho, and only pho.--HiH

Wing Phat Plaza, 1122-1138 Washington Ave., 215-271-5866.

Best Place to Grub on Italian Cuisine While Bobbing Your Head to Down-Tempo Rhythms

It's a petite, well-polished, dimly lit room that reeks of stylish sophistication with turntables set up at the end of the bar. Have a seat at the bar at Vesuvio while the DJ dishes out a laid-back dose of down-tempo sounds ranging from Brazilian to French lounge. Soak it in, drink a beer and order some damn food. If you wanna go big, get the enormous rib-eye steak, spaghetti bolognese or rack of lamb. Even better, the seafood dishes (especially the varied salmon specials) coincide nicely with the soothing electronic sounds.--SO

736 S. Eighth St., 215-922-8380.

Best Out-of-Towner Beer to Get Its Feet Under the Table

Like a spurred-booted for'ner striding into our bars, the hefty Resurrection Ale has appeared in local taps over the past 12 months alongside Philly's own special brews. Earlier in the year, it was spotted at Race St. Café, and now it's available at N. 3rd. The pint in question hails from The Brewer's Art, Baltimore's finest brewery, based in Mt. Vernon and especially beloved by those who like their beer to almost knock them out. Philadelphia sightings of Ozzy -- a 7.25 percent a.b.v. elixir that, in excess, will transform you into a staggering erstwhile musician -- are unconfirmed by anyone with complete memories of last night.--JF

Most Endangered Condiment

On Earth, where I am from, we sometimes like mustard with our hamburgers. Sometimes, and keep this on the q-t, with our french fries. But the Martian trendoids who have begun to take over the city's bars and restaurants have other plans. Apparently, on their home planet, burgers and fries are served with a nice chipotle mayo, maybe bourbon if they're feeling chipper (or, for the hopelessly square, ketchup). In and of itself, that's fine. America is the land of opportunity, where condiments can mingle freely, without fear of discrimination, no matter how wrong it might be. But I'm getting a little tired of being looked at like Blinky the Three-Eyed Fish when I send my server back to the kitchen for the yellow stuff, which inevitably arrives in a sad little metal cup as if it's just been scooped out of some dusty vat. Even worse, that's not always an option: My N. 3rd server returned from the kitchen with the news that there was simply no mustard to be found. (Was it my imagination, or did she add "freak" under her breath?) Next thing you know, they'll be slathering mango salsa all over our soft pretzels. Stop them now, before it's too late.--SA

Deepest Loss to Habitual Diners Everywhere

No restaurant becomes a neighborhood restaurant without going through what its residents go through, good and bad. Both Where Else? Café and Islas -- the separate but adjoined restaurants owned by Edgardo Fernandez and Jake Lopez -- had earned their stripes, offering Latin-themed dishes and true cozy dining to their loyal customers. So when, in early August, fire inundated the block of 11th and Spruce sts., regular patrons mourned the loss of these favorite local spots, along with Jin House, almost as deeply as the damage to residential buildings. Let’s hope their talents resurface, in other guises, elsewhere this year.--JF

Best Slice of the Best Cut of Meat in the City

Gaudiest New Addition to Washington Avenue Rumor has it that the owner of Southern Sky Restaurant was inspired by a trip to Caesar’s in Atlantic City. The former Donutlicious was slowly transformed into the glittering palace it is now, complete with gold Ionic columns and two giant stone dogs. The interior is no less showy-- the dining room is filled with mirrors and pink neon. Excellent, meticulous service and good food (the dim sum and Peking duck are fab) rescue Southern Sky from total tackiness. Go and gawk like you’re in Vegas, but then have a delicious meal. --AR 801 Washington Ave., 215-627-5886. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Ah, the skirt steak, that most underrated hunk of beef. The muscle that works the cow's diaphragm, this supremely juicy cut was once routinely thrown out by butchers in this country. Still, it became a staple of Jewish immigrants, who agreed with the Argentines that one butcher's refuse is somebody's very yummy dinner. At Tierra Colombiana, a goodly portion of skirt steak (the churrascos argentinos) is served sizzling on a metal plate with a small bowl of very tangy sauce and the usual tasty side dishes, like plantanos and frijoles rojos y arroz.--HA

4535 N. Fifth St., 215-324-6086.

Best Buffet for Sushi Suckers

Looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of Center City? Take refuge in Oasis, the restaurant that offers an all-you-can-eat sushi-lover buffet at a fixed, reasonable price ($12.95-$21.95, depending on day and time). In addition to the tofu, tuna and tempura stacked generously high against the sushi, salmon and miso soup, Oasis offers an impressive fresh-fruit bar featuring mangos, pineapples and kiwis. The green tea ice cream is a tempting indulgence and with at least three sushi chefs on deck to cater your every request, Oasis offers a retreat from reality.--KW

1709 Walnut St., 215-751-0888.

Best Place to Watch Doctors and Lawyers Learn About Salsa

They're all there at El Fuego: the Jeff cardiologists and their student protégés, power-brokering lawyers slumming it at the wooden communal tables, suits from City Hall who suddenly feel like a brisk walk. And, once gathered at the front counter, they all look like they have something to learn. El Fuego offers three strengths of salsa: fiery, dark red tomatillo, verdantly refreshing green tomatillo and hand-holdingly mild, with crisp tomato and slivers of onion. Once they’ve picked their strength, they can, of course, have it built into a Southern California-style burrito, but the true test is straight up, served with chips for dipping. Experts they may be in other areas, but here, it’s fun to watch some of them start from scratch.--JF

723 Walnut St., 215-592-1901.

Best Sweet Spot

Lancaster County sugar plum is refreshing. Burnt caramel is coy. Blackberry plays a little rough with your tongue. Quince goes deep. Lavender makes burps sexy. Capogiro's multitude of flavors hit every mood and make you blush with the realization that you're an adult who can eat ice cream -- scusi, gelato -- every single day if you want to. And with all the sweet, pretty scoops the Gayborhood gelateria serves up, you will want to. (Don't even get me started on the harder stuff, like spicy Cajun peanut and bitter salted almond.)--MJF

119 S. 13th St., 215-351-0900.

Worst Example of Why We Still Want to Buy Wine in Jersey

It would be nice to report that the new "super" state stores are better places to buy wine, but they're not. They are still Stalinist warehouses staffed by unknowledgeable help, only dressed up a bit. A step in the right direction? No, nothing less than privatization will do. New Jersey still gets the business, which is an unmitigated shame.--PB

Best Not-Happy-Meal Combination

Settle back on La Tazza's restful bench. It's too dark to read, so go when you want to be alone with your thoughts. Order a big bowl of Philly's best mashed potatoes and a few hot mugs of Irish coffee. (If you're lucky, the kind-but-unobtrusive bartender will let you pick your poison -- I mean whiskey.) Take solace in the buttery, almost soupy, spuds. For persistent stress, second and third helpings may be in order. Deeply satisfying comfort food is as familiar as an old friend. But more reliable.--MJF

108 Chestnut St., 215-922-7322.

Best Restaurant to Meet a Blind Date

Nothing has more potential to be nightmarish than a blind date. Picking a place to go and contemplating what your matchmaker means by s/he's nice can leave you with a migraine. You want someplace intimate, where you can carry on a conversation without the aid of a loudspeaker. You want to avoid looking anorexic by just ordering a salad, or bulimic by chowing down on a porterhouse. You want a nice atmosphere but not someplace where you run into everyone from your boss to your ex's new fiance. Check out Sansom Street's Latino oasis, Cibucán. It's cozy but chic, with a menu of tantalizing cocktails and dishes. Share some tapas, like gambas en pipián or filete al achiote. Who knows, after a few mojitos the date might actually work.--AH

2025 Sansom St., 215-231-9895.

Best Atkins-Approved Date Food

Home to many delicious taste experiences, Vietnam Restaurant is not the first destination that would come to mind when one thinks of diet food. But if you want low carbs and high protein with juicy, garlicky, flame-broiled flavor, look no further than the grilled beef in grape leaves. It comes with a tangy-sweet and chili-peppered dipping sauce and rice noodles -- but any Atkins advocate would skip those, perhaps in favor of a Flaming Volcano.--AR

221 N. 11th St., 215-592-1163.