O'Neals Pub
Third and South sts., 215-574-9495
This week, O'Neals owner Tom Mooney throws his 'hood-oriented sports bar ahead of the curve by adding free WiFi access. (To his knowledge, McGillin's is the only other Philly pub offering it.) He hopes to increase lunch business and appeal to locals who work from home; he also thinks the addition will appeal to fantasy football fans who like drinking and drafting. Just be careful: "We are not responsible for beer spilled on laptops," laughs Mooney.
Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
1527 Chestnut St., 215-972-1375
Drew Smith, who already owns several Five Guys locations in the greater metro area, hopes that Philly's fast-food faithful will slow down enough to enjoy his just-opened burger 'n' fry joint. The average meal takes about seven minutes to whip up, but fans of the franchise swear by the short wait. 5G has fresh on the brain: Their hand-formed patties are never frozen and they cut their fries fresh every morning and afternoon. Bite This: Every burger comes with two 3.3-ounce patties, and you can add on cheese, bacon and up to 15 different condiments.
Marathon Grill
Marathon's revamped menu won't debut for a few more weeks, but I got my hands on a copy and it looks as though they're going all upscale-international. Expect tons of new items, everything from Sheboygan bratwursts (seriously) and braised short rib sandwiches to truffled mac 'n' cheese. No worriesthe prices are still reasonable. Bite This: One interesting appetizer is the Thai turkey and shiitake mushroom dumplings, served with a coconut-lemongrass sauce.
Bread and Butter
1225 Sansom St.
This gourmet food market on the Chestnut side of the Stetson Building closed temporarily last month. The owners, who also run 1225 Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge, are currently looking for a new Center City location with more foot traffic. Raw's still going strong in the meantime.