My Personal Philadelphia Restaurant Rankings

Unlike Craig Laban, I only try restaurants once or twice in the course of a few years (outside of consistently delicious and affordable Mustard Greens and Ava). Despite that limitation, I have compiled a list of my twenty (20) favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. I still have a lot of places to try, so there will be some notables left off this list. They would include Lacroix, Le Bec Fin/Le Bar Lyonnais, Buddakan, Melograno, Gayle, James, Apamate, Fountain, Marigold Kitchen, or any new Jose Garces Restaurant. If you don’t agree with this list, I don’t really care, it’s my blog. But comment anyway and let me know what I am missing out on. I will try and update this every few months. If the restaurant you suggested stinks, I will hunt you down and demand money from you. If, however, you do not like my suggestions, it is not my fault, you simply have bad taste.

1. Vetri- Best meal I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Thank you Marc Vetri.
2. Audrey Claire- The flatbreads are delicious; also one of the best cuts of pork I have tasted.
3. Bistro 7- Small and loud BYO, but the food is tasty as hell.
4. Tinto- Not quite the atmosphere of Amada, but I found Garces menu to be a little bit bolder (and better) at his second venue
5. Osteria- Marc Vetri’s 2nd restaurant in the city; A little bigger and less formal, but still a treat 6. Amada- Great date spot, although the Flamingo dancers were axed due to complaints from the upstairs neighbors about the noise; Jose Garces is a magician with flavor pairings, but my editor-in-chief and I found the desserts to be lacking (note: most dessert comments will be authored from my choco-holic editor-in-chief/fiance)
7. Little Fish- Similar to Bistro 7 in its environment, but the seafood is phenomenally prepared
8. Good Dog- Take prime sirloin, stuff it with roquefort cheese, serve it with a mix of traditional and sweet potato fries with spicy aioli, and you’ve got the best burger plate in the city. Plus, ½ can’s of beer on Wednesdays
9. Mustard Greens- Consistently good, with light but flavorful sauces, and the tastiest steamed dumplings in the city. Also, the nicest management in town.
10. Xochitl- Not your grandparents "Mexican" restaurant, and I mean that in a very good way. Plus the Margarita’s are delicious
11. Barclay Prime- The kobe beef sliders are such perfect bites of meat and cheese that you will start to dream about them
12. Brandywine Prime- Head down into Southern Chester County, check out Longwood Gardens, and swing by this 4 star worthy steakhouse and bar. Last I checked, they had Rogue on draft.
13. Nectar- Mainline’s answer to the Stephen Starr restaurant atmosphere; the food is also good enough to match the ambience
14. Snackbar- Chef McDonald did himself well here, serving up simple foods with a twist. Looking forward to stopping by his new spot (Pub + Kitchen) to see what is in store.
15. Raw- Exceptional sushi in another Stephen Starr-like environment
16. Lolita- Another "South American" flavored restaurant (this one a BYO), the food is incredibly well-prepared, but does not quite reach Xochitl’s "wow" factor
17. Pumpkin- This South Street BYO might not blow your mind, but you will walk away relatively happy to exchange your hard earned dollars for Chef Maroney’s cuisine
18. Shiao Lan Kung- A Chinatown landmark; The salt baked shrimp are so simple, yet so delectable. I am setting the Over/Under on how many I can eat at 32 (roughly 4 plates-worth).
19. Ava- This excellent Italian BYO, tucked off of South Street, has some of the best homemade pastas in town*
20. Ansill- I think culinary originality sparks Chef David Ansill and his restaurant. Some of his menu requires you to trust his judgment and, believe me, you are in fine hands.

Just missing out: Fuji Mountain, Mercato, Mama Palmas, Le Castagne, Sang Kee

*Although I have little to no journalistic integrity, I will try and start now: this blogger’s sister, a soon to be graduate of Culinary school and first-rate cook, is the sous chef at Ava