1 – Laurel

This was the first restaurant I ever went to where, before entering, I felt I would be out of my depth. I had never experienced a chef’s tasting menu before. I had eaten many incredible meals and had my share of amazing dining experiences, but Laurel awoke something in me a long while ago…an obsession, if you will, with food, and dining in general, that I hope will never fade.

To this day, as much as Laurel has undergone changes and shifts in menus and staff, the one constant is the reason I ever ventured out of my depths in the first place, to eat the food of, and shake the hand of one of the most talented chefs to work in the city of Philadelphia, and that is of course Chef Nick Elmi.

If you are not familiar with Nick Elmi, you damn well should be. Elmi has been a rising star in Philadelphia’s fine dining scene since 2001 when he moved to the city to work under George Perrier at Brasserie Perrier. Since then Elmi has worked in New York City, immersing himself in New York’s fine dining scene with a stage at Daniel and posts at Lutece, Union Pacific, and Oceana. He eventually found his way back to his mentor Perrier with an executive sous chef position at Mia in Atlantic City, followed by the executive chef role at Le Bec-Fin. Before he took over the kitchen at Le Bec-Fin, however, Elmi moved to Paris to stage at Guy Savoy, an experience that changed his view of ingredients, purveyors, and the creative process.

All that experience has not been for naught. A night at Laurel is one of just simply mind-bendingly good food. Your expectations, no matter how high, will undoubtedly be met and, likely, surpassed and then lapped a few times. I think, for me personally, it was about the time Nick was at our table speaking to us and raining black truffles all over a luscious mound of the tinniest, most pillow-like gnocchi you have ever seen…that was the moment I realized…wow…this isn’t just food this is an experience. I’ve since been lucky enough to travel the country eating at some of the most world renowned and critically acclaimed restaurants in existence, but whenever my mind wonders to that first experience at Laurel, I still get goosebumps. Over the years I ended up luckily being able to dine there quite often, and from the first to the last, it has always been a thrilling and amazing culinary experience. And, that’s the great thing about Laurel…it’s quality is so otherworldly, yet inviting, that it doesn’t matter if it’s your first fine dining experience or if you’re a seasoned pro. This place will blow your hair back regardless.

Elmi runs multiple other awesome food/bars in the city that are absolutely killer for what they are (actually some of the best cheap eats in the entire city), but if you want the best of what team Laurel and Nick Elmi has to offer, go in and sit down for a 6 or 9 course tasting menu and get your fuckin’ mind blown. This is the type of cooking that gets me excited (hyper seasonal, but not just focused on what’s local only). Here, they focus on what is best and source it from around the country. The meals are never the same, the service is always impeccable and warm, the space is small and cozy and you know no matter what you order you’re going to be eating one of the best meals anywhere in the country if you sit down at Laurel on any given night. There are so so many places in Philly that could claim my title as number one spot to hit, but gun to my head, if I had to tell someone to dine at one spot and only one spot for the best meal of your life, I would say Laurel. Still the best in the city.

2- Vernick Food and Drink

Over the course of many, many meals in the same restaurant, you come to understand what makes it tick, what makes it great. Some restaurants are just different than others because of the innate feel a space takes on after many years of service. People in the neighborhood get used to the bartenders, the local foodies know which waiter will give them the best tips and or treats when they come in regularly. The cooks that work there know that they are in kind of an elite crew, not because of any level of pretentious fanciness, but because you know the people who come and eat there come because it’s the best. Best specials, best prices, best service and always pushing endlessly to be better. You can tell when a place starts to feel themselves, it happens as quickly and unknowingly as water creeping into the weak spot on a poorly thatched roof. Much like the water, restaurants always find their level, but remaining humming, clean and consistent through the ups and downs of this business is what sets the great apart from just the very good.

This is a restaurant that has been amazing since day one and has only gotten better. From redefining seemingly classics like toast to what could be one the most obsessively prepared and presented roast chickens to a rotating menu of truly experimental dishes Vernick Food and Drink has taken hold of the center city and Rittenhouse dining scene as no other restaurant has before. Vernick has set the standard in Philly for years and in many ways is still the bar to surpass in this city when discussing elevated dining experiences.

As a frequent diner at Vernick, I have NEVER had even an average meal there let alone anything lackluster or downright bad. Whether seemingly simple meals or truly out of the box dishes the meal is ALWAYS phenomenal. They don’t ever really stray too far from their patented Vernick formula of ‘simple tasty ingredients + interesting preparations = more than the sum of its parts.’ As chef Greg Vernick always says, “respect all stages of preparation.” And, when you get to experience their locally sourced Amish free range chickens prepared under 12 hours of brine, followed by 2 hours of steaming to keep it moist, followed by baking in a wood fired oven with butter to make the outside crackly and crispy while the inside remains as moist and fresh as any chicken you’ll ever experience, you’ll know why this obsessive dedication to preparation is so important.

With an incredibly reasonable price point there really isn’t anything about this restaurant that isn’t perfect. Since its debut in May, 2012 all the way through the present, it has remained a shimmering bright light in a city with an abundance of glittering options. Even with the self imposed competition from new age Vernick Fish in the, fittingly space-age Comcast center just down the way, the original flagship Vernick still own’s that corridor of the city’s dining as much as it ever has.

3 – Friday Saturday Sunday

After reopening in late 2016, ‘Friday Saturday Sunday’ did what few legendary restaurants ever dream of doing; it began its second life. Albeit under different owners and different talent at the helm of food, drink and hospitality; this Philadelphia institution kept not just the same name that the city has come to know so well for over 45 years, but also the same quality of food that they’ve come to expect over that same period. Friday Saturday Sunday was a CLASSIC and revered spot in Philadelphia. Known for never changing and always providing top quality food and beverage, it was a widely known and very popular destination for suburbanites as well as hip city folk alike.

After years of being one of the top dogs in town, the previous owner cashed in his chips and finally sold … on one condition: the new owner had to be willing to keep the name and stay true to not just the original cuisine, but the overarching romantic setting of the two-story Rittenhouse bar-restaurant as well. And so it began, one of the greatest rebirths and 2nd acts any restaurant anywhere has ever seen. Within months, a buzz swept through the city, everywhere you turned, someone was talking about the amazing food and cocktails they had just had at the “new” Friday Saturday Sunday the night before. And, not just your typical restaurant goers, but industry people as well … talking about it nonstop and in glowing terms. That’s always how you know a place is on to something special when the cities best sous chefs and waiters are lining up to get in.

Within a year, Friday Saturday Sunday was the hottest seat in a city of heavyweight dining establishments. But, moreover, this bar counter/restaurant had something you cant quantify, something I like to call: the “Cool Kid” factor. To be honest, the cool kid generally is only cool to you if he or she accepts you, acknowledges you, makes YOU feel cool too, and boy if this restaurant didn’t just nail it when it came to this often overlooked aspect of the dining experience.

The food is amazing, and expertly balanced, but not fussy and overly pretentious. They play with delicious riffs on classics, dazzling renditions of classic French and Italian, including nods to Asian cuisine and even touches from Southern Americana . Their ‘IceBox’ parfait consists of ice cream, layers of sweet potato and toasted marshmallow, fire roasted cranberries, and spiced pumpkin seeds, and is a dessert for the ages. With some of the cities most talented barkeeps and such an eclectic menu, its no wonder that the NEW Friday Saturday Sunday is now open for more than just those three days. And, if you can nab a seat at the counter or a table with some friends, regardless of which day of the week you choose to go, you will see the rarest of birds, an old and once great temple of gastronomic glory having risen like a phoenix to dominate the hungry hoards again.

4 – Kalaya

Imagine being transported to an entirely different realm within seconds of sitting down in a place. The smells are intense and unusual, the dishes you walk past on other peoples’ tables are bright and colorful. Your senses overloaded. While this is somewhere you’ve never been, you feel tinged with excitement from the moment you enter Kalaya.

The energy of a full open dining hall, teaming with excited diners is a feeling that transcends stature or class, it’s a communal excitement and it’s hard to replicate. Within seconds of being inside Kalaya, you know you are in a special place, where special things happen.

From the moment our group sat, we were welcomed and dazzled constantly by the smallest most unassuming staff, acting as Sherpas to our souls, helping us navigate waters we simply had never travelled. Led by owner Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, a delightful small smiley woman bursting with positivity and warmth, we took a culinary journey that we will never forget.

From the famous dark royal blue dumplings, to the now Instagram famous Sakoo Sai Hed (tapioca dumplings with shiittake mushroom and peanut filling with red chile) all the way through the full array of some 6-8 dishes, every single one something none of us have ever had before, staring the beautiful and spicy Kang Poo Pak Tai, which is undoubtedly the best crab curry on the planet and the best you will ever try. Over the course of a few hours, we were treated to some of the most delicious, bracingly beautiful flavors I have ever eaten anywhere in my life. There is no Pad Thai… There is not anything like Pad Thai… this is REAL Thai food. This is in fact Southern Thai cuisine. It is sour and spicy, crunchy and salty, umami bombs just all over the sharing table. The wok charred cabbage with fish sauce while seemingly so simple was another fantastic standout. All of this food coming straight from the heart and mind of a person eating, cooking and living this cuisine her entire life. The name “Kalaya” being a homage to her mother who taught her this wondrously complex, vibrant and delicious food.

There is no doubt that Kalaya will soon be skyrocketing to the top of any list of Philadelphia’s best restaurants. For any lucky traveler who may get a chance it’s an experience not to be missed. Kalaya is not just the “kind of” food people are seeking out, it’s the dining experience we’re all craving as well. Chic, exclusive and inaccessible no longer strikes the same desirable tone it once did in our society that has increasingly sought out genuineness and authenticity. What this new generation of foodies really aspire to is truth and sincerity, a down to earth, but still spectacular experience of culture perfected over a long history. And, that is precisely what this magical southern Thai experience is. Located on the same block of South Philly that boasts the world famous Italian Market, an ode to authentic South Philly Italian heritage, is this small, unassuming time machine to ancient Southern Thailand. Don’t miss out on your chance to be transported to some place totally foreign, yet seemingly right at home.

5 – Angelos

If ever there were a city (and really it’s a reflection of the people of this great city) that defined the very best of the lower end food, your sandwiches, pizzas, cheesesteaks, pretzels, Philadelphia would be it. But it’s when these seemingly “low-end” foods get the love and attention that elevates the form to a “high-end quality” experience, that’s when magic can really start to happen. And, nowhere is this more apparent than Angelos in South Philly, where, dare I say, is a place where dreams come true. Well, my dreams at least.

In Japanese culture, it’s called Shokunin, a way of living, a spirit, a practice of doing one thing very, very well and constantly sharpening your blade, so to speak, as you do the same task over and over again throughout the years. It’s rare to find, but every once in awhile, you stumble upon a place like Angelos that has taken the simple and perfected it to artwork. They specialize in taking these every day seemingly simple ingredients and turning them into masterpieces. Even in Philadelphia, a city that seems to pride itself on this level of perfection, that many of us around the city take for granted, Angelo’s stands above the rest. Here you’ll find that perfect slice of pizza, that perfect sandwich, that just perfectly baked roll that’s crusty on the outside but so pillowy and cloud-like on the interior, just that perfect comfort food that you’ve been promised from people that rave about Philly’s food culture.

In a city teeming with spots claiming they are the best this and the best that, the best pizza, the best Italian, the best cheesesteak, the best “wooder ice” etc, some really do stand out among the crowd and cut through the noise. The best example of this is the small shop standing at 9th and South called Angelos, which, currently repping the best in the city, has its shoulders back, chest puffed out with neon signs screaming GO HERE!! Listen to those signs. Listen to Angelos. And, go get that perfect slice of pizza you’ve always dreamt about.

Angelos and their staff, as well as their owner (Danny DiGiampetro) wont brag or get cocky about what they do, but they would have every right to do so. Simply put, in an entire city and basically an entire east coast of top-notch sandwich and pizza joints, all claiming they are the best, this little spot a stones throw down the street from the old Italian market really just might be the epicenter of 5 star “low-end eats” in this country. The pizza is legendary! It comes in all sizes and toppings, all perfectly executed from their classics, plain cheese, pepperoni, to their epic White Funghi Spinach, which is, to this day, the best white pizza I’ve ever eaten ANYWHERE ON EARTH. Another jaw dropper item is their insane “upside down” cheese on the bottom sauce on top pie, a classic reversal that is widely done all over but NEVER as good as here. With the edges all crispy and charred, this is a Sicilian pie from the gods themselves… (it weighs in at just under 9 pounds and you will want to eat ALL OF IT).

The Sandwiches, as well, are some of the best in the entire city. Their cutlet sandwiches of all varieties, as well as their cheesesteak (made with cooper sharp and long hots, Angelos style), are so perfectly constructed you’ll never want to have another sandwich anywhere else as long as you live. In my opinion their cheesesteak is a top 2 sandwich in the city currently and could be number 1 on any given day, depending on my mood. This spot is as Philly as it gets, everyone knows everyone’s names, and if they don’t know you, go over and change that immediately. Sit inside and lean and eat with the crowd or sit out on the pavement at one of their little red tables and get the full city feel. Oh and theres no phone, no ordering in advance and when they sell out its over, so go and get ready to wait a little and get ready to have it be the most worthwhile food experience of your year.