When Porcini opened in 1996, few people expected the brothers Steven and David Sansone to do much business, with only 30 seats stuffed into a dining room the size of a shoebox, debuting in an era when there were no other restaurants on Sansom Street. A BYOB? Philly hardly knew what that was aside from the original Dmitri’s across Broad Street.
And yet, 30 years later, this block of Sansom Street near Rittenhouse Square has become a mini-restaurant row. There are now hundreds of Italian BYOBs flourishing across the city, and the pioneer of them all, Porcini, is still kicking as the Sansone brothers continue to host lively Italian meals for their loyal following.
There’s David at his lookout post near the door, chatting with guests then scampering back to whisk plates of chicken Milanese in sloshy wine-and-butter sauce through the dining room. (“It’s not an Italian meal if you don’t get some on your clothes!” he consoled one guest, dabbing a plate-landing splash of sauce on his shirt.) And there’s self-taught chef Steven, just back from double cataract surgery (“I can see the tickets again!”), overseeing a tiny kitchen whose clattering plates and passionate banter frequently cuts in over the opera soundtrack wafting through the dining room. “It’s just like Big Nighthere, an argument with my brother every night,” jokes Steven. “We can’t get it out of our blood.”
Porcini, 2048 Sansom St., on Nov. 29, 2022.Michael Klein / Staff
Whatever it is that propels these two siblings, now in their late 60s, to keep going — be it a pride in their Sicilian and Neapolitan heritage, their top-notch Caffè Motta espresso, or the pure love of hospitality — they’ve preserved the sense of warmth, handcraft, and quirky personality that first endeared this cozy nook to the city. At my recent visit, two handmade pastas were vivid reminders of Porcini’s homey charm.
Some of the airiest potato gnocchi I’ve eaten all year bobbed light as a feather in a bright San Marzano tomato sauce dabbed with creamy clouds of Claudio’s fresh mozzarella. My favorite, though, was paglia e fieno, a plate of hand-cranked green-and-white linguine meant to evoke the changing seasons of “straw” and “hay.” The two-toned noodle dish has been served multiple ways over the years here, but it seemed fitting that I was able to swirl those delicate pasta ribbons through a rich, tan-colored cream sauce infused with the restaurant’s namesake porcini mushrooms. Like the restaurant itself, this humble plate of browns and khaki greens was more about the satisfaction of good, handmade flavors than culinary flash or trends. Four decades later, this kitchen’s simple touch still resonates.
Two great new moves by Tara Finder at the Biscuit Lady’sPlymouth Meeting location: later hours on weekends (till 8 p.m. for dine-in or takeout) and a chicken biscuit sandwich that’s only available after 2:30 p.m.. The Maddie J is 5 ounces of crispy fried chicken juiciness, a slice of American cheese, and a swipe of house Buffalo sauce. There’s a huge crunch and a zingy kick, but keep your plate handy because the light, flaky biscuit can barely contain all that goodness. It’s the perfect late-day counterpoint to morning specialties, such as the smash burger with bacon, fried egg, and jalapeño pimento cheese (Don’t Go Bacon My Heart) and the cheesesteak riff with ribeye, Cooper sharp, egg, and onion (the Stella). The Biscuit Lady, 115 Plymouth Rd., Plymouth Meeting, 484-243-6957,visitthebiscuitlady.com
— Michael Klein
Three weekly specials from Royal Tavern’s July-only hot dog menu. From left: a fried Diamondback Dog wrapped in bacon with salsa and beans, an Old Bay Bomber topped with Old Bay macaroni salad and crab, and Barrel It Up The Bronx topped with onion sauce and brown mustard.Craig LaBan / Staff
Dog Days hot dog specials at Royal Tavern
If you grew up in a hot dog culture like I did, devouring every Coney I could find in metro Detroit, the snap of the natural casing on Royal Tavern’s bespoke wieners is a flashback revelation. The Bella Vista bar’s third annual Dog Days of Summer event is in full throttle through the end of July, and they’re not serving skinless franks — the industrial norm — here. The taut-yet-delicate resistance on these artisanal links unleashes a savory rush of meaty juice, the pureed pork-beef blend harboring a balanced soupçon of coriander, garlic, and applewood smoke.
Royal Tavern chef Nic Macri — whose butchery chops are still intact from his charcuterie run with La Divisa at Reading Terminal Market — began Dog Days two years ago as a labor of love to boost the bar’s typical summer doldrums. He ended up selling over 5,000 dogs that first July, then 7,000 in 2025, limiting it once again to the month due to the logistical challenge of transforming his small kitchen into a temporary frankfurter factory. This year, the restaurant aims to hit 10,000. To do so, Macri has turned to Happy Valley Meats to co-pack its proprietary recipe with responsibly-raised meats.
But the creative challenge is still considerable: Four new preparations are unveiled every Monday for five weeks, pairing different techniques (steamed, chargrilled, fried, griddled) with an array of flavor toppings. No modifications allowed. I was charmed by the Baltimore-themed picnic of a dog last week topped with Old Bay macaroni salad and a scoop of fresh crab. But the purist in me kept returning to the Bronx-inspired steamer topped with saucy onions and brown mustard that still allowed that quality link to shine. There will be new cast of dogs next week themed to the World Cup, then a final quad dog bracket to bring it home, culminating in all 24 returning July 31 to celebrate a month of memorable wiener studies. The chef insists it will then be time to return to the fall programming of burgers, smoked beef, and fish sandwiches, no matter how much I plead our case: If Macri hasn’t turned Philly into a true hot dog town by then, no one can.
Royal Tavern, 937 Passyunk Ave., 215-389-6694, royaltavern.com
— Craig LaBan
Loaded fries at El Sazón R.D., 1030 N. Second St.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Loaded fries at El Sazón R.D.
El Sazón R.D. in Northern Liberties only serves three things: smash burgers, empanadas, and fries — all with a Dominican twist. Luckily, it does them extremely well. The smash burgers have a crisp, lacy edge and come topped with queso de freir, a fried slab of slightly salty white cheese that elevates the sandwich from just a burger into something I’d wait in line for.
The limited menu’s true hero, however, are the loaded fries. The dish is a decadent play on salchipapas — a street food ubiquitous across Latin America that combines fries with cut-up hot dog links — that comes with cubes of queso de freir and two hefty drizzles of tangy mayo-ketchup. The franks are juicy enough that they pop in your mouth, while cubing and frying the white cheese basically renders them into delectable cheese curds. Beware, though: These fries are very heavy, a meal in and of themselves that I often have to follow up with a nap. El Sazón R.D., 1030 N. Second St., 917-920-1316, elsazon-rd.com
— Beatrice Forman
Gyu-don at Haha’s Kitchen, a food cart that typically parks at 471 N. Seventh St. in Spring Garden.Kiki Aranita /
Gyu-don at Haha’s Kitchen
When Shikoku, Japan, native Shiho Utsunomiya first came to Philadelphia in 2000 and tried a Philly cheesesteak, she exclaimed, “This is a gyu-don! Well, the meat is anyway.” Eighteen years later, she began serving a chipsteak-based gyu-don at her food truck, Haha’s Kitchen (“Haha” means “mother” in Japanese), which typically parks in Spring Garden. The $10 bowl has tremendously tender beef, laced through with sweet, slow-cooked onions and decorated with a neon pink crown of pickled ginger. Served over steamed kokuho rice, it’s decadent and filling, and perhaps one of the best lunch deals in town.
It’s also a marvel to watch Utsunomiya doing absolutely everything in the cart, from taking orders to preparing a large menu that encompasses American lunch standards like Italian sausage and hot dogs to chicken karaage, onigiri, and of course, this magnificent gyu-don. The best part of lunch may be witnessing how her cheerful but fierce independence comes to bear in the small kitchen. Utsunomiya worked at the now-closed Hikaru in between bearing and raising children, “but it’s very difficult to have kids and work in a restaurant kitchen,” she said. You should also grab one of the $3.50 tuna mayo onigiri for later. Generously sized and lovingly made, it tastes like a Japanese mother tucked it into your lunchbox. Haha’s Kitchen, 471 N. Seventh St., instagram.com/hahas_kitchen
I’ve been mesmerized by kibbeh nayyeh since my days as a teenage busboy at Phoenicia, the trailblazing Lebanese fine-dining destination just outside of Detroit in Birmingham, Mich. It was my first encounter with a dish that showcased raw meat — in this case, puréed raw lamb mixed with bulgur wheat and spices. And my determination to eat as much of it as possible while on extra-long breaks in the walk-in (instead of cleaning tables) was likely one reason I wasn’t a very good busboy. It did provide, however, one of the earliest sparks in my career as a curious eater. Now, I order it almost every chance I get.
But no kibbeh nayyeh has stopped me in my tracks and triggered a childhood flashback quite like the incredibly soft and vividly spiced version at Suraya. One of the first recipes taught to executive chef Nick Kennedy by Maude El-Harouny — the Lebanese mother of co-owners Roland Kassis and Nathalie Richan — before Suraya’s 2017 opening, it’s a picture of the classic dish at its best. Lean lamb loin is puréed to a silky smoothness before it’s blended with bulgur, puréed onions, jalapeños, and herbs — basil, marjoram, allspice, mint, and cinnamon — before getting shaped into a dimpled pink puck with deep divots for good olive oil.
The spreadable, pâté-like base itself is flavorful enough, but that peppery olive oil and the garnish piled on top, with sumac-dusted raw onions and basil and mint that deliver a contrast of juicy crunch and herbal freshness, elevates the dish overall to another level. One that’s powerful enough to remind me of my first transporting raw taste of kibbeh nayyeh several decades ago. Suraya, 1528 Frankford Ave., 215-302-1900, surayaphilly.com
— Craig LaBan
Omakase at Kissho House
Omakase experiences in Philadelphia run the boardfrom the $78 tasting at Yuhiro in Fishtown to the $355 extravaganza in the back room of James Beard Award-winning chef Jesse Ito’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya. How about one with ambition and value, priced down the middle?
For that, there’s chef Jeff Chen’s Edomae-style omakase at his 12-seat counter downstairs at Kissho House, which opened last year in a former Rittenhouse law office. Chen, a Hiroki alum, delivers the goods without gimmicks, from the appetizers (octopus, asari clams, and Japanese river crab) through the nigiri sequence, which caps off with a toro hand roll and clam soup, followed by strawberry monaka for dessert. Few $150 omakases include well-sourced ingredients (anago from Tsushima, akami from Spain, uni from Hokkaido), and creative bites like king salmon with dry tomato, truffle sauce, and roe in a spring roll shell, plus Wagyu with sea bream and caviar. Kissho House, 1522 Locust St., 610-332-7387, kisshohouse.com
— Michael Klein
The Bai Cha Sach Mon (chicken fried rice with chinese sausage) at Heng Seng Restaurant, 2217 S. Seventh St.Kiki Aranita / Staff
Chicken fried rice with Chinese sausage (Bai Cha Sach Mon) at Heng Seng Restaurant
I went to Heng Seng Restaurant in South Philly with a craving for Cambodian dry egg noodles. At $15 for a small portion, they hit the spot, bouncy and crinkled yet firm with a side of beef shank bone broth for dipping or sipping. But there was a sleeper hit: the $17 chicken fried rice (called bai cha sach mon in Khmer) with smoky, sweet lap cheong or Chinese sausage.
I usually think of fried rice as a little silly but also a little clever — an excellent way for a restaurant to use day-old rice, which makes for better fried rice than fresh rice. So when the platter landed in front of me, I was delighted but also a little perplexed. How could these slivers of chicken be so tender and flavorful? How could the individual grains of jasmine rice have such a lovely robust texture? Heng Seng’s dishes are heavily influenced by Teochew cuisine (Chinese Cambodians are primarily Teochew Chinese, originally from the Chaoshan region in eastern Guangdong) with its exceptionally earthy, savory fried rice. With a little bit of egg, scallion, and that sweet lap cheong seeping fat into the rice, this version is certainly worth seeking out. Heng Seng Restaurant, 2217 S. Seventh St., 215-755-5390, hengsengrestaurant.com
— Kiki Aranita
The chicken liver mousse at Royal Boucherie, 52 S. Second St.Beatrice Forman / Staff
Chicken liver mousse at Royal Boucherie
I’ve long considered chicken liver mousse the gateway drug to my beloved chopped liver. Its creamy texture and less polarizing flavor is a good stepping stone to the hard stuff — the chunkier, funkier, and less ritzy mounds of chopped liver behind the counter at most respectable Jewish delis. If it’s your first time eating spreadable liver, the mousse at Old City’s Royal Boucherie is perfect, a textbook example served in a cute little mason jar with crusty bread and cornichons on the side for dipping. Topped with a seasonal berry jam and flecks of flaky salt, the mousse has all the right flavors: a little sweet, a little earthy and rich without feeling heavy. I scraped the jar clean.
There’s something special about a thick, hand-rolled noodle. As part of its summer menu, Le Virtù’s ceppe — a chewy Abruzzese pasta shape that resembles a short and stout bucatini noodle — are made by hand and tossed in a bright squash blossom pesto. I later learned that ceppe gets its name from the wooden sticks or rods they mimic, a nice bit of pasta trivia I will stow away for quizzo. The hearty plate is topped with zucchini ragu, with a generous amount of the plant mixed throughout the dish, and mozzarella di bufala. It’s best enjoyed with a glass of wine on the restaurant’s beloved patio. Le Virtú, 1927 Passyunk Ave., 215-271-5626, levirtu.com
— Emily Bloch
Zhajiang Mian at Opera House, 112 N. Ninth St.Kiki Aranita / Staff
Zhajiang Mian at Opera House
It has taken me far too long to get to Opera House, which opened about a year ago in the former Rangoon space. Rangoon had been my favorite restaurant in Philly for years, and I was admittedly bitter about them no longer occupying that storefront on Ninth Street. Now, I’m very pleased to report that my bitterness has now been assuaged.
Opera House is bright, beautiful, sparkling clean, a visual ode to Chinese opera that specializes in Northern Chinese food. They do have some Cantonese items on the menu (that are just fine), but the real star of the show is their $14.95 zhajiang mian. Saucy, with lean ground pork and lots of slow-cooked onions, these noodles are a true celebration of handmade textures. They’re intentionally a little wonky from being hand-stretched — some parts are thinner than others — so they sop up the super umami-rich fermented soy sauce in interesting ways. Served with sides of cucumber and carrot matchsticks and roasted peanuts, it’s likely the best version of the dish I’ve had in Chinatown, and such a beautiful play on varying textures and temperatures. Opera House, 112 N. Ninth St., 267-639-2376, operahousephilly.com
— Kiki Aranita
The Girl Dinner cocktail, a clarified gin martini with a sidecar of gummy worms, at Angeloni’s Club Madrid in Atlantic City, N.J.Margaret Eby / Staff
Girl Dinner at Angeloni’s Club Madrid
Atlantic City is a weird and magical place, particularly for those of us who tend to visit in 24-hour increments. I made such a journey last weekend, and the highlight was finally getting to try Angeloni’s Club Madrid, the retro-styled Italian spot that opened in 2024 from the owner’s of the beloved Tony’s Baltimore Grill. Angeloni’s was everything I hoped it would be — part cozy dining experience, part lounge party. Case in point: a DJ somehow seamlessly incorporated Norah Jones into a dance-y set.
The menu included one of the best versions of cacio e pepe I’ve had in a long time. But the star of the show is the cocktail menu, which has interesting interpretations of classic cocktails, executed with both fidelity to the drink and total whimsy. My favorite was the Girl Dinner, a perfect dirty gin martini served with a blue-cheese stuffed olive and a sidecar of gummy worms. It shouldn’t work — blue cheese and gummy worms? — but it does. It has that kind of slightly off-kilter energy that a really fun party does, where things are always threatening to fly off the hinges but somehow stay just contained enough for a memorably good time. Angeloni’s Club Madrid, 2400 Arctic Ave., Atlantic City, N.J., clubmadridac.com
— Margaret Eby
Watermelon gazpacho at Cantina Feliz, Ambler.Michael Klein / Staff
Watermelon gazpacho at Cantina Feliz
I always look to July 4 as the unofficial start of watermelon season. This year, that feels especially fitting: Forecasters are calling for one of the hottest Independence Days Philadelphia has seen in nearly a quarter-century, making cold watermelon all the more appealing. That spirit comes through in this watermelon gazpacho from Cantina Feliz in Ambler, which leans savory rather than sweet. Cucumber amplifies the freshness, while finely diced red onion and chives add bite without overwhelming the fruit. A drizzle of verdant herb oil lends richness, and the accompanying shot of sherry gives it a nutty, tangy depth. It’s a refreshing summer starter that becomes more layered with every spoonful. Cantina Feliz, 111 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-646-1320, cantinafeliz.com
The good times roll at Khyber Pass Pub in Old City, where the menu of New Orleans-style comfort food includes a hearty share of vegan items. The chicken-style po’ boy, for example, delivers crispy, thinly breaded seitan while keeping the classic New Orleans formula intact. Served on a crackly Leidenheimer roll, it’s dressed with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, vegan mayo, and Creole mustard, delivering a satisfying mix of crunch, tang, and subtle heat. It’s a convincing plant-based rendition that feels like a true po’ boy, not a compromise. Khyber Pass Pub, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, khyberpasspub.com
— Michael Klein
Fried silverfish — a Cantonese delicacy that’s pretty similar to a French Fry — at Grand Palace, 600 Washington Ave. #3B.Kiki Aranita / Staff
Fried Silverfish at Grand Palace
Weekend dim sum at Grand Palace in South Philly’s Little Saigon is a party where the whole family (second cousins and all) is invited, so the party-sized portions of Cantonese delicacies deserve special attention. The rice-flour-battered and fried silverfish (also known as noodlefish or whitebait) are generously sized and hopelessly addictive. More delicious than any French fry — though similarly salty, crunchy, and thin — the tiny fish are lightly funky and just barely scented with jalapeños and scallions. I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. Grand Palace Restaurant, 600 Washington Ave. #3B, 215-645-0079, grandpalacechineserestaurant.com
— Kiki Aranita
An array of empanadas and a dulce de leche medialuna at Jezabel’s in West Philadelphia.Beatrice Forman / Staff
Empanadas and a dulce de leche medialuna at Jezabel’s
Empanadas are the main attraction at Jezabel Careaga’s eponymous West Philly cafe, where the open-concept kitchen feeds into a dining room that allows customers to watch bakers knead, shape, and pack the dough tight with fillings. The lineup is special, but simple: a stewed chicken empanada lightly seasoned with aji dulce; a vegetarian version stuffed with leeks and gooey white cheese; and a vegan version packed with a summery lentil and corn salad. Careaga’s empanadas are baked — not fried — and so light that it’s easy to snack on several in one sitting.
Even more excellent are the cafe’s medialunas, an Argentinian pastry that sits somewhere between brioche and a croissant. The dulce de leche version is ultra-decadent, its butter crescent-shaped layers peeling apart to reveal a core of caramel cream. When Careaga returns to Fitler Square with a second location — likely opening this fall, I’m told — it’ll still be empanadas and medialunas galaore. Thank goodness. Jezabel’s, 206-208 S. 45th St., 215-554-7380, jezabelsphl.com
“Tu Rinconcito” is Spanish for “your little corner.” The tiny 22-seater that bears this name in Old City is tucked into a sunny, brick-lined corner space on Third Street just north of Market, and could so easily be missed. That would be a mistake, especially if you love tacos.
The menu is fairly straightforward at this casual counter-service collaboration between chef Eugenio Guevara and his daughter, Elena. But the recipes — a blend of flavors from Eugenio’s native Puebla and his wife Ernestina Martinez’s hometown of San Luis Potosí — benefit from an unmistakable handmade touch. The tacos al pastor are a perfect example. The ribbons of pork are cooked on the plancha rather than a usual trompo spit, but remain incredibly juicy and tender. Ernestina’s vivid orange al pastor marinade is bright and zesty, with pineapple juice and guajillo chiles that spark against the micro crunch of minced raw onions and cilantro.
And as always with great tacos, details make all the difference. The succulent meat comes wrapped inside three house-pressed tortillas that are dainty but pliant and warm. Add a splash of the excellent and tangy salsa verde cruda or the earthy and herbaceous salsa rojo from the self-serve salsa bar, and the combo hits yet another level of magnetic force that is all this little corner needs to draw me back for more. Next time? Carnitas and a breakfast burrito. Tu Rinconcito, 17 N. Third St., 445-223-2733, turinconcitophilly.com
— Craig LaBan
The bibingka waffle at Manaong, 1833 Fairmount Ave.Kiki Aranita / Staff
Bibingka Waffle at Manong
Manong’s $11 bibingka waffle, available only on their newish brunch menu, is startlingly straightforward. You have a crispy, delicate waffle with a delightful chew — pulling it apart with your hands is particularly fun — topped with an enormous cloud of whipped cream. But just as the simplicity of the waffle’s appearance doesn’t prepare you for its eggy, rice flour texture, neither does gazing upon its accoutrements prepare you for their flavors. That cream cloud has salted egg yolk whipped into it, adding a lovely, savory balance to inherently sweet cream. The tiny pitcher of maple syrup is also spiked with spicy ginger for a sneaky kick. All the components come together beautifully. Manong, 1833 Fairmount Ave., 445-223-2141, manongphilly.com
— Kiki Aranita
Soft-shell crab at My Loup, 2005 Walnut St.Evan S. Benn / Staff
Soft-shell crab at My Loup
When the season turns from spring to summer, there’s a good chance that chef Alex Kemp will have a soft-shell crab dish on My Loup’s menu. In recent years, Kemp’s crab setup has included a highbrow riff on a BLT with roasted tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and bacon bits, and a supersimple version with Hollandaise sauce and caviar. The current plating puts a crispy crab under gem lettuce, spears of fresh asparagus, and a lemony-herby sauce. It’s a delight of contrasting textures and temperatures, and my annual reminder that summer is indeed here. My Loup, 2005 Walnut St., 267-239-5925, myloupphl.com
— Evan S. Benn
The patacón pintón at Puyero Venezuelan Flavors, which has locations on South Street and in University City.Beatrice Forman / Staff
Patacón Pintón at Puyero Venezuelan Flavors
If you’re not venturing beyond the arepas at Puyero Venezuelan Flavors, you’re doing it wrong. The casual Venezuelan restaurant with locations on South Street and in University City overstuffs the doughy cornmeal pocket tender beef and juicy roast pork, but the real magic is in everything else on the menu: buttery tequeños with cheese pulls that put even the best mozzarella sticks to shame, crispy tostones, and the patacón pintón, a sandwich that brings one of my favorite intrusive thoughts: What if maduros were bread?
The patacón pintón comes served on two giant pieces of caramelized sweet plantains piled high with shredded beef, black beans, and white cheese with a creamy green mayo. The maduros are surprisingly sturdy and add an extra dimension to an otherwise very salty — and heavy — sandwich. I think more sandwiches should come like this. Puyero Venezuelan Flavors, 524 S. Fourth St., 267-928-4584, puyeroflavor.com
