Food & Drink
Bangkok on chestnut
Highlights: Early Bird, lunch, and brunch specials ; Generous portions : Good for groups Drawbacks: Tacky ambience Price range: Sunday Brunch: $9.95 Early Bird Special: $9.95 Lunch Special: $7.95 Appetizers: $2.95-$6.95 Entrees: $7.95-$16.95 The area around 40th and Chestnut may seem like one giant construction site these days, but obscured by the scaffolding is one of the best deals in University City.
Mediterranean comfort
Highlights: Early Bird Special, Monday-Friday 5-7 p.m., buy one entree, get the second half-price BYOB Drawbacks: $12-$15 cab ride from campus Price ranges: Appetizers $5-$8 Entrees $14-$22 Despite its location in up-and-coming, though out-of-the-way Northern Liberties, those in the know flock to Aden.
Quick kaiseki kick
Highlights: Stephen Starr at reasonable prices; Speedy service Drawbacks: Limited vegetarian options Price range: Lunch menu: $12-$14 You might think that dining at a Stephen Starr restaurant, even for lunch, is all glitz and no real value.
Manifesto is red hot
Stephen Starr's newest Center City hot spot, Manifesto, is his most innovative dining concept to date.
Commie cuisine
Since the burly Stalin has clearly seen his fair share of meat and potatoes, Street was surprised to learn that his favorite food is a good bowl of borscht, that staple soup of Russian cuisine.
The comrade's killer cookies
In the communist world, everything is equal, right down to the baked goods. Sure, these cookies may sacrifice something to taste for the sake of their values--but hey, as long as they're evenly proportioned. From "In the Kitchen with Vlad" by Vladimir Lenin INGREDIENTS: 2 cups flour, sifted three times to ensure homogeneity 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups white sugar 2 cups butter, straight off the collectively run farm 2 cups eggs 2 cups baking soda 2 cups salt 2 cups pure vanilla extract 2 cups chocolate chips, melted Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
J'adore la bbq. et toi?
If there were any doubts on the legitimacy of "new American cuisine," let Chloe try to silence them.
Django in demand
Django is very in-demand right now, and one hears all sorts of horror stories about how long it takes to get a table.
Shake it up
Occupying the corner of 6th and Fitzwater, Salt & Pepper provides a welcome addition to the Sunday brunch scene.
Bottle of red, bottle of white
College Student's BYOB ritual: En route downtown, you make your cab pull over in front of Wine and Spirits at 41st and Market.
New and notable
Devil's Alley The burgers at this casual Center City bistro are generating buzz. Django This South Street gem has changed hands, it's now owned by West Philly's own Greg Salisbury, of Rx fame.
Not Bigalow
Time: Deuce runs happy hour Monday - Friday from 5 - 7 p.m. Drink: Happy hour specials are $1 drafts and $3 well drinks.
Greek Goddess
Step into Estia, and immediately escape the impending Philadelphia winter. This new addition to the Center City scene transports the diner from Locust Street straight to Greece.
Little plates with lots of love
The first thing that greets visitors upon entering Amada is a large cast-iron pig. Presiding over the establishment as a traditional Spanish symbol of luck, the auspicious hog is also a stand-in for a specific type of Iberian ham, which cannot be legally imported into the U.S.
Sipping in saigon
Time: While there is no set happy hour, Bar Saigon is open Friday and Saturday from 5- 10 p.m. Drink: The drinks in Bar Saigon are suitably gimmicky.
Malaysian heat
Chinatown's culinary star is found just beyond its arched gateway. Penang, a Malaysian metallic wonderland, is the perfect spot for the young and adventurous to have a fantastic meal. The vaulted ceilings and exposed metal pipes are celebrated, not obscured, by the emphasis on silver in its decor.
Chef Poon shows his stuff
It's not often that one sits down to an extravagant four-course meal in a master chef's kitchen, but this is just one of many unique elements about Chef Poon's Kitchen Table.
Dim sum and then some
You might feel a little overwhelmed walking into Joy Tsin Lau early on a Sunday morning when you're not quite sober or awake.
The lure of Lore's
Chocolate and coffee smells wafted onto the sidewalk as I stood before Lore's. I chose the door to the left and entered a small, cozy shop decorated with vintage posters, where offerings included all the caffeinated basics and a few baked goods.
