With over 100 contributing chefs from the best dining cities in the country, Chefs Feed is a restaurant guide full of good taste. Our contributing chefs are the cream of the crop, chosen discriminately by the Chefs Feed editorial team for their contributions to the culinary world.
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One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"I'm obsessed with the noodles at this Chinatown hole-in-the-wall. Sit toward the back to watch the chef stretch your noodles to order. I like soup with a side of the really fresh and surprisingly good yu choy in oyster sauce."
Matyson
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"I can't put down this bowl. I won't put this bowl down. The thick noodles tossed with minced pork and chili oil at Han Dynasty assaults every bit of your palate and leaves you wanting more."
Kennett
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"I crave these after a late night at work. They are just awesome, and I love the sauce. It’s a really satisfying combination—the crispy, hot spring rolls and the cool, tangy sauce."
Blackfish, Ela, Mica
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This no frills eatery serves up high-quality dumplings. We love how the gently steamed juicy buns explode in your mouth. This is wonton soup's more noble cousin, where the delicate wrapper holds not only the pork but also the hot broth, for an (almost) more-than-a-mouthful delight."
Koo Zee Doo
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"The swordfish meatballs at Amis are the essence of the sea, providing a surprising explosion of flavor in such a small package. The moistness, the saltiness (I believe it's anchovy) and the occasional crunch of the pine nuts constantly surprise me with layers of flavor. "
Ladder 15
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Yakitori Boy is Philly's only yakitori place, unfortunately. It's pretty modern inside—young vibe, typical beer selection—but the crispy chicken skin on a skewer is amazing. Be sure to ask the server for it well-done, or else it tends to not be crispy enough."
Mémé
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"The goat tacos from the always-mobbed Cantina are the most flavorful tacos that I've eaten anywhere. The goat is cooked so well that the juices drip down your arm while you are eating."
Di Bruno Bros. (Italian Market, Center City, Ardmore)
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This sandwich from this South Philly corner deli is my one concession to Philadelphia's herds of mooing vegetarians. Broccoli rabe sautéed with garlic, eggplant roasted with red sauce, roasted red peppers and coarsely ground provolone cheese stacked in a seeded Sarcone's roll is last-meal worthy."
Federal Donuts
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Tender and crisp at the same time with the perfect amount of char, you can't go wrong with any of the pies at Stephen Starr's rowdy pizzeria. My favorite is the Piccante, with hot capicola and sharp provolone layered on crushed tomatoes and lit with red pepper."
Cochon
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This salumi platter is amazing, and it starts with great pigs from one of my favorite farms, Green Meadow. All of it (coppa, duck, prosciutto, etc.) is made in-house with a ton of skill and knowledge. Any salumi Le Virtù is offering is great, so get it all."
Stateside
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Accented with potato, cured lemon and chive, I love this octopus at Osteria because it has just the right texture: not too chewy or rubbery, but just right and done to perfection on the grill. "
Georges, Le Bec-Fin, Mia, Table 31, The Art of Bread
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"There are tons of places to get soft pretzels in the city, but none are as fresh and delicious as the ones in Reading Terminal. They come out nice and hot, and then you get to sink your teeth in right away. Add a little brown mustard on top and it's perfect."
Cuba Libre
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This sandwich from Northern Liberties barbecue El Camino Real is so sick it might kill you: house-smoked pulled pork in sweet barbecue sauce, topped with mac 'n' cheese, and bacon bread crumbs on a Cacia roll."
Han Dynasty
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"I love Pub & Kitchen's burger. It's made with La Frieda beef, whose dry-aged flavor you can taste through the patty, and topped with caramelized onions and bone marrow butter. The Hudson Bakery brioche bun completes it."
Pumpkin BYOB
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"FedNuts comes from one of the best chefs in the city, Michael Solomonov, and it’s awesome. In the morning, go for the donuts and coffee, but after 11, they serve the crispiest chicken in the universe. The Middle Eastern za’atar-spiced version has lead me astray from my former path to Popeyes."
Ela
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Being from New England, it's hard to find a perfect lobster roll in Philly. But Oyster house does the traditional sandwich right, with just the right amount of mayo and a top-split white bun."
Alla Spina, Amis, Osteria
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"I can never decide between the steamed and fried pork dumplings at this Chinatown mainstay, so I always just get an order of both. They come with amazing ginger oil that I add just a little hot sauce to."
Formerly of 10 Arts
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"The many crispy and chewy layers of dough, salty pepperoni and soft mozzarella from this noisy neighborhood bar and cafe always satisfy our after-work, late-night cravings. With a nice cold beer, you can't beat this stromboli."
Belle Cakery, Fond
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Dirty, tiny, sweaty, this place is a hole-in-the-wall, but it smells amazing! There's usually a line around the side of the building, because everyone knows that the only place to get a roast pork sandwich in South Philly is John's. There's a reason why this lunch spot has a James Beard Award."
The Corner
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"All the food is well-made at this fast, casual Korean cafe. Save the bibimbop, a rice dish served in a sizzling stone bowl, for a cold, snowy day. It's best topped with beef."
Pub & Kitchen, The Diving Horse
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This Indian restaurant in West Philly serves the most succulent pieces of lamb shoulder in its vindaloo. The curry is nicely spiced according to your own specifications, but I always order it hot."
Garces Restaurant Group (Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Chifa, Village Whiskey, Garces Trading Company, JG Domestic)
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This platter from Vietnam Restaurant, a Chinatown icon, feeds two to three. The highlights are the stuffed grape leaves, fresh, crisp pickles and charred meatballs rolled into rice paper wraps with tons of fresh mint."
The Farm and the Fisherman
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Served with juicy grape chutney, salty cornichons and buttery toasted brioche, the parfait of chicken and duck liver mousses at Stephen Starr's British-inspired pub The Dandelion is the ultimate luxury. In my opinion, no other restaurant has anything like it."
SBRAGA
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This is a no-nonsense burger: hand-chopped and twice-ground grass-fed, grain finished Maine beef, Bibb lettuce, tomato, Thousand Island dressing and a soft house-based sesame seed bun."
Alla Spina (coming soon), Amis, Osteria, Vetri
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"This roaring pho parlor in Wing What Plaza is the chefs' favorite spot for Vietnamese noodle soup. The broth is flavorful, and the eye round sliced super thin. I add Thai basil, chiles, lemon and bean sprouts. What could be better? Maybe ending with the Vietnamese coffee!"
Barbuzzo, Grocery, Jamonera, Lolita
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"The salt-baked triple at this Chinatown hole-in-the-wall features shrimp, scallops and squid, fried until delightfully crispy and garnished with chillies and scallions. Salty, crispy-fried goodness."
Cafe Estelle
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Chink's cheesesteaks on Torresdale Avenue in Wissanoming are the best. That Whiz wit' and an extra thick black-and-white shake is my go-to, if you don't mind stinking like cheesesteak grease when you leave."
Formerly of Adsum
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"El Zarape is strategically located three blocks away from my house and is one of the best places to get tacos al pastor in the city. Pineapple seasoned pork on Sunday morning = breakfast of champions."
Federal Donuts, Percy Street Barbecue, Zahav
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"My sous chef and I usually visit this Chinatown spot for drinks after Saturday night service, and we love the scallops. Jade Harbor serves the mollusks in the shell with brûlée'd mayonnaise on top. Who knew hot mayo could be so good?"
Fish
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"At this iconic deli, everything tastes like it should, and all the food comes in the traditional comic, oversized portions. The chopped liver is folded with schmaltz (chicken fat), gribenes (fried onions) and chopped hard-cooked egg. Lather it on the house-baked rye and roll your eyes into the back of your skull."
Supper
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Every time I go to El Jarocho, I swear I'm going to try something different, but I'm way too enamored by the tacos, particularly the carnitas and spicy chorizo. With meat so succulent that the juices dribble down your chin, and corn tortillas loaded with cilantro, onions, and lime, this is authentic Mexican that satisfies this gringo's craving."
Fish
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"It's rare to find something so exquisite at such a casual spot. The richness that comes off the crispy duck leg makes it almost taste like bacon, and the acidity from the salad's orange and goat cheese balances it out."
Modo Mio, Monsu, Paesano’s (Notherm Liberties, South Philly)
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Like a real poor man's lobster roll, this "hot dog" is served on a soft Martin's potato bun. The link is stuffed with scallops, shrimp and sometimes skate, making each bite sweet and flaky. It's shocking how addictively good it is."
Bistrot La Minette
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Made from the scraps of Fond's seared foie gras appetizer puréed with brandy and cream, this soup is just amazing. The flavor and texture are so superb I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Bibou
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Maybe I have a soft spot for Nomad because they took the space of our old restaurant, Horizons, but really, their margherita is the pie that everyone is talking about now, and for good reason. It's simply perfect."
Vedge
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"One of the best breakfasts or lunches you can get in Philly for under $10. Squid, shrimp, and crab all float around in the rice porridge, topped with fried shallots and scallions. I add a little chili oil into the mix. It's a dish I've eaten over 30 times and it never disappoints."
American Sardine Bar, South Philadelphia Tap Room
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"Delicate, smooth, perfectly balanced. The brown butter sage sauce is a perfect foil for the strength of the spinach. The thin, scattered shaving of cheese lends saltiness and a bit of texture. Perfection."
Capogiro Gelato
One of my Top-5 Favorite Dishes
"The Vetri roll at Zama features crunchy eel, scallion, cucumbers, shiso, truffled eel glaze and bruleed uni sauces. Decadent and perfect to impress someone."
Tashan