The Philadelphia food cheat sheet
The dish to eat
Thin-shaved ribeye griddled with onions, folded with melted cheese (Whiz, provolone or American) into a long roll.
Best at Dalessandro's Steaks, Henry Avenue, Roxborough. Get: Cheesesteak wit, with American, and hot peppers from the jar
Five places, and what to order
- Tommy DiNic'smarket · Reading Terminal MarketGet: Italian-style pulled roast pork with broccoli rabe, provolone and long hots
- Pat's King of Steaksclassic · South PhillyGet: Cheesesteak, wit or without onions, with whiz or provolone
- Geno's Steaksclassic · South PhillyGet: Cheesesteak
- Paesano'sfor roast pork sandwich · Italian MarketGet: The Arista with pork, provolone, rabe
- Ricci'sfor hoagie · Passyunk SquareGet: Old Fashioned Italian
The market
Food hall. Roast pork and cheesesteaks, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels and scrapple, Thai, seafood…
The line worth it
Get: Roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe
Expect: 20 to 40 min at lunch. Beat it: Go before 11am.
In season this November
Tomato pie at Iannelli's Brick Oven Bakery · Scrapple
How it works here
Tip: Tip 18-22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at the bar.
Book: Book the hot places on Resy or OpenTable, often the day tables drop (2-4 weeks out); counters and slices are walk-in.
When locals eat: Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6-9pm; it gets late only in the big cities.