{"id":336342,"date":"2025-10-27T15:51:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/336342\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T15:51:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:51:27","slug":"i-worked-as-a-chef-in-philadelphia-here-are-the-10-restaurants-i-always-recommend-to-first-time-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/336342\/","title":{"rendered":"I worked as a chef in Philadelphia. Here are the 10 restaurants I always recommend to first-time visitors."},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I&#8217;m a Philadelphia native who used to work as a chef and baker in restaurants throughout the city.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Philly has great Thai, Italian, and Mexican food at places like Fiorella and Gabriella&#8217;s Vietnam.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">No Philly trip is complete without fries from Monk&#8217;s Cafe and a hoagie from Middle Child.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After spending several years working as a chef and baker in various Philadelphia restaurants, I&#8217;ve been exposed to quite a few of the best spots in town.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I&#8217;ve learned so much about the city&#8217;s dining scene that I&#8217;ve become my friends&#8217; unofficial restaurant finder. So, I compiled a list of the places I recommend over and over again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">There are too many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/best-places-to-eat-in-philadelphia-according-to-a-local-2021-8?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:restaurants in Philadelphia;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">restaurants in Philadelphia<\/a> worth trying to list them all here. (I didn&#8217;t include any cheesesteaks on this list since I&#8217;m not a huge fan of them, a fact that feels sacrilegious to admit as a Philly native.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, these restaurants are my tried-and-true favorites that every first-time visitor should try during a <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/philadelphia-things-to-know-before-visiting-tourist-tips-from-local-2025-10?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:trip to Philadelphia;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">trip to Philadelphia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>South Philly Barbacoa lives up to its reputation as the Mexican restaurant with the best tacos in Philadelphia<\/strong><img alt=\"South Philly Barbacoa plate of tacos\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/eae085c56fc119f637e85f2f49a4806c.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The famous barbacoa tacos with consomme and a sweet tamale.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you can only eat one meal in Philly, it should be at South Philly Barbacoa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Located in the Italian Market, it&#8217;s not exactly a secret spot. The chef and owner, Cristina Mart\u00ednez, was featured on season five of Netflix&#8217;s &#8220;Chef&#8217;s Table&#8221; and won the James Beard Award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region in 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">South Philly Barbacoa is one of the few places where the hype is very, very real, and I consider the tacos the best in the city. The cash-only restaurant has limited hours, but it&#8217;s worth the effort to get there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Order the barbacoa tacos. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/best-and-worst-things-to-eat-at-mexican-restaurants-2020-2?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:consomm\u00e9\u00a0with chickpeas and rice;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">consomm\u00e9\u00a0with chickpeas and rice<\/a> is also not to be missed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After your meal, explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/best-things-to-do-philadelphia-pennsylvania-according-to-local-2021-6?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Italian Market;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Italian Market<\/a>, browse the shelves at Molly&#8217;s Books and Records, or grab a beer at the DiBruno Bros. Bottle Shop up the street.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blue Corn, another Mexican restaurant in the Italian Market, is perfect for a laid-back group outing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Another Italian Market stalwart, Blue Corn is a Mexican restaurant that&#8217;s great for a group outing, especially in the summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sit on the sidewalk, order a margarita the size of your head, and split the whole grilled-fish entr\u00e9e with your crew.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When you&#8217;re done, walk down to Rim Cafe for some gelato to cap off an ideal summer evening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Middle Child is known for its hoagies, and no trip to Philly is complete without one<\/strong><img alt=\"phoagie from middle child in philly\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"727\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/e4d70e35186510f5a707de8246b56d83.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Phoagie from Middle Child enjoyed in Washington Square.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Philadelphia hoagie \u2014 a sandwich on a long Italian roll that&#8217;s typically packed with meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces \u2014 is a staple in this city. We know it, we love it, and we&#8217;re all very proud of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">You can&#8217;t come to Philly and not get a hoagie, and <a href=\"https:\/\/middlechildphilly.com\/menu\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Middle Child;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Middle Child<\/a> has long been making some of the best.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The restaurant&#8217;s Phoagie, a vegetarian bahn mi-style sandwich, is one of my favorites, but its turkey club with housemade pickles and cranberry-miso mayo is pretty unbeatable, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Middle Child also serves breakfast sandwiches until 11 a.m., though I&#8217;ve never made it downtown early enough to snag one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When you&#8217;re done, walk over to Dirty Franks, a cash-only bar with a long-standing rotation of regulars that always makes for an entertaining evening. One of them might even ask you to play a game of Scrabble.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You can&#8217;t go wrong ordering from the menu at Gabriella&#8217;s Vietnam\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I&#8217;ve sent so many friends to <a href=\"https:\/\/gabriellasvietnam.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Gabriella&#039;s Vietnam;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Gabriella&#8217;s Vietnam<\/a> that I&#8217;m starting to feel like its unofficial publicist. Just go into the meal with an empty stomach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you&#8217;re not sure what to get, order some of the heavy hitters like water-fern dumplings, savory crepes, shaken beef, and catfish hot pot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Gabriella&#8217;s Vietnam is another BYOB joint, so bring something light, crisp, and refreshing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Terakawa Ramen is my go-to stop during cold Philadelphia winters<\/strong><img alt=\"writer's friend eating ramen at terakawa in philly\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7c53e716121d40718058eff650068156.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ramen at Terakawa.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you come to Philly in the winter, take yourself to Terakawa Ramen in Chinatown. In my opinion, it&#8217;s the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/ways-to-make-ramen-taste-good-according-to-chefs?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:best ramen;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">best ramen<\/a> in the city, and it always helps thaw my cold fingers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I&#8217;m partial to the tan tan ramen and order it whenever I&#8217;m sick, but pretty much everything I&#8217;ve ordered from here is good. The pork onigiri is also a must-order, and it&#8217;s only a few bucks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Be warned that there may be long waits on weekend nights. If the line is too long, there are plenty of options in the surrounding blocks of Chinatown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Walk around the corner for dim sum at Tom&#8217;s, Szechuan at EMei, or hot pot at Nine Ting. Or, head to Terakawa&#8217;s other location in University City, which I&#8217;ve found is usually less crowded.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sky Cafe is an unassuming Indonesian restaurant with incredible food<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skycafephilly.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sky Cafe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Sky Cafe<\/a> is an Indonesian restaurant off Washington Avenue, and the only reason I describe it as unassuming is that you may initially have trouble spotting it in the strip mall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, the food is incredible. Bring a crowd that&#8217;s prepared to share, because the more people you come with, the more dishes you get to try. And you&#8217;ll want to try everything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you&#8217;ve never had Indonesian food before, don&#8217;t worry \u2014 the menu is covered with pictures of the dishes. If you&#8217;re still unsure, the staff can help point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kalaya Thai Kitchen doesn&#8217;t shy away from using real spices<\/strong><img alt=\"thai meal at Kalaya in philly\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"685\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0b86e9329613ec876e81768359a0d77c.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Medley of Thai delights at Kalaya.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kalaya.net\/kalaya-thai-kitchen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kalaya Thai Kitchen;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Kalaya Thai Kitchen<\/a> is so good and popular that it&#8217;s moved from its tiny spot in the Italian Market to a much larger location in Fishtown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Owner Chutatip &#8220;Nok&#8221; Suntaron makes authentic Thai food, and it&#8217;s a far cry from the regular takeout fare many Americans are used to. The restaurant uses ingredients you may never have tried before, and some dishes have spice levels that aren&#8217;t for the faint of heart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In my opinion, it serves some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/the-best-and-worst-foods-to-order-at-thai-restaurants?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:best Thai food in the country;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">best Thai food in the country<\/a>. Not only will you walk away feeling stuffed, but also you&#8217;ll leave with an entirely new understanding of Thai cuisine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Royal Sushi &amp; Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant with an omakase sushi bar in the back\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Whenever a friend visits Philadelphia, I suggest we go to <a href=\"http:\/\/royalsushiandizakaya.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Royal Sushi &amp; Izakaya;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Royal Sushi &amp; Izakaya<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Chef Jesse Ito owns the Japanese joint, which has a reservation-only omakase bar in the back. The front bar and dining area fill up on a first-come, first-served basis and are arguably even more fun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Choose from a wide selection of Izakaya-style small plates, order a fun cocktail, and sit back for some great people-watching. Whatever you do, don&#8217;t skip the fried chicken wings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monk&#8217;s Cafe is a beloved Philadelphia establishment with standout french fries<\/strong><img alt=\"exterior of monk's cafe in philly, neon sign out front\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6aaf4c6cc756861b0ca3f30cfb7a5e58.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Monk&#8217;s Cafe.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Monk&#8217;s Cafe near Rittenhouse Square has seemingly been around forever (my dad used to go to the Belgian spot back in the day). You&#8217;d be hard-pressed to find a Philadelphian who doesn&#8217;t like it there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It&#8217;s appropriate for almost any occasion. I&#8217;ve killed an hour there by myself, joined friends for post-work drinks, and gone with my partner&#8217;s family on a Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A bar with an impressive beer list, Monk&#8217;s Cafe also serves some of my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/everything-you-have-to-eat-in-philadelphia-according-to-a-local?utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:favorite french fries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">favorite french fries<\/a> in the city, which you can order on their own \u2014 I&#8217;ve eaten an entire basket myself \u2014 or as a side to a towering bucket of mussels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">With dark wood paneling, long smooth booths, and an endless list of beers on tap, Monk&#8217;s Cafe is the kind of place you can easily sit for hours.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fiorella is a quaint pasta bar in the Italian Market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Fiorella is a tiny pasta restaurant owned by Marc Vetri \u2014 a James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, and it&#8217;s one of my favorite restaurants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It&#8217;s great on a cold winter night. On one visit, my friend and I sat at the bar, ordered cacio e pepe and sausage rag\u00f9, talked for hours over our glasses of wine, and finished the meal with olive-oil cake. It was perfect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you&#8217;re hoping to visit Fiorella, plan ahead and don&#8217;t bring a crowd. There are only a handful of tables and bar seats, so I suggest you make a reservation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Middle Child is known for its hoagies, and no trip to Philly is complete without one<\/strong><img alt=\"phoagie from middle child in philly\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"727\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/e4d70e35186510f5a707de8246b56d83.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Phoagie from Middle Child enjoyed in Washington Square.Grace Kennedy<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Philadelphia hoagie \u2014 a sandwich on a long Italian roll that&#8217;s typically packed with meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces \u2014 is a staple in this city. We know it, we love it, and we&#8217;re all very proud of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">You can&#8217;t come to Philly and not get a hoagie, and <a href=\"https:\/\/middlechildphilly.com\/menu\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Middle Child;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Middle Child<\/a> has long been making some of the best.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The restaurant&#8217;s Phoagie, a vegetarian bahn mi-style sandwich, is one of my favorites, but its turkey club with housemade pickles and cranberry-miso mayo is pretty unbeatable, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Middle Child also serves breakfast sandwiches until 11 a.m., though I&#8217;ve never made it downtown early enough to snag one.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When you&#8217;re done, walk over to Dirty Franks, a cash-only bar with a long-standing rotation of regulars that always makes for an entertaining evening. One of them might even ask you to play a game of Scrabble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This story was originally published on January 28, 2023, and most recently updated on October 27, 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/where-to-eat-philadelphia-trip-local-chef-reccomendations\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Business Insider;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Business Insider<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m a Philadelphia native who used to work as a chef and baker in restaurants throughout the city.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":336343,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5132],"tags":[5229,9065,166414,1448,2830,1311,166415,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-336342","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-mexican-food","10":"tag-monks-cafe","11":"tag-pa","12":"tag-pennsylvania","13":"tag-philadelphia","14":"tag-the-italian-market","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115446932740258641","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336342\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}