PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia has long been recognized for its underdog spirit. It's where strangers in bars talk you into taking shots, and servers befriend you before they serve you your sandwich. Despite a reputation for the humble (and often unaffordable) cheesesteak, the city's restaurant scene is brimming with more sophisticated and exciting cuisine than you might expect.
Philly may be best known for its cheesesteaks and hoagies, but Philadelphia is an unparalleled culinary powerhouse with an expansive restaurant ecosystem that showcases residents' diverse food heritage. Lower prices and fresh energy have enabled chefs and restaurateurs to experiment with new concepts that reinvent classic cuisine while adding global influences.
Philly was honored to earn three James Beard Awards nominations this year - no small feat considering its prominence and recent growth! Yet even with all this praise and recognition, some might assume Philadelphia's dining scene remains relatively sleepy.
But that doesn't stop this city's culinary momentum from building. Newly opened restaurants are showing that there are numerous reasons to make it your next dining destination, whether that means looking for elegant date night spots with cozy booths and chandeliers or a place with indoor palm trees where cocktails can be consumed while gazing upon its towering skyline.
It's a foodie city in every sense of the word. For example, the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Fiore serves dishes that could be served at high-end fine-dining establishments in other parts of the country. The same could be said of the Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park. This spot doesn't fit a traditional restaurant profile. Still, it offers a taste of Philly's affluent immigrant communities and a feast of street-food fares like fried bananas and skewered chicken wings.
Philadelphia's food scene is more vibrant than it might seem initially. It's not just a cheesesteak and a soft pretzel here, as many would have you believe; it's a fusion of dozens of cuisines that have shaped the city into what it is today.
The best restaurants in Philly are rooted in the city's storied past but also influenced by its dynamic present. Here are eight reasons why this city is the best restaurant city in America.
