philly!! having recently moved to nyc (which has its own great food), i can safely say that i miss the eating in philly SO SO much. and there are wonderful farmers' markets and reasonably-priced special stores too. so cooking was a ton of fun, and to me, the availability of quality ingredients is as important as being able to eat out somewhere

ya caracas isnt my favorite either- i much prefer arepas cafe in astoria

also dim sum- if youll be in flushing, id do that

i also second this suggestion- nyc has some pretty awesome delis, and you just dont find those in philly

i live across the street and waits are insane- with so many good places nearby, i dont know why anyone would bother

the food isnt good enough to justify the no-res policy and the deafening sounds. it's pleasant enough in the summer when you can sit outside and enjoy spruce street- but theres no way id go now

http://www.neilssharpeningservice.com...

the website lists a few locations where his services are offered

+3 for komali- i loved the habanero margarita but didnt really think the komali margarita was that great. thought the food was excellent tho- i went a few months ago but remember the ceviche being wonderful (big portion that'd be good for sharing). my family really liked the mole, but i dont remember much about it. didnt try any of the tex mex stuff as i dont like it usually. they also had a special dessert, which was awesome. i think it was just ice cream- but it was really good!

where'd you end up for your bday dinner?

i would just grate off the quantity you need if you want to keep it frozen

LPD is great! i much prefer that to metro bakery- and i live one block away from metro. i just find their service to be a bit too terse for my liking.

there's also miel patisserie on 17th (and locust, i think) but i prefer LPD. im happy grabbing a coffee and some macarons at LPD and heading into the park.

if youre in the mood for something a bit heartier, theres always spread bagelry at 20th and locust- ppl love the montreal bagels- i think this place is overrated and prefer to spend less than $7 for my bkfast sandwiches but spread does have its fans (as evidenced by the long lines on saturday and sunday mornings)

yup i think that's right too

not sure if it is at all what youre looking for, but i love han dynasty

and i havent been to chloe in ages, but i always enjoyed it when i went

if you want to avoid breakfast-y foods for brunch, id suggest la petite dauphine (esp if you liked parc) or kanella. both are byob- so no wine list, but you can pick up some good wine at the wine store instead garces trading company (11th and locust) or at one of the other state wine stores

thanks! ill def check this place out- i live nearby but never pass this block so i didnt even know a place like this was in the works

i wish they were open earlier/later- yelp says the hours at 12 to 6 but reviews also indicate that theres some sort of summer happy hour between 8 and close- so im hoping they stay open until 9ish

one of my faves is the frozen eggplant parm- i bake mine, but if you do so, make sure to heat up the oven to 400 degrees (or more)- at 350, my eggplant was very soggy

i have not been back to chick's since it changed concepts but want to- some of my friends have been recently (like in the past few weeks) and report that it's still good

i really like chick's at 7th and kater (right off of south). been a few months since ive been, but i remember the cocktails being excellent. lot of very classic stuff- i especially enjoyed my sazerac

there's also tapestry in the old adsum space- large beer list too and more cocktails than chick's- and southwark on 4th and bainbridge- i believe southwark is the only one among these three that serves desserts, but i dont know how good they are

beau monde at 6th and bainbridge would be a good choice for some dessert crepes and coffee.

+1 for ranstead or franklin mortgage.

i'd also suggest farmer's cabinet on 11th and walnut if the OP wants something closer to zahav.

separate bars for beer and cocktails- i think the food and beer (yes, i know it's rare beer, but still) is seriously overpriced, but the liquor is great. the cocktails ive had have been interesting and were made well.

i like the OH, but as buckethead mentions above, katie loeb is no longer there, so i dont think it's worth a trip

+1 to buckethead's favorites

- Three Cup Chicken is not spicy at all- i would omit these and go with the pea leaves myself, but others love this dish so i always end up getting it
- dry cooked fish
- Pea Leaves w/ Garlic - also not spicy and good if you want some greens

mama's vegetarian at 20th and market is pretty awesome too

i had a lovely brunch here this morning- i had the rooibos tea, which came out in a large pot, as i waited for my companion to arrive.

i had the crab and avocado salad, and my friend got the salad nicoise. both were very nice- simple, but prepared well. the portions were large enough, although i didnt feel stuffed at all.

they were out of the chilled foie gras terrine, chevre and wild mushroom tart. and quiche du jardinere- apparently an especially large brunch party this morning cleaned them out of those items. unfortunate bc i would have ordered the tart or quiche for sure- another reason to return

unfortunately, we were never given the breakfast menu, despite asking for it twice, so we didnt order one of the omelettes or toast, which looked wonderful. service was definitely a little scatter-brained, but they were very friendly and clearly meant well.

they were happy to let us linger, and consequently, we were at brunch for almost 2.5hours. pacing of the meal was quite relaxed, which is something i miss about being in france. i strongly dislike rushed meals. i much prefer being left alone and having to request the check when we want to go to them pushing me along.

saw some gorgeous desserts on our way out- we will be back for sure

i was expecting a glorified coffee shop, but this place was definitely a restaurant. casual though, despite the white linens and stark (modernist?) decor. when i arrived, some people were hanging out doing work. they left when things got a bit busier around 12 30ish.

http://www.sweetfreedombakery.com/ sweet freedom bakery in philly is fantastic! it's vegan and also gluten-free

hm but isnt there a fair amount of local produce already?

the amuse we had last night involved zucchini w baba ganoush and kashkaval cheese- i hope that makes it onto the menu bc it was delicious and meat-free

the fried cauliflower and haloumi have both been mentioned, and they're terrific- the beet salad is also good, as is the watermelon salad, which i had last night but dont see on the menu.

i really enjoyed the only 2 fish dishes on the menu: the branzino skewer and hamachi crudo

barry's right- there used to be other veg/fish dishes on the menu, but those are now gone- sad bc those were among my favorites. surprised theyre not on the menu

would kanella be an option? idk if it's ethnic enough for you, and it can get kind of crowded just because of where it is, but i still think it's a great place

i would like to try 943 (argentine and italian food) in the italian market, despite hearing some bad reviews of the service

koo zee doo in northern liberties might also work for you

same- i went a few years ago and havent felt a desire to go back. food was mediocre at best and overpriced

given all the great options, i wouldnt go here unless youre being forced to do so

doobies is a really divey bar but the beers are awesome- food is not tho so dont plan on that

small place but its rarely ever crowded and they always let us change the tv channel to whatever i want

i havent had the same luck at brahaus...or at any other bar actually

this is at 22nd and lombard, so you could check out p+k at 20th and lombard before heading over

that sounds way better than any takeout option!

i like su xing house at 15th and sansom for chinese food. it is vegetarian chinese food- not sure if thats a deterrent for you. i always pick food up so i dont know how reliable/fast their delivery is, but they do deliver. ive heard that the fried items (sesame tofu, etc) dont travel well but ive never had any problems

no cocktails but an awesome beer and wine list at tria.

you can get cocktails at farmers cabinet (11th and walnut) too, which isnt that far from vetri.

i much prefer farmers cabinet to valanni (i agree with deprofundis's assessment of the atmosphere). id go to tria over either if i just want a drink and not necessarily a cocktail

+1 on kanella. i personally love the kedgeree (spiced rice mixed with house smoked fish
and boiled eggs served with yogurt) bc it's so different and delicious, but as buckethead said, pretty much anything you get will be good. i thought the puff pastry bread served with the malohwa is a bit too greasy and heavy, but thats my only complaint

never been to estia or talulah's garden