Black Sheep Pub, The Cooperage, and Khyber Pass Pub in Philly.

Though not really a gastropub, Jones has excellent mac & cheese, too.

Just as a follow-up, I wasn't sure what time they started towing on Chestnut, but turns out it's 7PM sharp. :-(

Beau Monde creperie is always a perfect spot for brunch. We have also been enjoying the Twisted Tail, where they have fabulous chicken and waffles, ricotta pancakes, and bacon with remarkably deep, smoky flavor.

These places are a bit outside of Center City, in Queen Village and Headhouse Square respectively, but they are not a long cab ride away from the Bellevue. And if you enjoy walking off your brunch, the trip back through Society Hill/Washington Square is beautiful.

I'm sure you already know this by now, but avoid parking on the 100 block of Chestnut in particular when visiting Han Dynasty or other Old City restaurants. Parking is allowed up to a certain time of the evening, but after that (and probably while you are enjoying your meal), it becomes a tow zone!

I live about a block away, and as far as I know there hasn't been any word about what will go in there next.

I imagine the rent is very high, so it might have to be another chain-type place that moves in.

Molly Malloy's -- which replaced the beer garden -- is a nice spot for sit-down lunch. The burgers are fantastic.

We tried Queen of Sheba a few months ago, and the food was fantastic; on par with Abyssinia, which I like a lot.

And although Queen of Sheba's dive-bar atmosphere carries over into their dining room, I have to say that the service is more prompt and attentive than I've experienced at Abyssinia.

Vintage on 13th St. serves food until midnight, and I believe its sister bar/restaurant Time serves until 1AM. Barbuzzo, also on 13th, serves until midnight. The Cooperage at 7th and Walnut has a limited menu until 1AM. In Old City, Khyber Pass Pub at 2nd and Chestnut serves their full menu until 1AM. All are very good.

I love those too! They're at Metropolitan Bakery. I like to buy them for breakfast the next day, but they never last that long.

I'm not sure if Capital Grille deserves its go-to great steakhouse reputation any more, unless things have improved recently. We were there a few months ago, and it was really sub-par. Our steak did not seem to be the same prime grade, that it obviously was when we first visited years back. The salad tasted strange, too, like it contained canned vegetables. Not at all what one would expect to get for the price of a meal there.

The night before Turkey Day, I picked up a pre-brined, 15-lb. bird from Trader Joe's. Cost: about $1.98 per pound, I believe. It was very meaty and tender, and such a good deal at that price.

Definitely not a joke! It's lots of warm pastrami inside a hoagie roll, covered in melted cheese. Best to put at least half of it aside to take home, otherwise you'll be hurtin' after you inadvertently eat the whole thing.

You won't be disappointed, the pastrami there is fantastic. I highly recommend the pastrami cheesesteak.

Love Gianfranco's. When we order from them, it's the Sicilian pie. Takes a long time, but it's worth the wait!

Pete's Pizza a few blocks away on Chestnut has great slices, too. Very thin, lightly crispy crust with the right balance of sauce and cheese.

Had the tacos al pastor today, finally. Delicious!

I would love to read an in-depth description of the French toast you had!

It's amazing how many ways French toast can be prepared. I have had several memorable versions, the first being my grandmother's French toast. It was the most basic, but perfect--white bread soaked in just the right amount of egg and milk, fried over a wood stove until just golden brown, generously buttered and cut tic-tac-toe style, then sprinkled with powered sugar. The center pieces without the crust were the absolute best.

Bistro 7 in Old City had been working on opening a private room upstairs; not sure if it's available yet, but it would be worth a call to find out. It's not too clear on their website how they accommodate private parties.

http://www.bistro7restaurant.com/abou...

You're correct, I have seen Los Taquitos de Puebla at the Headhouse farmer's market.

Well, I think that would be terrific, because I live near Fork. I'd always wished we had been able to dine at Ansill more often, but it was a little too 'far' away to be a regular place for us.

It's so bizarre to imagine that Lucy's Hat Shop used to serve actual food, cooked by David Ansill, no less.

Old City isn't part of Center City Sips, and Wednesday evenings are ideal to go to Old City bars for a relaxing time, believe it or not. With the possible exception of the Khyber, they aren't packed, usually. Plenty of places with good happy hour food and drink specials like Triumph, Sassafras, Nick's, Revolution House, Barra, Ristorante Panorama, and Positano Coast.

I've recently started working there, too. Which deli are you referring to? I get lunch from The Cooperage takeout side a lot, which is quite good, but isn't really a deli...

Also noticed this link under under "Related Discussions" up on the right, which has a lot of great suggestions--the thread's a couple of years old, but most of the places are still around. I've tried some of them already and plan to try others, especially the Chinese lunch truck.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/707676

National Mechanics has a fun Quizzo on Wednesday nights, and good, fairly inexpensive food, too. It's in Old City, though; east of Center City (or on the east end of Center City, depending on who you ask).

Aha, so you're the other old head I see there at happy hour! ;-)

There's also The Cooperage--they have a $5 menu with several sandwiches and apps. Fridays get pretty busy, but you can usually get a seat at the bar, unless an entire office is in there having happy hour.

There are several good, non-chaotic places in Old City to watch a game and get some tasty food and drink at the bar:

Khyber Pass Pub
Bierstube
Revolution House
Triumph Brewing Company (better for day games, they have live music most nights)
Mac's Tavern
Philadelphia Bar & Restaurant

I like Sampan, too; but I try to go earlier in the week, as it does get very crowded on Thursdays and Fridays. Two people can leave pretty stuffed for about $50 or so (including plenty of drinks).

The Abbaye and North Third are good, inexpensive and close by, about 3-4 blocks away. There are a couple of other places that are nearby like Silk City and Il Cantuccio (BYOB I believe) that I've heard good things about, but have yet to try myself.

Field House can accommodate those numbers, but unless they let you bring in your own food...I would avoid it.

Valanni is a good place for a cocktail; it's about a block east of Vetri on Spruce Street.

Underground Arts might work with you. Located in the Wolf Building at 12th and Callowhill, it's a couple of blocks north of the Convention Center. It's a rough space, but interesting and artsy, and they do have a bar. They are having a food event this weekend, so I'm assuming they have a kitchen, too.

http://undergroundarts.org/