Dining Guide2022

Recently, a globe-trotting acquaintance who loves to eat at Michelin-starred restaurants sent me the kind of DM that regularly shows up my inbox.

“I’m headed to NYC in October, where should I eat?” it read.

“Hop on the train and come to Philly,” I messaged back, and included a short list of my favorite restaurants and their dishes from fast casual to fine dining.

These recommendations are more than lists of great places to eat or where you can experience a jubilant happy hour. I was making the case — as I do with anyone who’ll listen — that Philadelphia is the quiet power player of the restaurant world, with a dining scene and food culture that holds its own alongside bigger cities, a more relaxed counterpart to Chicago or San Francisco.

Our restaurants here aren’t just decidedly world class, I tell them, with delicious food sourced from the bounty of farms throughout the region. Many are led by trailblazers and change makers, and Philly is home to emerging culinary talent who are the stars of the future. It’s the kind of energy, creativity, and innovation you’ll find in this 2022 edition of Let’s Eat Philly Dining Guide. We are celebrating the people who are fueling the ongoing restaurant renaissance that stretches from Baltimore Avenue all the way to Camden, from Kensington and Fishtown, and well into Ardmore and the burbs.

My friend’s intro to Philadelphia included a dinner at Friday Saturday Sunday, lunchtime dumplings in Chinatown, and a coveted seat at Laser Wolf, where they had been wait-listed in Brooklyn. Later, their social account was alight with stories about sweetbreads and salatim, as well as songs of praise of Philadelphia’s food scene that we all love so much. If only they had more time to get to the remaining restaurants on that list.

As we continue to recover from the pandemic, flights have filled up as travel restrictions continue to relax. Dining rooms are once again packed, and I’ve been reuniting with friends from all over the world who call, text, and email me asking to plan time for a great restaurant experience together.

“I’d love that!” I tell them. “Let’s eat in Philly.”

Jamila Robinson

Assistant Managing Editor, Food