Food & Drink in King of Prussia

Draped in white cloth and navy blue napkins that match the surrounding chairs, the square tables in Stirling's Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Valley Forge support plates topped with heaps of casual steak-house fare concocted by executive chef Mark Spaulding. Attentive wait staff escort dinnertime plates of crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms or filet mignon and bison burgers from the kitchen to the hotel's lobby level dining quarters. Earlier in the day, omelets and waffles arrive made to order at breakfast buffets, and lunch buffets appease palates with chef-carved slices of pork, beef, or turkey and chef Mark's pasta creation of the day. All the while, the restaurant's lounge accommodates feasters with bar bites and televisions broadcasting the latest sports. For overnight guests, chef Mark whips up dishes of breakfast and casual dining fare for room service delivered by carrier pigeons that double as cooing wake-up calls.

In 1957, while in the twilight of their careers as Baltimore Colts in the burgeoning NFL, Alan Ameche and Captain Gino Marchetti opened up the first Gino's with their pal, Louis C. Fischer. In the mid-1960s, Tom Romano joined the company and eventually rose to the position of chief operating officer. Through the years, the crew helped innovate the restaurant industry, especially with the Gino's Giant burger in 1966, whose triple-decker design arguably went on to inspire the multipatty burgers of other national fast-food chains. Ahead of their time, the team later cobranded with Kentucky Fried Chicken to bolster their menu and widen their appeal to the public before Gino's was acquired by the Roy Rogers brand in 1982, leaving many nostalgic for one of the fast-food industry's originals. It wasn't until 2009, when Tom called up Gino to pose the idea of bringing Gino's back, that fans of the eatery could begin to quell their well-documented nostalgia in anticipation of enjoying Gino’s special recipes once again. Today, the menu boasts off-the-grill burgers, more than 100 flavors of real ice-cream shakes, and the return of the Gino's Giant, slathered in a secret sauce that was kept secret all these years by hiding it inside a modern-day football.

Wild Rice Pan-Asian Restaurant's menu items hail from Japan, Thailand, China, and Korea. Inside the modern, red-walled eatery, sushi masters stuff their hand-rolled sushi with fresh fish and hearty sauces. Kitchen staffers and indentured dragons, meanwhile, prepare traditional korean braised ribs with kim chi, chinese stir-fries, and thai curries.

Ranked the number one submarine sandwich franchise in the 2011 Franchise 500 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, Subway has graced the globe with nutritious stacks of meat, crisp veggies, flavorful cheeses, and freshly baked breads since 1965. Sandwiches, including the classic big philly cheesesteak ($5.50 for a 6"), can be left out in the cold or invited into a toaster, and the $5 foot-long subs are useful for measuring a child's height in cold-cut combos or the distance between the earth and the sun in meatball marinara. There are also kids' meals to introduce children to the concept of eating. This eatery also opens for bountiful breakfast sandwiches served alongside cups of Seattle’s Best Coffee ($1.47–$1.59 for a 16-oz.).

Boasting an impressive Zagat rating, Manny's Place lavishes its signature crab cakes and delectable menu of seafood and American fare with first-rate ingredients and graceful presentation. Handmade with a savory fusion of 100% jumbo lump crabmeat and fresh roux, Manny's specialty crab cakes coast into palate ports fragrantly broiled or deftly coated in golden panko crumbs ($8.45 each, $10.95 for a combo platter). A slew of hot seafood sandwiches ensconce crab cake, shrimp, oyster, or flounder in a fresh hoagie ($7.95+), and bacon-wrapped scallops stylishly blend the farmstead and sea with the panache of an overalls-clad Poseidon ($9.95 for eight pieces). Water-weary palates can seek refuge in Manny's Famous rotisserie chicken ($8) or chicken potpie ($7.95), taking comfort in the menu's complete lack of additives, preservatives, and peanut-oil pools reflecting the haunting visage of George Washington Carver.

A glance at Alfredo's specials blackboard might reveal grilled mako shark steaks, heirloom tomato bruschetta, and meat accented with local honey, all extensions of a menu that breathes life into southern Italian cuisine. Flights of olive oil arrive on a wooden carving board with house-baked bread, and the absence of a corkage fee and elegant stemware encourage the BYOB policy. Appetizers showcase wild vegetables and meat cured in-house, which pique appetites for pastas rich with veal, prosciutto, and lobster or plates of free-range chicken. Chefs roll their potato dough into gnocchi and combine mozzarella and cream to create decadent burrata cheese, and can replicate their handiwork for onsite and delivered catering. Above a refinished wine cellar designed for parties, the sunlit, exposed-brick dining room has two private chambers with seating for up to 150 people.