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.

Following Baja Fresh’s ethos set in 1990 as a healthy take on fast food, never-frozen meats sizzle atop the grill before they're tucked into made-to-order tacos and burritos. Grilled corn and flour tortillas embrace fish, carnitas, chicken, and steak, and smoky queso fundido sidles onto nachos and into burritos. Between bites, chips scoop up salsa made from farm-fresh produce rather than poured out of a can or fabricated in a space-age replicator. A complimentary salsa bar ensures no mouthful goes unspiced, and guests can scoop up their favorites as they await their dine-in, takeout, or catering orders.

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.

Chef John Talbot delivers mouthwatering fare from the land and the sea to rest on Creed's elegant white tablecloths. Yellowfin tuna drizzled with ponzu sauce ($29) and chimichurri-topped New Zealand king salmon ($28) headline a list of fresh charcoal-grilled fish. Manager and sommelier Josef Plattner is often on hand to offer suggestions for which wine to pair with a New York strip steak ($38) or to mingle with a mustard-herb-crusted rack of lamb ($36). Though the menu favors meat, there are also a number of tasty vegetarian options, including the house-made vegetarian ravioli, stuffed with crimini mushrooms and ricotta cheese, served with fried spinach and a gazpacho coulis ($18). With its soft cream-hued walls and tasteful décor, Creed's is an ideal location for romantic get-togethers or business meetings with bands of ravenous highwaymen.

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.).

Ruby's Diner has dedicated more than 25 years to dishing up mouthwatering menus of all-American grilled goodies, served in an old-fashioned atmosphere replete with a highly trained staff and lightning-fast service. Fix fangs into a third of a pound of all-natural USDA Choice beef from grass-fed, hormone-free cows with the hickory burger, bursting with thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, steak-cut onion rings, melted cheddar, and tangy barbecue sauce ($9.99). A refillable bounty of Ruby's famous fries accompanies all burgers and sandwiches and boasts zero trans-fats, and those willing to dish out an extra dollar and an exaggerated pronunciation of the word "spicy" can opt to spicy up frisky frites with garlic, Cajun, and parmesan-blue spices.