Restaurants in Philadelphia

The sandwich maestros at Steaks on South dish up creative twists on the traditional cheesesteak, assembling chicken and vegetarian varieties alongside classic recipes and receiving positive hubbub from Philadelphia Weekly. Ravenous patrons can peruse the menu to discover sandwiches loaded with flavorful fillings, such as the spicy sauce and blue cheese blanketing the buffalo chicken steak. Like adding whipped cream to filet mignon, the cheesesteak hoagie amends a tried-and-true recipe, topping beef with lettuce, tomato, and raw onions, and the Philly Garden douses broccoli rabe and spinach with sharp provolone. French fries and waves of soda accompany each bite, which noshers can customize further with extras such as roasted peppers and honey mustard. Tall stools elevate customers to counters that line the eatery's first floor dining space, and large windows on the second floor reveal views of bustling nightlife and sidewalk cracks that mysteriously resemble John Hancock's signature.

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OpenTable users give Cork four stars, Yelpers give it 3.5, and Gayot rates it as good:

The dinner menu at this neighborhood gem uses classy ingredients in creative ways, forming a lineup that's accessible to all palates. The menu changes often, but sample starters include fried clams tartar with grilled lemon ($9) and barbecue veal ribs with peach salsa ($12). Main courses ($12–$25) range from a familiar pizza topped with barbecue sauce, pineapple, chicken, red pepper, and Vidalia onions ($12) to gnocchi with rabbit-chorizo sausage, artichokes, and goat cheese ($16 for full portion). London Grill is also open for lunch (Tuesday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.) and weekend brunch (11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.). The midday feast includes various sandwich options, such as a roasted turkey BLT with fries ($8.50) and main dishes such as the fresh-daily vegetable harvest ménage á trois ($13). Accompany any meal with a pull from the full bar, including micro and macro beers on tap and in bottle and a lengthy wine list.

The Blue Bananas menu of Caribbean dishes and Caribbean-influenced American favorites is designed to cause vivid hallucinations of ocean breezes, sand underfoot, and back-warming sunshine, even in the dead of a Philly winter. Appetizers such as the crispy coconut shrimp ($11.95) start things off with the flavor of Gilligan and the Skipper's favorite telephone, while the jerk chicken wings ($8.95) draw on a staple of Caribbean cooking and a prime ingredient in many of Blue Bananas’ best dishes: jerk spices made from freshly ground-up jerks. Dry-rubbing or marinating meats in this very hot mix of Caribbean spices gives dishes like the jerk pork ($8.50) or chicken ($12.95) sandwiches a distinctive flavor guaranteed to alter one's pronunciation of the word “man.” To get a larger mouthful of island goodness without swallowing a lot of sand, try one of Blue Bananas’ Caribbean special dinners such as a half-chicken rubbed in jerk spices ($14.95) or the mango coconut curry shrimp ($16.95). If you're in the mood for straight-up Caribbean comfort food, opt instead for the brown stew chicken ($12.95), cooked in brown sugar and traditional island spices, or the tender, slow-cooked oxtail stew ($14.95).

Within Elements Cafe’s romantically lit dining room, guests nibble on upscale, American-style tapas featuring locally grown and organic ingredients. Fred Kellermann, the owner and mastermind chef behind Elements, creates an eclectic menu that brings together unusual flavor combinations in dishes such as potato ravioli with root beer and short ribs or pumpkin-mushroom soup with rosemary cream. To stay on the cutting edge of the ever-evolving food scene, Chef Fred continually updates his repertoire by experimenting with seasonal ingredients and new preparations. Customers can taste his newest creations every Sunday during Sunday supper, which features with a weekly changing menu of new dishes, old favorites, and a pill that cures the Mondays.