5 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania, USA

Located inside the posh Rittenhouse Hotel, this elegant dining space has a view overlooking Rittenhouse Square park. Afternoon tea is available in the Mary Cassatt Tea Room, and there's an à la carte menu that features dishes like aged duck, Berkshire pork, and King crab, but if you really want to indulge, try the Carte Blanche, a full tasting menu (wine pairings possible) that includes dishes like risotto of new potatoes with caviar, smoked king salmon, and bluefin tuna carpaccio. The wine list is also lengthy and impressive, with a broad range of impressive bottles from around the world.

When the Reading Company opened its train shed in 1892, it was the only one in the country with a market tucked away in its cellar. The trains are long gone, but the food remains. And while disagreeing over the best cheesesteak is a popular pastime in Philly, pretty much everyone can agree on pancakes at the Dutch Eating Place, the roast pork sandwich at DiNic's, whoopie pies at the Flying Monkey, and double chocolate-chip cookies at Famous 4th Street. Recent years have seen worthy newcomers to the entrenched mix: German deli Wursthaus Schmitz, Valley Shepherd Creamery's grilled cheese counter, and La Divisa Meats, for example. Get here early to beat the lunch rush. Seventy-five-minute tours every Wednesday and Saturday highlight the market's history and offerings (call 215/545–8007 to make a reservation).

A go-to spot for many who work in Center City, the Concourse on the bottom floor of the Comcast Center is a dining hall made up of Philadelphia favorites in addition to nationwide food brands. From sushi to Italian pastries, there are plenty of options for a quick meal or snack beneath the towering Comcast Center.

You're not sure what decade you're in once you enter the vast, retro playground from blockbuster restaurateur Stephen Starr. The cognoscenti have moved on, but others still line up for a spot on the popular rooftop lounge or sit inside, in a swinging wicker basket chair, a sunken banquette, or a baby-blue vinyl booth. The global tapas menu includes Korean tacos, French onion soup dumplings, and lobster mac 'n' cheese.

An eclectic dozen or so vendors, some of them outposts of area spots, fill this renovated brick-fronted food market with a rustic-industrial vibe and some seating (there's a beer garden in season). Grab a coffee at SkyRoast or sip wine from nearby Unionville Vineyards, or choose lunch options like a Pork Shack sandwich or a Little Radish salad. Keep in mind that vendors close at different hours, and all close by 7 or 8 pm.