Lobster and crab mac and cheese at Valanni.

Executive Chef John Strain talks about the late-night dining scene at Valanni.

Which nights are the busiest for midnight munchies?
“Wednesdays and Thursdays are popular with our industry crowd, and we see a lot of our regulars on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as [new] folks who come in for dinner or drinks and stay for the DJ.”

What are the most popular late-night orders?
“Popular items are the Kobe beef burger and the lobster and crab mac and cheese.” 1229 Spruce St., 215-790-9494

Take a seat and have a sip at Ela in Bella Vista.

There was a time when bartenders would only consider pairing three food group garnishes with their martinis: vegetables (green olive/pearl onion), fruit (lemon twist), or dairy (the blue cheese-stuffed olive). That all changed for the Philly region, in 1995, when restaurateur Stephen Starr opened The Continental Restaurant & Martini Bar in Old City (138 Market St., 215-923-6069), a retro ode to diner-cool, the birthplace of this city’s own claim-stake within the burgeoning cocktail nation, and a veritable vodka wellspring for thirsting masses. Soon, bartenders across town began seeing the possibilities in nearly everything that could be mixable, from tea leaves to Tang.

Today’s Continental continues to create experiential cocktails: Its best-selling Fresh Rosemary Gimlet is a liquid mise en place containing Penn 1681 vodka, St. Germain, fresh lime, and a rosemary sprig. Or, the Dean Martini reads like the ultimate Rat Pack reunion: Ketel One, an olive, a Lucky Strike cigarette, and a pack of matches.

Taking a cue from Starr’s ingenuity, chef Chip Roman of Conshohocken’s Blackfish (119 Fayette St., Conshohocken, 610-397-0888) and Mica (8609 Germantown Ave., 267-335-3912)—a modern day culinary innovator in his own rite—continues the quest for quench-able elixirs at Ela (627 S. Third St., 267-687-8512), his popular Bella Vista restaurant. The beverage program here has become one of Philly’s most notable, as illustrated by the floral yet savory-sweet Sudden Death in Carolina (Earl Grey infused vodka, sage, orange, cranberry bitters, and brown sugar).

Not to be outdone while trending with the times, Society Hill’s Positano Coast (212 Walnut St., 215-238-0499) has gone almost all-organic, cocktailwise. Their Il Veneto blends lemongrass- infused Square One vodka, grappa and honey liquor, agave, and rosemary—a modern take on an Italian classic.

Whether offering unique but oddly satisfying combinations, or simply elevated versions of straight-up-with-an-olive, restaurants in Philly continue to craft innovative new takes on the smooth astringency of vodka.

The dining room has a Hamptons-meets-1920s design.

The Main Line is known for lots of things: tony boutiques, grand houses, and, in particular, discerning palates. Because of this, it’s always been confounding that there’s such a pronounced lack of restaurants to satiate the lust for a good meal in a trendy setting. And this is precisely why the recent opening of The Saint James has been the absolute buzz of the Main Line since early last fall. “The Saint James is a food- and design-driven concept, which to me is unique for the Main Line,” says chef and co-owner Michael Schulson, who’s also the culinary mastermind behind the Borgata’s Izakaya and Philly’s Sampan. “Most concepts seem to be either chains or ones that are inexpensively thrown together, and the food’s an afterthought.”

And so far, this adventure in suburban dining has been a hit for Schulson and his business partner/best friend, Rob Wasserman of Rouge fame. And despite seating for 120 inside and another 50 outside in the Suburban Square courtyard, getting a primetime table has become something of a blood sport. So why the mad rush for reservations? Besides the comfy and sophisticated décor (which feels like a cross between a Hamptons dining room and the 1920s) it’s the food that Schulson describes as “approachable American, using classic techniques and fresh ingredients.” Offering up fare ranging from playful and comforting, like Franks in the Blanket and roasted chicken wings, to more nuanced plates like the rich, earthy wild mushroom lasagna, all of the food is classic American, kicked up a notch by Schulson’s masterful hand. It’s simple, yet refined; unpretentious, yet innovative; and yes, definitely worth the wait. 30 Parking Plaza, Ardmore, 610-649-6200

Square Peg’s mac-and-cheese grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Comfort food is not just another fleeting fancy in Philly—it’s a certifiable staple, made popular by some of the city’s most notable chefs. Lemon Hill Food & Drink (747 N. 25th St., 215-232-2299) chef Joel Mazigian sums it up best: “Food that’s recognizable, exciting, hearty, and doesn’t break the bank… that’s comfort food.” The Fairmount destination will feature a new riff on a Greek favorite this season: lamb meatballs with white beans, spiced tomato sauce, feta, mint, and olives.

Square Peg (929 Walnut St., 215-413-3600) executive chef Matt Levin’s menu of feel-good foods now includes mac-and-cheese grilled cheese served alongside homemade tomato soup, with a splash of pepper vodka floated on top.

Parc baguettes are all made in house.

Stephen Starr dishes on how he dreamed up Rittenhouse Square’s picturesque Parc.

“The inspiration for Parc was drawn from two of Paris’s most renowned cafés, Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, both of which have a historic reputation as the rendezvous of the literary and French intellectuals during the post-war years. I wanted to re-create the social phenomenon that occurs only in a French bistro, where people go to eat and drink at their leisure three to four times a week.” 227 S. 18th St., 215-545-2262

Cuba Libre’s open-air dining room. INSET: Cuba Libre general manager McGarrit Franco.

Cuba Libre general manager McGarrit Franco unites rum and tequila for one sultry summer cocktail.

“You would not expect it, but these two spirits pair well together, especially with fresh juices and muddled fruits to create fresh concoctions. I recommend our new cocktail for summer, Summer Breeze, a mix of ginger, pineapple, Ron Matusalem 15-year rum, and Jose Cuervo Platino tequila. We strain the crisp ingredients into a chilled martini glass and garnish it with a spicy sugar rim and orange twist.”10 S. Second St., 215-627-0666

Meritage features a vegan menu. INSET: Meritage Chef Anne Coll

Meritage chef Anne Coll describes the weekly vegan tasting menu, which incorporates seasonal produce from her garden.

Why offer a vegan menu in Philadelphia?
We just try to do some fun food for vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike, and inspire people to cut out meat at least once a week because it’s healthier and more environmentally friendly.

What’s a popular summer dish?
Heirloom tomato salad with cucumber granita.

500 S. 20th St., 215-985-1922

The main dining room at Del Frisco’s

"Every Sunday year-round, we do something called the 'Power Couple'—an eight-ounce filet paired with our award-winning jumbo lump crab cake, served with a Cajun lobster sauce. It's our top-selling appetizer. Diners also get a choice of soup or salad, side dishes, and dessert. It's $99 for two people and will be offered every night this summer, Memorial Day through Labor Day."

1426 Chestnut St., 215-246-0533; delfriscos.com

It was love at first bite when Philadelphians sunk their teeth into the supremely fresh offerings at Little Fish, Mike Stollenwerk’s tiny Bella Vista BYOB, in 2007. Over the years, similar scenes of seafood lust have played out at the chef’s subsequent ventures: Fish, a fine-dining restaurant complete with a bar, on the cusp of Rittenhouse in 2009; Little Fish again, in early 2011, following a move to a nearly identical space a few blocks away; and Fathom, a casual bar concept in Fishtown that Stollenwerk has since bowed out of (as with the Little Fish reboot). With the recent reopening of Fish, in a new location on a prime corner in Midtown Village, it’s clear that Stollenwerk has found an ideal port in which to drop anchor and stay awhile. The windowfilled restaurant hints at a modern fish market, with its subway-tile and paneled gray walls, and is equally inviting for formal dining or a quick bite at the oyster bar. Fish’s signature dishes—skate wing with truffled spaetzle, monkfish bathed in curried mussel vinaigrette—round out starters like crudo-style tartare and smoky stems of grilled octopus blanketing a fried egg yolk. And the smart addition of pastry chef Monica Glass, best known for her tenure at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert, means that seafood isn’t the only thing worth swooning over here anymore. 1234 Locust St., 215-545-9600

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABELLO STUDIOS

Start the day off right: a breakfast for champions

	Chef Sikora at work

Assembling a stellar dinner menu is challenging enough for any chef at the helm of a new restaurant. But orchestrating equally strong offerings for breakfast and lunch could be enough to hang up your kitchen whites. “Breakfast and lunch are not the black sheeps of the menu,” say a.kitchen chef Bryan Sikora. “They are just as important as dinner. It’s an impressionable time because people are typically alone and more inclined to just walk in. If they enjoy their experience, they’ll come back later.” It’s these meals that best reflect the restaurant’s mission to serve the neighborhood, like “a small country kitchen,” says Sikora. His penchant for seasonal ingredients influences these menus, too, but in more subtle ways. “We take simple steps to make things more interesting and incorporate house-made ingredients.” Fresh-from-thegriddle English muffins are the pillowy bases for country sausage and a fried egg, while smoked salmon and toasted bagels offer a morning riff on the Napoleon. Even the coffee experience here promises something altogether different thanks to single-origin pour overs (think a Frenchpress quality brew without the French press) from Counter Culture, a coffee company that works directly with farmers for hand-crafted beans.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW KAHL