Midtown Village's Boilermaker: Better than your standard pub grub.

The Boilermaker
Named for its favored “drink”—a beer and a shot of liquor—this new bar, in Midtown Village, also features eight other specialty pairings of a more highbrow bent. The chef behind The Farmer’s Cabinet has created a bar food menu featuring roasts, house-smoked meats, rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, and other small bites; live entertainment will prominently feature blues music. 216 S. 11th St., 215-922-3427

Vernick Food & Drink
Cherry Hill up-and-comer Greg Vernick, trained in revered kitchens such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Jean-Georges in New York and Kenneth Oringer’s Clio in Boston, has opened his first restaurant in Philadelphia, a casual neighborhood bistro. The no-fuss menu features beef tartare, house-made mozzarella, and hand-cut buckwheat pasta, along with a variety of homemade sodas. 2031 Walnut St., 267-639-6644

Popolino
When Peter McAndrews saw this open, vaulted space covered in exposed brick in Northern Liberties, he knew it would make a perfect spot for the Roman-trattoria-type restaurant he had dreamed of opening. The highlights of the spot include the “tavola calda,” or hot table, filled with antipasto plates that are portioned out by your server, as well as house-baked loaves made from a 70-year-old heirloom bread recipe. 501 Fairmount Ave., 215-928- 0106

Honey’s Sit ’n Eat
Latkes and grits are two of America’s favorite comfort foods, and they come together on one plate at the Southern Jewish diner known as Honey’s. The new Graduate Hospital outpost, a sequel to the wildly popular original in Northern Liberties, boasts plates like savory egg dishes, chicken fried steak, hush puppies, and whitefish salad sandwiches. 2101 South St., 215-925-1150

Rimedio
West Philadelphia’s Rx reopened as the white-tablecloth Rimedio under the leadership of chef Daniel Freeman (Rimedio is his first foray into restaurant ownership); he intends to keep it as a neighborhood BYOB, much as Rx before it. The elevated Northern Italian menu features fresh pasta, a deconstructed lasagna, and butter-poached langoustines. 4443 Spruce St., 215-222-9590

Da Soli
Trattoria Rustica Haddonfield’s newest Italian venture from chef Mark Berenato features a carefully curated menu of antipasti, insalate, primi, and secondi courses at reasonable price points. Open for lunch and dinner, Da Soli can create banquet-style meals for large parties.116 Kings Hwy., Haddonfield, NJ, 856-429-2399

Ramen Boy
Don’t let the Spartan menu of ramen and homemade gyoza fool you—this traditional, small Japanese eatery dishes out a lunch or dinner big on flavor. Order the Ramen Boy Classic: In this spin on Yokohama-style ramen soup, the broth simmers for 12 hours. 204 N. Ninth St., 267-687-1355

SoWe
In the rapidly growing Graduate Hospital neighborhood, owners Nancy Law and Troy Barton have developed a casual bar and restaurant destined to become a stylish neighborhood meeting place. Reasonably priced dishes include appetizers, such as buffalo shrimp and house wings, as well as sandwiches and larger plates like steak frites and cioppino. 918 S. 22nd St., 215-545-5790

Rex 1516
Southern-style cooking makes its way to South Street thanks to Evan Malone and Jill Weber, the owners of Jet Wine Bar. NextFab Studio founder Malone put a special emphasis on the old-world interior with antique mirrors, distressed woodwork, and wrought-iron chandeliers. The brunch, lunch, and dinner menus have favorites like crawfish potpie and shrimp and grits. 1516 South St., 267-319-1366

Spiga
From Anthony Masopollo, owner of Chestnut Street’s storied Le Castagne, comes a casual, fun counterpart to the Italian mainstay. The wood-burning oven churns out pizzas—think margherita, and balsamic-onion and strawberry—and roasts like a whole branzino and a stuffed pork chop. Chef Brian Wilson’s house-made gnocchi recipe is reason enough to visit. 1305 Locust St., 267-273-1690