“One ingredient that comes to mind for the summer, which is more of a group of ingredients, are mushrooms. As an avid forager, summer is high time for mushrooms of all kinds. From porcinis to chanterelles to hen and chicken of the woods, you can always expect mushrooms to be at the forefront of our summer dishes. At aether, our crab linguine is made with parsley, Parmesan, chile and fresh mushrooms.” 1832 Frankford Ave., 267.875.1832, aetherfishtown.com
“Billy [Riddle], my co-executive chef and fiance, and I love cooking with crabs. Every year as crab season approaches, we’re all about the ways of cooking and eating it. There are so many options with crabs: hard shell, soft shell, boiled or cooked— you just can’t go wrong. This year, we can’t wait to make berbere spiced soft-shell crabs served with grits. Disclaimer: Billy is from Maryland, so we’re definitely biased to Maryland blue crabs.” 220 S. 17th St., 215.309.2238, spicefinchphilly.com
“I really love cucumbers. Summers are so hot and humid here in Philly, and cucumbers are so refreshing by nature and supersweet at the peak of the season. They are a great counterbalance to the richness and acidity in Japanese cuisine. The cucumber zest can be incorporated in tosazu and sunomono vinegars. The flesh is cut into paper-thin sheets and then thinly sliced to become a beautiful garnishing component for omakase appetizer dishes.” 780 S. Second St., 267.909.9002, royalizakaya.com
“Summer fruits and vegetables are probably my favorites of all the seasons! I enjoy them all, and this year at Positano Coast, you will find fresh eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on the menu. Our daily additions are where we get to have the most fun, and you’ll see fresh local corn, heirloom tomatoes and various desserts with blueberries, strawberries and peaches.” 212 Walnut St., 215.238.0499, positanocoast.net
Photography by: SCOTT ANDERSON PHOTO BY ELEMENTS PRINCETON/COURTESY OF CASHMAN AND ASSOCIATES; JENNIFER CARROLL PHOTO BY BREANNE FURLONG/COURTESY OF THE DOOR ONLINE; JESSE ITO PHOTO BY TRACIE VANAUKEN/COURTESY OF JESSE ITO