Where to Eat in Philadelphia: Part I

I love food. All food. As a graduate student, I’m constantly seeking out and attending events on campus where there’s free food! There are so many opportunities to engage with various people and learn about a million different things and they usually provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. While these treats are great, there are also many other places in the city of Philadelphia to try delicious foods of all different varieties! Here are a few of my favorite quick and casual restaurants or areas…

If you attended our information session on October 12th, then you heard my cohort member Wesley talk about the “student experience” at Penn GSE, especially his love of food and the food trucks here in Philly! They really are the city’s hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems. There’s a huge food truck culture in Philadelphia - the food is delicious and you can usually get away with spending only a few dollars for a meal. Some of the really popular trucks that you see parked all over campus sell things like breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches and salads, Asian food, Halal food, or fresh fruit, but there are also many “gourmet” food trucks that sell specialty foods and they frequently change their locations to serve as many customers as possible. I haven’t tried them all yet, but there are trucks that sell burgers and fries, brick oven pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos, cupcakes, and even frozen yogurt! This site can help you find what trucks are near you right now whether you’re in Philly or another city in the U.S.

Mac Mart, Spot Burger, Gozen Yogurt

Cheesesteaks are a Philly staple. Everyone has their own opinions about which is “the best” but I’ll leave it up to you to decide after you’ve tried a few different ones! Insider tip: brush up on your cheeseteak ordering skills before you go! Pat’s  and Geno’s  are the “big two” but I really like Tony Luke’s and Dallessandro’s - definitely check them out if you’re in the area!

Yummm

Reading Terminal Market is a fantastic place to go in Philly no matter what kind of food you’re looking for! This vast marketplace is packed with all kinds of freshly prepared foods (American classics and international cuisines) fish, meat, and produce markets, bakeries, and many other kinds of goods! My favorite is the Dutch Eating Place - don’t miss the chicken pot pie or the apple dumplings (YUM!)

Another place to find some fantastic food is Chinatown. The streets are lined with shops selling beautiful clothing, fun items, and many many restaurants - all authentic, inexpensive, and delicious! I’ve tried out a few places in the neighborhood, but I’m definitely not the expert - I usually ask around for some recommendations for places to eat or tag along with a group of friends. Check out the blog of one of our GSE graduate assistants, Danwen, to hear her reviews of various places to eat!

Federal Donuts is a cult classic in Philadelphia. Where else can you buy fried chicken, freshly made donuts, brewed coffee, and absolutely nothing else?! Federal Donuts is one of my favorite places to eat in Philly and it’s growing to become more accessible. They already have 2 stores in the city, they opened a stand at Citizens Bank Park (the Phillies stadium), AND they’re coming to Penn’s campus in early 2014! This could mean bad things for my wallet and my weight…

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Another Philadelphia signature is Chickie's and Pete’s. French fries are one of my favorite foods and C&P’s specialty is crab fries with cheese. The perfect combination of Old Bay seasoning and warm, melty cheese is so indulgent. You can’t go to a Phillies or Flyers game without getting them, but be prepared - there’s usually a long line!

Check back next week for part two of the “Where to Eat” series! And as always, feel free to send me any questions you might have - hopefully soon I’ll write an entire post about the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten so far!

Have a great rest of the week everyone!