🇺🇸 Philly a Food Desert? My Go-To Restaurants of 2024 (Part 1) 🍴
As a procrastinating food blogger, I’ve finally mustered the energy to share my 2024 favorites — the spots I returned to again and again (or definitely plan to!). This list is in no particular order, totally unsponsored, and 100% honest — though taste is always personal 😉 🥪 Best Sandwich Little Child’s breakfast Herschel — though their lunch sandwiches are great too, if I had to pick one, it’s this breakfast hero. Add avocado and sausage if you’re a fellow carnivore 😉 I’ve been back over 10 times! 📍 248 S 11th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 🍜 Best Dan Dan Noodles Jumping from Western to Chinese food randomly — but EMEI’s Dan Dan Noodles totally deserve this! The minced meat, chili oil, and sauce blend flawlessly. Each bite brings back memories of my days in Sichuan. 📍 915 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 🥩 Best Cheesesteak Angelo’s — can’t believe I only tried it late this year! I’ve had it three times in three weeks 🫣 Pro tip: Their Reading Terminal Market location usually has shorter lines. 📍 736 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 🐖 Best Offal / Pork Kidney Edison Small Bites’ Red Oil Sliced Kidney beats competitors like Four Seas’ Triple Crispy Stir-fry and Emei’s Spicy Kidney. Thinly sliced, zero gaminess, perfectly balanced chili oil — I grab it every time I’m in Edison! 📍 1711 NJ-27, Edison, NJ 08817 🍲 Best Spicy Pot (Málà Xiāngguō) Dai Ji on City Ave wins, especially because they add rice noodles (rare elsewhere!) and keep the dish flavorful but not overly oily or spicy — perfect for my Jiangsu-native partner 😄 Eaten here 4+ times — better in person than delivered! 📍 4040 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131 🍕 Best Pizza Paulie Gee’s Hell Boy — the pie that introduced me to spicy honey! Though I’ve tried other great pizzas since, that first unforgettable bite keeps me coming back. 📍 412 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 #PhillyFoodDiary #YearInFood #BestBites #StreetFoodie #PhillyEats #HiddenGems #PhillyStudents #CampusFoodGuide #PhillyFoodReview #FoodThatFuelsUs