Best of Food and Drink
Savor the meals and libations brought to life by the culinary artisans from some of the area’s most memorable restaurants.
The Philadelphia area serves up a near-endless list of options for satisfying the palate, from simple to sophisticated. To us, though, dining out should be an experience to be savored and remembered, from the ambiance to the service to the food and drinks delivered to the table. Our devotion to dining (and imbibing) out over the past several months has resulted in a distillation of sorts, which you’ll find on the following pages.
We present our 2025 Best of Food and Drink.
Walking through the door to the Blue Bell Inn for the first time, and passing the sign proclaiming the inn’s 1743 roots, feels like a rite of passage. It’s the kind of place where people go when they come to appreciate the value of fine food and drink. That said, the Blue Bell Inn is anything but staid and stoic; its happy hours in particular are supremely festive, and this time of year we recommend passing an hour or two at a table on the outdoor patio. A trip to the Blue Bell Inn may be rite of passage, but it’s also one well worth repeating. bluebellinn.com
Need to scratch your cruller itch? Head to one of Yum Yum Bake Shops’ three locations in Colmar, Quakertown, and Warminster. The dizzying doughnut lineup includes all the standards, as well as some exotic flavors—coconut custard, chocolate thunder, and white lightning, for example—plus bagels and breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and apple fritters, and much more. Yum Yum’s coffee sure hits the spot, too. yumyumbakeshops.com
From the rustic décor to the attentive service to the relaxed communal atmosphere to the sensational food and drinks, New Hope’s Dharma Bums is in a class all by itself. DB’s plant-based food menu, which bears distinct Asian influences, is nothing short of phenomenal. The hand-cut Thai street fries deserve serious consideration for the best fries in the Philadelphia area, giving the “sexy fries” of Harleysville’s The Butcher & Barkeep a run for their money. Dharma Bums really comes into its own in nicer weather, when folks gather outback to sit by the fireplace, play ping-pong, or just talk with friends beneath the open sky. dbums.com
People will travel for good food. We’re here to make the case that you should absolutely make the pilgrimage to Ground Provisions in West Chester. Brought to life by the culinary artisans behind Philadelphia’s much-celebrated Vedge, Ground Provisions specializes not so much in serving meals but in crafting experiences built around food. Everything on the multi-course “Farmer’s Feast” menu is made from plants cultivated by local farms. Though it may be somewhat diminutive, Ground Provisions is a culinary powerhouse. It’s also a bold example of why no one should be put off by restaurants that serve only plant-based cuisine. groundprovisionspa.com
Farm-to-table cuisine is an artform to the good folks at Heirloom Doylestown. Much like the restaurant’s décor, each plate is direct, uncomplicated, and eminently appealing—no lily gilding necessary. At a recent late breakfast/early lunch, the hot honey baked ricotta made a big splash. So did the challah French toast, made better with a drizzle or two of homegrown-ish maple syrup (Tybuk Farm in Tioga County). Heirloom is a BYOB, so don’t forget to bring along your favorite bottle of red or white. heirloomdoylestown.com
History is on the side of McCoole’s at the Historic Red Lion Inn in Quakertown. Given the fact that the establishment dates back to the 1740s, McCoole’s has been linked to the Underground Railroad and historical moments such as the Fries Rebellion. (It also has a rich paranormal history.) All that aside, McCoole’s is best known for its upscale gastropub fare—made-to-order clam chowder, French dip, maple chai butter salmon, crab cakes, etc.—paired with a rather robust lineup of house cocktails. Once the weather turns warm and sunny, McCoole’s patio becomes one of the area’s most distinctive alfresco dining spots. mccoolesredlioninn.com
For Japanese, Korean, and Thai food of exceptional craftsmanship, head to Omiza in Doylestown. At first the menu appears to be exhaustive, even a bit intimidating, but guests quickly learn that it’s very well curated; we’ve never had a dish here that we have not fallen in love with. Favorites (so far): the bao buns, the edamame puree dumplings, the udon brothy noodles, and the dok bok ki. The wine list, among other adult libations, is equally impressive and satisfying. omizarestaurant.com
Panache Woodfire Grill in Blue Bell is a chameleon of sorts, perfect for just about any occasion—a casual get-together with friends for drinks and shareable plates, a large family gathering to mark a special event, an intimate dinner to celebrate life and love, or a relaxing brunch made better by a bloody Mary or Bellini. The menu is broad enough to cater to just about any taste, too, with some of the suburbs’ finest pasta, pizza, and other specialties of Mediterranean provenance. panachewoodfiregrill.com
Dinner and drinks at Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge in Bordentown, New Jersey, is nothing short of an experience. There’s the illuminated onyx bar for one-of-a-kind handcrafted cocktails. There’s the tableside cacio e pepe and hand-blended Caesar salad, both of which are crowd-pleasing signature dishes. And then, of course, there’s the piano lounge, which hosts live entertainment seven days a week. In other words, it’s well worth a trip across the Delaware. ristorantelucca.com
There’s nothing quite as comforting as having a favorite diner for reliably good breakfast fare of the everyday sort. Sammy’s Bullfrog Café in Harleysville is both comfortable and reliable, but its cuisine could hardly be described as “everyday.” The good folks at Sammy’s will gladly serve up, say, a run-of-the-mill cheese omelet if you ask, or you could order one of the inventive omelet and Benedict varieties right off the menu: homemade meatloaf, spicy jambalaya, the Dutchman (made with scrapple bites and topped with cream chipped beef), smoked salmon, etc. One of our favorites: the super-food toast, made with smashed avocado, red and golden beets, sprouts, goat cheese, and a sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning. sammysbullfrogcafe.com
New Hope’s thriving culinary scene extends across the river into Lambertville. One of our favorite tables is at the Under the Moon Café. It’s a favorite destination for Sunday brunch—avocado deviled eggs, huevos rancheros, fried chicken and waffles, some inspired Benedicts—though this crowd pleaser is sure to deliver a high-quality experience no matter the time of day or day of the week. FYI, there’s a second Under the Moon, a BYOB, in Bordentown. underthemooncafe.com
Via 417 is a charming and cozy BYOB in Jenkintown, made for enjoying some seriously good Italian fare. Recommendation: Start with one of the salads—arugula, Caesar, beets, burrata—before moving on to one of the entrées; Via 417 is known for its meat and seafood dishes, though we’re partial to ziti puttanesca and the risotto. No matter which dish you choose, expect it to arrive at the table looking almost too beautiful to eat. via417.com
Bread Winners
A recent book explores the many flavors of Philly in sandwich form.
A recent book explores the many flavors of Philly in sandwich form.
Indisputable fact: Philly loves a sandwich. And the roots of this affection run deep. That’s exactly why Mike Madaio, the blogger behind Life at Table (lifeattable.com), decided to take a closer look at this infatuation with his latest book, A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches: Steaks, Hoagies, Iconic Eateries & More.
“I always liked sandwiches growing up,” Madaio says. “I thought coming at them from a historical standpoint would be interesting.”
Madaio, who has written about food and wine for more than 20 years, moved to the area from Boston as a high school student and quickly observed just how seriously Philly takes its sandwiches. While he has long loved sandwiches as vehicles for blending flavors, it wasn’t until he finished writing Lost Mount Penn: Wineries, Railroads and Resorts of Reading that he took the leap to delve deeply into Philly’s storied sandwich culture.
He credits his Italian-American heritage for his love of food. He says his book was an effort to uncover the roots behind Philly’s love of sandwiches of all kinds, from cheesesteaks and chicken cutlets, to roast pork and hoagies, among others.
In his research, he learned that the area’s obsession with these bready beauties goes back to the late 17th century, when the historic The Tun Tavern, built in 1685, did “a very brisk sandwich business” that included shaved beef served on a bread roll. That said, he rebukes the idea that a single person “invented” the cheesesteak, particularly, “the idea that one person came up with the inspiration out of nowhere, as opposed to being a number of steps along the way.”
Another sandwich of note came from the culture of Jewish immigrants: the fishcake hot dog.
“In the book, I tried to explore how and why sandwiches became a thing here,” he says. “There’s not one reason. I think, early on, immigrants were moving from agrarian to industrial lifestyles, and sandwiches fit into that lifestyle, but other cities had that, too.
“One thing that’s kind of fascinating in all this was how there were a few places that started as corner grocers and evolved over time into sandwich shops—Ricci’s, Cosmi’s, Campo’s,” he continues. “Philly is a city of neighborhoods, and people go to the grocery store every day. That’s what it started as. Over time, as Acme took over the corner stores and became a supermarket, the places that survived evolved alongside the city.”
While the history is strong, so is the future of the city’s sandwich scene.
“It’s interesting, I expected the cheesesteak to be more guarded in terms of only doing steak, and cheese, onions, and peppers if asked, but I found a fair amount of international culture,” he shares. “There are Ethiopian and curry cheesesteaks; it’s actually heartening to see people riffing on it.” —Leigh Ann Stuart
Photo courtesy of Dharma Bums
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, April 2025.
