More trip advice: Philly

If you really want upscale, try 10 Arts. Alma de Cuba, Ristorante Panorama, or take a stroll through Chinatown.

 

Without knowing your interests, here are some suggestions for Philly:

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell - they might not be the coolest things ever, but they are still pretty cool. You should brave the crowds and check them out.

Philadelphia Museum of Art - I'm not a big art lover, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, but PMA's got a pretty good collection. There's also the Rodin Museum nearby. If you're big into art, you should look into going to the Barnes Foundation, which is right outside the city. You need advance tickets and they have all kinds of rules, but it's worth checking out.

Constitution Center - Cool place if you're into history. It's a little expensive as I recall, though.

Franklin Institute - it's been years since I've been there, but it was always a good time.

Restaurants:
Cheesesteaks - Pat's. Never Geno's. Jim's is good, but not as good as Pat's. For something slightly different, head down to Tony Luke's near the stadiums and get a roast pork sandwich.

Nice places:
Bistro 7 - a very small BYOB in Old City (you'll need a reservation). I've had a few meals here that were really good.

Cuba Libre - Great Cuban in Old City. Good mojitos. Upscale, but not as much as Alma de Cuba, which is in Center City and is also very good.

Osteria - Italian bistro. Kind of an iffy area north of City Hall. The pizza was on GQ's/Alan Richman's top 25 pizza in the US. The rest of the food here is good, too. This is not a pizza joint, though. It's a nice restaurant.

Parc - French bistro on Rittenhouse Square. I haven't been, but a friend loves this place. Sit outside and people watch.

Tinto and Amada - I haven't been to either, but if you like tapas, these are the places to go.

Don't go to Bookbinder's. It's a tourist trap.

If you need any more info, let me know.

 

Tin Angel is one of my favorite places to see a show. Ate at the restaurant there - Serrano's - once and it was pretty good, but a little overpriced. The advantage of grabbing a meal at Serrano's before the show is that you're guaranteed a reserved seat at the show close to the stage. Otherwise you'll be standing along a wall/sitting on a barstool along the wall which has a ledge for your drink or a seat more toward the back. It's a small, but long room.

 

Drip: We're driving up. Only about a 3-hour drive.
Moddy: Eat me.
Dyno: You da man. I might PM you later with questions. I really want to hit Osteria, but it doesn't open until 5. We'll see.

Also, I've been told by several people in the last 24 hours -- including on here -- that Pat's is better than Geno's. Plus, the wife wants chopped steak, not sliced.

 

Ryan: The proper greeting to Dyno is, "You da woman."

 

Oops.

 

Ryan, TRUST ME ON THIS. If you want to truly enjoy your experience in Philly, DO NOT eat a steak sandwich at either Geno's or Pat's. That's not Philly. It's tourist crap. You want a real steak sandwich go to Jim's in West Philadelphia between Callowhill and Race on 62nd St. There is another one on South Street that isn't as good but is 10 times better than the slop you will be served at either Pat's or Geno's. Many people go there because they see the steaks being cooked on NFL, MLB or NBA pregame shows and think its the place to go. That is definitely not the case.

 

Lono: You are a wise, wise man. And, apparently, you can see the future.

Drip: You must not have read the thread. I'm going as a tourist, which makes tourist traps perfect for me. I mean, Pat's and Geno's have been around forever, correct? Must be doing something right. I have been hearing good things about Jim's, though. Again, I'm not necessarily limiting myself to just one sammich.

 

Ryan, it's really a tourist trap that doesn't taste good. They've gone down in quality so much that I don't tell people to go there. To me, if I'm shitfaced after a game, it's a good spot. Sort of like McDonald's ya know? You going to Philly as a tourist. You'll probably hit South Street. Jim's is right there. Perfect spot, don't have to travel.
If you happen to venture into West Philadelphia, go to that Jim's. You'll be glad that you did.

 

Another cool place to visit is Eastern State Penitentiary, the historic prison where Al Capone, among many, many others were incarcerated.

 

Two more places that are much better than Pat's or Geno's are Tony Luke's on Oregon Ave. and Abner's on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Good steak sandwiches. Not better than Jim's but better than Pat's or Geno's.