A popular gluten-free bakery is coming to the Main Line.
Flakely is moving from behind the bright pink door at 220 Krams Ave. in Manayunk to a Bryn Mawr storefront in early February, said owner Lila Colello. The new takeout-only bakery will replace a hookah lounge at 1007 W. Lancaster Ave.
“We’ve really outgrown our space,” Colello told The Inquirer. Manayunk “wasn’t ever meant to be for retail.”
A trained pastry chef who worked for the Ritz Carlton and Wolfgang Puck Catering, Colello was afraid she’d have to give up the best things in life — bread and her career — when she was diagnosed in 2010 with celiac disease, an inflammatory autoimmune and intestinal disorder triggered by eating gluten.
Instead, Colello spent the next seven years finding ways to get around gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley (and thus most breads, bagels, and pastries). She perfected kettle-boiled bagels and pastry lamination before starting Flakely in 2017 as a wholesaler.
Colello moved into the commercial kitchen at Krams Avenue in 2021, where customers have spent the last four years picking up buttery chocolate croissants, brown sugar morning buns, and crusty-yet-chewy bagels from a takeout window in an industrial parking lot. Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan has called Colello’s bagels “the best he’s tasted outside of New York,” and in 2024, Flakely was voted one of the best gluten-free bakeries in the United States by USA Today.
Lila Colello, owner and head baker at Flakely, helped patent a way to laminate gluten free dough for croissants.
Flakely’s industrial Manayunk location has required some concessions, Colello said: The majority of their goodies are par-baked and frozen by Colello and three full-time employees for customers to take and bake at home. Otherwise, Colello explained, the lack of steady foot traffic would lead to lots of wasted product.
In Bryn Mawr, Flakely will be a fully functional takeout bakery with a pastry case full of fresh-baked goods, from full-sized baguettes and browned butter chocolate chip cookies to danishes and Colello’s signature sweet-and-savory croissants. A freezer will also include packs of Flakely’s take-and-bake doughs, bagels, and eventually, custom cake orders.
Once she’s settled in, Colello said, she hopes to run gluten-free baking classes and pop-up dinners out of the storefront — offerings (besides the ingredients) that she hopes will differentiate her from other bakeries in the area.
“My vision is for this to be a magical space where people can come in and leave with a fresh croissant, which people can’t really do” when they’re gluten-free, said Colello, who lives in Havertown. “We offer our customers things they miss. That’s kind of our thing.”
Flakely owner Lila Colello poses in front of one of Flakely’s pink gluten free pastry ATMs, which vend take-and-bake goods at four locations in the Philly area.
What about the pastry ATMs?
The permanent storefront does not mean Flakely’s signature pink pastry ATMs will disappear, said Colello. But they will move.
Colello installed Flakely’s first pastry vending machine inside South Philly’s now-shuttered Salt & Vinegar. With the tap or swipe of a credit card, the smart freezer would open to let customers choose their own take-and-bake pack of croissants, pop-tarts, muffins, or danishes. Using it felt like a sweet glimpse into the future.
Flakely currently operates pastry ATMs inside Collingswood grocer Haddon Culinary, the Weaver’s Way Co-op in Ambler, Ardmore smoke shop Free Will Collective, and Irv’s Ice Cream in South Philly, where enterprising customers top their pastries with scoops fresh out the freezer.
Irv’s ATM will make the move to Reap Wellness in Fishtown on Jan. 5 when the ice cream shop closes for the season, Colello said. And come February, the smoke shop’s ATM will transition to Lucky’s Trading Co., a food hall at 5154 Ridge Ave. in Roxborough. The hope, Colello said, is to space the locations out enough so she’s not competing with herself.
“We’re finally in the middle of where everything is,” Colello said. “And that’s kind of the goal.”
Flakely, 1007 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 484-450-6576. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
The question: Is red wine healthier than white wine?
The science: Many people think red wine is better for youthan white wineor other types of alcohol.
The notion was partly born from studies — some of which have been disputed —that suggested that certain compounds found in red wine could improve cardiovascular health.
Now the evidence suggests that any type of alcohol — including red wine — is unlikely to make you any healthier than drinking no alcohol at all.
“There’s no isolated health benefit of red wine over white wine over any other beverage containing alcohol,” said George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. And, he added, “There’s no physical health benefits of which we can attribute to alcohol.”
While it’s long been known that heavy alcohol consumption can cause serious health problems, the potential benefits and risks of moderate drinking — defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one for women — have been murkier. In the past, some research suggested that people who drank small amounts of alcohol in general might have a health advantage compared with those who didn’t drink at all.
But as research has evolved over the years, we nowknow that even modest drinking is linked to a higher risk of developing certain cancers such as breast, colorectal and esophageal cancers, as well as brain changes and dementia, heart problems and sleep problems.
Dietary guidance has also changed. Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture state that “emerging evidence suggests that even drinking within the recommended limits may increase the overall risk of death from various causes.” The American Heart Association recommends limiting or abstaining from alcohol, even though the association published a scientific review in 2025 that concluded that light drinking poses no risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, sudden death and possibly heart failure, and may even reduce the risk of developing such conditions — though not all experts agreed with that conclusion.
The argument in favor of red wine used to focus on certain compounds.
Red wine contains more polyphenols — plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties — because the grape juice is fermented with the grape skins, where these compounds are concentrated. (White wine grapes are pressed, and the skins removed, before the fermentation process.)
These polyphenols include procyanidins, flavonoids and resveratrol, which is often mentioned in cancer research.Another type, anthocyanins, helps give red wine its rich color and has been studied for potential cardiovascular benefits.
Most of the health benefits associated with these polyphenols have been observed in studies at much higher doses than what you would get from a couple glasses of wine, so there’s no real advantage,experts said.
“The concentrations are sufficiently low that you would have to drink more than moderate amounts to truly get that much more benefit from the polyphenols in red wine,” which could lead to health issues, said Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has studied the health effects of alcohol.
Instead, you could add stronger sources of anthocyanins into your diet, including darker berries such as blueberries, apples, onions, black or green tea, and dark chocolate, Rimm said.
As for other risks and benefits, some people may avoid red wine because it can stain teeth and cause headaches and even allergy-like symptoms. Whilered wine headaches are not fully understood, some people may be especially sensitive to the tannins in the grapes, histamines or sulfites produced through fermentation, or the additional sulfites added to preserve wine. Some research suggests quercetin, an antioxidant found in grapes, may be responsible.
In one study, people who had a wine intolerance were more likely to report allergy-like symptoms such as nasal congestion, itching, flushed skin and stomach upset more often after drinking red wine than white wine.
What else you should know
While drinking alcohol probably won’t lead to any positive health effects, you may be able to reduce potential negative effects by how you drink it.
First, speak with your health care provider about whether drinking alcohol is safe for you.People who are pregnant, have certain medical conditions, take medications that interact with alcohol, or have or are recovering from an alcohol-use disorder should not drink, according to USDA. Also, teetotalers, people who don’t already drink, should not start drinking for any health reasons, health officials said.
Assuming you’re of legal drinking age — 21 years or older in the United States — here are some tips from experts:
Eat first: Food, particularly foods with some protein, fats and carbohydrates, slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, reducing potential ill effects.
Understand drink sizes: A standard alcoholic drink has 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. That’s equal to 5 ounces of wine with 12 percent alcohol, 12 ounces of beer with 5 percent alcohol, or a shot — 1.5 ounces — of an 80-proof liquor. When buying alcohol at a store, check the alcohol content. “Beer used to be 4 or 5 percent alcohol. There are a lot of beers now that are 8 to 10 percent. So you may want to drink a little bit less if you have a higher alcohol-containing beer or a higher alcohol-containing spirit,” Rimm said.
Keep in mind that men and women may process alcohol differently: Women generally don’t produce as much of an alcohol-metabolizing enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which means they break down alcohol more slowly and are at a higher risk of alcohol-related health problems.
Drink in moderation: Moderation is defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one for women.Also, space out drinks throughout the week — meaning don’t drink all 7 or 14 drinks in one weekend.
The bottom line: While red wine has more polyphenols, which are associated with cardiovascular benefits, than white wine, they aren’t in a high enough concentration to provide a health advantage. In addition, red wine may be more likely than white wine to cause headaches and allergy-like symptoms in people who are susceptible.
Slicing into creamy, tender, white flesh and browned, crispy skin, you might not immediately think of a baked potato as an indulgence. But as 2025 ends, this is where we are.
Often thought of as pedestrian, baked potatoes have also proven themselves to be the perfect canvas for, well, anything. Baked potatoes — or jacket potatoes, if you want to be a bit British about it — are trending, relegated to a “side” no longer. The new baked potato is the star of the show.
Clockwise from top left, Mod Spuds’ Bollywood spud, Malaysian spud, classic spud, and Philly cheesesteak spud.
The baked potato has only gained trend status fairly recently. We started off the year in what I personally dubbed the era of the latke. Every seafood bar had a latke piled with tuna tartare, bearing dollops of cream and caviar. You can’t throw a rock (or a potato) in Philly without hitting some sort of fancy shellfish or tartare perched delicately upon a potato latke. The trend was relentless nationwide and inescapable here, from My Loup’s pastrami beef tartare served on latkes to Middle Child Clubhouse’s okonomiyaki latkes and Little Water’s peekytoe crab balanced on “hash browns” … also known as latkes.
We have perhaps passed peak latke and moved onto another potato preparation. Baked-potato news has been populating my social media feeds, proffering both locally available spuds and unattainable ones.
On TikTok, baked potatoes were buoyed by Nara Smith, who made a “jacket potato tutorial” for her 12.3 million followers. Her preparation of a baked potato, with narration in her husky, low voice while wearing couture, has spawned countless imitation videos. The U.K.-based business SpudBros has become a global brand with multiple locations, millions of followers, and food trucks thanks to viral success on TikTok.
Sweet Potato dish at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.
Wine Dive’s baked potato is an Idaho spud roughly the size of my Chihuahua, with crispy, deep brown skin and white flesh that emits plumes of steam when you slice into it through the mountain of sour cream, curls of cheddar, torn bits of bacon, and scallions.
This is not a vehicle for masterful tikka masalas or rendang. This is a thoroughly American baked potato. On Wednesdays, Wine Dive has bottomless, all-you-can-eat baked potatoes for $15.
It is as ridiculous as it sounds. Eat 10 baked potatoes and you get your photo on the wall and the promise of some very cool merch. No one has made it to 10. So far, the record has been seven potatoes.
It’s possible that the proliferation of baked potatoes is, like cabbage, a recession indicator. But like the latke, it may very well have fine-dining legs. Just let me know if you manage to eat 10 in one go.
On the positive side, many shuttered restaurant spaces didn’t stay vacant for too long, providing a reminder that endings often double as beginnings.
January
Copabanana South Street closed after 45 years amid bankruptcy and following a brief move off the corner of Fourth and South Streets. Copabanana University City is separately owned and unaffected.
Hawthornes Café, the South Philadelphia brunch fixture, closed after 15 years. The location is now the Lodge by Two Robbers.
Ultimo Coffee’s Rittenhouse location closed after about seven years over what were called plumbing issues. It’s now Musette Rittenhouse.
February
Big Ass Slices in Old City closed after nearly eight years for myriad reasons.
Martorano’s Prime, the Italian steakhouse at Rivers Casino run by South Philly native Steve Martorano, closed after a year and a half. The casino, which oversaw operations, rebranded it as Sapore Italian Kitchen.
Mulherin’s Pizzeria in East Market closed after less than a year amid a legal dispute.
Pod, 3636 Sansom St.
Pod, Stephen Starr’s longtime futuristic pan-Asian spot in University City, closed, just shy of its 25th anniversary.
March
Añejo and Figo in Northern Liberties, Chika in Rittenhouse, and Izakaya Fishtown — all run by Glu Hospitality — closed as the company imploded.
April
Blair Mountain Biscuit Co. in Blackwood abruptly shut down after nearly four years.
Crime & Punishment Brewing in Brewerytown cited various reasons for its closing after 10 years, including a shift in drinking culture.
Rudee’s Thai Cuisine in Wynnewood closed after six years, giving way to Delish Thai.
Bar at SIN, 1102 Germantown Ave., on Nov. 12, 2023.
SIN (Steak Italian Nightlife) in Northern Liberties closed after 16 months to make way for Amina, which relocated from Old City.
May
Hale & True Cider Co. in Bella Vista closed after seven years; it is now a location of Carbon Copy.
Manatawny Still Works shut down its entire operation after 11 years, including three tasting rooms, with two days’ notice. The location at 1321 N. Lee St. in Fishtown is now Pip’s, a tasting room from Ploughman’s Cider Co.
Ross & Co., the Hatboro sports bar that succeeded a Bernie’s Pub location, closed abruptly after a little more than a year.
Seorabol’s Olney location closed after 31 years with the retirement of founding chef Kye Cheol Cho. Chef Chris Cho’s Center City outpost remains open.
Stardust Cafe, which only briefly succeeded the Pop Shop in Collingswood, closed. The space is the new location of Jersey Kebab, which relocated from Haddon Township.
The Cauldron, a magic-themed bar in Washington Square West, closed along with all U.S. and U.K. locations. The Philadelphia location was open for about three years.
Campbell’s Place, a fixture in Chestnut Hill for 30 years, closed as the owners said they wanted to start a new chapter in their lives.
ESO Ramen Workshop/Neighborhood Ramenleft its final location, in Society Hill, as owners moved to Japan.
Federal Donuts & Chicken shuttered its Whole Foods Market location in Wynnewood after four years.
Banh Mi & Bottles closed after about nine years as the family has decided to install a different business in the storefront at 712-714 South.
DaMo Pasta Lab’s location at 12th and Sansom Streets closed after about six years. The newer spot, on 20th Street near Rittenhouse Square, remains.
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant — all of them —sank in bankruptcy after nearly 30 years. The assets of some of the breweries have been purchased, and tenants are being sought for a few Philly-area locations, including West Chester.
Jansen, chef David Jansen’s fine-dining spot in Mount Airy, closed after nearly 10 years as Jansen moved on to become chef at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.
Lucha Cartel, the Old City Mexican hangout, was sold after 12 years. It is being rebranded as a location of Tun Tavern, a 21st-century version of the colonial birthplace of the Marine Corps. Owner Montgomery Dahm said it is expected to open in March.
Austrian Village in Rockledge closed after 53 years, following the death of its chef.
Big Charlie’s Saloon in South Philadelphia closed permanently after the death of its owner, Paul Staico, on Nov. 30.
A view of Cantina La Martina taken from the steps of Somerset Station.
Cantina La Martina, chef Dionicio Jimenez’s acclaimed Mexican restaurant in Kensington, closed after nearly four years. He’s pursuing a new location.
Essen Bakery, facing financial pressure, confirmed the permanent closing of its shops in South Philadelphia and Kensington after nine years.
Isot, the Turkish BYOB on Sixth Street near Bainbridge, closed after 10 years at the end of its lease.
Keg & Kitchen in Westmont closed after 15 years with the retirement of owners Kevin and Janet Meeker. It will reopen under new ownership as Duo Restaurant & Bar from the operators of Cherry Hill’s Il Villaggio.
Laurel, Nicholas Elmi’s East Passyunk bistro, closed after 12 years as its lease was winding down.
Marra’s, the landmark South Philadelphia Italian restaurant, closed after 98 years with the sale of its building to Dan Tsao, who is opening a branch of EMei there.
Max’s Seafood Cafe in Gloucester City abruptly closed and is now Pudge’s Pub.
Osteria 545 in Paulsboro closed after nearly five years over economic issues.
Rocco’s at the Brick in Newtown closed abruptly after about eight years over a landlord issue.
Core de Roma’s final location, in Bala Cynwyd, closed after five years. Owners Judy and Luigi Pinti wrote on their website: “After the report of a professional building Inspection company we have decided to not exercise the options to buy or extend the lease for another five years. Also, not finding adequate staff and problem with the parking forced us to close the restaurant.”
Il Fiore, the upscale Italian spot in Bryn Mawr Village that succeeded the Marc Vetri-run Fiore Rosso in mid-2024, has closed. Management’s note suggests that a new occupant is forthcoming. (Il Fiore was not related to the longtime Collingswood BYOB of the same name.)
Mac Mart’s Rittenhouse location closed after 9½ years. It’s relocating in January to a kiosk at 18th and Arch Streets.
Marple Public House in Broomall has ended its nearly six-year run. It will reopen Jan. 2 under new management as Page & Pour Tavern.
Park Place, the intimate tasting-menu restaurant in Merchantville, closed Dec. 20 after nine years. Chef-owner Philip Mangararo announced on social media that he is moving on.
Society Hill Hotel’s operators, Brian Linton and Mike Cangi, announced that they were closing New Year’s Eve after a year and a half. While retaining the boutique hotel, they’re ceding the street-level restaurant to Michael Pasquarello’s 13th Street Kitchens (Cafe Lift, Prohibition Taproom, La Chinesca). Pasquarello told The Inquirer that he would open it in late winter or early spring as Piccolina, a dimly lit Italian bar and restaurant with raw bar, house-made pasta, Neapolitan pizzas, a few large plates, cocktails, and an Italian-only wine list.
Zsa’s Ice Cream marked its finale after 14 years in Mount Airy. A year ago, Danielle Jowdy announced the shop’s “grand closing” as she sought to find a buyer.
I fell in love with pozole years ago in Mexico City. Though the city has many other merits, including a staggeringly diverse and fascinating food culture, it’s truly my craving for pozole that‘s brought me back again and again. It comes in the colors of the Mexican flag: rojo, verde, and blanco, with regional variations of each.
The good news is you don’t have to go all the way to Mexico City for excellent pozole (although you can buy it by the literal bucket there). Philly has numerous excellent iterations of the classic dish.
Pozole isn’t just about the thick stew itself, studded with large hominy (kernels of nixtamalized corn) and hunks of beef, chicken, or pork. It’s about the fixings and accompaniments. You’ll find shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, crispy tortillas, and lime wedges most frequently, but also tostadas smeared with refried beans, quesadillas stuffed with Oaxaca cheese, little bowls of crema, puffed-up and crispy chicharrones, and big, generous slices of avocado.
Here are a handful of places to sink into a bowl of pozole in Philly. This is not a comprehensive list, just a place to start. And if anyone does invite you over to their mom’s house for pozole, your answer should most certainly be yes. (In fact, please call me if someone does. I would like to come, too).
La Jefa
La Jefa’s delicate pozole ($17) is not like the hearty bucketful I’ve consumed in Mexico City. It’s lighter brunch fare and consists of pulled chicken and hominy with chile de arbol, oregano, minced shallots, lime, served with a couple of blue corn tostadas.
“It’s a chicken-based pozole rojo inspired by the pozole from a place in Zapopan, Jalisco, called La Escolastica. We use fresh hominy, which makes all of the difference. The tostadas are made from Cristina Martinez’s masa,” said restaurateur David Suro, who’s an active presence in the Rittenhouse all-day cafe cafe and its mother restaurant, Tequilas.
Pozole rojo from Cafe y Chocolate, with tostadas covered in typical pozole fixings.
Los Potrillos
This Port Richmond restaurant’s pozole rojo ($18) is a deep red from guajillo chilis, with enormous, skin-on pork knuckles swimming in the broth. On the side are three plain yellow corn tostadas, juicy lime wedges, and shredded lettuce and cilantro. The pork is fall-off-the-bone tender. I like to crush up the tostadas and sprinkle them in the bowl like croutons. It’s intoxicatingly delicious when spiked with lots of lime juice.
West Passyunk’s Café y Chocolate serves a pozole rojo ($15) with two yellow corn tostadas spread with a thick layer of refried beans, then topped with lettuce, radishes, queso fresco, and a drizzle of crema. The stew has diced chunks of pork (and no bones). This is the most opaque of the pozoles on this list and the spiciest. I also love Café y Chocolate’s creamy elote soup and its hearty tortilla soup.
I got La Llorona’s pozole ($18) delivered on a frigid winter day. Theirs is essentially a pozole blanco, but you can also order rojo or verde variations. This is a clear white broth with pork, hominy, and oregano. It’s served with three tostadas painted with refried beans, drizzled with avocado crema, and sprinkled with queso fresco. Shredded lettuce and matchsticks of radish come on the side. I highly recommend you get a quesadilla for dipping into the soup. This is perfect for those who consider themselves spice-averse (though the tostadas pack a bit of heat). The flavor is deep, porky, and herbaceous, but not too chili-forward. The pork is extremely tender, even silky.
The booze-free month known as Dry January has surged in popularity, from just 4,000 participants when it launched in 2013 to millions of (at least short-term) teetotalers today. If you are considering giving up alcohol this January, you’ll be happy to hear that new research suggests it may bring you health benefits, including better mood and sleep, as well as lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
A review of 16 studies on Dry January recently published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found that even a short pause in alcohol use is linked to improvements in physical and psychological health.
Dry January participants reported better mood, improved sleep and weight loss, and had healthier blood pressure, blood sugar and liver function. And several of the studies found participants experienced some benefits from simply reducing their drinking, also known as “Damp January,” rather than abstaining entirely.
Health effects of giving up alcohol
The tradition of abstaining from alcohol in January began in 2013 as a challenge by a charity, Alcohol Change UK, to reduce “alcohol harm.” In 2025, 21 percent of U.S. adults said they planned to participate in Dry January, a YouGov poll found.
Fewer people in the United States are drinking in general. About 54 percent of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, according to a 2025 Gallup poll, the lowest that number has been since Gallup started tracking drinking behavior in 1939.
Alcohol use has been increasingly linked to health problems. In January, the U.S. surgeon general published an advisory report warning that alcohol can cause seven types of cancer, including breast and colorectal cancers.
And a 2025 study in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine suggested that no amount of alcohol is safe in terms of dementia risk.
“Alcohol affects far more aspects of our physical health beyond the commonly cited liver damage,” said Megan Strowger, a postdoctoral research associate at the University at Buffalo and lead author of the new review. (Strowger conducted this research during a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies.) Strowger and her colleagues were surprised by the wide-ranging health effects of just a month without alcohol, including changes in blood pressure, insulin resistance, blood glucose, liver function and even cancer-related growth factors.
Even those who didn’t abstain for the full month reported health benefits such as better mental well-being a month later. They also had “decreased drinking frequency, reduced drunkenness, and lower alcohol consumption” six months later, two studies cited in the review found.
“Given that there weren’t huge reductions in drinking … I thought it was impressive that they found some of those physical health benefits around lowered blood pressure and liver abnormalities,” said Daniel Blalock, a medical associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the review.
How to reduce your alcohol consumption
Strowger sees Dry January as a helpful opportunity. “What really makes Dry January successful is its massive reach and unique, non-stigmatizing approach; it focuses on the positive, accessible health outcomes of taking a break, rather than dwelling on participants’ prior drinking habits or issues of addiction,” she said.
Here are some ways you can limit your alcohol consumption:
Try Damp January
If you’re not quite ready to give up alcohol entirely this January (or for Dry July or Sober October), you might consider Damp January, “where the goal is to reduce consumption rather than attempt full abstinence, making the shift feel more manageable,” Strowger said.
“It helps prevent what we call the ‘abstinence violation effect,’ where if you fall off the wagon, you say, ‘Forget it, I might as well just get really drunk since I haven’t met my goal of complete abstinence,’” said Blalock, also a clinical research psychologist at Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Track your progress
Write down when you drink and how it makes you feel in a notebook, said George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or the Notes app on your phone. There are also digital tools such as the Try Dry app that make tracking your alcohol use simple, Strowger said.
Create an environment to drink less
Try creating a social environment that supports your goal to drink less, Blalock said. For example, if you join a running club for a Saturday morning run, you might be less inclined to drink the night before so you can wake up feeling fresh.
And while you certainly don’t have to join a running club, exercise is one of Koob’s go-to recommendations for drinking less. It can help you cope with stress, rather than relying on alcohol to take the edge off. “Taking a walk clears your brain, and you come back and you don’t need that drink in order to relax,” he said.
The researchers noted there’s also little harm in trying Dry January if you’re at all sober-curious – it may even be easier than trying to cut back on drinking at other times of the year.
Saying you’re participating in Dry January often reduces some of the stigma associated with wanting to drink less alcohol, because so many people do it and can relate to the desire to start the year off a little bit healthier, Blalock said.
“Dry January really helps you evaluate your relationship with alcohol,” Koob said. It may prompt you to pay more attention to how much and when you’re drinking, and how you feel the next day. “If you feel better when you’re not drinking, you should listen to your body, because it’s telling you something,” he said.
In a banner year for restaurants, it has also been a great year for restaurant photography. Craig LaBan has already issued his top 10 restaurants of the year, but we at the Inquirer food team wanted to give more of a look at the spaces behind the list. There are beautiful dining rooms, chefs at work, and (of course) some truly stunning platters of food. Scroll on for a glimpse at some of the most delicious morsels the Inquirer captured in photos in 2025.
(left to right) The gaeng pae, khao mun klone and moo yaang prik at Kalaya on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 in Philadelphia.The dining room at Vetri Cucina on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.(left to right) The spinach ricotta gnocchi and onion crepe at Vetri Cucina on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.The seafood tower at My Loup in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Aug., 3, 2023.Cauliflower charred over a fire at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.Cauliflower dish at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.Bartender Paul MacDonald works on a Carousel cocktail at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.(left to right) The Judgement of Paris, Mayfly, Orange Catholic and Assassin’s Handbook cocktails at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.The fish at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.The Charred Spanish Mackerel at the Little Water in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.The Key Lime Tart and Maple Cremeux at the Little Water in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.Chef-owner Jesse Ito at work at Royal Sushi & Izakaya on May 31, 2024.The mole dulce at Tequilas Casa Mexicana on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Philadelphia.Coffee drinks and pastries at La Jefa, a Mexican cafe in the back of Tequilas. In Philadelphia, May 2, 2025.Zucchini sandwich at La Jefa, a Mexican cafe in the back of Tequilas. In Philadelphia, May 2, 2025.Jasmine Rice Pudding at Mawn on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Philadelphia. Mawn is located at 764 South 9th Street.Mahope samut at Mawn on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Philadelphia. Mawn is located at 764 South 9th Street.Assorted plates including the duck, at Zahav in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.
Michelin stars, oysters, coffee houses, food halls, and a billion-dollar newcomer shaped the 2025 Philadelphia restaurant scene.
The awards keep rolling in
As Philadelphia gears up to mark the Semiquincentennial, its restaurant scene sits squarely on the national radar.
Michelin inspectors seemed to have had a good first impression of Philadelphia’s dining scene. At the Nov. 18 ceremony, which attracted more than 500 culinary professionals from around the world to the Kimmel Center for the U.S. Northeast Cities awards, nearly three dozen Philadelphia restaurants earned recognition. Center City’s Friday Saturday Sunday and Her Place Supper Club, and Society Hill’s Provenance received a star, while 11 others were designated as “recommended.” Ten others were conferred Bib Gourmand selections for serving what Michelin calls “exceptional food at great value.”
Coffee houses became Philadelphia’s most important third spaces — places to sit, work, talk, and linger without alcohol or reservations. Yemeni coffee chains, in particular, expanded.
Oysters are everywhere as raw bars multiplied. Sao reimagines seafood through a Cambodian influence. Lauren Biederman (Biederman’s) is behind Tesiny, a South Philadelphia raw bar; restaurateur Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon offer bivalves at their First Daughter Oyster & Co. at the Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown Hotel; and chef George Sabatino and partners have put a raw bar front and center at Fleur’s, their French spot in Kensington.
Food halls grow up, and find their footing
You could describe Eataly, the Italian emporium that opened in October in King of Prussia, and the new Feed Mill Eatery in Medford as food halls because of their everything-under-one-roof setup. But they have common ownership. The new Gather Food Hall and Ridge Hall, however, are assemblages of local operators united for a common mission.
Gather Food Hall in the old Bulletin Building.
Gather, in the former Bulletin Building across from 30th Street Station, has not only gathered Mexican, Cambodian, Peruvian, Indian cuisine, and pizza in University City, it has created a model to combat food insecurity among college students. Gather’s operators partner with Believe in Students, a national nonprofit, and have pledged to give out5,000 low-cost meals in its first year, backed by a $250,000, 10-year commitment from developer Brandywine Realty Trust.
People dining in Ridge Hall in front of Mary’s Chicken Strip Club in Ambler.
Nothing in 2025 unsettled the local industry more than the rapid expansion of Wonder, going from zero to 20 locations in Philadelphia and South Jersey, with even more on the way.
Menus for various cuisines at the Wonder location in Media.
Wonder, backed by $1.5 billion in venture capital, sells food via walk-in, app, and delivery from a diverse lineup of menus by such chefs as Bobby Flay, José Andrés, and Marcus Samuelsson. Want a steak, a pizza, an order of nachos, and a grilled chicken sandwich from the same place, all delivered in 30 minutes? That’s the wonder of Wonder.
Wonder, based in the New York City area, calls itself a food hall. In reality, it’s a ghost kitchen. Food is prepared at a central kitchen and trucked down to each location, where workers (not actual cooks) set up and reheat the dishes in ventless kitchens.
For diners, the appeal is convenience and, for now, price. But as Wonder blankets the region with ads and offers of half-price orders and free delivery to gain a foothold, it is disrupting the industry.
Wonder steers diners away from local shops. It turns choosing a restaurant into scrolling menus on an app, not supporting places you may know. And by pushing everything toward delivery and pickup and by undercutting prices, it makes it harder for independent restaurants — especially neighborhood takeout spots — to survive on already thin margins.
In a year when so much of Philadelphia’s food culture emphasized independent owners and the importance of community, this contrast is striking.
What a year for the Philly-area pizza scene. To recap 2025’s newcomers, we saw full-service settings that treat pizza as one pillar of a modern Italian restaurant, such as Cerveau in Spring Arts, Corio in University City, Scusi in Northern Liberties, and the hypermart Eataly in King of Prussia. Fishtown’s roster expanded with Marina’s Pizza, from the grandson of a local pizza magnate. The late-night scene, moribund for the last five years, now has 15th Street Pizza & Cheesesteak in Rittenhouse. Other newcomers include Angelina’s in deep South Philly, Rhythm & Spirits in Suburban Station, Puglia on South Street, and Italian Family Pizza on the Parkway.
New social rooms treat pizza as an anchor for hanging out (the Borough in Downingtown, the Pizza Pit in Bensalem, and Gloria Sports & Spirits in Warrington). Expansion was also on the table: The Main Line hit Johnny’s Pizza opened an offshoot in Wayne, and Santucci’s tacked on new spots in University City and Deptford.
The burbs saw ambition from Anomalia in Fort Washington, Antica in Warrington, Barclay Pies in Cherry Hill, Classic Pizza in Bala Cynwyd, Not Like the Rest in Pine Hill, Taco-Yote in Moorestown, and Genova Pizza 2 Go in a Williamstown gas station. There was even a nerdy newcomer: Apizzeria 888 by Sebastian, a “pizza lab” in Elkins Park that feels like a cult favorite in the making.
Saloon alumnus Marty Angelina and Franco & Luigi veteran Brian Cunningham serve abundantly topped New York-style pizza along with a menu of sandwiches, chicken cutlets, pastas, and stuffed long hots wrapped in bacon from this Seventh and Oregon Avenue space, formerly the Pizza Shop and Ralph & Rickey’s. The pizza that gets the most attention is the Honeyroni, a mix of pepperoni, ricotta, and hot honey, available by the slice or the pie. Its location makes it an easy jump to the sports complex. (Bonus: John’s Water Ice has a pickup window here in season.)
Cerveau
Pizza Brain cofounder Joe Hunter is behind this neighborhood drop-in disguised as a colorful playground in the 990 Spring Garden building, with a cicchetteria menu (small plates and the mini-sandwiches known as tramezzini), plus a few large plates at dinnertime. The stars are the puffy-crusted, 16-inch Neapolitan-ish pizzas, which are on the cheffy side: The French Onion, with mornay, caramelized onions, and comte, is a winner of a white, and nostalgics should find a soft spot for the Crab Rangoon — a take on the Chinese takeout staple — topped with cream cheese and lump crab with a swirl of sweet chili.
Corio
They’re creating in University City these days, and not just at the high-tech “innovation district” that Drexel University and Wexford Science + Technology are putting together. Chef Dave Feola puts out some traditional, thin-crusted 14-inch pies at this comfortable Market Street bistro, such as a Margherita with a San Marzano base and buffalo mozzarella and a spicy sausage Bolognese. But the seasonal selections get wilder, like braised rabbit in a tomato sauce dotted with ricotta and Calabrian chili oil, or the hazelnut pesto with roasted poblano and pecorino over béchamel.
15th Street Pizza & Cheesesteak
When it’s creeping past 2 a.m. and the bars are letting out, you need a munchie run: That is what drove brothers Andrew and Michael Cappelli, who own Cappelli’s, a late-night pizzeria on 13th near Locust, to open this corner parlor and cafe in the former Starbucks at 15th and Latimer. It’s open till 3 nightly, with a case that’s stocked with slice options. The plain cheese and the pepperoni are the big sellers, as you’d imagine, but they sell plenty of the buffalo chicken ranch (rounds and Sicilians), broccoli spinach ricotta (rounds), and Margherita Sicilians. If pizza isn’t singing your song, they’ve got overloaded cheesesteaks coming off the flattop.
Italian Family Pizza
You may have to tilt the pizza box slightly to navigate the doorway of Steven Calozzi’s rustic parlor in the former Subway shop at 17th and the Parkway. Calozzi, a pizzeria lifer from Bucks County (by way of Seattle), is turning out whopping, 24-inch Trenton-style pies: cheese on the bottom, with a thin, crispy crust. (A 12-inch is available, too.) There’s a tomato pie drizzled with pecorino and olive oil, a sauceless white pizza, a cheese pie (heavy on the toppings), and a Sicilian. Dine-in on two levels is a plus when you have a family attending an event on the Parkway.
Marina’s Pizza
Mason Lesser is 24, but he’s been around the pizza world all his life through his maternal grandfather, Angelo Lancellotti, who owned dozens of local pizzerias over the decades. Lesser, who named his Fishtown storefront after his mother and grandmother, offers thin-crusted New York-style pies (18-inchers for whole, 20-inchers for slices) that meld both fresh and low-moisture mozzarella with minimal sauce (a simple combo of tomatoes, salt, basil, and olive oil); all pizzas get a finishing dusting of pecorino-romano and glug of EVOO. His upmarket pie is the Riviera, with pepperoni, creamy stracciatella, basil hot honey, and basil. It’s open for dine-in or pick-up.
Puglia Pizza
Cosimo Tricarico left Philly (and his Caffe Valentino in Pennsport) a few years ago for his native Puglia. In his Philly comeback, he’s set up Puglia at Ninth and South, turning out an assortment of football-shaped Romans, traditional rounds, plus sfilatini —thin, pressed baguette sandwiches with fillings like meatballs and vegetables. It’s open for dine-in.
Rhythm & Spirits
Lee Sanchez’s something-for-everyone menu at his mod bistro inside the Suburban Station building (aka One Penn Center) includes five pizzas — all thin-crusted 14-inch rounds with sturdy bottoms and good crunch. There’s plenty of heat from the Trevi, with spicy pepperoni cups, pickled serrano peppers, hot honey, and blobs of whipped ricotta. Also of note is the Funghi, whose wild-mushroom mix gets a topping of Dijonnaise, fresh mozzarella, and rosemary gremolata.
Santucci’s
It’s hip to be square at this old-Philly institution — now up to 14 locations (including new outposts in University City and Deptford) under one branch of Joseph Santucci’s family. The pan-baked square crusts envelop a firm, crackly bottom, and the sharp sauce stays bright, ladled on top of the cheese.
Scusi Pizza
Chef Laurent Tourondel, the New York restaurateur behind an international portfolio of steak houses, Italian restaurants, and pizza concepts, is behind this sophisticated pizzeria/cocktail bar in Northern Liberties’ Piazza Alta. For the French-born chef, pizza is personal. “I was telling my staff that I cooked for a living, but pizza for me was always a hobby.” Twenty years ago, after Michelin awarded a star to BLT Fish, Tourondel’s chef de cuisine announced that he was quitting to open a pizzeria, a growing category. Inspired, Tourondel trained in Naples and returned to New York to launch La Mico and later take over a longtime pizzeria on Long Island, where he refined a crispy, airy-crusted style. At Scusi, chef de cuisine Georgeann Leaming offers a by-the-slice pizza bar as well as two Sicilian pies, along with calzones, salads, sandwiches, and soft-serve for dessert. Tourondel is also behind Terra Grill, a wood-fired grill restaurant, planned next door for early 2026.
Pennsylvania Suburbs
Anomalia Pizza
The phrase that pays at this humble, stand-alone slice shop near the Fort Washington SEPTA station is “drunken grandma”: That’s Frank Innusa’s crispy, almost buttery-bottomed squares topped with fresh mozzarella and ribboned with a thick, creamy vodka sauce amped with pancetta. Other hits include the stromboli and the uncommon mozzarella in carrozza — basically, a mozzarella stick in sandwich form (cheese tucked inside bread, crusted with bread crumbs, and fried). There’s seating for dine-in.
Antica Pizza Co.
Whether you’re after thin or thick crusts, 12- or 16-inch, there’s something for everyone among the grandmas, Sicilians, and New York pizzas at this roomy, contemporary strip-mall spot in central Bucks County. If you’re indecisive, there is the capricciosa, which has a little bit of everything on top. The oven also turns out pinsa (the Roman-style flatbread) and schiacciata for Tuscan-style sandwiches.
Apizzeria 888 by Sebastian
Owner/pizzaiolo Sebastian Besiso is the first to say that you may not like his pizza, especially if you prefer more conventional New York or Neapolitan styles. His “Roma” — available in limited qualities at his one-man hole-in-the-wall takeout in Elkins Park — is built with two kinds of aged cheese, a smear of a slightly sweet tomato basil sauce, and an almost impossibly thin crust that shatters around the edges as you bite. There is no flop whatsoever. Apizzeria pies have the crunchy, cheese-on-the-bottom qualities of Chicago tavern-style, though Besiso slices them into conventional eighths, not party squares.
The Borough
This newcomer in Downingtown is many things: a family restaurant and sports bar downstairs, with a sushi bar and event space upstairs. It’s also a serious pizza destination thanks to consultant Ptah Akai, whose pies are puffy, neo-Neapolitan-ish, with sturdy crusts and a light char. The sliced garlic gave a subtle roast to a cheeseless tomato pie that he made for me off-menu. His Forager, with basil pesto and three kinds of mushrooms, was balanced and did not sink under the mozzarella. There’s also a plain cheese, pepperoni, and a Margherita. Important, non-pizza-related tip: The adjacent parking lot is not the restaurant’s, and tow trucks abound; park across the street in the municipal lot.
Classic Pizza
Staten Island-born pizzaiolo Paul Brancale has taken over the Bala Cynwyd location of EVO Pizza for a slice shop built around old-school New York styles, including thick, soft Sicilians; crispy-crusted, rectangular grandmas; and 18-inch round pies that are thin and crispy, in the Joe & Pat’s/Rubirosa tradition. He’s making his own fresh mozzarella from curds, and the sausage comes from Martin’s at Reading Terminal Market.
Eataly
Pizza at this massive Italian emporium in KoP Mall splits cleanly into two lanes. The full-service restaurant, La Pizza & La Pasta, serves classic, whole Neapolitan pies in a classy setting. For something faster, the marketplace counter sells Roman-style pizza by the slice; with a small seating area, it’s built for both lingering or grabbing a quick square mid-shop.
Gloria Sports & Spirits
It would be easy — and wrong — to write this place off as a sports bar. What matters is the pizza: light yet sturdy 13-inch pies from Vetri alum Brad Daniels, whose resumé also includes the high-end Tresini in Spring House. The toppings show real thought, from a saganaki-inspired pie with preserved lemon, feta, and oregano to the broccoli-forward “Brock Party” with ricotta sauce and roasted garlic. Even the red pies are dialed in, finished with restrained Bianco DiNapoli sauce and fior di latte instead of generic mozzarella.
Johnny’s Pizza
Having wowed our tasters for The Inquirer’s 76, John Bisceglie has added a Wayne outpost to his bustling Bryn Mawr pizzeria. Located in a strip center near the farmers market, it’s set up mostly for takeout, but there’s a comfy dining room to enjoy unforgettable pies both thick and thin(ish), rectangular and round, red and white. We’re particularly fond of the white pies, topped with fresh mozzarella, lemony ricotta, caramelized onions, pecorino-romano, and parsley and baked on a sesame-seed crust.
The Pizza Pit
The no-frills, 14-inch pies — especially the upside-down (with provolone on the bottom) and the cheeseless tomato — pair well with the brews on tap at this counter setup inside the industrial-looking “mixing room” at Bensalem’s Broken Goblet Brewing, run by veteran pizza man Bob Meadows and his business partner, Chris Margarite.
South Jersey
Barclay Pies
This cheery, spacious spot offers gluten-free crusts (using Caputo’s flour) along with a line of conventional pies, plus other foods (chicken tenders, wings, fries, cookies) that are gluten-free from inception. The lineup: five red pizzas (plain, pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, and a vegan Margherita featuring cashew milk mozzarella cheese by Miyoko’s Creamery) and four whites (arugula, mushroom, broccoli, and buffalo chicken). Allergen info and protocols are up on their Instagram. Plain and pepperoni slices are available over lunch.
Genova Pizza 2 Go
Come for a fill-up at this branch of Audubon’s Genova Pizza, tucked inside Marathon Gas. The grandma pies, with their crispy, olive oil-slicked crusts, the thicker-crusted Sicilians, and deep dish are the big draws. If you’re on your way somewhere, note that you can eat at the counter, if you’d care to spare your car’s interior.
Knot Like the Rest Pizzeria
Gary Lincoln’s latest South Jersey pizzeria is not like the rest: It’s all online for delivery, and walk-in customers must use kiosks for slices and pies, available also for dine-in. Highlights include the Pickle (pickles, bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, ranch dressing), Zinger (secret sauce, steak, banana peppers, mozz, American cheese), and Knotty Vodka, with its edges ringed with garlic knots.
Taco-Yote
There are seven Mexican pizzas on the menu at this vibrant taqueria in downtown Moorestown from Carlos Melendez of Conshohocken’s Coyote Crossing. The 16-inch rounds (not too thick or thin) aren’t just getting “taco toppings,” either; there’s mole poblano with pulled chicken, red onions, and toasted sesame seed; birria topped with guajillo and morita-seasoned brisket, with consommé on the side, and a sweet-and-savory al pastor with achiote and the kick of chile de árbol salsa.
As a chef from Hawai’i who has lived in Philadelphia for well over a decade, I saw firsthand the connection between both places. For years, through Poi Dog, I fed homesick Hawai’i people and those who had celebrated weddings, honeymoons, and holidays in my home state, then came back to the mainland searching for a taste of the islands. These days, the question I get most often is simple: Where should I eat in Honolulu?
This is a special edition of our Field Trip series — not a typical three-day drive, but a culinary escape meant for when you’re bundled up at home, staring down winter, and dreaming of somewhere warmer. Think of it as planning your next trip while the heater’s on: balmy breezes, sun-warmed beaches, and unlimited fresh poke, all waiting when you’re ready to go.
What follows is a starting point for eating your way through Honolulu, whose excellent, deeply multicultural food scene is built on Native Hawaiian traditions and shaped by waves of immigrants who came to work the sugarcane and pineapple plantations — and now, the tourism industry. I urge you to explore far beyond this list, to leave Honolulu when you can, see the rest of Oʻahu, and visit its neighboring islands. But if you’re beginning with the city, this is where to start.
Honolulu is sprawling and encompasses a downtown business district, touristy Waikiki, Kaimuki with its many hip restaurants, Chinatown (which also has hip restaurants), and many suburbs. In the former three categories, we say they’re “in town,” though the limits of “town” are as heavily debated as the boundaries of Philly’s neighborhoods.
Chances are you’re staying in Waikiki, and all of the following are in the most touristed district or are a quick, cheap Uber ride from Waikiki (unless of course, it’s rush hour, in which case, I can’t help you).
Honolulu restaurants to check out
If you’re going to Honolulu, the first order of business is getting real Hawaiian food. This means poi, or pounded taro root, the staple starch of the Hawaiians before laborers on Hawai’i’s sugarcane plantations from East Asia shifted the dominant starch of the islands to rice; smoky, tender kalua pig (preferably cooked in an imu, or underground oven); lu’au (a stew made from taro leaves, coconut milk, and usually with chicken or squid); and delicacies like ‘opihi, small limpets that are somewhat similar in taste to abalone, and are notoriously challenging to collect, requiring one to pry the barnacles from slippery rocks while being pounded by surf.
Hawaiian food is a distinctly different cuisine from Hawaiian BBQ, which falls under the category of “local food” in Hawai’i – a confusing term for outsiders because “local food” encompasses food that was introduced to Hawai’i by its waves of immigrants. Native Hawaiian food does have immigrant influences and does incorporate ingredients not native to Hawai’i, but in ways that predated its sugar plantation era.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food in Honolulu.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food
Helena’s is the reigning queen of Hawaiian food and this is the ideal place for you to try all of the above Hawaiian specialties, including ‘opihi. Their pipikaula, or Hawaiian-style beef jerky, is less jerky and more of a soy-marinated and dried short rib that manages to retain remarkable tenderness, concentrating sublime beefiness into tiny squares of meat. Cleanse your palate with a square of their haupia and a nibble on fresh, raw sweet onion dipped into red alaea salt, fixings that come with every set meal. Be mindful that Helena’s is only open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and it is closed on weekends.
If you can’t make it past the throngs of people trying to get into Helena’s, Highway Inn also serves great Hawaiian food in town. (Its original location is in Waipahu. They also just opened an outpost at the Bishop Museum.) It’s open every day and in addition to Hawaiian stalwarts like kalua pig, chicken long rice, and squid lu’au, they also serve a large menu of riffs on these, like kalua pig nachos, with sides of lomi lomi salmon, a dish that is made entirely of introduced ingredients, but has been around so long that it has been accepted into the canon of Hawaiian food.
📍 680 Ala Moana Blvd. #105, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, 📞 808-954-4955, 🌐 myhighwayinn.com
Sashimi and meat jun at Kyung’s Seafood in Honolulu.
Kyung’s Seafood
Some of Honolulu’s best Hawaiian BBQ intersects with Korean BBQ, and there are Korean dishes in Hawai’i that are found nowhere else, not even Korea. Kyung’s Seafoodmakes one of the very best versions of meat jun, one such Korean dish that exists in isolation, which consists of thinly sliced meat battered in scrambled eggs and served with a light soy dipping sauce. Marry their meat jun with rice and mac salad, and some of Kyung’s excellent banchans or precisely arranged sashimi platters.
📍 1269 S. King St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, 📞 808-589-1144, 📷 @kyungsseafood
Monaka filled with ahi tartare and caviar from Miro Kaimuki.
Miro Kaimuki
If you’re celebrating something special, whether it’s an anniversary or a Tuesday, Miro in Kaimuki is the finest of dining on this list. It’s a special occasion restaurant that doesn’t feel the least bit stuffy, with beautifully balanced cocktails and wine pairings. Meals are prix fixe, with many possibilities of add-ons like flank washugyu, toasted brioche topped with curls of uni, and vanilla macarons filled with caviar. Miro also happens to be the self-declared Philadelphia Embassy in Hawai’i, as many of its current and former staffers either hail from Philly or have spent time in the city (Zahav pops up on numerous Miro cooks’ resumés).
Speaking of sashimi, Hawai’i is really close to Japan, so not only do we get a wealth of fish pulled from surrounding waters, but we have an abundance of Japanese seafood flown in regularly. This makes for fantastic (and countless) omakase options, most of which hew to classic Japanese experiences. For a relaxed, island-style omakase or a la carte sushi and izakaya dinner, head to Sushi Izakaya Gaku. Gaku has the softest, silkiest, and lightest tamago, the homemade sweet egg omelet, and all the standard izakaya fare, but also some wild, more unusual specials, like seared sting ray, raw octopus, and thinly sliced beef tongue served over shaved onion with a big squeeze of lemon.
📍 1329 S. King St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, 📞 808-589-1329
Sashimi platter from Mitch’s Seafood in Honolulu.
Mitch’s Fish Market and Sushi Bar
Located right on the pier, where fishing boats dock and unload their ahi for the Honolulu Fish Auction, Mitch’s Fish Market and Sushi Bar is an unbelievable option for generous cuts of sashimi, hefty chirashi bowls piled with shrimp, ahi, yellowtail, and tamago. It’s small (make a reservation), casual, and perpetually proud of their most famous patron, President Barack Obama.
Tempura Kiki set meal, inside the Stix Asian Food Hall.
Stix Asia Food Hall
In addition to ready access to Japanese ingredients, we have practically all the hot Japanese chain restaurants. like Marugame Udon, Han No Daidokoro (which specializes in fresh wagyu — usually, when wagyu is exported, it’s frozen), and many others packed into Stix Asia, a Japanese food hall. Two of my favorites inside Stix Asia are Tempura Kikifor its avocado tempura and bowls of udon (no relation but they did offer me a discount because of my name), and Nanamusubi, which churns out omusubi made with specialty, heritage Japanese grains, and stuffed with an array of fish salads and pickled seaweeds.
New York transplant and Top Chef competitor Lee Anne Wong pretty much single-handedly made brunch a craze in Honolulu a decade ago. Her Koko Head Cafe has since become a classic for eggs scrambled with local ingredients and enormous, indulgent bowls of congee topped with croutons. Hawai’i and Japan also seem to have a restaurant exchange system; the cafe has also opened locations in Japan. Don’t miss their poke omelets, and my favorite breakfast item, rusk spread with yogurt and fresh local fruit.
The Pig and the Lady is one of those chef-driven destination restaurants that appear on many a national list. It has gone through a couple iterations, and just opened a new location in Kaimuki that will more than scratch your itch for excellent Vietnamese food, if you can’t live without your Gabriella’s Vietnam fix. But there are unmistakable Hawaiian touches like chile pepper water-doused oysters, country ham served with persimmons, and banh xeo made with pa’i’ai or pounded taro. Vietnamese food like this exists nowhere else on the planet.
Spring rolls from the Kapiolani Community College Farmers’ Market.
Kapiolani Community College Farmers Market
The Pig and the Lady also sets up a stand at theKapiolani Community College Farmers Marketon Saturdays from 7:30 to 11 a.m., serving pho French dips, lemongrass chicken banh mis, bun bowls with a vermicelli base, and curry rice plates. The rest of KCC Farmers Marketwill knock your socks off with its array of prepared foods, fresh fruit juices, coffee stands, vendors hacking into fresh coconuts with machetes, and abundance of tropical produce, from papayas to ‘ulu or breadfruit. If you’re walking up to the Diamond Head trail from Waikiki, you’ll pass it near the trailhead, but build in time to stop for a siphon coffee at Ars Cafefor a cup that rivals one from Ray’s Cafe and Tea House in Philly.
📍 Parking Lot B, 4303 Diamond Head Rd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96816, 🌐 hfbf.org/farmers-markets/kcc
The array of musubi at Musubi Iyasume in Waikiki.
Musubi Iyasume
Many of Waikiki’s 24-hour diner grand dames have closed at this point, but thankfully, my favorite breakfast in Waikiki doesn’t involve sitting down. Musubi Iyasume has multiple locations, serving classic Spam musubis, as well as ones that pair avocado, eel, and tamago with Spam and rice. They have seven locations, but I love the one at Waikiki Beach Walk the most because it has the longest opening hours and can scratch your musubi cravings from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
Wash down your breakfast musubi with one of the best deals in Waikiki: a sugarcane juice from the stationary food truck Aloha Sugarcane Juices,which you can get spiked with juicy, local calamansi, or blended with mangoes and papayas.
📍 138 Uluniu Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Zippy’s chili, teri burger, fries, and mini fried chicken plate.
Zippy’s
Head over to one of many locations of Zippy’s(a fast food diner chain that we love as dearly as Philadelphians love Wawa) to get some of the best of the island’s fried chicken or to pick up a bento box to bring on one of Oahu’s legendary hikes. Zippy’s is also famous for their chili, which will require you to pick a stance when you order: pro-kidney beans or no-kidney beans. While Zippy’s locations are scattered throughout Oahu (and also Las Vegas, considered Hawai’i’s ninth island), I implore you to go to the one in Kapahulu, so you will be within walking distance of the legendary Leonard’s Malasadas.
Delis in Hawai’i don’t resemble anything that might be called a deli in Philadelphia. Cold cases are filled with vats of fresh fish poke as opposed to deli meats, and Alicia’s Market mixes up some of Hawai’i’s best pokes (though honestly, unless you’re going to one of those newfangled build-a-bear style poke joints, it’s hard to go wrong).
If you’re committed to staying near Waikiki, Ala Moana Shopping Center is a short walk and pretty unavoidable if you’re a tourist. Thankfully, Foodland Farms opened adjacent to the mall eight years ago, and it has only gotten better over the years. It’s far more than just a grocery store, but a one-stop shop for great poke, edible island souvenirs (there’s a huge selection of Hawaiian chocolate, sweets, and coffee), and bento boxes to take with you on hikes. There’s also a wine bar.
📍 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, 📞 808-949-5044, 🌐 shop.foodland.com
Inside the Honolulu Fish Auction
Hawai’i has a serious sweet tooth
If you think Philly’s water ice is good, wait till you taste shave ice. Forget about tiny little paper cups of flavored ice, in Hawai’i, our shave ice (no “d” in “shave”) is a fluffy, lightly compacted pile of snow that will be quite a bit larger than your head.
Shimazu Shave Ice
Shimazu has been shaving ice for over 70 years and decorating the globes with stripes of tamarind, strawberry, passionfruit, mango, li hing mui (salty preserved plum), and many other syrups. Most shave ice shops will insist upon you consuming their shave ice outside.
For something more akin to water ice, Asato Family Shop painstakingly makes small batches of sherbet inspired by the nostalgic flavors of crack seed stores, Hawai’i’s throwback snack shops filled with jars of pickled mango, dried seeds, and raisin-like apricots.
Need a doughnut? Malasadas, which are yeasty, pillowy Portuguese doughnuts without holes and tossed in sugar, are far superior to any doughnut. Don’t be fooled by “bakery” being in Leonard’s name. These malasadas are fried. Go get one at Leonard’s original location (they also have trucks scattered throughout Oahu), and start with their original malasada, with no filling and a sugar coating, then move on to ones stuffed with haupia, or coconut pudding.
Now that you’ve made it to this point in the guide, you’ve likely consumed a lot of rice and hopefully, poi. If you need your fresh baked bread fix, Local General Store has been garnering a lot of recent attention. It’s on par with Philly’s Lost Bread and Mighty Bread, but is a combination bakery and butcher shop, so you can stop by for a pastry and a porchetta, and perhaps, a slice of their housemade Spam.
Blowfish lamps at La Mariana Sailing Club in Honolulu.
At some point, you’re going to want to unwind with a cocktail
La Mariana Sailing Club
Yes, it’s hard to get around Honolulu without encountering a mai tai, but if you’re a fan of kitsch and want to visit one of Oahu’s last remaining old school tiki bars, La Mariana Sailing Club leans hard into the theme. They have the vintage tiki mugs, the glass buoys hanging from the ceiling, the dangerously strong drinks. La Mariana is also near the airport if you need one last hurrah before passing out on the plane home.
📍 50 Sand Island Access Rd., Honolulu, Hawaii 96819, 📞 808-848-2800, 🌐 la-mariana-sailing.club
A martini from Podmore in Honolulu.
Podmore
But if you’re looking for refined fancy cocktails, you’ll find them at Podmore in Chinatown, which is fond of touches like yogurt-washed gin, heady spices, and a very good dry martini shaken with yuzu kosho.
For artful, Asian-inflected cocktails and vegan bar snacks, head to the Wild Orange speakeasy, hidden inside Hawaiian Brian’s and accessed by opening up the door to an Aloha Maid juice vending machine.
Restaurants for which you need a car and which are worth the drive
If you want to get out of Waikiki, you need to rent a car. The restaurants in this portion of the list are technically outside of Honolulu, but easily accessible with a car if you’re staying in Honolulu. For context, Haleiwa is the farthest point from Waikiki and is 33 miles across Oahu, which is basically like driving to Bucks County from Center City.
Squid lu’au and handrolls from Masa and Joyce.
Masa and Joyce Okazuya
Masa and Joyce in Kaneohe is an old school okazuya, or casual Japanese lunch counter, that makes one of Oahu’s best versions of squid lu’au as well as spectacular hand rolls. It is usually my first stop after getting off the plane, their squid lu’au is so savory and mesmerizing.
Waiahole Poi Factory is also in Kaneohe, but on your way to the North Shore if you’re taking the scenic route around the eastern side of the island. In this factory that has been operating over a century, you can pick up poi that’s both scaled up for larger production (steamed taro root passed through a grinder until it reaches a smooth consistency) and hand-pounded, but more importantly, dig into some of Oahu’s best Hawaiian food, like lau lau (ti leaf wrapped bundles of pork and butter fish) and a gingery beef lu’au.
Ramen is great and all (and you’ll find a wealth of ramen shops in Honolulu) but in Hawai’i, the classic noodle soup dish is saimin, with a lighter broth than most ramens, developed by both Chinese and Japanese laborers over the years. Shiro’s Saimin Haven is a classic saimin spot that serves vast bowls of fresh noodles sunk into a mild, lightly salted dashi that you can dress up with dozens of options for sides, from Filipino-style pork adobo to lau lau to Spam to roast duck. Everything here is good. There are two locations, in Aiea and Ewa Beach, but the Aiea one is the one that I’ve been going to for years.
But if you’re heading in the direction of Ewa Beach, stop in Waipahu and pick up poke, a pupu or sashimi platter, and or a mochiko chicken bento from longtime neighborhood seafood spot Tanioka’s. This is a go-to takeout spot if you need to feed a lot of people at parties or if you want to grab a bento to eat after surfing.
The closest food rivalry in Hawai’i, akin to that between Pat’s and Geno’s, is between the shrimp trucks up at North Shore, which are parked close to the shrimp farms they source from. Giovanni’s, a white truck covered in the signatures of many happy visitors, even has a connection to our parts, as its owner Troy Nitsche is a Pennsylvania native. Don’t leave Oahu without digging into a plate of Giovanni’s super garlicky and buttery shrimp scampi, sucking the shells dry, along the essential sides of rice and macaroni salad. Near Giovanni’s, in Haleiwa, stop in to Matsumoto Shave Ice to complete your North Shore experience.
