Here’s how Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan reviewed the best food in Philadelphia for 2019

Craig LaBan is always on a mission to find the best food in Philadelphia.

But when he’s not on the clock, traversing the Philadelphia suburbs and South Jersey for some of the best eats or diving deep into Philadelphia’s classics dishes, what does Craig crave?

» READ MORE: Craig LaBan's 2019 Dining Guide

Food cravings are powerful things. They can wake you from a dream or inspire you to travel great distances for that one taste. Craig’s cravings are definitely ones that he dreams about — and that he travels for.

This year’s Dining Guide features more than 120 restaurants from Center City to Kennett Square to Hammonton, N.J., and all points in between. While racking up those miles, Craig ate at countless spots to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything off the list. Pizza, cheesesteaks, hoagies, pasta, Indian food, sushi, tacos — he tried everything he could get his hands on in order to find the very best of these dishes (and 18 other categories of cravings).

To begin the process, Craig brainstormed 60 cravings before whittling those down to 25. The idea was roughly to take readers through a (very) full day of eating: from breakfast and lunch through dinner and dessert, with a nightcap for good measure. If that wasn’t enough, he delivered a few more “bonus” cravings to readers last week, including nachos and milkshakes.

It may take you a whole year to cross off from your list all the foods that Craig craves. Take your time, dig in, and know that our critic is already on the hunt for the next great Philly meal to share with you.