If you read this series often, you know I love little sweet treats. The After School Sundae at Percy, however, is a big treat, similar to the ones Betty and Archie would dig into at Pop’s on the new school version of Riverdale.

That’s kind of the point, actually. When Percy rebranded to a more casual all-day restaurant in November, the inspiration was a classic suburban diner. And this sundae exemplifies that, plopping peanut butter-and-strawberry swirl ice cream in a parfait cup glass smeared with strawberry preserve and creamy peanut butter. It comes topped with a brûléed cloud of marshmallow fluff for dramatic effect, which falls down the sides in globs as you dig in with a spoon. The result is a sundae that tastes like a sack lunch PB&J, only imbued with the regular decadence of a New Jersey diner where everything is a little too large. Fair warning, though: You will need a nap after devouring this. Percy, 1700 N. Front St., 215-975-0020, percyphl.com

— Beatrice Forman

Adam Diltz’s kitchen at Elwood revives and reimagines disappearing Pennsylvania traditions with both care and and a dash of quirk. From scrapple cubes made of venison to Kensington snapper soup or a family-style roasted guinea hen accompanied by Amish pickles, Diltz’s quaint and quirky Colonia-era Fishtown rowhouse-turned-atelier restaurant is an oasis of updated local culinary history that should be talked about far more than it is.

There are virtually no other restaurants, for example, that still showcase shad, a large ocean herring whose spawning runs up the Delaware River are a harbinger of spring. The fish were once so plentiful that Fishtown was named after them. Diltz showcases shad during its short season two ways, including as a large format main course with two sides of the fully boned (and otherwise extremely bony) fish cooked traditionally over cedar planks. But I especially loved the appetizer version, which Elwood presents as a classic Philly fish cake, the cedary fish flaked into mashed potatoes so it’s also gluten-free. Seared to a crisp, it’s presented over a lemon aioli and beside a bitter green salad dressed in sherry vinaigrette studded with nuggets of warm bacon, which is traditional with shad. As a bonus, the cake also comes topped with a scoop of crunchy tangy pepper hash, which former Inquirer columnist Rick Nichols once called the “handmaiden of the fish cake.” When you consider the incredibly brief window in which this seasonal delight is available — perhaps another two weeks — there may be no disappearing Philly food combo as fleeting, or still worthy, as this. Elwood, 1007 Frankford Ave., 215-279-7427, elwoodrestaurant.com

— Craig LaBan

Chef Chris Bennett, previously chef Richard Cusack’s sous chef at June BYOB, is now a solo act in the former Park Place in Merchantville, dealing a six-course tasting menu in the cozy dining room with dark woods, leather seating, and a fine-dining feel without the stiffness. The meal follows a classic French progression: salmon tartare amuse bouche; lobster panna cotta with black truffle, citrus, and asparagus; foie gras torchon with apple cider, walnuts, and golden raisin. Then Bennett himself wheels out a cheese cart stocked with eight French cheeses, plus caviar from Swedesboro’s King Caviar Farms. Shown above is the tortellini, a bridge between the menu’s early delicacy and its richer back half. The spinach pasta is filled with ricotta and paired with mussels, shrimp, and a touch of chili oil — land and sea in one compact course, with the shellfish adding brine and the chili giving it lift. From there, Bennett moves to potato-crusted salmon over fennel and saffron-laced vegetables, followed by honey-glazed duck breast and confit leg with carrots, cipollini onions, and mushrooms. Petit fours and macarons close the meal — a steal for $115. Restaurant 1793, 7 E. Park Ave., Merchantville, N.J., 856-470-1090, restaurant1793.com

— Michael Klein