Vernick Food & Drink

Restaurant critic Craig LaBan is not easy to please, but he’s only got good things to say about this popular and revered Center City bistro. For starters, he calls it “Philadelphia’s best overall restaurant,” and notes the “precise beauty” granted to every dish by chef Greg Vernick, whose trophy case also includes Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic, as granted by the James Beard Foundation. “Vernick has helped redefine what American dining can be: effortlessly diverse and seasonal, with a bustling bi-level Rittenhouse space that feels like a special occasion without tablecloths, and a menu I’d happily revisit every week — if only I could get a table.”