Foodsday Tuesday: AOL Does Philly

There's no way they could've gotten everybody's favorite Philly Chinese restaurant on the list, but I'm a fan of the sadly absent Rich City on South Street.

The top four cheesesteak places were a foregone conclusion; the order was the only thing in question, and is bound to annoy someone. Me, I'm pretty okay with it.

Also, if Nodding Head, the fantastic bar/restaurant at 15th and Sansom, is on one of these lists, I can't find it, and that's a problem.

The only other thing the list is seriously lacking is consideration of all the great lunch carts in the city. Other than that, it's not bad.

Star's Take
My meager opinions:

Breakfast/Weekend Brunch: 10th Street Pour House (262 S. 10th Street) is criminally absent from these lists.

Burger: Glad to see Monk's on the list, although I'd rate them higher. (And how is it they don't rate on the Beer Selection list?)

Karaoke: I agree, Moriatry's has a great song selection, and a friendly crowd. I'd personally also recommend the karaoke night at Woody's and...if you're feeling brave and silly (and who isn't when karaoke is involved) Puppet Karaoke once a month at the M-Room. (For the puppet
curious, the Puppet Karaoke crew has apparently just begun vlogging.

Jill's Take
As a Texan, I'm really picky about my barbecue. Famous Dave's is delicious, but I don't think it's fair to put any chain restaurants on this list unless they're Philly-only chains, and having a chain rank first is ridiculous. I'm not a big fan of Tommy Gunn's meats, but they do have deep-fried mac-n-cheese that makes me want to cry with every artery clogging bite. My favorite place on that list is definitely The Smoked Joint.

I live in University City, and any Penn person can tell you that New Deck makes one helluva burger. Also, I think that our neighborhood is the food truck hub of Philadelphia, and, like Jim, I think that more trucks need to be featured on this list -- especially on the "cheap eats" section. I was, however, thrilled to discover that Yue Kee, 38th Street's generator-powered Chinese kitchen was named one of Philly's best Chinese restaurants. I'm especially surprised to see it on the same list as Susanna Foo (which I don't really consider Chinese, anyway).

Most of the city's "family-friendly" restaurants are chain-operated, which makes sense, but makes me wonder why bother with the category if you're not going to go out and try places off the beaten path. Also, Dave and Buster's is technically not family friendly at all. It's for grown-up kids.

I was ecstatic that my favorite BYO, La Viola, made it to the best Italian restaurant list, and even more ecstatic that this category, at least, was chain-free.

Mexican food is the second kind of food that I'm really snobby about, and although I've never tried the fare at Coyote Crossing, I feel safe in looking down my nose at any restaurant serving "gringo-ized Mexican." Taqueria Veracruzana is great, and authentic to boot, but two other Italian Market Mexican restaurants (La Lupe and Plaza Garibaldi) are tragically missing, as is Zocalo's upscale Mexican cuisine.

After this list was published, I went to Bliss for the first time, and it absolutely lives up to the hype. Days later, I'm still dreaming about my dumplings... and my scallops... and my warm raspberry tart... This place deserves to be the one that bumps Steven Starr to #2. And I was shocked to see anything above Le Bec.

The best steak in the city also apparently comes from a chain restaurant, proving that the reviewers didn't order the filet at Bistro San Tropez and instead stuck to the restaurants near their hotels. The best sushi was much better selected, but I would have loved a nod to Bento Box, the only sushi food truck I know and actually trust.

A lot of excellent brunch locales (Devil's Alley, Moshulu, Sabrina's) are absent from AOL's list, but I can't argue with Rx as a choice. What I can argue with, however, is the selection of The Capital Grille as the city's best place for wine, when it's a chain and Tria, a local establishment with an ever-changing cellar, was only ranked number five. There is no justice. Tria also clearly belongs on the beer list. As does the Foodery which, though neither a bar or restaurant, is my go-to place for anything I can't find at my local pizzeria.

Missing from the best happy hours in Philly, in no particular order, include, but are not limited to: Zocalo, Pod, New Deck Tavern, White Dog Cafe, La Terrasse, Mad4Mex (basically, the entire Sansom Common in University City), Tria, Bump, and Irish Pub. And tragically missing from the karaoke section is Singapore Vegetarian Restaurant in Chinatown, where you and a small group of friends can have free reign over the entire karaoke system in your own private room. The selection's not the best, but it sure is fun.

El Azteca shouldn't count in the best margaritas category, since you provide the tequila yourself. If we're only judging the mixes, I'd definitely reccommend bringing your Cuervo to Lolita instead. Pod's neon-colored martinis should count in the best signature drinks category but apparently don't, and Bump's specialty martinis also deserve a nod on this list.

Well, there it is. Our humble opinions on a bunch of bars and restaurants. Let us know what you think about AOL City Guide's Best of Philly list in the comments section!

Photo via Bliss