{"id":114,"date":"2025-10-14T22:01:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T22:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T22:01:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T22:01:47","slug":"phillys-most-underrated-dining-destination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly\u2019s Most Underrated Dining Destination"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Clam Tavern in Delco \/ Photography by Ed Newton<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the first place that comes to mind when you\u2019re planning where to eat? It\u2019s probably not Delaware County, home of Wawa\u2019s headquarters and birthplace of Habbersett scrapple. You wouldn\u2019t expect to find a diner serving omelets stuffed with 14-hour smoked pork butt, a fine-dining restaurant serving smoked paprika-dusted octopus, or a town with so many cultural cuisines represented that their motto is \u201cThe World in One Place.\u201d And yet, the region\u2019s most misunderstood county has all of that and more.<\/p>\n

From Stromboli slingers and clam shacks to Ecuadorean ceviches and Armenian sausages, here are the places worth going, the dishes worth eating, and the colorful characters putting Delaware County on the map.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Small Town, Big Appetite
\nYour guide to Media\u2019s best-kept dining secrets
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Branzino from Ariano<\/p>\n

It may seem like an average diner, but the food at The Corner<\/a> proves otherwise. Grab a seat and watch as the cooks at the griddle stuff coffee-rubbed short rib, 14-hour smoked pork butt, and rib eye with soy citrus marinated onions and pepper relish into over-the-top omelets and whip up stacks of Frisbee-sized pancakes. A lot of restaurants in Media are like this \u2014 unassuming neighborhood spots with surprisingly elaborate menus that prove this bustling suburb has outsized taste.<\/p>\n

Ariano<\/a> is a standout for a slow-paced lunch over Negronis or a romantic dinner date. Highlights on the rustic Italian menu include arancini filled with lump crab and fontina cheese, a saut\u00e9ed branzino served on a bed of broccoli rabe and gigante beans, and all of the wood-fired pizzas.<\/p>\n

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Inside Ariano\u2019s dining room<\/p>\n

Share a cavalcade of Shanghai shumai, chicken skewers, soup dumplings, steamed buns, and crispy scallion pancakes or split a whole Peking duck with the table at Tom\u2019s Dim Sum<\/a>. The popular Chinatown restaurant\u2019s Media location is perfect for large groups looking to try a little bit of everything.<\/p>\n

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The La Caprese cocktail from Departure<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not quite ready for dessert, digest while perusing the selection of vinyl records inside Scooped Ice Cream & Gelato<\/a>. The ice cream parlor is a treasure trove of classics every record lover should have as well as rarer finds that audiophiles vie for \u2014 like a promo copy of David Bowie\u2019s The Man Who Sold the World. On your way out, grab a scoop of homemade ice cream (the chocolate caramel sea salt in a waffle cone is a favorite).<\/p>\n

And if you thought there was no nightlife in the Delco burbs, think again: Departure Restaurant and Lounge<\/a> has an airport-themed cocktail menu that will make you feel like you\u2019re jet-setting in first class. The fruity-floral Takeoff made with City Street Vodka, elderflower, lychee, and lime is the perfect nightcap. \u2014 Kae Lani Palmisano<\/p>\n

The Secret Sauce of Delco\u2019s Clam Tavern
\nHospitality, history, and a whole lot of heart.
\n\"delco<\/p>\n

Nearly two decades later, I can\u2019t tell you how many family birthday dinners we have had at the Clam Tavern, where my son started working as a dishwasher in 2021 and now works behind the bar. \u201cI met him in utero\u201d is how Tony likes to put it to customers before making sure the baked clams on the table came out just right and buying a round of drinks for a couple celebrating their 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just the kind of place it is, a place where generations gather for tasty but thoroughly unfussy food and a certain je ne sais quoi factor that most restaurants would kill to have, a combination of comfort, familiarity, and authentically good vibes that can\u2019t be manufactured. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Food Fight: Where Delco Diners Go to Debate
\nA look at the Facebook group where the battles happen.
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Delco has a not-at-all-undeserved reputation as a bellicose community. And Facebook is, of course, a place where people love to go to fight. So it\u2019s not at all surprising that a local Facebook group called Delco Restaurant Review would have its share of beefs and battles among its 42,000 or so members. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Where to Eat in the Philly Area\u2019s Most Diverse Dining Scene
\nArmenian specialties, 9 a.m. pho, standout barbecue, Lebanese lamb burgers, and food court bulgogi: Upper Darby has it all.
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Illustration by Keith Warren Greiman<\/p>\n

When you think about Upper Darby, your first thought might go to the shuttered Tower Theater. Or maybe the once-thriving shopping district that was 69th Street. Remember that landmark Sears store? But that was the past. One of the remarkable things about Upper Darby today is the diversity of its restaurant scene, a product of immigration patterns over the past several decades. While the population of Delaware County overall is predominantly white, quite the opposite is true here. One measure of the diversity of Upper Darby is its school district, where more than 100 languages are represented among the student body. The other measure: the Upper Darby restaurant scene. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Why a Beloved Restaurant Traded Philly for Delco
\nAfter 12 years in East Passyunk, Fond packed up their menu \u2014 chicken liver mousse and all \u2014 and set out for the burbs.
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Chefs Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki Styer; chicken liver mousse and octopus at Fond.<\/p>\n

Fond 3.0 opened in Wallingford in October of 2024. The menu is classic Fond: swordfish with braised kale, bacon and a garlic vichyssoise, pork belly with Okinawan sweet potatoes and an escarole-Dijon jus. But he also does Dutch baby pancakes the size of a fancy church hat at brunch, and a prime rib dinner special on the second Sunday of every month. I ask Lee if he misses the energy of working in the city, and he says yes \u2026 but also kinda no. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Delco Legends: Classic Dishes That Define Delco
\nGrease, grit, and glory: These are the legendary bites that capture the soul of Delco.
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Jerry\u2019s Roastbeef and More \/ Illustration by Keith Warren Greiman<\/p>\n

The best meals aren\u2019t always the ones you find in fancy restaurants, where sleek branding and high-concept tasting menus attract social media buzz. Sometimes they\u2019re tucked away in a dive bar kitchen, past discount socks and airbrush art in a farmers\u2019 market, or in a dining room where the hoi polloi congregate for a delightfully greasy lunch. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Inside the Black-Owned Cafe Feeding Delco and Beyond
\nEverybody Eats Cafe serves up great food for an even greater purpose.
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Chef Malik Ali at Everybody Eats Cafe<\/p>\n

When the world felt like it was falling apart, Everybody Eats started with a clear mission: Feed people.<\/p>\n

Born during the summer of 2020 by a group of Black chefs, the organizations has grown from neighborhood food giveaways to a thriving restaurant in Chester. Everybody Eats Cafe now serves up more than just breakfast sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and fish and grits \u2014 they serve the community through mentorship programs, cooking classes, and providing 100 free meals a day, four days a week. Keep reading \u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Published as \u201cDelco Dining\u201d in the October 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.<\/p>\n

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