Philadelphia Weekly

Share this Story:

Clásico hot chocolate, Sazon (Venezuelan)
$6. 941 Spring Garden St.

Fresh pasta, Talluto’s (Italian)
$4.99/lb. 944 S. Ninth St.

Fresh mozzarella, Claudio’s (Italian)
$7.99/lb. 926 S. Ninth St.
Short of smuggling an Italian water buffalo into the States and letting it roam up and down 9th Street, the Auriemma family bought a machine from Italy to make fresh cheese in the style of the Campania region's famous mozzarella di bufala. -Tara Desmond, crumbsonmykeyboard.com

Kitfo platter, Abyssinia (Ethiopian)
Rare beef, minced and spiced.
$9.50. 229 S. 45th St.

Octopus takoyaki, Maru Global (Japanese)

$4.86. 255 S. 10th St.
Part of what I love about the octopus takoyaki is the slight fear-factor element of eating “octopus balls.” Not literally. But they are scrumptious little spheres of spicy octopus dipped in crepe batter, then topped with a tasty kewpie mayo and bonito flakes. -Daniel McLaughlin, thethirteenthdiet.com

Texas weiner, Texas Weiner (South Jersey)
$1.86-$2.85. 1426 Snyder Ave.
“Turn-of-the-century Greek cooks started spreading the gospel of encased meats by opening hundreds of hot dog stands throughout the country, called “Coney Islands” in the midwest and “Texas Weiners” in the northeast. Grilled dogs were dressed in “Texas Chili” that’s actually more of a heavily spiced Greek-diner bolognese. The one on Snyder has been around since 1923—they still serve the Greek sauce on split & grilled hot dogs with the added Philly spin of cheese whiz.” -Hawk Krall, seriouseats.com

Nacatamales Nicaraguense, El Gallo Pinto (Nicaraguan)
$4. 1163 S. Seventh St. 

Culture Mash-up

Tofu tikka masala tacos, Coup de Taco (Indian/Mexican)
$3.50. 40th St. between Locust and Spruce sts.
“Indian mashes up with Mexican street food at these lunch truck tacos. Delicately spiced tofu, basmati rice and mango chutney make for a more sophisticated taco that showcases my two favorite cuisines.” -Kelly Phillips, livingonthevedge.net

Korean Tacos, Meritage (Korean/Mexican)
$5. 500 S. 20th St.

Jubano, Delicatessan (Cuban/Jewish)
$11. 703 Chestnut St.
“As deliciously unhealthy as Cuban sandwiches can be, some of them can also be pretty bland. This house-smoked pastrami and spicy brown mustard seem more appropriate for a sandwich that shares provenance with Che Guevara.” -Marcos Espinoza, fidelgastro.com

Roast pork with BBQ sauce, Porky’s Point (Philly/Puerto Rican)
$6.50 . 3824 N. Fifth St.

Wings, Chifa (Peruvian/Cantonese)
$12. 707 Chestnut St.
“On nights when I’m not going to restaurants for work, my wife and I gravitate toward standards like wings and burgers. Chifa’s wings are crispy, savory and easy to eat—and don’t stray too far from familiar ground despite the unexpected flavor.” -Brian Freedman, PW food writer

Saag paneer pizza, Tiffin Etc. (Indian/Italian-American)
$5.50. 712 W. Girard Ave.

Pizza al pastor & pizza carnitas, San Lucas Pizzeria (Mexican/Italian-American)
$3. 18th and Mckean sts.
“San Lucas pizza is a fantastic example of street-level fusion—a convergence that happens naturally in diverse neighborhoods rather than being forced by chefs. Big, fold-over slices piled with delicious authentic Mexican toppings and drizzled with homemade hot sauce.” -Hawk Krall, seriouseats.com