Penn’s self–appointed foodies describe in great detail the most decadent, mouth–watering meals they've ever feasted on in Philly.
The Dish: Lemon Cupcake ($3) The Place: Philly Cupcake (1132 Chestnut St.) The lemon cupcake from Philly Cupcake is the closest I’ve come to finding cupcake perfection in Philly. Generously sized and decorated with bright pink and blue nonpareils, this cupcake strikes a nice balance between the richness of the moist cake and the tartness of the lemon. The frosting is equally excellent and forgoes the sickly, sugar coma–inducing sweetness characteristic of other frostings in favor of a pleasant fruity flavor. Pucker up lemon lovers! — Rachel Weinberg
The Dish: Pot Brownie, Banana Split Combo The Place: South Philadelphia Tap Room (1509 Mifflin St.) This bowl of heavenly goodness starts with a decadent chocolate brownie topped with whipped cream and … wait for it … fried bananas. Yes, warm, gooey, delicious fried bananas. While I’m not a huge fan of fruit in desserts, I have to say that this one changed my entire outlook. Health freaks stay away because this dish probably equates to your calorie count for the entire week. — Stephanie Rice
The Dish: Truffled Baked Egg ($7) The Place: Biba (3131 Walnut St.) Set down in front of me by the waiter with a flourish, the “truffled baked egg” in a mini cast iron skillet was golden brown and bubbling on top. Hiding a molten interior of fontina cheese, spinach and mushrooms, the combo is studded with itty bitty cubed potatoes. Nestled among all this gooey goodness is a perfectly runny egg, happily chilling amidst all the glory. Poke it and let the silky yolk join the rich truffle–y mess, and sop it up with the provided hearty country bread. It’s $7, it’s almost a meal and it’s the best shit I ever ate. — Emily Gerard
The Dish: Colossal Cookies ‘N Cream Brownie Sundae ($13) The Place: Jones (700 Chestnut St.) “I’ve never seen a group finish that,” our waiter cautioned. But with three people for a two to four–person dessert, my sister, my brother and I were confident we would be the first to overcome the Colossal Cookies ‘n Cream Brownie Sundae at Jones. It looked like the chef had overturned an entire brownie tray and started building up from there. Next came a sleeve–worth of Oreos, what looked like a pint of vanilla ice cream, enough whipped cream to hide the towering confection and the most decadent chocolate sauce topping it all off. By the time we triumphantly finished gorging we were sick — sick and happy. — Hannah Keyser
The Dish: Torta de Pastor ($6) The Place: Don Memo food truck (3800 Sansom St.) Pastor pork, lettuce, avocado, mayo, hot red salsa, onions and freshly–sliced tomatoes are all contained in a fresh bolillo. The spongy bread soaks up all the greasy, spicy goodness and each bite is an explosion of intensity. I don’t know how he does it, but Don Leo manages to make pastor (pork cooked in a spicy adobo dry rub) taste like authenic pastor. It’s the only genuine pastor I’ve tasted in the U.S. It doesn’t get any more authentic, or more delicious, than Don Memo Torta de Pastor. — Isabel Oliveres
