Doc Pete x

I have stayed at the Inn and think it's a better hotel than it is a restaurant. My only caution would be that on weekends it is a real scene. It markets itself as low key but it attracts gawkers and celebs on weekends. If you can go midweek that is much better and food prices are lower.

Yes, I had a prix fixe at Inn at Little Washington. Nearly 贄 for four courses. Yes, I have been to French Laundry, which is much better than Inn at Little Washington, in a different quality category totally, but also not as amazing as everyone says. These places just are not impressive compared to Jean Georges, Cello or Danube, to list the three best I've had in New York IMHO.

I was there about a year ago. O'Connell was not in attendance. It may have been impossible for it to have lived up to my expectations because everyone and anyone had told me it was one of the world's best and many said it was the best in America. It is a very good restaurant but it is nowhere near in the league of a restaurant like Jean Georges or any of the other New York bests. If Jean Georges is a four star restaurant Inn at Little Washington serves three star food in a four star setting. I found the service uninformed. Limited menu choices except for dessert where there are a dozen or more. On some courses there were not even any great choices. The meat entrees were best. Incredible wine list. Worth going but not as good as everyone says.

Holly, I wish I'd had more time in Philly to pursue a broader range of your recommendations, but I was able to try three. I will always be in your debt for the recommendation of Carman's Country Kitchen. This was perhaps the best breakfast I've ever had. The French toast with fruit and yogurt was crunchy on the outside and mushy on the inside and so in balance it was amazing. I also had brunch at Four Seasons and couldn't get nearly as excited about it. The food was abundant and beautiful but it was nothing but a fancy hotel breakfast. You could have been anywhere. You are also a heroic figure in my eyes for turning me on to the totally superior Chubbies and Dallesandro's style of cheese steak. I now understand why people like cheese steaks. I never loved what I now know is called the South Philly style. Over at Le Bec Fin or rather Le Bar Lyonnais I experienced joyless average bistro fare I could have easily gotten at Pastis or Balthazar. I have two more trips to Philly coming up in the next few months so I hope to keep this dialog going.

Holly, I very much appreciate those recommendations and they came just as I had one foot out the door. I've printed them out and will use them as my bible for the trip.

Wow. That site is a goldmine of information of exactly the source I was looking for. I'll test some of those recommendations and report back after the weekend.

Heading to Philly for the coming weekend. I'd like to do a mini-survey of the required places, both high- and low-end. So I'm looking for the top couple of restaurants for dinner (I'm thinking the bistro part of Bec Fin and the place in the Four Seasons), and some more downscale stuff for daytime snacking, in particular cheese steaks. I haven't been to Philly in ages, so I don't really know what's good now. Jim's?