Recently in Philadelphia Category

The birthplace of our nation happens to be a great town for wine. And you don't have to go far to find it: the Westin Philadelphia happens to be around the corner from one of the best wine bars in town, Tria. The wine menu is organized by simple categories that help guide you to a "zippy" white or a "sociable" or "funky" red. Note, there's also a great beer selection. So pair your glass with an assortment of cheeses from the ever-changing list or sample their selection of snacks.

In Old City, near the Delaware River, there's Fork, whose reputation for great wine is only surpassed by its actual food, which is Asian-influenced and highly seasonal. Nearby, Swanky Bubbles specializes in the combination of champagne and sushi.

For a more frugal evening, try for a reservation at FridaySaturdaySunday, where the well-tended wine list is marked up just $10 a bottle over cost.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." So said old Ben Franklin, and the city of Philadelphia has taken it to heart. There are dozens of taverns, brewpubs and taprooms in the city, along with several craft breweries in the area. For serious beer drinkers, Philly is hard to beat.

Start your beer tour just a few blocks from the Westin Philadelphia at Monk's Cafe, a Belgian gastropub with more than 200 beers in bottle and tap, and a menu filled with dishes cooked with beer — try the mussels "Ghent," steamed in Saison Dupont beer and fumè wine, parsley, carmelized leeks, bacon, bleu cheese and garlic. This extremely popular place may ruin you for anywhere else (assuming you can get a table) but there are a couple other places to try.

Philly loves Belgium (the city supposedly drinks more Belgian ale than Brussels, a trend inspired in part by Monk's); check out Eulogy Tavern, The Abbaye or newcomer Zot (rhymes with 'note') for equally good mussels and other Flemish flavors to accompany your Trappist ale. And if you're visiting in early March, you'll want to time for Philly Beer Week, March 7-16, when the beer cognoscenti gather to celebrate with talks, tastings and home-brew competitions.

In the land of hoagies and cheesesteaks, there's also a place for a charming French country cooking. David Ansill and his pastry chef wife, Catherine, brought francophonic flair to Philadelphia with their neighborhood French bistro Pif. That restaurant just closed, in favor of the newer and larger Ansill, where the space can better satisfy the demand for their very approachable French country fare near the Westin Philadelphia.

Ansill's menu relies heavily on what's available in the Italian Market, not far from its South Philly address. The small plate menu allows you to give in to temptation and sample more than just one dish, which is a good thing when the dishes are as tempting as these. Foodblog blogalicious labels the food "man-tapas" for the generous portions of hearty dishes such as braised porkbelly, while Philadelphia Weekly fawned mustardy spaetzle tossed with sauteed baby spinach and terrine of chicken and pork.

If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia's suburbs, you can stay at the Sheraton Park Ridge in King of Prussia. You can also visit the world's only Three Stooges museum. Located in a Ambler, PA warehouse, the Stoogeum is located in a 10,000 foot warehouse that gets more than 3000 visitors a year. Apart from the usual collection of photos, props and memorbilla, there is also a $19 check Moe wrote to Shemp, several bottles of Three Stooges Beer and even a Three Stooges talking bottle opener. According to museum propreitor Gary Lassin, the Stoogeum is "basically one-third tax shelter, one-third real estate investment and one-third a complete waste of money." However, we think many Three Stooges fans would get a kick out of it.