Striped Bass – Philadelphia, PA
Chef Alfred Portale, who rocked the culinary scene over 20 years ago with his high-rising, layered and stacked delicacies at New York City’s Gotham Bar and Grill, has recently moved to the reopened Striped Bass in Philadelphia. Portale, along with Chef Christopher Lee, are offering up a seafood heavy (it is the Striped Bass, after all) menu that is sure to delight. Located in a former brokerage house, the grandeur of the soaring columns and high ceilings set the stage for the elegance and inventiveness of the cuisine, with a menu that changes daily. Do order the chef’s tasting. Note: The Big Easy jazz brunch on Sundays is also very popular.

Pod – Philadelphia, PA
Located in the University City neighborhood, Pod serves inventive and delicious Asian fusion cuisine in surroundings lifted straight out of Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” and Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Diners are entertained by the sight of colorful cocktails in martini glasses (named simply for their colors, not their contents, which are often both inventive and delicious) revolving around a conveyor belt on the translucent, lit-from-below bar. Diners can choose to be ensconced in egg-shaped pod-type small dining rooms, where the lighting mutes from one hue to the next automatically, or on command. Choose the fusion dishes, which are meant to be shared, and skip the sushi, which is only average. Definitely check out the bathrooms: Futuristic individual pods (that word again,) each of a different color.

Le Bec-Fin – Philadelphia, PA
Le Bec-Fin, a bastion of haute French cuisine since opening its doors in1970, underwent a much-needed interior renovation in 2002, and has rid itself of the overly fussy decor. Still, the old-fashioned formality prevails: The waiters are in tuxedos, there are two seatings for dinner, and meals are five courses. Chef and owner George Perrier serves up such classic French dishes as “pigeon roti” (roasted squab to you) and terrine de lapin, (braised rabbit) which are, of course, brought to the table in silver domed covers. There’s the obligatory cheese cart, and a monstrous dessert selection. Consider the chef’s signature dish: galette de crabe (crab cakes) and, in a nod to modern times, there is a vegetarian plate available. Be warned: This is very much your father’s (or grandpere’s) French restaurant; for those who crave more adventurous fine dining, you’ll be better off elsewhere. But if a predictable stalwart is exactly what the occasion demands, book your table here.