"Parc is iconic. The long-running bistro has essentially fused with Rittenhouse Square itself, and it’s the city’s go-to restaurant for brunch, date night, or watching a Jack Nicholson lookalike order a grapefruit martini. You can’t go wrong with the roast chicken or the warm shrimp salad, but it’s their gruyere-topped French onion soup that's a non-negotiable. Plop down at the bar for a solo steak frites, or if it’s nice out, try to get a seat on 18th Street. Just don't settle for one of those dinky wooden tables across from the bathrooms where servers will forget you exist. What are you, a tourist?" - alison kessler