The 15 best restaurants to try in visiting Philadelphia, according to a local

"Giant breakfast sandwiches filled with fluffy eggs, arugula, and sharp American cheese are the star of the show at Middle Child, a luncheonette in Washington Square West. You have the option of customizing your breakfast sandwich with items like avocado, bacon, and even a hash brown."

"Mission Taqueria, a lively restaurant in Rittenhouse Square decorated with plants and bright-colored decor, serves tacos with fillings such as carnitas, fried mahi-mahi, and roasted cauliflower. Since the owner has Celiac disease, Mission Taqueria's menu is entirely gluten-free."

"Good Karma, a café with four locations around the city, serves coffee, tea, soups, and sandwiches. True to its name, Good Karma's coffee beverages are brewed from fair-trade beans."

"The Tasty, a South Philly favorite, serves vegan iterations of diner eats — think biscuits with meat-free gravy, breakfast burritos filled with scrambled tofu, and tempeh bacon BLTs. There are daily pastry specials as well."

"This all-day, vegetarian-friendly café is open for brunch, dinner, and happy hour. Bloomsday is closed on Monday and Tuesday. It offers new spins on comforting classics, from a "waffled" croissant to seared mushrooms with polenta, and has an extensive wine list. If you want to take a bottle of vino with you, there's an in-house wine shop, too."

"For a taste of Lebanon, try Suraya. This Fishtown restaurant has a cafe and a market, and offers full-service dining indoors or outside in a garden area."

"Located near South Street, Nomad is a pizzeria that tops pies with gourmet ingredient combos like fig and guanciale (cured pork) or arugula and buffalo mozzarella. Pair your meal with a classic Italian cocktail such as a Negroni or a spritz."

"Abyssinia, an Ethiopian restaurant in West Philly, is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Meat combos include items such as qey wot (beef simmered in berbere sauce) and yebeg alicha (curried lamb stew), while veggie platters contain things like ye'misir wot (split lentils in berbere sauce) and ye'gomen wat (sauteed collard greens with onions, tomatoes, and garlic)."

"La Colombe, a Philly coffee chain with 30 locations in six US cities, has a flagship cafe in Fishtown with an airy, industrial vibe. Several signature drinks are available on tap, including the draft latte (a cold, creamy beverage) and the black-and-tan, a creation that melds the draft latte with iced black coffee."

"Dottie's, a vegan donut shop with locations in Society Hill and West Philly, produces innovative, eye-catching pastries in flavors like raspberry vanilla, cold-brew Oreo, and maple tahini."

"Cool off with a retro treat at Franklin Fountain in Old City. This old-fashioned soda fountain churns out ice cream flavors ranging from vanilla bean and Hydrox cookie (known today as cookies and cream) to caramelized banana and butter pecan."

"Kalaya is a cozy Thai restaurant in Bella Vista named for the owner's mother. Curries, dumplings, and salads are all on offer. Some of the most popular items are kang gai kow mun (chicken curry), som tum (green papaya salad), and sakoo sei hed (tapioca dumplings filled with shitake mushrooms and peanuts)."

"A mural of mermaids greets patrons at Tattooed Mom (affectionately called TMoms), a funky bar on South Street currently offering outdoor seating and takeout. With a graffiti meets rococo aesthetic, this watering hole serves playful cocktails like the Pop Rocket, a drink made with raspberry vodka and Pop Rocks candy, and the Fortune Fish, which contains blackberry schnapps and Swedish Fish."

"Tuna Bar, a raw bar in Old City, serves traditional sushi rolls like California and yellowtail scallion in addition to specialties named for Philly streets and neighborhoods."

"Situated on the roof of the Bok Building, a former high school in South Philly repurposed as a maker space, Irwin's offers natural wine and Sicilian fares such as caponata (a vegetable dish similar to ratatouille), bucatini with monkfish, and agrodolce chicken (a sweet and sour take on poultry)."