Five Dollars Will Buy You One of the Best Burgers in Philadelphia

America's burger craze has shifted from the $15+ luxury burger to the reasonably priced, roadside snack that could rival any fancier competitor on quality. While the best of the best still require visits to restaurants like REX 1516, Village Whiskey or Pub & Kitchen, it's now just as easy to grab a quick, affordable burger to meet our needs. Call it the Shake Shack effect.

The famous $5 Fountain Porter burger

For our cheap dollar, the best of the bunch is at Fountain Porter in South Philly. The no-thrills corner bar just off East Passyunk Ave. serves up a $5 patty with cheese, lettuce and tomato on a potato bun. That's it.

The minimalist Fountain Porter burger, perhaps the best of its class in Philadelphia, is cooked to absolute perfection - crispy on the outside, pink on the inside with juice oozing out to coat the bun. You can knock 'em back like White Castle (without the undesired after shock).

Before arriving at Fountain Porter, we thought the burger was the only thing on the menu. You can actually get a variety of pickled items, cured meats and cheeses as well, but the burger is the star of the show. I wish the fries were a bit crispier, but they were still quite good for the price. The spicy pickles were a nice snack, too.

Fountain Porter also has one of the best beer selections around. It's really the perfect spot for a quality brew with an affordable burger, even if you buy two!

*Kid friendly? Not ideal, but with an adventurous spirit you can sit in the back and make do. You'll need to get there early before the crowds roll in. At 5 p.m. on a Saturday, we were glad to see another tiny table with two toddlers. It was loud enough inside that any noise they or our little guy made was drowned out, but if your child doesn't do well with noise, then Fountain Porter isn't the best option for you.

Inside shot! Pretty simple but delicious.

Celebrate the Seasons with Dinner at Townsend in East Passyunk

The Fountain at The Four Seasons may have closed, but its legacy lives on in the next generation of great Philly chefs, for whom restaurants like the Fountain served as training grounds.

Townsend Wentz started his journey to greatness at The Fountain, and after stops at Lacroix, Twenty21 and a few NY restaurants came back to Philly to run McCrossen's  (which we loved while he was there). Last April, Wentz opened his namesake Townsend on East Passyunk Ave. 

We got to experience the summer menu this July and it was one of the most delicious meals we've had in a while. Start to finish, Townsend delivered on delicate flavors, beautiful presentation and great service. The photos below speak for themselves. Our three-course meal plus one shared dessert was plenty filling but well paced so it didn't leave us stuffed. 

Clockwise from top left: Pan Roasted Magret Duck Breast with summer white bean cassoulet and port reduction; Jumbo Lump Crab Risotto with truffle-asparagus salad; Rabbit Pot-au-feu with roasted loin roulade, braised rabbit, carrots and potatoes; Potato Gnocchi with sweet corn, mussels, wax beans and pickled fresno chilies. These were all second and third courses. As appetizers we also had the Andalusian Gazpacho with basil oil and brioche croutons and the Marinated Hamachi with cucumber, sesame, lime, cilantro and furikake. Each bite was better than the one before, though if I had to pick a favorite it would be the risotto. 

Townsend is a French restaurant nestled in a Passyunk rowhouse with seasonally inspired menus. Get there soon to try what we had. I can't wait to see what Townsend offers for fall. There's a bar just inside the door, seating in the back and more upstairs. We lucked out with the front bay window seat upstairs and a lovely view of Easy Passyunk Ave at dusk. Great idea for Valentine's Day, a birthday or other special occasion. 

*Kid-friendly? It is feasible to bring a child to Townsend, probably best during earlier hours, but it is such a nice experience that we'd recommend calling up the babysitter and making Townsend a night out just for mom and dad. 

... and for dessert, chocolate souffle. Just do it. 

Everyone is Going Bang Bang for Bing Bing

Jade Shrimp Dumplings

Cheu Noodle Bar founders Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh opened Bing Bing Dim Sum in mid-February. Finally a fun place to get dumplings outside of Chinatown, and it hit East Passyunk with a splash - 250+ people served nightly since opening, according to Shawn. We first attempted to visit two weeks ago on Wednesday to find a 45 minute wait, much too long for the pregnant wife. We went back again on a Saturday, arriving 30 minutes after their 5:00 pm opening and it was already jammed, though we were able to snag two seats at the bar.

Dealing with such demand while working out the typical new restaurant kinks has been a struggle, Shawn admitted, and it showed in some of the initial menu items. Adding to the challenge, Bing Bing has to live up to the success of Cheu, bringing that distinct-but-indescribable Cheunish twist on noodles to the traditional, beloved dumpling.

Dumpling hunters would be wise to leave their comparisons to Chinatown-favorite Dim Sum Garden behind. That’s not a convenient excuse, but rather a deliberate deviation from the need for authenticity that will help align expectations with Bing Bing's interpretations of dim sum. 

Mr Martino's Trattoria: Like Eating at Home with Nana?

Mr Martino’s Trattoria is a small Italian BYOB located on East Passyunk Ave across from Cantina Los Caballitos. We heard about it from South Philly friends because of its long history of serving simple homemade Italian dishes.

Marc and Maria Farnese are the co-owners with Maria being the sole cook (don't call her a chef!) and Marc the host. A true Italian husband/wife combination that is ideal for The Nana Test.

Atmosphere: Mr Martino’s is casual and intimate. The all-wood interior is like an old time saloon filled with antiques collected by Marc and paintings. It’s both charming and purposefully out of step with today’s modern décor. Early on a Friday night we shared the place with only two other parties, so it is not ideal for larger parties with loud conversation. We heard every creak in the decades-old floors.

Stogie Joe's Tavern: Square Pizza and Meatballs in South Philly

Stogie Joe’s Tavern has been on our to-do list ever since it made the 2010 Best of Philly. It took a year and half, but we finally made it with some friends and family before a Flyers game.

It surely will not take another year to visit Stogie Joe’s. The square pan pizza was amazing and the meatball sandwich lived up to the great review that a co-worker had given it.

Stogie Joe’s reminds me of Tacconelli’s. Neither will overwhelm you with the with latest and greatest food craze such as Spanish tapas or pork belly this/that. They are just every-man places offering food that has passed the test of time. The service is average, but you go for the experience of eating and drinking at a simple place doing it right, not the glamour of a fine dining establishment. I love places like Stogie Joe’s.

Better with the tomato sauce on top... 

Our group may as well have attempted to eat the whole menu. Between us all, we had plain square pizza, several strombolis, and meatball and chicken parm sandwiches.