It seems sad and unjust that Philadelphia, birthplace of America, cradle of Independence, home of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, has been reduced in the eye of the American public to one sandwich - the Philly cheese steak. The cheese steak is what it sounds like: a mountain of chopped steak on an Italian hoagie roll with, usually but not always, bright yellow Cheez Whiz lining the bun. It's not a bad sandwich but, if public perception is to be believed, it's the only sandwich in the city. In fact, Philadelphia's culinary scene is a varied one. It's more than a one sandwich town.
One measure of just how much Philly has to offer foodies is that this year's James Beard Foundation Awards - the culinary world's Oscars - were studded with Philly nominees. Among them were Michael Solomonov nominated for Best Rising Star chef (he lost to Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland) and young Ecuadorian-born Jose Garces, who won the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic award.
But a more immediate gauge of Philadelphia's state of the kitchen is a stroll around the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch Streets, readingterminalmarket.org), a vast indoor farmers' market in the centre of town which is the beating heart of Philadelphia's food scene. Founded in 1892 beneath what was then a railroad station, over 80 farm stands, stalls and restaurants offer everything from fresh fish to falafels. With huge spotlights shining down from the ceiling of the former train shed, it's less scenic than, say, London's Borough Market, but to a foodie, it's heaven. Rows of rotisserie chickens, racks of ribs and pyramids of fresh produce line the aisles.
Many of the farmers here are Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonites (a misnomer, the term was incorrectly translated from the word Deutsch), who came from Germany in the 18th century and settled around nearby Lancaster. The Pennsylvania Dutch eschew modern conveniences like zips, cars and televisions, but they do have a way with preserves. At Kaufmann's Lancaster County Produce, glass bell jars filled with pickled watermelon rinds, apple butter, and honeycombs are stacked high.
Nearby, at Miller's Twist, a bonneted young Amish woman twists long strands of dough into perfectly shaped pretzels. They emerge from the oven light brown, baptized in butter and anointed with salt. They are perhaps the best pretzels in the world and the perfect accompaniment to a pint of fresh-pressed apple cider from the stall opposite, the Lancaster Co Dairy.
For a more substantial meal, follow the scent of roast pork crackling to DiNic's restaurant, where Tommy Nicolosi has been using his family's recipe for three generations. As inflamed as a Philadelphian's passions become over which cheese steak to get (Pat's or Gino's, two duelling outfits, fight it out in South Philly) is the debate surrounding where to get the best roast pork sandwich. Many say John's, a little stand in South Philadelphia where the meat is plump and the line is long. Others say DiNic's. Both sandwiches are delicious. At DiNic's, the pork is slow-roasted, sliced thick and laid on a hoagie roll. A dollop of sautéed spinach and a slice of provolone cheese, followed by a ladle of its own juice, completes the meal. But beware: it's addictive. I had one at 11 am and came back for another at noon.
Historically Italians have dominated the Philly foodie scene but the latest crop of new restaurants has a more global feel. Before opening Zahav (001 215 625 8800, zahavrestaurant.com), for instance, one of the Beard nominees for best new restaurant (sadly, it lost to New York's Momofuku Ko), the Israeli-born, Pittsburgh-raised chef Michael Solomonov took his entire kitchen staff on a culinary walkabout of the Middle East. They returned to the kitchen with a taste of the souk and the desert. Zahav's hummus - heavy on tahini and lemon - is creamy and traditional but the crispy "Cypriotic" sheep's cheese comes atop a sweet date paste that cuts the tartness of the cheese. The drinks menu is just as inventive. The marble rye cocktail infuses whisky with pumpernickel (bread made from rye) and caraway seeds, and is topped up with celery soda.
Distrito (+215 222 1657, distritorestaurant.com), the new restaurant by Beard winner Jose Garces, imports the flavours of Mexico City. Though the colourful lucha libre wrestling masks lining the wall, the pink and yellow colour scheme is a bit slick and sceney, there's no quibbling with the quality of the food. Garces mixes the humble with the haute. On the menu you'll discover esquites, the traditional sweetcorn dish you'd find in any street cafe in Mexico, with more refined fare like his queso fundido made with duck barbacoa that is almost certainly unique to here.
Another cuisine overshadowed by Italian is Vietnamese. But ask any chef where he eats on his day off and invariably he'll rattle off the name of one of the many Vietnamese restaurants that line Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. Michael Solomonov of Zahav says, "The first thing I do when I get up on my day off is head to Pho 75 (1122 Washington Avenue, +215 271 5866)."
One morning I took his advice. Charming it's not, bustling it is. And Solomonov's favourite, the no. 14, a steaming bowl of pho, the noodle soup made with steak and beef tripe is fragrant, flavourful and filling.
A block away is Nam Phuong (+215 468 0410, namphuongphilly.com), Pho 75's main competitor for best Vietnamese in the city. Nam Phuong has a much larger menu including the best Vietnamese crepes this side of Ho Chi Minh City.
No visit to the city would be complete without visiting a Philly bar. One of the best is Johnny Brenda's (+215 739 9684, johnnybrendas.com) in Fishtown, a North Philadelphia neighbourhood that used to be filled with crack houses but now bristles with students, artists and hipsters. At Johnny B's, as the locals call it, you'll find only local beers on draught, but plenty of them. Philadelphia's proximity to rivers and Philadelphians' passion for drinking has fomented a slew of local breweries. Johnny B's sells beers from nearly all of them, from Sly Fox's Liberty Pale Ale to Philadelphia Brewing Company's Walt Wit ("It's transcendentally delicious"), a Belgian white ale. Upstairs, local rock bands play nightly. Downstairs, a jukebox plays 70s' funk and kids shoot pool. It's a happy place and there's not a cheese steak to be found.
• Expedia (0871 226 0808, expedia.co.uk) offers BA flights from Heathrow to Philadelphia and five nights (room only) at the centrally located Independent Hotel (theindependenthotel.com) for £624pp. Expedia also offers direct flights with US Airways from £349pp.
