Two Rittenhouse Square restaurants made the Urbanspoon's best new restaurants list. Urbanspoon selected the top 100 restaurants in the U.S. out of the over 46,000 restaurants added to the website this year.
Two Philly restaurants made the cut -- Fitler Dining Room at 22nd and Spruce Streets and Luke's Lobster at 130 S. 17th Street.
The menu at the Fitler Dining Room changes biweekly to reflect seasonal offerings. After opening February 21, it has become a mainstay neighborhood bistro. According to manager Michael Ojeda, the French-inspired restaurant's most popular items are poached oysters and burgundy snails.
"It's wonderful that people are recognizing us," said Ojeda. "If we can get a nice fish in then we will do something special with it."
The personalized service and food made by chef Robert Marzinsky is complimented by the intimate dining experience for roughly 30 people.
Luke's Lobster is known for it lobster roll and New England-style cooking. The chain restaurant first opened in New York City's East Village. They've come a long way since their grand opening on May 16 in Philly.
"We get everything fresh from Maine," said Lindsay Daniels, a shift leader at Luke's. "You come up and order and we make it however you like. Philly has welcomed us with open arms."
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The interior of Luke's includes wooden counter tops and community seating. Their service is friendly, quick and they aim to please.
Urbanspoon used the criteria of "the most reviewed, viewed and liked restaurants" that opened their doors in the past year to select the winners. The top restaurants report found that fine dining was not popular this year, with over 70 percent of the listings falling in the up to $15 price range. Taverns and barbecue were among the most popular dining choices.
Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
