FOOD . Top 5

Center City Sips Snacks

Happy Hump Day


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Published: Jul 18, 2007

1 Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Puff

XIX, 200 S. Broad St., 215-893-1234

Located on the 19th floor of the Park Hyatt, XIX's elegant dining room is not your usual Wednesday Center City Sips setting Ã¢â‚¬â€ and the $1 appetizers are far from average, too. With a hard puff pastry shell housing trumpet and shiitake 'shrooms, the only complaint about these flavorful appetizers is that they're too damn small.

2 Beef Negimaki

1225 Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge, 1225 Sansom St., 215-238-1903

The happy hour offerings here seem pedestrian for a sushi joint. (California roll? You don't say!) The beef negimaki, too, is a tad standard, but with two tender strips of thin beef wrapped tightly around scallions, we'll take typical any day.

3 Philly Cheesesteak Spring Rolls

Davio's, 111 S. 17th St., 215-563-4810

This spring roll, which looks more like the edge of a calzone than anything Asian, offers a crispy twist on the hometown staple. Plus, the spicy ketchup on the side and the slight bite of the cream cheese (no Wiz here) help make it stand out even more.

4 Beef Satay

Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine, 1512 Walnut St., 215-545-2666

Peanut haters can relax: This dish's sauce is heavy on the coconut milk, giving the satay a flavor and consistency that's closer to a Thai curry than Jif. And, since you get three reasonably sized skewers for your money, it's more than worth trying to wedge yourself inside this perpetually packed space.

5 Pigs in a Blanket

707 Restaurant, 707 Chestnut St., 215-922-7770

It might seem ironic to indulge in schoolboy faves while you put back Level cosmos. But these bite-size pieces of all-natural, locally produced frank wrapped in soft, flaky puff pastry make it hard not to indulge your inner child. If only they had Tang ...