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Culinary Mysteries Solved

Q: I'll be in Center City for a few days on business. I'm looking for decent, inexpensive restaurants that cater to solo diners — but no bars, please. Any ideas?

A: Philadelphia is jam-packed with tapas and small-plate-style places, which are usually perfect for solo diners — dinner can be affordable, and it's easy to avoid any dauntingly huge steakhouse-style entrées that you just can't finish. One of the best is Café Apamate (1620 South St., 215-790-1620). The BYO serves up pintxos y picas, or Basque tapas, for between $3 and $6 a plate — try the seared scallop topped with chives, thyme and a lemon-green apple emulsion. Dmitri's (2227 Pine St., 215-985-3680), is the opposite: It's a sprawling restaurant with a full bar, so it's easy to sit inconspicuously. The specialty here is grilled octopus touched lightly with lemon. Chinatown is also a good place to look for cheap eats and scarily quick service: Pho Cali (1000 Arch St., 215-629-1888) features some high-top tables great for solo diners, and it's also one of the best places in the city to dive into a gigantic bowl of brothy pho, or Vietnamese noodle soup. For a more upscale experience, look to Zinc Bistro a Vins (246 S. 11th St., 215-351-9901), a cozy, pretense-free Frenchie with an accessible wine list and well-executed renditions of timeless classics like steak frites and fruits de mer.