Candis McLean

photo credit: CANDIS R. MCLEAN Within two minutes of walking into Frida Cantina in South Philly, you'll probably hear at least three people order a guava margarita. And that's the exact right mindset for this casual restaurant. As the name suggests, the restaurant leans hard into its obsession with Frida Kahlo with photos, a colorful altar in the corner, and murals almost as good as her paintings. Okay, that's a lie.

photo credit: CANDIS R. MCLEAN A lot of effort went into creating the ambiance at Amina in Northern Liberties. There's a photo booth, beaded chandeliers, and Mary J. Blige floating through the speakers, yet the place still feels lifeless. The Southern- and Nigerian-fusion menu doesn't help matters. The deviled eggs are bland, the $40 seafood gumbo is sludge-thick, and the $65 delmonico ribeye is so tough it'll leave your jaw more exhausted than any Phillies argument ever could.

With SEPTA tokens gone and everyone tapping their smart watches to pay, cash feels like a relic from the cobblestone days of yore. But in Philly, it still has a pulse-especially when you're face-to-face with a plate of spaghetti at a red-sauce joint, or mid-Citywide at a bar when the jukebox only plays Springsteen in exchange for crumpled singles. But this list isn't just for and old-school classics.