Fountain Restaurant Pulls a Hat Trick, Taking Top Food, Decor And Service In Zagat's 2009 Philadelphia Restaurants Survey; Cochon Wins Top Newcomer; Buddakan Is Most Popular; Steakhouses On The Rise and Philadelphians Go Green

Zagat Survey recently released its 2009 Philadelphia Restaurants guide. The new guide covers 1,038 restaurants in Philadelphia and its surroundings, including Lancaster/Berks Counties, the New Jersey Suburbs and Wilmington/Nearby Delaware. The survey is based on the opinions of 5,507 avid local surveyors who ate out 2.6 meals per week on average.

The City of Brotherly Tipping: Although 75% of surveyors cite poor service as their main complaint, Philadelphians are the most generous tippers in the nation, leaving 19.6% versus the countrywide average of 19.0%. In comparison, diners in New York City tip the average 19.0% and in Los Angeles they tip 18.4%.

Winners: Surveyors pay homage to the "sumptuous", "staggeringly good" Fountain Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, by awarding it a trifecta of top scores for (1) Food, (2) Decor and (3) Service. Coming as no surprise is Stephen Starr's Buddakan, which ranked "Most Popular" -- getting a reservation there is "like scoring a date with Miss USA." This year's Top Rated Philadelphia newcomer is Queen Village's "charming" BYO, Cochon, followed by the Zen-like Asian fusion arrival Azie, West Philly's "outstanding" Vietnam Cafe, South Street's "charming" American restaurant Supper, and Bindi, the Center City arrival, where "Indian meets New American."

Check it Out: The average cost of a meal in Philly went up 1.3% annually to $33.69 -- just pennies below the national average of $33.90, "but that hasn't stopped Philadelphian's drive for dining out" said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat, "In fact, 84% of Philadelphia diners are eating out as much or more than they were two years ago."

Going Green and Health-Conscious: Philadelphians continue to move in a "greener" direction: 73% consider eating locally grown food to be important, while 69% favor low-carb, low-fat, heart-healthy menu items. Moreover, 60% are willing "to pay more" for sustainably raised food and 60% want trans-fats banned from food preparation - backing the Philadelphia City Council's recent decision.

Where's The Beef? Although local diners are making healthy choices, there's no slowing the entry of steakhouses: for example, the posh tri-level Table 31 in the new Comcast Center, the high-end Chima Brazilian Steakhouse in Logan Square, Pietro's Prime in West Chester and Cherry Hill's William Douglas. In the year to come, Stephen Starr will open his 1940's style steakhouse Butcher & Singer where his landmark Striped Bass once stood. Branches of the elegant Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, and the homegrown Union Trust steakhouse are also on the horizon.

On-line Reserving: According to this year's survey, 25% of Philadelphia diners make restaurant reservations online versus 14% in Los Angeles, 17% in New York, 37% in Washington D.C, and 43% in San Francisco. Diners have the ability to make online restaurant reservations instantly through OpenTable via ZAGAT.com and ZAGAT.mobi.

Favorite Cuisines: Despite the fact that 28% of Philadelphia surveyors say they prefer Italian food, none of the city's 5 most popular restaurants (Buddakan, Amada, Le Bec-Fin, Alma de Cuba and Capital Grille) are Italian. Other cuisine favorites include American (14%), Japanese (11%), French and Mexican (each at 10%), and Thai (9%). When asked what cuisine they would like to see more of in their local area, surveyors responded Mexican followed by Thai and then French. And according to locals, the best dining areas are Rittenhouse Square followed by Old City and South Philly.

The Guide in Detail: Besides the guidebook itself, the Philadelphia ratings and reviews can be found online at ZAGAT.com and via the award-winning mobile website, ZAGAT.mobi. In addition to expansive ratings and reviews, the guide breaks out restaurants by location, cuisine and special features including BYO, Quick Bites, Power Lunch, Small Plates and Teen Appeal. It also includes foldout colored city and subway maps. The 2009 Philadelphia Restaurants guide ($14.95) was edited by Michael Klein and Sharon Gintzler and coordinated by Marilyn Kleinberg and is available at all major bookstores, through ZAGAT.com, or by calling 888-371-5440.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in over 100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the Palm and Windows Mobile operating systems, on BlackBerry, on mobile phones, and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.

Source: Zagat Survey, LLC