We asked our friends at the GPTMC: Where can BCNI attendees get some grub?

Surprisingly they pointed out a whole bunch of newly opened restaurants that even locals like us weren’t aware of. Happy dining!

New Offerings From Celebrated Chefs:

  • On the heels of opening MidAtlantic Restaurant & Tap Room last fall, chef Daniel Stern has set up shop in Two Liberty Place with R2L, an Art Deco-inspired restaurant and lounge featuring his unique take on creative American cuisine (rabbit nachos with jalapeno mousse, chicken daube with braised winter vegetables) and an extensive wine and cocktail list. 50 S. 16th Street, 37th floor, (215) 564-5337, r2lrestaurant.com
  • Italian maestro Marc Vetri of Vetri and Osteria fame has gone back to his Washington Square roots and opened Amîs, an authentic Roman trattoria specializing in rustic small-plates like lamb sausage and fried artichokes, a small but focused wine list and a rock ’n’ roll soundtrack. 412 S. 13th Street, (215) 732-2647, amisphilly.com

  • Celebrity chef Michael Schulson, who built his name at Stephen Starr’s Pod, his own Atlantic City spot Izakaya and TLC’s Ultimate Cake-Off, brings small-plate Asian cuisine to Midtown Village with Sampan. The sleek open kitchen dishes up satays, noodle dishes, dumplings and sushi, spanning the Pacific Rim and beyond. 124 S. 13th Street, (215) 732-3501, sampanphilly.com
  • Vegetarians are rejoicing with the arrival of Thoreau, the Loft District’s new meatless grill from Mike Jackson, the chef and owner of the highly regarded Blue Sage in Bucks County. Eclectic global fare like blue corn asparagus tacos and tamarind peanut noodles are prepared with flourishes from the chef’s vegetable and herb garden out back. 1033 Spring Garden Street, (215) 232-9001, thoreaurestaurant.com

New Restaurants, New Restaurateurs:

  • The wines are low-priced at Zavino’s marble-topped bar in Midtown Village, and the eats cooked up by chef-partner Steve Gonzalez—pizza with toppings like béchamel, local mozzarella and Kennett Square mushrooms and antipasti (cured meats, artisan cheeses and seasonal specials)—are sophisticated yet similarly affordable. 112 S. 13th Street, (215) 732-2400, zavino.com
  • New American cuisine goes underground at terra, the intimate, low-lit 40-seater below Tavern on Camac where chef Eric Paraskevas turns out such whimsical dishes as pork and cheddar spring rolls and the “blithering idiot braised lamb shank” with turnip puree and Brussels sprout escabeche. 243 S. Camac Street, (215) 545-1102, terrapa.com