My birthday is May 2. I am not the kind of person to obsess about my birthday, or really any holiday for that matter. For example, most love New Year’s Eve — I feel indifferent. Spending $100 to go to a bar and finding the perfect dress for the night, at what usually ends up being a big price tag, is really the last thing I want to do.

That being said, for my birthday this year I decided going to dinner with loved ones was sufficient. As a native Midwesterner moving to Philadelphia from Chicago, I was completely unaware of the great restaurant options here. There are so many famous chefs in Philadelphia — José Garces and Stephen Starr — all with multiple restaurants open.

I am extremely excited to try two very different restaurants for my birthday festivities. The first is Talula’s Garden, owned by Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr, and located in Washington Square West. The restaurant focuses on cooking with local, natural ingredients. What excites me most? The menu features an extensive cheese list with wine pairings.

The second restaurant is Zahav, owned by chef Michael Solomonov, who was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa. Interestingly enough, Solomonov returned to Israel at age 19 and started working in a bakery — he couldn’t get a job anywhere else. The menu features typical Israeli fare including salatim and hummus with fresh madelaffa, sweetbread schnitzel and Jerusalem kugel.

With all of the eating I intend to do next week, I must keep up my exercise by running! Come visit Philadelphia — not only do we have the Liberty Bell, but we also have great eats for downtime between sightseeing.

— Lindsay Gruen, digital account executive