This past weekend I took advantage of the crisp fall weather to explore bars and restaurants in Philadelphia with friends. We consulted Philadelphia Magazine’s 50 Best Bars in 2014 list to scope out some spots we’ve never been. Our first stop was Strangelove’s. With a variety of rotating beers on tap, the bar/restaurant is a perfect spot for beer lovers. I chose the Stillwater Classique, a saison. We arrived in the early afternoon, just as brunch was wrapping up, so we decided to wait to eat at another location. However, we did order the beer-boiled peanuts with orange, chilis and ginger to snack on while enjoying our beers. Next on our tour was MilkBoy, located a few blocks away. The bar and restaurant feature a live music venue in the upstairs space. On this day we took advantage of the downstairs dining space. We ordered nachos for the table. The perfect-to-share plate came with jack cheese, refried beans, chili de arbol sauce, pickled red onion and sour cream. Chicken, pork belly, chili or steak come extra — we added pork belly. As we devoured the nachos and sipped on our drinks, we couldn’t help but notice the menu item, “bacon bowl.” Our waitress confirmed our suspicions: The bar snack was indeed delicious. We ordered the bowl. With a spiced honey glaze and buttermilk ranch for dipping, the bacon bowl was decadent and very tasty — a must if you stop by MilkBoy. I continued my Philadelphia exploring the next day by having lunch at Bishop’s Collar in the city’s Fairmount section. After perusing the sandwich section of the menu, I ordered the turkey BLT with chipotle mayo and fries. The hearty bread was grilled perfectly, and the chipotle mayo was tangy without being too spicy. Later in the evening I visited La Calaca Feliz. Still full from lunch, I was more interested in sharing a dish and having a margarita. We split the nachos de la casa, which came with black beans, queso, arbol chile, pickled jalapenos and radish. Our decision to add brisket was the right one, as the meat was perfectly tender. The restaurant offers a wide selection of cocktails, margaritas, beer and tequila. I chose the standard Feliz margarita. Every spot on my food and drink tour of Philadelphia is worth a repeat trip. I also look forward to exploring other new places. — Katie Skrzek, digital media manager