Pizza has become such a trend these days and Philly has stepped up to the plate full-force. Zavino has been on my list of places to try for quite some time now. The restaurant itself is much smaller than I anticipated, but the outside seating really adds to the ambiance of the venue. I started with the Rosemary Sangria (summer!) which turned out being my favorite sangria, EVER, to date! The woodsy rosemary with the sweet fruit was just an ideal combination of flavors for me. Everyone knows I am obsessed with green vegetables, so ordering the Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with shallots and sherry vinaigrette was a no brainer. These little gems came out crispy and packed with a nice punch

About a year ago, a friend took me to Vintage Wine Bar (on 13th between Sansom and Walnut). It's a quaint, laid back venue with exposed brick and a friendly vibe; not pretentious at all, as some wine bars can be. Vintage offers a nice variety of food in addition to their extensive but not overwhelming bar menu. This summer has been a hot one, so I've been enjoying their house-made sangria! They're only $6 during happy hour, and beyond refreshing. Vintage Wine Bar 129 S 13th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 922-3095

Ribs do NOT have to be difficult to make. A lot of times we overcomplicate what we think will be too labor intensive for us to make. My son wanted to ribs and in only a few short steps, they were cooked and ready to eat! I bought a slab of fresh pork ribs from my butcher and brushed on bottled BBQ sauce that I already had on hand. I put them on a cookie sheet and baked them at 225 degrees for about 4 hours. I removed them from the heat, cut the ribs into three separate pieces, and brushed them with more BBQ sauce. I put them on my hot grill and let them cook on either side until they looked done, brushing with sauce one more time while cooking. That's it!

In a meal that was nothing short of fabulous, Spasso in Media, PA, showed once again why they are one of my go-to restaurants (there is a another location in Old City if you're not in the burbs!). It was two days before my birthday and all I wanted was the grilled calamari. How good can calamari be, right? And not fried? TRUST ME. Again, I tell you, trust me! You won't even know you are eating squid. It's wonderfully charred, tender like a steak, and seasoned without being too flavored. I was over-the-moon when the waiter announced there was a grilled/fried calamari antipasto special being offered. SOLD! This, right here, is my #1 ideal meal in all of the world. A mix of everything