Spice 28

Everyone likes to make "Column A/Column B" jokes when discussing old-school point-and-order Chinese restaurants, but Center City's Spice 28 has taken that 50-50 feel to truest heart. Though the dishes on offer at the modern liquor-licensed sit-down are integrated, there's a clear split between classic Chinese-American fare and the spicier, edgier Sichuan dishes (mapo tofu, dandan noodles) obsessed over by capsaicin addicts. If you want spicy, make sure you wholeheartedly specify as much — they'll skimp on the heat if you're wishy-washy about how much you can handle.