Italian for "by hand", A Mano is an amazing BYOB restaurant near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Their menu rotates, but thankfully my favorite thing on menu stays on by popular demand. It is their Braised Pork Shank, with fall-off-the-bone tender meat served on a bed of creamy Taleggio cheese polenta and topped with pickled fennel. I have tried many other main dishes at A Mano, but not recently, as I always have the Braised Pork Shank now. Stick with what you know and love, I say. If they have it as an antipasto offering, the Tuna Crudo is great, and the Veal Tartare (with black truffle conserva and mushroom aioli) is heavenly. All dishes come out looking like works of art, as their plating is impeccable. Although I cannot eat gluten anymore, I have been told that their handmade pastas are amazing.
A lot of people from outside Philly are unfamiliar with the concept of a "BYOB", that is, a restaurant where you are allowed and encouraged to bring your own bottle(s) of wine. Melograno is just such a place. It really can cut down on the cost of a meal, as you are able to bring your own wine and not pay the ridiculous mark-up that restaurants usually get. For the record, there is a wonderful wine and spirits show on Market Street between 21st and 20th just a few blocks away. As far as the food goes, Melograno is spot-on.
Their pastas are all handmade in house. My favorites (when I could eat gluten) were the Pappardelle Tartufate (wide pasta with wild mushroom, walnuts, truffle oil, and Pecorino Toscano cheese) and Pappardelle al Ragú di Cinghiale (wide pasta with Medici spiced braised wild boar ragu). If you can't choose between them, go with somebody else, order both, and split them. They are very gluten-friendly, and I particularly love their Risotto ai Gamberoni (shrimp risotto). My Fiancée's daughter ordered one of their pizzas and said it was the best she had ever had.
The manager is lovely, and the place is warm and inviting.
I don't know which is better: the food at Scarpetta or the magnificent view of Rittenhouse Square from the restaurant. They are incredibly gluten-friendly (surprising for an Italian restaurant), and their tomato and basil sauce is simple but surprisingly complex, even over gluten-free pasta. Their creamy polenta with a fricassée of truffled mushrooms is delicious...and deliciously gluten-free. Their handmade pastas look (and I am told taste) amazing.
The Victor Cafe is one of my friend Richard Walter's favorite restaurants. The Italian food is great, and while Richard loves Italian food, he also loves opera. At The Victor Cafe, the servers, who are also classically-trained singers, will (when not taking your order or delivering your meal) occasionally sing an aria. The Victor Cafe is not walking distance from Center City hotels, but it is worth the cab or Uber ride.