Time to say a fond farewell to Little Pete's

In sign-of-our-time news, this is the final week for Little Pete's near Rittenhouse Square, that 24/7 diner institution on 17th Street that's going to be razed for a new hotel.

I just went for my last Little Pete's meal, and the folks there were nostalgic, to say the least. "This is the last cheeseburger I'll ever eat at Little Pete's," said one mopey businessman in the next booth over.

The last Reuben. The last stuffed cabbage. The last cup of mushroom barley. My last pepper-steak special.

Of course, being a man of variety, this was also my first pepper-steak special at Little Pete's - a bowl of tender beef sautéed with sweet peppers over rice in gravy. But it was strangely satisfying in the way that simple, straightforward Americana diner fare can always comfort you on a rainy day when made with care and pride, which is what they delivered here for decades.

Little Pete's will surely be missed, if for no other reason because neighborhoods like Rittenhouse Square have upscaled their way out of the affordable luncheonettes that were once essential neighborhood institutions.

We are collecting Little Pete's stories and memories; please take a minute and email yours to food@philly.com.

Reader: Do you see the critic in you intensify when you sit down to a price-fixed, seven-course meal as opposed to a restaurant that is à la carte?

C.L.: That's a great question, because a prix-fixe tasting changes both the dynamic of a meal and the expectations by demanding a larger commitment of money and time. It also obliges you to look at the meal as a whole experience, rather than a collection of plates - sort of like listening to the full album, rather than just selected hits. Does the whole meal hold together? Does it flow? Did it drag in places? What were the weak moments? Also . . . did it feel like a fair value? Too much food? In many cases, I think a tasting menu really suits a restaurant like Laurel or Talula's Table or Vetri (where they've mastered the art of making it feel spontaneous). . . . At La Maison, it's that chef Martin is doing it all on his own. So what he buys and cooks that day is what you get. For the most part, it worked for me.

Reader: A fond farewell to Jack's Deli in Northeast Philadelphia. I must say I am a Steve Stein's Famous Deli-goer. Which would you choose and what would you order?

C.L.: I've never visited Steve Stein's deli. And maybe I should. But I did get to Jack's Deli recently as part of my research for that big Northeast package I linked earlier. Jack's didn't make the cut - but did make this follow-up story about the places I left out.

And Jack's was clearly on its last legs. Actually, it may have been the worst deli meal I've ever eaten, with what still ranks as the worst bowl of "soup" (if you can call it that) I've ever been served.

It was absolutely an institution in its heyday, but for a Jewish community that has been moving on and out of the Northeast in recent years.

Currently, I still think the Famous 4th Street Deli is the best deli in town, flavor-wise, though I really wish they'd serve sandwiches half the size and charge less.

No deli sandwich should be over $20, even if two people could easily share one. Hershel's East Side Deli in the Reading Terminal is my second choice. Schlesinger's on Locust Street seems to go more downhill every time I go. Pickle bar notwithstanding.