MarketBasket

With Barney's, Serafina, and Crumbs, the streets near 18th and Walnut are looking like little Manhattan. The arrival of Joe Coffee, another New York chain, adds some Big Apple caffeine to the mix. The generic space can't rival nearby La Colombe for local color. But the coffee is clearly top-notch. I found the Peruvian Apukuna house roast to be a well-balanced all-day drinker. For something brighter and more exciting, ask the barista to brew a Chemex pot for two of San Ignacio Bolivian beans. Then snag a bench across the street in Rittenhouse Square to remind yourself while you sip - Philly's most elegant park is strolling by.

- Craig LaBan
Joe Coffee house selection Peru Apukuna, $13 a 12 oz. bag; Chemex for two, $6, 1845 Walnut St., 215-278-2454.

Yogurt has never been more popular in America, but the drinkable yogurt known as lassi has a long tradition in the Indian-Pakistani culture. Mango is the most common flavor. But at Nanee's Kitchen, the quick-serve Pakistani stand that just moved to a larger spot in the Reading Terminal Market, I've become obsessed with the cardamom lassi they make by steeping whole green pods in yogurt overnight. The result is creamy, cool, refreshing and exotic, with a vivid cardamom flavor that's the perfect reply to basmati pilaf ladled with fragrant lentils and chickpea curry.

- C.L.
Cardamom lassi, $2.85 a bottle, Nanee's Kitchen, Reading Terminal Market, 267-918-0786.