El Chingon

When dining at Chef Carlos Aparicio’s colorful little spot in South Philly, you need a strategy, and you need friends. Adobo-seared tuna with salsa macha verde and hibiscus-habanero aguachile is as refreshing as it looks. Rabbit tinga tostadas make for a good first impression as well. These two dishes alone could pass for a full meal, but then you’d miss the main event. The heart of this menu revolves around hearty cemitas, Puebla-style sandwiches stacked high and built on sesame-seeded buns made in-house. Share these serious sandwiches and leave room for an order of flour tortillas, which arrive lacy and griddled. Try the marinated pork (arabes) paired with chipotle salsa.