Seven-Layer Chocolate Cake — And More Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week

At a media lunch, we ate our way through a good half of the menu at Emilia, the new Italian restaurant from Greg Vernick’s team. There were several excellent dishes, but my favorite was the humble-sounding rigatoni with ragu bianco ($24). When I asked what the ragu was made with, the server let us know it was a mixture of braised chicken, liver, and hearts, which came together nicely in an unctuous, gamey, flavorful sauce for the house-made pasta. It’s a dish meant for sharing, but I could have had it as my entree and been perfectly happy. 2406 Frankford Avenue, East Kensington — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief.

It’s funny to be writing up a cake when I’m decidedly not a sweets person, but this is probably one of the best not-a-sweets-person cakes I’ve tried recently. In fact, it’s noticeably salty, with big, flaky crystals scattered across the slice; I’ll take that over sprinkles any day. With dark chocolate ganache frosting, the slice is very, very chocolatey, but not too sweet or cloying either: The cake itself has coffee for some grounding depth and sour cream for richness, moisture, and a just-perceptible-enough hint of tang. 1232 N Front Street, Fishtown — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter.

I had to try some Cambodian food on my way out of town. I grew up eating whole fried quails and steaming coconut fish curry when I visited family in Long Beach, California. After hearing that there’s also a huge Southeast Asian community in Philly, I longed to eat that spicy, funky food again. Sophie’s Kitchen, a tiny family-run Cambodian spot, definitely fit the bill. I ordered bok-lahong, a fermented fish sauce-filled shredded papaya salad, and stir-fried meekathang, featuring flat rice noodles with beef and vegetables. The noodles had a chewy, smooth texture and a hit of intense garlic and layers of soy sauce, plus the beef was tender and flavorful. I can’t wait to come back to try the lort cha, the other most popular noodle dish on chef Sophia Neth’s menu. 522 Washington Avenue, Queen Village — Emily Venezky, social media manager.

I still haven’t been able to get into Philly’s Royal Sushi and Izakaya, the wildly popular omakase with walk-in seats at the bar. But I was thrilled to visit Jesse Ito’s follow-up Japanese comfort-food spot, Dancerobot, a great vibe and a fun place for a hang. With Justin Bacharach at the helm, the kitchen turns out delicious tsukemono (like banchan), Japanese salads, a savory doughnut, and more. Two dishes stood out for me: the amberjack kanpachi with pickled Thai chiles, and the vegetarian curry layered like a terrine, with koshihikari rice, steamed spinach, and pickled onion, too. 1710 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse Square — Melissa McCart, lead editor, Northeast.

Last year, my colleagues and I were lucky enough to get into Mawn for a mega-feast, so this year, I was determined to get into chef Phila Lorn’s newer seafood restaurant, Sao. People were skeptical when I told them my plan to get walk-in seats with my friend, but we proved them wrong. Everything was a hit, but particularly the spicy crab gravy noodles, a glorious mess of thick curry sauces, spaghetti noodles, and tender crab chunks that get amplified with shrimp head oil and aonori (chopped seaweed). It’s so hearty with a nice heft of spice — I kept going back for thirds and fourths even after I declared I was done with the meal. (But also, say hello to the embroidered prawn in the bathroom.) 1710 East Passyunk Avenue, South Philly — Nadia Chaudhury, deputy editor, Northeast.

Mesmerized by the architectural beauty of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, I followed the lead of many Saturday-night ticketholders and stepped inside to stare up at the glassy dome. I didn’t want to leave the building, so my attention quickly went to its year-old Mediterranean restaurant Leo. I snagged the last-remaining solo seat at the buzzing bar to order a quartet of fabulously fried ricotta bites that hide under a shower of freshly shaved Parm. For dessert? A free pianist performance that packed the atrium right outside. 1414 Spruce Street, Center City — Tierney Plumb, editor, Northeast.