Perhaps one of the simplest dishes but with an added ingredient, the spaghetti at Scott Conant’s Scarpetta has become one of the favorite comfort foods here. Butter in the tomato sauce made with fresh basil makes it a go-to.

American jazz artist Nat King Cole once proclaimed in the 1950s that the Cadillac Burger at P.J. Clarke’s was, “The Cadillac of burgers.” The name stuck. Now the burger comes with a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, smoked country bacon, American cheese and hand-cut fries.

Steve Martorano refers to himself as a cook rather than a chef. He uses recipes from his childhood in South Philly, including this family version for his meatballs that are so good that Gourmet magazine calls them the “best meatball in the world.”

STK’s Mushroom Pie is actually a side dish big enough to serve as a meal. The upside down mushroom pot pie comes out with flaky pastry crust lid with mushrooms in a creamy sauce and layered with a flaky pastry crust.

Chef Hubert Keller won Bravo’s Top Chef Masters with his In the Shower Mac and Cheese, a dish he created in the college dorm room challenge. Keller actually refreshed the mac and cheese in the shower. It’s made with lobster and brunoise vegetables.