We love a room with a view, and when it comes to Philadelphia restaurants, Daniel Stern’s R2L has a pretty darn amazing one. Perched 37 floors up in one of the Liberty Place towers, its floor-to-ceiling windows provide diners with a killer view of the city. Settle in to the zebra-print banquettes by the bar and gaze out over the Schuylkill River and University City, or book one of the private dining rooms for an eye-to-eye stare down with Billy Penn atop City Hall.

For years now, Center City District has been revving up the restaurant world with their bi-annual Restaurant Weeks. The concept is simple and used in numerous cities: participating restaurants offer three-courses for a set price. Some food fanatics have started turning on the event, eventually created to promote the city’s talent and rev up some economic stimulus, siting too-crowded dining rooms and limited menus. I, on the other hand, still think it’s a great practice. It allows me to try a restaurant I might not otherwise without plunking down much cash. It gives me a look into what dishes the chefs are trying to promote. And it’s an excuse for me to have three courses and not feel overindulgent. I mean, everyone’s doing it.

Sure, it’s still about the food, but these days chefs are thinking brand when they delve into their restaurant empire. Cookbooks, media appearances, television shows … we have raised the occupation to something akin to actors and musicians. And I believe for good reason. Food is an emotional experience, and anyone who can wow our taste buds and steal our hearts in a single bite is worthy of some adoration. Philadelphia’s food scene is full of amazing cooks who have found fame and followers. Check out five of the biggest names to hit the city and where you can get a taste of their talents.

When you head into the bathroom each morning and look at your face — that parchment-like dry skin, those winter-ravaged lips — it’s hard not to compare the scene to a war zone. So why not battle the brittleness with some serious ammunition, the Combat-Ready line by Skincando?

Champagne is synonymous with celebrations, but that doesn’t mean sparkling wine needs to stay tucked away otherwise. No matter your reason for heading out, bubbly can brighten up the evening. When you want to sip on something a little more refined, head to one of these Philly-area bars and order a flute of something fanciful.

Our hearts a went a-flutter when the news broke: Cliff Lee was returning to the Phillies. And he wasn’t just signing, he was turning down another team to be with us. Sigh.

Once the love fest subsided, the excitement took its place. Articles, blog posts and countless graphically-enhanced images hit the Internet, all touting the Phillies’ sheer superiority this season and the bullpen sure to light Citizens Bank Park on fire. We got to see Lee back on Philly soil, back in a red cap. And now, we get to see him with a Philadelphia address.

While it might not ring a bell, most of are familiar with the image of the kokopelli. No? Google it. Because if you’ve been to a Dave Matthews concert, you know it quite well. Shaking his dreadlocks and playing something that resembles my 4th grade music class recorder, the 3000-year-old fertility symbol became popular in Southwest culture, and through that round-about journey has become the face of Philly’s latest tapas and tequila destination … Kokopelli.

It’s still January, which means many of us are still trying to eat healthy. Lunch hour comes, and we head out into the blustery wind, looking for warm soups and low-cal-but-tasty salads. In Center City, that typically means one of four chains, which means only two weeks in, this diet is getting dull. Just in time to save us from a sharp turn into the pizzeria, the city welcomes new fresh and fast lunch spot Freshii.

Don’t worry … when we tell you to head to The Corner at 13th and Drury, we aren’t expecting to to squat down on the pavement and watch he world go by. Instead, head inside that slick, white-painted brick building there, grab a stool at the marble-topped bar and enjoy.