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Want the perfect wine with your meal? Bring your own.

BY JOY MANNING

For years, Pennsylvania's complicated liquor laws - which make having a liquor license prohibitively expensive for many restaurants - drove chefs out of Philly. But what started as a drawback has created a culinary hallmark of the city: BYOB - or, bring your own bottle. Every neighborhood has its signature BYOB that is embraced both for the food and the freedom from wine markups. On your next visit, don't be caught off-guard by these bar-less eateries, ranging from easy on the wallet to fine dining. Here are some of the city's best, along with pairing pointers from Brian Freedman, the Wine School of Philadelphia's director of education, and the location of the closest Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits Store (every store has the same name and is state-owned and controlled).

Café de Laos
1117 S 11th St
215-467-1546

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $13.95
This comfortable eatery combines tastes of Thailand and Laos in dishes like fiery green curry and fragrant noodle-based entrées. And the atmosphere is a step up from other inexpensive Asian spots.
MATCH POINTS: "German Riesling, especially one from the Mosel region, which will have a lower alcohol content and a good balance of sweetness and acidity, is perfect alongside spicier dishes."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 1237 S 11th St

Modo Mio
161 W Girard Ave
www.modomiorestaurant.com; 215-203-8707

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $14.50 This gem is a little off the beaten path, but its authentic Italian dishes, including homemade pastas, is worth the cab fare.
MATCH POINTS: "While all of the food is excellent, the richer, Northern Italian-inspired dishes really stand out. Nothing goes with preparations from that part of the country better than wines that were produced there. A Barolo or Barbaresco would be perfect, but you'll get just as much food-friendliness for a fraction of the cost with a good bottle of Barbera d'Alba or Barbera d'Asti."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 232 W Girard Ave

Mr. Martino's Trattoria
1646 E Passayunk Ave
215-755-0663

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $16.50 Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, this lovable South Philly restaurant is identified by a sign with a line drawing of table and chairs. Once inside, dark wood, low lights and lace curtains set the perfect mood for ravioli and lasagna that taste just like an Italian grandma made them.
MATCH POINTS: "Central Italian food pairs well with Central Italian wines like Chianti and Rosso di Montalcino (Tuscany), and Montepulciano (Abruzzo). Of course, there are stylistic differences within those three, but in general, a good, reasonably inexpensive bottle of any of them would tend to work well."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 1237 S 11th St

Kanella
1001 Spruce St
www.kanellarestaurant.com; 215-922-1773

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $21.50 The regional Greek cuisine reflects Chef-owner Konstantinos Pitsillides' homeland of Cyprus. The stripped-down menu offers dishes that are rustic, bold and delicious. Roasted whole fish is a specialty, but any of the braised meats are also a sure bet.
MATCH POINTS: "What better way to frame the beautiful fresh fish than with an appropriate Greek wine? Moschofilero provides all the citric crispness for this kind of food, with just the right hit of perfume for good measure."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 1218 Chestnut St

Marigold Kitchen
501 S 45th St
www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com; 215-222-3699

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $20.50 Southern country cooking gets a dose of refinement here. Thoughtful plating and unexpected flavor combinations (like grits with oysters) give dishes a modern spin. The restaurant is located in West Philadelphia, one of the city's most beautiful neighborhoods, and you'll likely dine alongside University of Pennsylvania students and professors.
MATCH POINTS: "A good dry rosé would be excellent, as would a light Pinot Noir. In fact, they'll both highlight different aspects of the food: Best to open a bottle of each just to be safe."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 4300 Walnut St

Cochon
801 E Passyunk Ave
www.cochonbyob.com; 215-923-7675

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $23 Pork dishes - like sausage-studded cassoulet and slow roasted pork belly - take center stage at Cochon, French for pig. There are a few international touches, but the immensely satisfying food is mostly old-fashioned, country French.
MATCH POINTS: "This is rustic French food the way it was meant to be: Rich, succulent and magnificently wine-friendly. I've had great luck with everything from well-aged Bordeaux to young California Meritage to red Burgundy to Syrah, as well as Grenache-based bottlings from France's Rhone Valley."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 724 South St

Bistro 7
7 N Third St
www.bistro7restaurant.com; 215-931-1560

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $26.50 Located in the heart of Old City, Bistro 7 offers some of the best American bistro fare in town. The tiny open kitchen provides an up-close view of meals being made. The menu changes weekly (and there's a $35 five-course tasting menu available Tuesday through Thursday), but you'll often find the classic steak frites - no one does this dish better.
MATCH POINTS: "Steak frites and an inexpensive Côtes du Rhône is a match made in taste-bud heaven. The balance of fruit, earth and spice so typical of Côtes du Rhone will give you coverage for the other dishes there, too. A young Bordeaux is also a good bet."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 32 S Second St

Gayle
617 S Third St
www.gaylephiladelphia.com; 215-922-3850

AVERAGE ENTRÉE: $32 Located in the quaint Queen Village area, this jewel was named one of the nation's best new restaurants by Bon Appétit in 2006, and its haute cuisine version of veal stew was one of Food & Wine's best dishes of that year. The American menu is divided into two sections: Gayle classics (chicken and waffles) and new classics (skate fish and chips).
MATCH POINTS: "Pinot works because the range of flavors in the stew is conducive with a wine that can handle either richer or more delicate characteristics. The fruit of the pinot as well as its earthier notes run as wide a flavor gamut as the dish itself. You wouldn't want a super-full-bodied wine to overpower all the flavors of Chef Daniel Stern's dish."
BUY THE BOTTLE: 724 South St

DID YOU KNOW? Philadelphia has more than 200 BYOBs, the greatest per capita of any American city.

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