Whether you're a college student with a big appetite and a small budget or you prefer sampling a variety of dishes rather than just one, Joy Tsin Lau's daily dim sum lunch is a perfect choice. Dim sum, a Cantonese term meaning to "touch the heart," or "order to your heart's content," is the Chinese equivalent of tapas.

Originally opened in 1773, City Tavern has proudly upheld the time-honored techniques of 18th century American chefs. Every dish offered on their menu has a unique story behind it. My guest and I began to order our appetizers and our server came to life from being a formal colonial servant to animatedly telling us the story behind each dish: How W.

A new program at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will hopefully attract more students to Penn, University officials say. Beginning with the Class of 2012, SEAS will implement its first Honors Program. Selected students will take honor-level courses, complete a research requirement and contribute to the community.

Despite the costume controversy that marked Penn President Amy Gutmann's Halloween party last year, there will be no official censorship policy implemented for tonight's annual soiree. Gutmann came under criticism last year for posing with 2007 Penn alumnus Saad Saadi, who was dressed as a suicide bomber.

I have an admission to make: My "fine dining" experiences here at Penn have largely ignored restaurants close to campus. What can I say? I'm an adventurous kind of guy. Not that there aren't great restaurants nearby. Penne's subdued setting below the Inn at Penn and mature clientele don't exactly endear it to the BYO-fanatic student crowd.

Since its construction, the Cira Centre has served as the shiniest welcome sign to University City Penn has ever seen. It has simultaneously served as a building that has confounded students with an array of questions: What exactly goes on there? Is it an office building? A conference center? And how exactly do people walk inside when it's shaped so weirdly? One question (is the food there good?) was answered at Rae, the building's first floor occupant, with a resounding yes.

Step inside a small Italian villa - err, step inside Branzino restaurant. Located at 261 S. 17th St. in Center City, Branzino is a small, but cozy BYO to gather with friends for wine and good food. I especially liked the decor, which included soft green hues and murals that made it seem like one was looking out onto a countryside.

Oh, the woes of a local burger aficionado. Near Penn, choices are slim for that most quintessential of American meals: On the one hand, beefy checks and relatively long waits are the norm at the Marathon Grills or Copabananas of campus, while on the other hand - McDonalds.

Walking into the Rose Tattoo Cafe, at the corner of 19th and Callowhill, feels like entering a secret garden. This undiscovered gem nestled near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Franklin Institute boasts a romantic atmosphere and is bursting with fresh, green plants and cast-iron decor.

It's silly to cross the Schuylkill when there are great BYOs like Rx right in Penn's backyard. Rx, located at 4443 Spruce Street, is just a brisk walk from campus. It's truly a neighborhood restaurant; our waitress hugged a patron goodbye with a warm "see you next week.

The fire alarm that broke up the Zeta Beta Tau party last Saturday night may have been pulled intentionally, officials from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority affairs say. OFSA Director Scott Reikofski said he has heard "two or three" possible causes for the alarm going off but is awaiting a final report from the fire department before issuing a formal statement.

Summary of crime in the Penn area.

Saying that Thai Singha House is at the same level as its local Thai cuisine peers isn't a dig; considering the quality of Thai cuisine around campus, it's a good find like any of the others. The establishment gets high marks for service - fast, personable, and easy on large groups and small couples alike.

Wharton undergraduate Irina Malinovskaya still remains in limbo as the jury failed to reach a verdict on the fourth day of deliberations. Malinovskaya is accused of bludgeoning to death Temple University graduate student Irina Zlotnikov, the girlfriend of the accused's former boyfriend, Robert Bondar, on Dec.

They do care. Hundreds of college students, politicos and protestors donning skulls gathered last night at Drexel University to show their support for - and criticisms of - the democratic contenders for the presidency.

There are probably close to 100 restaurants in University City, and though Penn students may not appear to be starved for choice, in a way they are. Those with cravings that don't fit into popular niches (Pizza, Chinese and Indian spring to mind) would seem short on luck.

You know those guys walking around campus with yarmulkes and those girls in the absurdly long skirts? For still-confused freshmen not hailing from New York, we're called Orthodox Jews. Due to our strict adherence to Biblical and Talmudic dietary laws (known as kashrut), our eating patterns could be summed up in three words: Hillel or starve.