Truthfully I live in NJ, and while I dine in Philadelphia often, it's not usually at the kind of place that you're looking for. Monk's on 16th Street might be up your alley though - fantastic beer selection and very good food (especially mussels). O'Neal's on 3rd near South is a decent dive, but I wouldn't send someone there specifically unless it was to watch a game. Hopefully a more genuine local can step in and help - I think I'd have better advice for your wife, lol. She'll love the restaurant scene.