May 06, 2018
It’s not exactly new information to Philadelphians that our food scene is nothing short of wondrous -- we have highly coveted chefs, surprisingly great pizza options, and, yes, cheesesteaks, all of which make eating your way through the city an enviable and delicious feat.
It seems this basic information is still making its way to the powers that be of the food world, however, as NPR’s long-running food podcast, “The Splendid Table,” (est. 1999) finally dedicated an entire episode to our town, giving a nod to our champion football team in a new episode titled “The Philly Special.”
Throughout the 50-minute entry into Philly’s food and food culture, host Francis Lam talks with some of the city’s top foodie powerhouses: Chef Michael Solomonov (best known for Zahav), Chef Eli Kulp (Fork, High Street on Market), and Chef Ange Branca (Saté Kampar).
Besides delving into high-end Philadelphia dining, no cursory look at food in Philly would be complete without those famous sandwiches. Instead of focusing on cheesesteaks, however, “Splendid Table” makes a hot take and declares the official sandwich of Philadelphia is, instead, the roast beef sandwich. The podcast even goes so far as to proclaim DiNic’s Roast Pork and John’s Roast Pork as the leaders of the sandwich in Philly.
Though you may now be craving your favorite sandwich from your favorite local shop, “Splendid Table” offers a roast beef sandwich recipe for the particularly ambitious among us. Do you think it holds up?
Check out the full “Philly Special” episode here.
