December 22, 2015
As has become the new normal for Philadelphia in 2015, the city is getting love from national publications yet again. Just last week, Travel + Leisure named the Miracle on South 13th Street as the best holiday light display in Pennsylvania, and recently, The Washington Post named Jeremy and Jessica Nolen's first cookbook to its best-of list for 2015. This is in addition to, of course, plenty more listicles that put Philly in the spotlight this year.
Now, Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema has named Philly the sixth-best food city in America. According to Sietsema, we beat out Charleston, Washington D.C., New York and Chicago. Houston came in at no. 5, followed by New Orleans, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with Portland taking the top prize.
Here's what Sietsema had to say:
"Armchair diners know Philadelphia for its cheesesteaks, Reading Terminal Market, good Italian reputation and BYOB restaurants: plentiful tradition, in other words. “Philly is very aware of its image as a blue-collar town,” says Don Russell, known to readers of the Philadelphia Daily News as Joe Sixpack. “No drink evokes that better than beer.” Small wonder he counts 50 or so breweries in the area. Scratch that workingman surface, however, and you’ll encounter riches including ambitious vegetarian restaurants, contemporary Jewish standard-bearers and neighborhoods not previously known for their eats – funky Fishtown and East Passyunk – growing more delicious by the season. (For a taste of today’s Amsterdam, check out the cozy Noord Eetcafe.) Helping fuel the fun: entrepreneur Stephen Starr, whose 21 local restaurants pulled in 2.6 million patrons last year. Williams-Sonoma has nothing on the charm and variety stocked by Fante’s Kitchen Shop in the historic Italian Market. Bottom line: The City of Brotherly Love knows how to cook, eat and drink."
Sietsema went on to name some of the city's defining food moments, provide an in-depth food tour of the city and throw down a few hot-ticket recipes from Marc Vetri and a.kitchen. Click here to read the full story.
