A two-hour train ride from New York or Washington, Philadelphia can get a bit squashed by the competition. But as one of America’s oldest cities, it’s a worthy holiday destination in its own right. Especially if you follow the food.
Don’t expect niceties. Philly has a reputation for hostility and I learnt it’s best to put on a brave face when you take to the streets.
My sense of people’s brashness might have been heightened because I was visiting with my partner and one-year-old. What I can tell you is that this city feels like it’s fuelled on caffeine and sugar highs. I advise joining the blood-sugar-be-damned fun. All the best experiences require you to get out of your comfort zone, after all.
One of the proudest and largest communities are the Italian Americans, whose presence dates back to the 1800s. As a result, the diaspora’s restaurants can stand up to the culinary institutions of Chicago and New York. Historically, many landed first in South Philadelphia, where the Italian Market continues to be a hub of butchers, delis and takeaways.
Take Paesano’s sandwich shop, where you can get a hoagie stuffed with roast pork, broccoli rabe and hot chillies, or Dante and Luigi’s – an upmarket trattoria that’s been in business since the 19th century, whose walls you just know have heard some titillating conversations.
Italian bakeries are located all around South Philadelphia and Isgro’s is a brilliant one – it’s impossible not to walk out with a box of cannolis under your arm. Their pinole (pine nut cookies) are exceptional and their sfiogliatele was filled with a ricotta custard, rich with orange zest.
If you’re in Philadelphia, though, you’ve got to try the cheesesteaks – they live up to their reputation. Philly cheesesteaks also have their roots in the Italian American community, who first created the sandwich in the 1930s. Comprising a hoagie (or bread roll) filled with hot chopped beef, a cheese sauce and grilled onions, this is a meal to be eaten on a hungry stomach.
Weirdly, on first taste, they reminded me of a British beef pie. You’ll find one on most high streets in the city but the best one we tried was at Angelo’s in the Italian Market district, which only takes cash. There’s a steady stream of people outside this joint almost every day.
The city is also teeming with pizza places, so it can be hard to know where to start. For me, there were two that really stood out: the square pie at Santucci’s, and those from Pizzeria Beddia. Santucci’s is a family-owned restaurant that’s been serving since 1959. The crusts are chewy, charred and satisfying.
The generous serving of cheese is reminiscent of a Chicago deep dish but in a more manageable, hand-held format. The pizza is finished with sauce rather than cheese, and my recommendation is to order pepperoni: you really don’t want the dough to be overwhelmed by toppings. This tasted to me like what Pizza Hut wants to be, if only it had a soul.
Over in trendy Fishtown, Pizzeria Beddia is at the other end of the spectrum. Its first outpost regularly inspires two-hour queues, owing to the pizza’s fermented dough. The result is a deeply-flavoured, pleasantly rigid crust, topped with a sauce made with locally grown tomatoes and hot raw garlic, which mellows to perfection in the woodfired oven. Book or arrive early to avoid a wait.
There is more to Philly than Italian American fare, though. The Mexican food we ate at Blue Corn and Loco Pez was a far superior to anything I’ve eaten in Britain. And the Cambodian food at Mawn, cooked by charismatic local chef Phila Lorn, has rightly earned a James Beard Award (ask him to do his Liam Gallagher impression, if you fancy a laugh). Mawn’s spicy melon salad, elegant chicken noodles and kaffir lime-laced beef skewers deserve a hundred accolades. As for their homemade hot sauce: take it home!
The time difference means a trip to the US often results in early mornings, so breakfast is important. Fuel up at Middle Child or Bart’s Bagels, who are both unstoppable at their respective sandwich games. Expect loaded up turkey and bacon or egg and brisket in sandwiches which are sizeable but not jaw-breakingly big.
For a sit-down meal, Comfort & Floyd serve up incredible waffles and pancakes. And, in the picturesque Rittenhouse Square area (which you may recognise from the movie The Sixth Sense), Parc is a bistro serving up Americanised French classics including viennoiserie pastries and eggs benedict served with an enormous side of home fries.
For an on-the-go breakfast, I suggest a soft pretzel. Brought to Philadelphia by the Pennsylvania Dutch, a classic pretzel from Miller’s Twist in Reading Terminal Market was one of my bites of the trip. Rich with real butter, and soft and chewy like a bagel, they made me finally understand why the plaited bread is such a phenomenon.
All that food needs walking off. You might recognise the Philadelphia Art Museum because it’s the home of the “Rocky Steps”. And the building is as grand as art galleries come, sitting at the end of the giant Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Inside, across three stories, are Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Warhol’s Brillo boxes and American paintings dating back to the 1700s.
Philly boasts a large number of secondhand record shops run by surly owners that will remind you of High Fidelity. Philadelphia Record Exchange and Laundrette Records are good for a rummage if you like soul, disco or motown especially. For an evening drink, the Black Sheep and the Khyber Pass Pub were our picks for that post 4pm beer and a shot (Jim Bean and a Blue Ribbon are the choice combo). My recommendation for the perfect trip, though, is to find the hot, salty, one-of-a-kind food only Philadelphia offers.
How to do it
American Airlines has flights from London Heathrow. Flight time is from seven hours. Prices start at £562.
Where to stay
Loews Hotel has king rooms with a skyline view from £156 per night. The hotel is right in the heart of the city on Market Street and is extremely welcoming to families (think toy-filled teepees in your room), as well as solo travellers and couples.
Thea was a guest of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor Bureau
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