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Getting loaded on the Philly Junk Food Tour
There's no official cheat sheet to help whittle down such an overwhelming tourist decision. Luckily, Jeff Gaynor recognized the dilemma and decided to help by creating The Junk Food Tour.
Getting loaded on the Philly Junk Food Tour
For someone visiting Philadelphia, eating a cheesesteak is the most obvious item on the culinary checklist. But from where? Pat's or Geno's are the most highly publicized choices, but ask any local and they'll rattle off a bunch of favorite must-stops — and usually throw in a few places that don't serve steaks at all. There's no official cheat sheet to help whittle down such an overwhelming tourist decision. Luckily, Jeff Gaynor recognized the dilemma and decided to help by creating The Junk Food Tour.
"I saw a big void in our tour market," says Gaynor. "Philadelphia is a great restaurant city, [but] for people coming to visit, how do they get to see what's good?" His comprehensive five-hour bus campaign, which touches on multiple highlights of Philly blue-collar eatery, launched early last summer, and just rolled out again for its March-to-November 2012 season.
Departing early in the morning, The Junk Food Tour takes hungry riders to approximately six of Philly's best-loved sandwich spots (think Jim's Steaks, Shank's, Campo's or Paesano's) plus non-sando favorites like Celebre's, Marchiano's and Pop's Water Ice. The kicker is that each venue serves full portions — no rinky-dinky finger-food tastings. They place orders ahead of time so when you arrive at each destination, your food is ready with no line-waiting. Gaynor says this is the best way to get the full experience. "By the second stop, everyone becomes sort of a team," says the Philly native. "At 24 to 34 people per tour, it's a comfortable, interactive group." In addition to the food, the team gets all sorts of vital equipment, including an eco-friendly tote (and all-important tin foil) for leftovers, utensils, napkins and unlimited water, soda and juice.
Gaynor also makes it a point to incorporate sight-seeing into the experience. Showcased are some of his favorite spots that usually don't get much love on other Philly tours, like Main Street Manayunk, the Sports Complex, University City and the Children's Hospital. Tours begin at 9:30 a.m. on most Saturdays and occasionally on weekdays. You can find scheduling info, a teaser video and all sorts of information on the tour at The Junk Food Tour website. Tix are $125 for adults and $115 for seniors (age 63-plus) and teens (ages 12-17).
Photos: Alexandra Weiss
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