|
|
|
THE GOOD WORD Vol. 3: Pete Proko of Philadelphia Style
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
THE GOOD WORD Vol. 3: Pete Proko of Philadelphia Style
The Good Word is a new weekly Meal Ticket feature where we ask Philadelphia food people questions. We�re going to start by highlighting the city�s many excellent food writers and bloggers, with eventual plans to extend beyond the scribeosphere. The questions will be different every week unless we come across a really sweet one we want to reuse. Want to nominate a future Good Word candidate (yes, you can nominate yourself), or submit ideas for questions? E-mail drew.lazor@citypaper.net.
In this installment of The Good Word, we�re chatting with Pete Proko, deputy editor at Philadelphia Style. Pete is in charge of the magazine's dining coverage, and we were eager to pick his glossy food-focused brain.
It�s no secret that the economy has had a deleterious effect on fine dining. But has the recession influenced the way you write about food? Do you find yourself looking at story ideas differently? Or has it not changed much, due to the fact that the typical Style reader could be called financially comfortable?
You always have to be mindful of the times and your audience, and while Philadelphia Style may cater to a more upscale crowd, the fact is no one is immune to what is going on around us. All you have to do is look at the countless "stimulus packages" being offered around town and across the country. It's like Restaurant Week every week ... when Lacroix starts doing $35 dinners and Georges Perrier is letting you pay what you wish, it's evident that everyone is playing things close to the vest.
That being said, the great thing is that Philly is a foodie destination and the dining scene here will continue to thrive. I like to say the only thing a Philly foodie likes more than their favorite restaurant is a new restaurant. We don't have celebs walking the streets regularly here, aside from athletes; chefs are the stars in this town. And no matter what economic class you fall under, we are fortunate to live in a city full of educated gourmets who don't mind paying for something they appreciate. Whether you are talking about a white tablecloth spot or a gastropub, good food is good food and I think Style does an excellent job of covering all aspects of the local scene, which, let's face it, is quite layered.
What newcomer chefs locally are you really excited about right now?
I�m excited to see Luke Palladino [of A.C.'s Borgata; taking over the former Les Bons Temps on 12th Street] come to the city ... you can't really call them newcomers, but I think Jen Carroll does an amazing job and I love what David Katz has done since opening M�m�. And I really can�t wait to see Matt Levin step out on his own with Masano. It sounds funny with his reputation, but he is one to watch.
Is there a current restaurant trend � a drink, a dish, a preparation, etc. � that you're straight-up sick of?
Overcrowded menus! You got small plates, larger portions, family style, a bar menu -- enough already, I didn�t study for this test!
It's lunchtime, you're hungry and you have $10 in your pocket. Where are you going?
This is like trying to pick your favorite song ... the possibilities are endless but you always have your go-to spots. Since I�m constantly visiting so many great restaurants for dinner, I like to have a less formal lunch when I can. If I�m undecided, I might swing through Whole Foods or Di Bruno Bros. to see what catches my eye.
The tacos at El Jarocho are always a treat, but like a lot of Philadelphians, I love a good sandwich for lunch and there�s no shortage of those throughout the city. The folks at John�s Roast Pork are family friends and you can never go wrong with a cheesesteak with fried onions and sharp provolone. If I want a hoagie, I'm lucky because our office is in South Philly so I'm able to regularly treat myself to Chickie's and Mi-Pals. The Palm Tree market in NoLibs is a decent spot, but lately I just head north to Girard for the extremely addictive Gustaio at Paesano�s.
It's like I said, there are so many choices, and it really just depends on where I�m at and what I�m in the mood for. But if it�s been one of those mornings and it looks like it�s going to be one of those afternoons, I resort to a sandwich I�ve been eating since I was a little boy: the roast beef special on rye from Gooey Looies in the Pennsport Mall. It's the kind of monstrous creation that should come with four extra slices of bread and two people to help you eat it.
This is becoming my new favorite Meal Ticket feature, keep up the good work! May I suggest FriedWontons4U? The pictures she posts are awesome.
Agree with poncho. Nice job, Pete and Drew.
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
