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Food and Sports
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James Beale, proprietor of CP's Sports Complex, shares his honest take on the food at Citizens Bank Park on FanFoodie, a blog that looks to "the premiere locally-based sports bloggers on the web to offer their culinary tips and suggestions when rooting for the home team."
The truth about Stadium food at CBP is that — aside from the surprisingly excellent Bull's BBQ, where you can cop a Turkey Leg that could double as a club in a pinch and catch Phillies legend Greg "The Bull" Luzinski mingling with the crowds outside — it's made for outsiders. Is it dope that Tony Luke's is making your sandwich? Yeah, of course, but smart locals are copping one from the original half a dozen blocks away and bringing it in anyway. I've heard plenty of people rave about McNally’s Schmitter, never the native Chestnut Hillers who grew up drinking beers at the original McNally's while their fathers sat at the other end of the bar and pretended not to see them.
Despite what Beale deems to be "faults of standards" with some of CBP's offerings, he still shows love to many aspects of the Bank grubbing experience, from Harry the K's to the stadium's renowned vegetarian options.
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| Victory makes you sooo hungry. |
| Ron Cortes | Inquirer |
O happy day and unifying jubilation! The Phils have won the big one, and will be revered all the way down Broad Street today in the first championship parade this city has seen in 25 years. The AP reported on fans who staked out their locations at 6 this morning in anticipation of viewing 3 minutes of passing players and dancing maidens strewing flower petals in their wake.
If you plan on joining in the chaos, you'll need to refuel along the way. The parade departs from 20th and Market streets at noon, and makes its way down Broad Street to culminate in a ticketed rally at Citizens Bank Park. Check out these classic Philly joints for food, beer and all the high fives and chest bumps you can handle.
Start off strong with a cheap falafel from Mama's Vegetarian at 20th and Chestnut. Don't worry, the line may be out the door but those dudes keep things rolling. The warm pita, fried chickpeas and crunchy pickles will provide a friendly base for all of the beer you are now going to pour in to your poor, defenseless body.
By the time you reach the City Hall turning point of the parade, your backpack will likely be empty of adult beverages. Pop into the Latimer Deli at 15th and Latimer (between Spruce and Locust) and pick up a crafty six-pack of local Sly Fox Pikeland Pils or Phoenix Pale Ale. They're packaged in cans, which will keep the cops off your back — no glass bottle bombs coming from you.
Deep into South Philly lies Cacia's (1526 Ritner St.). A traditional Italian-American bakery with some of the bitchin'-est bread around, they also turn out tasty square pizzas and tomato pie for uber-cheap. Pick up a few squares of Pizazz, a combination of hot and sweet pepper strips on an American cheese pie. If you've had enough of the mob, take a pepperoni or spinach stromboli to heat in the oven at home.
Yeah, it's a bit hackneyed and filled to the brim with South Philly Willies and Millies, but Chickie's and Pete's on Packer Ave. (between Broad and 15th) is a magnet for sports fans. There are 51,000 TVs, cute gum-snapping neighborhood girls serving in sweats, and it's guaranteed to be a love-fest of Phils fans. Order a tower of local lager and dig in to some crab fries and red-sauced mussels, reveling in the feeling of living in Championship Philly.
If the stadium scene gets to be too much, call Celebre's Pizza (in the same shopping center as Chickie's and Pete's, 215-467-3255) to pick up a whopping thick-crust pie to take home. Oh, and happy Halloween or whatever. THE PHILLIES WON THE WORLD SERIES!!! If Obama wins on Tuesday, I'll never ask for anything ever again. Not even a decent Neapolitan-style pizzeria close to my house.
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| Key Lime Pie = tastes like triumph |
Mayors can always be counted on to make corny wagers over sports, promoting both their championship-seeking team and local specialties in one fell press release.
Earlier this week, a trio of Tampa Bay-area mayors proffered the traditional World Series food bet to our man Mike Nutter. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio are throwing into the ring a tempting Florida menu of coconut shrimp, stone crab claws, Cuban sandwiches, commemorative cigars and key lime pie.
Nutter has countered with a list of classic Philadelphia junk food: cheesesteaks, Tastykakes, soft pretzels, Delilah's mac-n-cheese and, just for fun, a Rocky statue. Meal Ticket, recognizing that the bronzed champ is totally indigestible, humbly suggests substituting it for a Rocky statue made out of cheesesteaks, Tastykakes, soft pretzels and Delilah's mac-n-cheese.
City Hall has wisely not endorsed any one steakerie. We won't even consider the possibility that Philly will have to make good on this bet and actually choose one.
"The Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays are two great teams sure to have an exciting series," Nutter said in a statement. "That said, I’m looking forward to a nice dinner of Florida seafood next week." Three more.
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