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Food TV
Consultant Jon Taffer (above, center) has been in the business of reconfiguring bars and restaurants for over 20 years. Clients of his company, Taffer Dynamics, include Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico, Morton's of Chicago and several major hotel chains. Along with provoking tired business into new money making changes, Taffer got Pulsations — one of the Philly area's grander discos — off the ground in the 1980s. Now, with the help of the MTV-owned Spike TV network, Taffer is debuting a program that teaches old chefs and owners new tricks. That show, Bar Rescue, has spent the last few weeks in Philly, first at Downey's on Front and South, then Old City’s Swanky Bubbles (now renamed Sheer) at the end of last week. “It was about time," says John Frankowski (above, left) a long-time owner of Swanky Bubbles. "The place needed a makeover bad and I was proud that these guys wanted to help me."
Spike TV's new show Bar Rescue — think along the lines of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, except swap out that surly Scot for hospitality consultant Jon Taffer and flailing restaurants for failing watering holes — will be filming in Philadelphia during the second and third weeks of this month. The names of the two establishments Taffer will be flipping in just three days (they revamp the entire shebang and then host an open-to-the-public "reveal party") are embargoed for now, but feel free to venture some guesses in the comments. Think of it this way: If you wanted to find a really shoddily run bar in Philly, which neighborhood(s) would you head to? The show is set to premiere on Spike this summer.
UPDATE [06may11]: The first venue the Bar Rescue crew will make over: Downey's (526 S. Front St.), from Tuesday, May 10 to Thursday, May 12. On Thursday, expect an open-to-the-public "reveal party" to start around 9 p.m. The second location to be made over is in Old City, name soon ...
Not sure if it's the distractingly fickle weather or the fact that I'm leaving Philly for a few days starting tomorrow morning (expect lighter-than-usual posting), but all I've really been doing today is watching the rap scene from Teen Witch on YouTube over and over again and scrolling through the Internet-birthed glory of Tom Haverfoods. For those unfamiliar, on the most recent episode of NBC's excellent Parks & Recreation (funniest show on TV, EASY), Aziz Ansari's character Tom Haverford has an extended bit about the asinine names he uses for foods and beverages ("I call noodles long-ass rice ... fried chicken is fry fry chicky chick.") Tom Haverfoods extends the joke into perpetuity; just keep hitting refresh.
Sooooo glad we just came across this, a new Comcast OnDemand children's program entitled "LET'S EAT!" It appears to involve Kurt Hunte, one of the dudes from Plastic Little, and pro wrestler Hydra from the Philly-based league Chikara cooking kid-friendly recipes in a Pee Wee's Playhouse-esque kitchen. ("The only thing more fun than eating a cheeseburger and then eating a pizza ... is eating a CHEESEBURGER PIZZA!") If that's not incredible enough for you as a standalone reason to watch, about 1:35 in, Spank Rock and Amanda Blank materialize and rap kid-friendly raps about eating, with edible -costume background dancer support from the Vaudevillains Mummers troupe, reprising their Philly Phood Phantasia roles from New Year's Day 2010. Life is weird and glorious.
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
Philadelphia is known as the city of Brotherly Love; except when someone comes and challenges a local hero - or sub, or hoagie or grinder in this case. Whatever you call it there's no love lost when Peter McAndrews puts his famous "Paesano" grinder up against Bobby Flay in a 15 round championship Throwdown. Will Bobby's Italian grinder go the distance?
Grinder? So lame.
Drew- I say grinder when the person on the other end of the phone doesn't understand me saying I want them to put the ham and cheese hoagie in the oven. Me: "Can you throw the hoagie in the oven to melt the cheese?" Them: "You want me to do what?" Me: "Make it a grinder." Them: "Oh."
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by angela boddie, Becky Carter. Becky Carter said: Paesano's on Throwdown this Wednesday: 23 at 8:30 pm, when Food Network airs the Throwdown with Bobby Flay episo... http://bit.ly/gjLCDH [...]
Yea in Philly a grinder is a hoagie with cheese melted on top. However, Paesano's does not serve grinders.
I'm familiar with the term grinder, my dad is from the CT/MA border and they're all over the place up there, but honestly I've never heard anyone use the term grinder in Philly before.
The term grinder has been used in Philly for years. It means the hoagie is heated. I think it just means it's a sub in other areas. So we'll see what it means on Throwdown.
Start planning your viewing parties now, people: Two of television's most popular food programs are putting Philly's cuisine and culinary talent in the limelight.
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| travelchannel.com |
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| Courtesy of Food Network (click to enlarge) | |
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Meal Ticket, Heather Skolans. Heather Skolans said: Check out Philly on Bizarre Foods and Iron Chef America this week: 30, when two members of Philadelphia's galaxy... http://bit.ly/gyjxte [...]
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Check out Doc's on the jawn - http://www.thejawn.com/view/9403/docs-gourmet-water-ice
[...] According to Citypaper, Thomas will be serving soup from noon to 3pm this Saturday (Jan 15th). The address is 169 W. Girard in Philly. 0 comments print Filed Under: Doc's Gourmet Soup, Fishtown, Gordon, Northern Liberties, Seinfeld, Soup, Soup Nazi Leave a Comment Below print [...]
[...] B.C. Wine caves, True honey buns, Your own Robo-diet-tron, At-home almond butter, Food Lit for Kids• Yes, the Soup Nazi is seriously coming to Philly to serve soup• IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Jan. 13• Non-Restaurant Week deals for [...]
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| Photo | Albert Yee |
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by cynthia mcneill. cynthia mcneill said: Flying Monkey's Pumpple Cake on Food Network tomorrow night http://bit.ly/gnzPE9 [...]
She needs to credit Charles Phoenix, the originator of the Cherpumple - it also includes a cherry pie: http://www.charlesphoenix.com/2010/10/cherpumple-monster-pie-cake-new-test-kitchen-video/
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| Photo | Neal Santos |
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rich Pawlak. Rich Pawlak said: Throwdown?? RT @mealticket: Jake's Sandwich Board (@gotpig) taping a @FoodNetwork show this week: http://ow.ly/3xtJZ [...]
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This is what you sit there worrying about?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by cynthia mcneill, Becky Carter. Becky Carter said: All that sparkles at JG Domestic: 5, Food Network's Iron Chef America aired its Battle Sparkling Wine episode,... http://bit.ly/et1yDo [...]
Doesn't serving Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco violate the "domestic" theme?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Food and Drank and ProfilePR, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Eat like an Iron Chef America judge this month at @chefjosegarces' JG Domestic: http://ow.ly/3nete [...]
Yes it's been bothering me all weekend.
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