"The only thing I like better than talking about food is eating." - John Walters

South Jersey Food Scene, Mexican-Asian fusion, Detroit Pizza, Chopped Champion, tinned fish, and reducing food waste awaits in this week's Philly Grub newsletter. Come on in!

Repping the South Jersey Food Scene

In 2019, I started South Jersey Food Scene because after living here since 2012, I felt the coverage about restaurants and dining options was pretty thin. While I appreciated the Courier-Post's restaurant reviews and occasional food news stories, I felt there needed to be another outlet bringing attention to what happens "across the bridge." Philadelphia and North Jersey always overshadow South Jersey when it comes to food reporting. I do my best to keep up and write about new restaurants and food-based businesses, to shine a spotlight on smaller, lesser-known eateries. When the pandemic struck, I became a contributor to a hyperlocal South Jersey news website called 70and73.com, concentrating on how restaurants strive to thrive in challenging pandemic times. A new podcast called Eat It NJ reached out to me to discuss covering the local food scene during the COVID-19 crisis and how restaurants are innovating during challenging times. I could have chatted with host Michelle Park for hours on the topic, but it's a quick 17 minute listen. I hope you'll check it out.

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Doho Taqueria Review

Last month, I reported that Doho Taqueria, a new Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant concept, had finally opened in Mt. Airy. Fellow food writer James Zwolak, whose day job is a solicitor for Philadelphia, noticed and made a point to visit and give it a try with some friends who live in the neighborhood. His review is featured in the latest issue of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Bar Reporter publication. Bao buns as taco shells?? Sign me up!

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Detroit Pizza

Detroit-style pizza has become a trend in Philadelphia in recent years. It seems this trend has taken hold nationwide, and now Pizza Hut is getting into the game. I have not had an opportunity to try the Philly spots doing Detroit pizzas, and I haven’t yet found them anywhere else in my neck of the South Jersey woods. When Pizza Hut rolled theirs out, we decided to give it a try. Living in the ‘burbs, we have a take-out only Pizza Hut less than two miles from our house, so it was easy to order and have it quickly delivered. I’m a big fan of Sicilian or grandma-style rectangular pizzas, so this is right up my alley. I immensely enjoyed the thick, chewy crust and cheesy, crispy edge. Not to mention the Double Pepperoni comes with zesty pepperoni cups! I’m digging the savory tomato sauce as a topping. I feel like this was a good introduction to this new-to-me style of pizza and would certainly compel me to try it elsewhere. Are you a fan of Detroit-style pizza? What’s your favorite?

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Another Chopped Champion

Philly has another Food Network Chopped Champion. This past week, a meat-centric episode aired on Tuesday featuring local chef Ed Crochet of Fiore Fine Foods, an Italian inspired all-day cafe located at 757 S Front Street in Queen Village. The themed challenge centered on goat being a predominant protein in each round’s boxes. Not the easiest thing to cook in such a limited time. However, after a fierce competition, Chef Ed took the win. Joining many local chefs who have been victorious on the cooking competition show, such as - Georgeann Leaming, Timothy Witcher, Diana Sabater, Kristol Bryant, to name a few. Our local chefs know how to make the cut! ;)

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Canned Seafood, anyone?

Earlier this week, Craig Laban published a story about a local grocer who has stocked a large variety of tinned fish, much to the delight of canned fish lovers in Philadelphia. During the pandemic, Herman’s Coffee, located at 1313 S. 3rd Street in Pennsport, began carrying groceries and provisions at its South Philly coffee shop. Among the items they have is a huge assortment of canned fish and seafood. When I noticed the chatter on Twitter, I had to chime in that there is always a large variety of fish and seafood in cans in this household. While not as fancy or artisanal as some featured in Laban’s piece, we certainly keep that part of our pantry stocked at all times. While I’m not as avid a consumer as my other half is, it makes for a good snack straight out of the can or simply on a piece of bread with fresh herbs. What’s your favorite tinned fish? How do you like to eat it?

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Too Good To Go Reducing Food Waste

Earlier this week, I sat on a local hospitality Zoom meeting which included an introduction to Too Good To Go. The European company whose mission is to reduce food waste launched its US operations in NYC a few months ago with plans to expand nationwide. Recently, they launched in Philadelphia with Abbe Stern and Andrew Erace leading efforts here. Their goal is for grocery stores, restaurants, and food-based businesses who experience food waste to sign up so that Too Good To Go can sell leftover prepared food to consumers for a discount before it goes bad or hits the trash at the end of the day. Seems like a serious no-brainer, right? Interested consumers can sign up for the app on Apple Store or Google Play. Check it out and let me know what you think.

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Here’s what you might have missed on the blog :

1. Recap: Di Bruno Bros. Virtual Cheese Tasting

2. Philadelphia Chefs Featured on Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast

3. Topo Chico Twist of Tangerine Now Available in Sprouts, Coming Soon to Whole Foods

4. Les Dames D’Escoffier Philadelphia Presents Philly Soul-Food Scene

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That’s all I have for this week. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. And let me know if you see anything interesting going on that should be talked about.

Until next week — much love!
Marilyn

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