Michael Klein’s columns in the Inquirer and weekly newsletter are required reading here in the Delicious City studios. He’s all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-eating. The veteran food and restaurant reporter returns to the podcast to let you in on all the spots that are opening this spring and summer, including some picks for the suburbanites and Jersey folks.

• 04:00 Michael Klein, food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is in studio
• 14:37 Eli believes 2025 is the year of “the outsiders” coming to Philly
• 20:07 Spring restaurant openings in and around Philadelphia
• 26:44 Micheal names the best suburb for dining out
• 44:10 Whatcha Been Eatin’: Marisa’s Opening Day tradition at ballpark, Eli revisits a Starr standard, and Dave goes from a chef’s counter to a BBQ joint in the same week
• 53:30 Don’t miss our first ever Delicious City Tailgate! Tickets are on sale now
• 54:20 The Sauce: The latest restaurant and chef news in our city

Click the link to get your tickets for the first ever Delicious City Tailgate featuring Daniel Grobman of Mike's BBQ and Chef Reuben Asaram of Reuby and Sunny's Kitchen, where we are going to have an epic throwdown of delicious food, drink and music! Join us for the BBQ and the game, or just the tailgate itself. Your choice. (Phillies tickets must be purchased on your own)

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level.
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

Announcements galore in this episode! We recap the Beard Award finalists who will represent Philly at the ceremony this year, we announce the first-ever Delicious City Tailgate (Go Phils!), and we have an update on Merch Madness, which is down to the final round. We do it all with our friend Jessica Boyington in studio with us, and she shares her current favorite spots to eat, drink and celebrate life.

• 00:00 Not wearing Spanx is the BEST
• 03:40 Merch Madness update, White Lotus and stolen hoodies
• 10:27 Jessica Boyington combines her love of food and storytelling in her TV career, and lists her favorite Italian food and the best happy hour the city
• 26:05 Beard Awards Announcement: Congrats to all the Philly winners! Plus, Dave shares an insider tip on everyone’s favorite restaurant, Mawn
• 35:51 Best Bites: Clams, sashimi and more
• 56:35 The Dish: Events and Pop-Ups, and our big tailgate announcement! Save the date for a specially curated ballpark hang on May 27th

Delicious City Tailgate:

Click the link to get your tickets for the first ever Delicious City Tailgate featuring Daniel Grobman of Mike's BBQ and Chef Reuben Asaram of Sunny's Kitchen, where we are going to have an epic throwdown of delicious food, drink and music! Join us for the BBQ and the game, or just the tailgate itself. Your choice. (Phillies tickets must be purchased on your own)

Sponsors:

• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

Eli, Marisa and Dave have been all over the place lately, and in this episode of Delicious City they give us tips from their recent trips to New York and Florida, recapping all the excellent bites along the way. Of course they also have a ton of spots for you to pin here in Philly, plus a bunch of restaurant openings to put on your calendar, cookie chat with Levain Bakery, AND a chance to win tickets to next week’s Chef Radio Live event with MANNA!

• 00:00 Go-to comfort foods for stress eating
• 06:21 Win tickets to Chef Radio LIVE with proceeds benefiting MANNA on April 9th
• 07:44 Levain Bakery added a new flavor to their cookie lineup, and John Farmer brings us some to try. Can you guess which flavor?
• 19:56 Whatcha Been Eatin’: Marisa goes to Florida for Phillies spring training, Dave attends a fashionable NYC dinner, and Eli explores an ice cream museum
• 55:01 The Sauce: Restaurant news in and around Philadelphia, with lots of openings set for this spring

If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level

Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

The tournament has officially begun! Delicious City’s Merch Madness is underway, so submit your Round 1 picks now at DeliciousCityPodcast.com. Eli, Marisa and Dave unbox the big prize bundle and run down the bracket match-ups. They’re joined by Bryan Szeliga from Fishtown Seafood, who puts freshness and flavor above all else at his three retail locations. Plus, Best Bites and lots of events to keep you full until our next episode.

• 00:00 Marisa witnessed the ultimate cheesesteak violation
• 07:14 Merch Madness Unboxing and Round 1 Match-Ups! Vote for your chance to win an insane Philly merch bundle
• 14:25 Bryan Szeliga talks freshwater vs. farm raised fish, his favorite oysters, and seafood freezing methods that blow our minds
• 44:22 Best Bites: From Manayunk to Florida, the gang pick the greatest thing they ate this week and tell you where to find it
• 58:10 The Dish: Events and pop-ups all around Philadelphia. Follow @deliciouscitypodcast for more!

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

Time for a wardrobe refresh! Merch Madness is back, and this bracket-style throw down will determine the master of foodie merch in Philadelphia. The winner will be determined through three rounds of voting by YOU, the Delicious City family. Go to DeliciousCityPodcast.com to cast your vote. Who says you can’t wear your food??

• 00:00 Infomercials, George Foreman Grills, and Eli’s story about the Oxyclean guy
• 08:32 Merch Madness Bracket Announcement - Round 1 starts today!
• 13:09 Annoying Things Foodie Influencers Do
• 32:43 Whatcha Been Eatin’: Duck pasta, birthday cake, and suckling pig
• 38:18 The Sauce: Chef news and restaurant updates from all over Philadelphia

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• We’re thrilled to welcome Soom Tahini to the Delicious City family! As the gold standard in tahini, their commitment to quality and flavor is the perfect match for our celebration of Philly’s incredible food scene.
• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

What sets an amazing cheesesteak apart from the rest? A roll done right! Nish Patel of Del Rossi’s tells Delicious City how he transitioned from franchise owner to carving out his spot in the city’s cheesesteak and pie scene. We also dive into the importance of “not getting too comfortable” as a business owner, and we find out why Nish’s steaks get the approval of Chef Eli, who is typically critical of Philly’s signature sandwich.

• 00:00 Tribute to Rich Colli
• 07:31 Nish Patel of Del Rossi’s: cheesesteaks, pizzas, and all the work that goes into baking bread in-house
• 34:23 Merch Madness Returns! Vote for the play-in spot at DeliciousCityPodcast.com before this Friday 3/14
• 41:36 Best Bites: Dave and Eli attend a spicy collab dinner, Marisa returns to Mawn, and Nish tries oysters for the first time at one of Philly’s newer bars
• 01:06:22 The Dish: Events and pop-ups around the city for foodies of all kinds

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• We’re thrilled to welcome Soom Tahini to the Delicious City family! As the gold standard in tahini, their commitment to quality and flavor is the perfect match for our celebration of Philly’s incredible food scene.
• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

Dave has a hidden talent: he can identify any Coca-Cola product by sipping it blind. But can he do it under pressure? We set up a soda challenge to put him to the test. And now that we’re into March, keep an eye on Instagram for the return of Merch Madness: @deliciouscitypodcast

• 00:00 Eagles parade afterglow
• 10:06 Dave’s Soda Challenge: can he name all 7 sodas??
• 17:00 Chip, dip and fast food burger chat
• 23:34 Whatcha Been Eatin’: Dave’s New Jersey discovery, Marisa’s brunch pick, and Eli tries a new dish from a recent fave
• 42:48 The Sauce: Chef and restaurant news updates in and around Philly

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• We’re thrilled to welcome Soom Tahini to the Delicious City family! As the gold standard in tahini, their commitment to quality and flavor is the perfect match for our celebration of Philly’s incredible food scene.
• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

Oysters are one of our favorite snacks here at Delicious City, and you can find some of the best tasting mollusks in the world right in New Jersey. We talk with Merch Madness and Tasties winners Sweet Amalia about all things oysters, from farming to shucking to serving. We’ve also got a big contest announcement and a big list of Best Bites and pop-up dinners to get you through the rest of February.

• 00:00 Eagles Championship Parade Recap
• 05:46 Lisa Calvo and Melissa McGrath from Sweet Amalia talk about growing oysters on the farm near Cape May
• 11:25 Variables in nature that can affect the taste of oysters
• 17:22 Dave took a tour of Sweet Amalia oyster farm and learned a lot
• 26:53 Favorite ways to top your oysters
• 35:47 Merch Madness returns! Nominate your favorite foodie apparel on Instagram @deliciouscitypodcast
• 40:35 Best Bites: roasted fish, cabbage stuffed with lamb, and the vegan spot where Marisa literally ordered the entire menu
• 52:02 The Dish: Events and pop-ups you need to check out in Philly

And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are:

• We’re thrilled to welcome Soom Tahini to the Delicious City family! As the gold standard in tahini, their commitment to quality and flavor is the perfect match for our celebration of Philly’s incredible food scene.
• If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level
• Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs.

See more at DeliciousCityPodcast.com. Leave a comment, subscribe, and share this episode with your fellow Philly foodies. Happy eating!