The Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods" Philadelphia Show, January 25, 2011

[Ericandblueboy]

Andrew Zimmern does PA this week, I think the show airs on Tuesday nights. He goes to John's Roast Pork, hangs out with Morimoto, and catches snapping turtles.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Andrew Zimmern does PA this week, I think the show airs on Tuesday nights. He goes to John's Roast Pork, hangs out with Morimoto, and catches snapping turtles.

Move over Bourdain. Zimmern did Pennsylvania, although not much of it. I am from Pennsylvania (Lancaster), and while I appreciated the Philadelphia treatment, I can't imagine why the Wilkes-Barre area got so much love. I might have focused in on some other areas of the state, but Zimmern has to do the weird foods thing....chocolate covered onions are just gross.

Zimmern did Syria the previous week, so he's really outdone Bourdain this year in my book.

[monavano]

Move over Bourdain. Zimmern did Pennsylvania, although not much of it. I am from Pennsylvania (Lancaster), and while I appreciated the Philadelphia treatment, I can't imagine why the Wilkes-Barre area got so much love. I might have focused in on some other areas of the state, but Zimmern has to do the weird foods thing....chocolate covered onions are just gross.

Zimmern did Syria the previous week, so he's really outdone Bourdain this year in my book.

Wilkes Barre has some gnarly mountain folks! It was a hoot.

I liked, really liked, that the show paid homage to the pig and dealt with the fact meat comes from an actual animal that is lovingly raised and thoughtfully dispatched. They showed a pig being shot (with a quick cut away after the rifle fire), then broken down. Every part of the animal was used and honored. All offal and the head went into a cauldron to make scrapple. Very cool to see how it's made, knowing that most people just don't want to know!

RTM was a throw away and I was disappointed in their choices in the market. Could have been much better if they had Andrew eat something from Lancaster County, or some Italian goodies from Termini Bros.

The snapper soup was also a great depiction of true PA food. I got a kick out of one of the locals refusing to eat the balls. His face was priceless!

Overall, it looked like Andrew had a hoot in PA. The lines at John's will be insufferable after this. Man Vs. Food's Adam Richmond featured DiNic's Pork* in his Philly visit, then singled out their roast pork sandwich as on of his 5 best in the country. Last time I was at RTM, the line was 40-50 deep, wrapped around the stand.

*I'd like to think I can take some credit for this Mr. MV and I were enjoying breakfast at RTM when I spotted Adam. I spoke with him in front of DiNic's and asked if he was featuring the roast pork. He wasn't. I told him how that sandwich is a Philly treasure, and not well-known to non-locals. I think he liked it

eta: I saw footage and a lead-in for Czerw's in Port Richmond, but didn't catch a segment. Did I miss something?