Behind the Blog: Thad S. of Philly Phoodie

Welcome to another edition of Philly Grub’s blog article series “Behind the Blog”. Where you get introduced to other food bloggers in the greater Philadelphia area.

Meet Thad S. of Philly Phoodie.

Name:
Thad S
Age:
thirtysomething
Location:
Media
Blog Name:
Philly Phoodie
Blog URL:
http://www.phillyphoodie.com/
Blog Focus:
Blue collar food, Mom and Pop shops, sandwiches that make your doctor shake their head.
Launch Date:
2008
Why did you start blogging?
I realized Yelp! couldn’t be trusted. My knack for finding out of the way spots became annoying due to all the requests by friends for places to eat. So now there is one definitive guide. Kind of.
What do you like best about blogging?
It encourages my wife and I to eat at places even when we don’t want to.
What platform do you use?
Blogger
How do you promote your blog?
Social media, word of mouth.
Do you write all of the blog posts yourself?
No, I have a ghostwriter.
What are your favorite/most popular blog posts?

• http://www.phillyphoodie.com/2015/03/forestas-market.html
• http://www.phillyphoodie.com/2014/09/franzones-pizzeria.html
• http://www.phillyphoodie.com/2014/12/ciscos-bar-grille.html

What is your favorite “foodie” or food blogging experience so far?
My favorite is definitely when I make it back to a place and they have printed out my review and put it on the wall. Makes me smile every time!
What are your favorite cuisines/meals/recipes?
I literally love to cook everything (no baking). Except dessert. I am a savory guy, and sweets just don’t do it for me. My favorite approach is to add a Philly-centric flair to foods. This means broccoli rabe, sharp provolone, long hots, steak meat, fantastic rolls, all of these are used in transforming a dish. My specialty is BBQ. Large pieces of meat smoked low and slow. One of the twists, I have recently done was a pork tenderloin, stuffed with rabe, sharp provolone, and hot sausage, covered in bacon and smoked. It was part fine dining, part BBQ, part Philly. You can guess how it tasted.
What are your favorite Philly area restaurants?
John’s Roast Pork, Jack’s Place (hoagies in the Great Northeast), Dim Sum Garden, Paesano’s, Cajun Kate’s (located in Boothwyn at a flea market).
Who are your favorite Philly area chefs or food business personalities?

• Hawk Krall, he is a great guy, makes the best food illustrations, and has the same mindset with regard to regional foods and capturing what makes the different cuisines so interesting.
• Han Chiang, the owner of the Han Dynasty (Handynasty) empire. Han has his restaurants running like tops, putting out consistently great food, and he does not give a damn. Hilarious guy, witty, sarcastic, and has the culinary chops to back it up.
• Joe Beddia, of Pizzeria Beddia. He makes some of the best pies I have had, uses local ingredients, and does things his way. You pizza will not be cheap, it will not be fast, and you can’t eat it there, but he still sells out early most nights. Of the four nights a week he is open.

How often do you go out to eat at Philly area restaurants?
2-3 times per week
How often do you cook at home?
Everyday
What are your favorite stores/shops/markets to shop for food products?

• Reading Terminal Market/Italian Market- there may be better/easier places to shop, but the whole experience is so much fun at these two staples that I go for the entertainment factor. So many characters, and you will likely find something you have never used/seen before to give a try.
• Asian markets around the city- each has their own flair (and smells), and they are all great in their own ways. Cheap to shop at, colorful to look at, and interesting in that they will offer things you didn’t even know were food. Lots of fun, and really makes you expand your cooking horizons.

Tell us a few things you think our readers would find interesting about the local food scene.
Some of the best food in Philly comes from outside the city proper. South Jersey, DelCo, Roxborough (no, you are not Philadelphia)- they all have places that are so steeped in history, grease, and love that they are hard to beat. For example- did you know that Norristown is known for something other than crime? They have Zeps (a regionally specific type of hoagie using no lettuce, and they are known for sweet sauce on top of the cheese for pizza). Both are great, both are unique to that area. Neither involve felony drug use. See?
Tell us more about yourself.
A little known fact- I actually eat a lot of vegetables and work out 5-6 days a week. Otherwise I would not be able to keep writing this website without reaching for an oxygen mask from my motorized scooter.
What other food blogs do you follow?
N/A
Twitter URL:
https://twitter.com/PhillyPhoodie
Facebook URL:
https://www.facebook.com/phillyphoodie
Instagram URL:
https://instagram.com/phillyphoodie/

Thanks Thad.

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