PHILLY FEAST

Thea Everett finds plenty of blood-sugar-be-damned fun in Philadelphia, a too-often overlooked American foodie city

- Thea Everett

A two-hour train ride from New York or Washington, Philadelphia can get a bit squashed by the competition.

But as one of America’s oldest cities, it’s a worthy holiday destination in its own right. Especially if you follow the food.

Don’t expect niceties. Philly has a reputation for hostility and I learnt it’s best to put on a brave face when you take to the streets.

My sense of people’s brashness might have been heightened because I was visiting with my partner and one-year-old. What I can tell you is that this city feels like it’s fuelled on caffeine and sugar highs. I advise joining the blood-sugar-be-damned fun. All the best experiences require you to get out of your comfort zone, after all.

One of the proudest and largest communities are the Italian Americans, whose presence dates back to the 1800s. As a result, the diaspora’s restaurants can stand up to the culinary institutions of Chicago and New York. Historically, many landed first in South Philadelphia, where the Italian Market continues to be a hub of butchers, delis and takeaways.

Take Paesano’s sandwich shop, where you can get a hoagie stuffed with roast pork, broccoli rabe and hot chillis, or Dante and Luigi’s - an upmarket trattoria that’s been in business since the 19th century, whose walls you just know have heard some titillating conversations.

Italian bakeries are located all around South Philadelphia and Isgro’s is a brilliant one — it’s impossible not to walk out with a box of cannolis under your arm. Their pinole (pine nut cookies) are exceptional and their sfogliatele was filled with a ricotta custard, rich with orange zest.