Food

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Philadelphia cuisine is famous for several things:

  • Restaurant Week: Hosted twice a year, many well-known Philly restaurants offer a three course dinner for $35 (or $20 for lunch). http://www.centercityphila.org/life/RestaurantWeek.php
  • Stephen Starr Restaurants: Stephen Starr is a famous restaurateur who owns several of the best restaurants in Philly, including:

 

  • Alma de Cuba
  • Buddakan
  • The Continental
  • El Vez
  • Jones
  • Morimoto
  • Pod
  • Butcher and Singer
  • Barclay Prime
  • Parc
  • Pizzeria Stella
  • El Rey
  • The Dandelion
  • Fette Sau
  • Frankford Hall
  • Serpico
  • Il Pittore
  • Telula’s
  • Squareburger
  • Granite Hill

 

Activity:

  • Identify these American foods. Which ones are specific to Philly?
  • Which ones do we typically eat at breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?
  • Which ones are specific to a particular culture, holiday, or diet?


Hoagie

brownies

pancakes

Cheesesteak

French toast

Omelette

Tater tots

Chicken fingers

Burrito

tofurkey

Muffin

Donut

Veggie patty

Water ice

Bagelwich

shake

smoothie

chicken fingers

quesadilla

pie

lasagna

casserole

deviled eggs

gingerbread

 

 

Famous Philly Food:

Cheesesteak: Can be ordered “one whiz wit,” which means you’d like whiz cheese with fried onions, or “whiz wit-out” which means you’d like it without fried onions. You can also get Provolone or American cheese, in which case you’d say the same thing but with a different cheese, such as “one prov wit,” or “one American wit-out.”

Water Ice: Sometimes pronounced “wooder ice,” this is known as Italian ice in other parts of the country. It is shaved ice with flavored syrup.

Pretzels: Philly is famous for its pretzels, and we even have our own Philly Pretzel company that has stores all around the city.

Hoagies: Hoagies, otherwise known as sub sandwiches in other parts of the U.S., are served on long, hard rolls. They typically include sandwich meats (salami, ham, or turkey), cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, although the toppings vary.

Cream Cheese: Although many people think Philly is known for Philadelphia cream cheese, it is usually only eaten with bagels.

Candy: Philly is the home of Peanut Chews and Tastycakes. A Peanut Chew is usually made out of peanuts and molasses with a chocolate coating. Tastycakes is a Philadelphia-based company that makes brownies, cupcakes, donuts, and other treats that are typically found in convenience stores. Basically, they are what Americans call “junk food.”

Taboo Foods:

Most Americans consider certain meats taboo to eat, mainly because we keep these animals as pets, or they simply aren’t common in American cuisine:

 

Common Foods:

  • Beef (burgers, steaks)
  • Turkey
  • Ham, bacon, and pork*
  • Dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt)
  • Most vegetables (especially salads)
  • Most fruits (smoothies and juices are popular)

Taboo Foods:

  • Horses
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Bugs
  • Mice or other small rodents
  • Snakes (and sometimes frogs)

 

*Note: Pig and cow are the names of animals, but beef, ham, and pork refer to the meat. Exceptions to this rule are: chicken, turkey, duck, and lamb, which refer to both animals and types of meat.

In your country, do you have foods that are taboo to eat? What foods are less common than here in the United States?

 

Additional Resources:

 

Vocabulary List:  Food

Word Meaning Examples
Types of American Food    
Pub food Food you find in an American or Irish Bar Hamburgers; Fries, Fish and Chips
Take out Food you order for delivery or to pick up at the store The most popular take out foods are Chinese and pizza, but almost any food can be take out.
 All you can eat/buffet Pay one price and get as many plates as you want. Sushi buffet, all you can eat chicken wings
A diner Usually open 24 hours.  They serve breakfast any time. Pancakes, waffles, burgers, eggs, sandwiches
Ethnic food Food from another culture. Americans eat a lot of Chinese, Greek, Italian, and more.  You can find almost any country’s food across the U.S.
Cafeteria or Food Court Usually you find food courts at a shopping mall.  They have many restaurants that all share one place to sit. Mall food court

Company food court

Campus food court
Fast Food Any food that is served to you instantly is called “fast food”. Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonald’s
Restaurant Chain A chain is a restaurant that has multiple locations. Many fast food restaurants are also chains. TGIF’s, Chili’s, Applebees, Chipotle
Holiday food Americans eat certain food for different holidays and seasons Examples

Fall:  apples, pumpkin, squash, corn

Winter:  gingerbread, hot chocolate, baked ham

Spring:  peas, herbs

Summer:  lemonade, crab cakes, tomatoes
Food Preferences    
Spicy or Mild Spicy-hot ; mild-not hot Spicy chili, mild sauce
Sweet or Sour Sweet-sugar    sour-bitter Sweet and sour chicken
Vegetarian and vegan Vegetarians don’t eat meat, but usually eat eggs and dairy.

Vegans do not eat any animal product at all.

Pescetarians eat fish, but do not eat any other meat.

 U.S. restaurants are changing a lot to accommodate a growing number of vegans and vegetarians.  A “V” on the menu usually means it is safe for a vegetarian to eat.  Some Americans become vegetarian for health reasons, or because they care about animals.
Kosher and Halal Meat prepared in special ways according to religious law, and usually blessed.  Kosher refers to Judaism, and Halal to Islam.  
 Eating Out    
Tip or gratuity What we pay the server Usually the tip is 15-20% of the total bill.  It is very rude not to leave a tip, unless service was bad.
Split the bill To pay the bill equally My friend and I split the bill and each paid $25.
Cover the tab; pick up the tab To pay the entire bill It was his birthday, so I picked up the tab.
Expressions:
Do you want to grab brunch?

Do you want to go to brunch?

 “Brunch” is a combination of breakfast and lunch.  We usually eat it on weekends between 10AM and 1PM.  It could include breakfast and lunch food.    “Grab” is used to mean get a quick meal or to eat together casually.

The person is probably inviting you to eat with him or her.  If you say “no, I haven’t,” the other person might say “Do you want to grab something to eat?”

  
Did you eat yet? This is usually an invitation to eat, not just a yes/no question. Did you eat yet?

No, not yet.

Want to grab a bite with me?