Roast pork with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe
9.8/10
Still the strongest sandwich argument the city has. Salty, bitter, soft, messy, no wasted motion.
Off Hours
Small side shelf, not the main exhibit
The site is still about Frankie Smith. This page is here because real people tend to have a few side obsessions, a few petty food opinions, and a listening life that does not stay obediently inside one box.
Think of this as the margin note version of the archive: a quick Philly food scorecard and three artists I keep returning to for reasons that rhyme with the site even when the records themselves do not.
Philly Food
Subjective scorecard
Not a restaurant guide. Just the running internal rankings.
Tomato pie
9.1/10
Best at room temperature, especially when the sauce is bright and the crust knows how to stay out of the way.
Italian hoagie
9.0/10
Only drops points when people get sentimental and let the balance go slack.
Water ice
8.4/10
Higher in July than in March, but still one of the clearest arguments for summer in edible form.
Soft pretzel
7.7/10
Needs to be warm, salty, and slightly rough around the edges. A sad pretzel is one of the saddest foods alive.
Scrapple
7.5/10
Better than its reputation, especially when somebody fries it hard enough to respect it.
Side Trips
Three other artists I always come back to
Aphex Twin
Because melody sounds better when it arrives through a little static and mischief.
Squarepusher
Because bass virtuosity and machine chaos can still feel warm-blooded.
Missy Elliott
Because humor, groove, and formal invention belong together.