Bourdain Became an Honorary Philadelphian Last Night

If you were a bit skeptical of Anthony Bourdain's first-day picks of mainstream favorites Amis, Paesano's, and Di Bruno Bros. (all amazing, but very well-known outside of the Philly borders), his second day was much more off-the-beaten path, which he ended admirably at the Pen and Pencil.

In the morning, he met up with chef Mike Solomonov for some pho at Pho 75, and then headed off to Ken's Cafe in Mt. Airy for some BBQ carnage. He followed that up with late afternoon eats at up-and-comer Stateside (where chef George Sabatino won the Philly Mag award for Best Chef yesterday) on East Passyunk, and dinner at Zahav, Philly's newest 4-Bell restaurant. He did well.

But, it was the late-night trip to the P&P that really gave him local cred. What was once home to whiskey-fueled journalists—and later added the restaurant industry set—it's an after hours place to get really, really, drunk and never ever get flagged. Bourdain ended up doing a shot of dirty hot dog water from the self-serve crock pot after downing an Irish Bus Bomb, which is an entire pitcher of Guinness with Jameson.

Welcome home, buddy.

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