This week in Philadelphia Magazine’s Restaurant Club Newsletter.

• Favorite Shore Spots
• Finally, a Reason to Try Out Twitter!
• Five Questions: Katie Cavuto of The Next Food Network Star
• Varga Wants You to Lunch a Bunch

Restaurant Club Newsletter [Philadelphia Magazine]

Among the ten contestants for next season of The Next Food Network Star is Philadelphia chef and dietician, Katie Cavuto. Kavuto runs Healthy Bites, a nutrition and personal chef service and does nutrition segments for FOX news regularly. 

Whether she’s as successful as the last two Philadelphia contestants, Aaron McCargo and Adam Gertler remains to be seen. You can find out for yourself starting June 7th when the new season debuts. 

The Next Food Network Star [Official Site]
Healthy Bites [Official Site]

On the DL with Dan Levy had an interview with Adam Gertler of the Food Network and the premiere of Will Work for Food yesterday. Gertler talked with Dan Levy about his new show and also shed some light on what happened with the Smoked Joint and whether he would consider another restaurant in Philadelphia.

He also answered a question we suggested, what’ the most underrated food in Philadelphia. His surprising answer? Mussels!

Scroll ahead to the 9 minutes 20 seconds remaining mark to hear why.

Adam Gertler of Food Network Makes Me Hungry [On the DL with Dan Levy]
Photo by emmy p [flickr]

Philly chef-turned-Food-Network-Star Adam Gertler hits the big time tonight with the debut of his very own show Will Work for Food. Since it’s cold and it’s Monday and tomorrow is full of inauguration activities, why not stay home and check it out? It premieres at 8:30pm on the Food Network. A description from the official website:

The series exposes Adam to the world of little-known food jobs as he fearlessly puts his life – and mouth – on the line to try them all! Whether taking honey from three million bees, sculpting ice with a chain saw, foraging for truffles, or digging a wine cave, Adam will do anything in the name of food.

Will Work for Food [Food Network]

Yes, that was me on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay on the Food Network last night. And yes, that was me NOT voting for the Philly version of the soft pretzel, but for Bobby Flay’s surprisingly delicious alternative. Before you rabid localists start a petition to get me thrown out of the city on grounds of culinary treason, take in the whole tale.

A few months ago, I got an email from a production company asking if I would appear as a ’soft pretzel expert’ on a new, unnamed, host-free Food Network show that traveled the country, focusing on local specialties…

Read the rest of this entry »

Robert Sietsema, The Village Voice’s food critic, managed to sneak into a taping of Iron Chef and was shocked–shocked!–to discover that the TV show is full of trickery. He’s also surprised to find that Morimoto is kind of a jerk. We’re not.

Robert Irvine, host of Dinner: Impossible, may have lied about his credentials! Anyone who plans to name his restaurants Ooze and Schmooze should be punished just for that alone.

Also, Martha Stewart snatched up Emeril’s empire. Which is not fakery, but Food Network-related. And scary!