There is no doubt about it, South Philly is a foodie mecca. Name a food — we are talking burgers, cheesesteaks, crab cakes, gravy, water ice — and you will likely find several satisfying options between South Street and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Picking a favorite place may not be as easy as it sounds. You could easily create an NCAA Tournament-like bracket filled with the top places from around the south side of town. Who would get the №1 seed in the cheesesteak bracket?
Let’s leave that field-of-64 scenario to the NCAA selection committee. After all, Selection Sunday is just days away. Local basketball fans will soon find out where and when the defending NCAA champion Villanova Wildcats will be playing next week. But the basketball conversation and debate can be saved for when you are filling out the office pool.
Back to food. Tallying votes for food places in each of the categories was far from an easy task. You may notice that this week’s ballot looks slightly different from the previous version. Yes, even newspapers can have an Oscar-like mixup. There are countless places deserving of a spot on the ballot, but there is only room for five per category.
Now, it’s up to you, our loyal readers, to weigh in on these tasty topics. The final say is in your hands.
There may be some foods your avoid, and that’s fine. Skip the category. Weigh in on as many categories as you would like — this is meant to be something fresh and fun.
The ballot will appear in the next two issues (March 16 and 23), too. Voting can also be done via e-mail (bgelman@bsmphilly,com) or by visiting southphillyreview.com/contests.
Each of the 32 winners and their winning item will be featured in the special Food Issue, hitting doorsteps April 20. Visit http://www.centraljerseymarketplace.com/form/thefoodie5.php to vote.
The submission deadline is 5 p.m. March 27.
