The City That Invented Everything but Dinner

Philly gave America its first library and stock exchange. Chef Ari Miller on why the food finally caught up. Philadelphia gave the United States its first library, its first hospital, its first stock exchange, and its first zoo. It was the nation’s capital before Washington, D.C. existed. Everyone knows Philly is historical, but the fact that it is also now one of the country’s great food cities is something that’s always stayed just beneath the radar. If you know, you know. Chef and journalist Ari Miller remembers the moment he realized that was changing. Last year, at an anniversary dinner at Friday Saturday Sunday, he got to talking with the man at the next table, who was dining alone. He and his husband had an arrangement: one loved opera, the other loved food, and they took turns watching the kids. This was his night, and he had traveled to Philadelphia to spend it. “It was the first time I became aware that we were going to have tourists coming to Philly specifically for the food,” Ari says. Continue reading Access this and all our other premium articles by joining our membership program. Plans start at $6.50 per month and include twice-weekly digital features, access to in-person events, and more.