Sandwich Fight: John's Roast Pork takes on John's Roast Pork

Ladies and gentlemen... and the millions of sandwich hunters around the world... from John’s Roast Pork in South Philadelphia, let’s get ready to rumble!!!

In this one-stop, stomach-bulging sandwich quest, we pit two iconic Philadelphia sandwiches – the cheesesteak and the roast pork – against each other in order to decide the best sandwich John’s Roast Pork has to offer.

Just in case you live in a sandwich cave, John’s is a legendary sandwich institution in South Philly. Both its cheesesteak and roast pork are widely regarded as two of the best sandwiches in this great city (the roast beef is pretty awesome, too).

The cheesesteak is quite easily one of the best I’ve had in Philadelphia. Cheesesteak diehards might pick another as their favorite, but the margin will be slim. If you’re looking for a Philly cheesesteak done right, John's is your place.

The bread is a perfect blend of soft and chewy, allowing the meat and cheese flavors to really shine. A chewier bread can work with an Italian hoagie, but not with a cheesesteak.

My biggest pet peeve with most cheesesteaks is easily the lack of meat. It’s one reason Ray’s in Lansdale is my favorite cheesesteak in the 'burbs. John’s features a solid 12 ounces of meat to provide a good layering of meat throughout. Boosting the meat to 16 ounces would take it to another level.

Street Food, Steak and The Shard: One Weekend in London

In April we had the chance to return to London for the 2nd annual Chowzter Tastiest Fast Feast Awards, where 50 food bloggers from around the world helped count down some of the best sandwiches, burgers, noodles, pizza, pastries and more. Check out the winners from as near as Di Fara pizza in Brooklyn (had it!) to a roast goose in far away Hong Kong, and all our photos of the awards on Facebook.

Next time you travel, take a look at www.chowzter.com for where to get the best local dishes and fast feasts at affordable prices. About 100 cities are currently populated with short, easy-to-digest lists of recommendations from a local blogger. We are the Philly contributors and can vouch that the other city representatives we've met are both awesome and legit sources of what to eat in their hometowns.

As for the London trip... no surprise, we spent just about all our time eating. So what's good to eat in London these days? Wow. A lot. 

Street Food. Last year, we spent an afternoon each strolling the Borough Market, the oldest market in London, and the Sunday Up Market, an endless maze of crafts, vintage vendors and food from every culture imaginable. This year we did the 100+ year old Broadway Market. It's smaller than Borough but less crowded and just as plentiful with amazing food. Some of the best below, with lots more pics posted to our Facebook page. These markets might be our favorite thing about London. They are everywhere, offering tons of delicious things to buy and eat on the spot, ingredients to take home and cook with, and a showcase for the global food city the London really is.

Buttermilk fried chicken, scotch eggs, pho, meringue, salmon toasts... this isn't even a fraction of what we ate that day. Plus there was an albino dog chilling in a suitcase.

Hoagie Quest Heads to South Philly for the Pastificio Classic Italian

Hailing from South Philly, the epicenter of great hoagies, and preceded by rave reviews from friends, Pastificio was one of our most anticipated Hoagie Quests.

After a long run to prep for the Broad Street Run I was ready to fill the calorie void and devour a great hoagie (plus half of whatever Kristy ordered).

The expectations swelled once we entered and saw a long line of locals, fresh bread and cheeses, and a selection of meats that would make any Italian pleased. I was sure this hoagie would be as memorable as Matt Stairs' moonshot home run against the Dodgers.

Instead this quest was more like Matt Stairs in the broadcast booth - solid with room for improvement - and certainly no match for Hoagie Quest leader Salumeria.

Pastificio hits many of the basics, such as slicing the mortadella, salami, prosciutto, capicola and provolone for each order. The Abruzzi bread is also high quality, a must for any good Philly sandwich.

This should have been the making of a great hoagie, but it fell victim to two unacceptable flaws...

First, the provolone lacked any of that sharp salty, bite that makes a good provolone so memorable, and instead resembled any old bland version from Acme. Second, the meat ratio was amiss. It’s hard to tell if they used all the required meats. I’m actually questioning if they gave me the wrong order by mistake...

I should have lowered my expectations when I was asked if I wanted mayo. You broke my heart, Pastificio!

Pastificio's Italian hoagie will beat many neighborhood shops, but it’s not even close to Salumeria or the Daddy Wad at Paesano's. The comparison below is Tyson versus Glass Joe really.

Salumeria Italian Hoagie

Pastificio's Italian Hoagie

Kristy ordered the chicken cutlet club, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon, which was quite good and lived up to Pastificio being a superb place for cutlets. For now, I'd stick with cutlets and skip the hoagie. All that said, Pastificio's marketing is actually all about their meatballs and pasta - if you've tried them, are they worth a trip back?

Giveaway: Happy Hour & Cupcake Decorating Class Avec Moi!

Drinking and decorating cupcakes. What could be more fun than that? A new venture from two 2013 Philabundance Cupcake Smash winners, Watts for Dessert and Luscious Bakery, combines these two activities into a new kind of class: Boozy Buttercream.

Aaaaand they've offered 22nd & Philly two passes to an upcoming class!! Obviously I am snagging one of these tix for myself... and YOU can win the second to come with me. Details on how to enter below. 

Boozy Buttercream partners with local bars and restaurants to host a casual, 90 minute happy hour + pastry decoration class. Students of all levels are welcome to raise a glass and fill their piping bag for a fun, social and educational experience. They host classes from Center City to West Chester so keep an eye on their website and Twitter feed for dates.