From pink hoagies to body slams, inaugural Hoagie Throwdown brings Philadelphia pride to life in Fishtown
KYW
By Eva Andersen
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FISHTOWN, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Wrestling chants and sandwich samples collided Sunday in Philadelphia, where the first-ever Hoagie Throwdown paired professional wrestling with a battle of the city’s best sandwiches.
The event, hosted by Chef Eli Kulp and the Delicious City Philly Podcast team at Other Half Brewing in Fishtown, drew hundreds of fans for an afternoon that was equal parts food festival and wrestling show. Wrestlers from Pro Wrestling Entertainment delivered high-energy matches — including one where a competitor entered wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey, prompting loud boos and Eagles chants from the Philly crowd.
“It’s not a grinder, it’s not a po’ boy, it’s not a sub — it’s a hoagie!” David Wesolowski, co-host of Delicious City, said. “It’s a battlefield of delicious sandwiches!”
Alongside the action in the ring, more than a dozen hoagie makers competed for the title of “Delicious City’s Hoagie Champion.” The lineup featured shops such as Angelo’s Pizzeria, Farina Di Vita, Breezy’s Deli, Reuby Indian Taqueria, Càphê Roasters and Upper Darby’s Wilson’s Secret Sauce. Attendees sampled sandwiches and voted for their favorites by dropping coins into ballot boxes.
Vendors embraced the playful spirit. Breezy’s Deli chef Chad Durkin hyped his porchetta sandwich in full wrestling persona as “The Mouth Jumper,” wearing a costume with fake muscles.
“You can try the rest, but now it’s time to try the best!” Durkin yelled to customers. “Come to the ‘House of Porchetta!'”
Wilson’s Secret Sauce offered “The Cena,” named after WWE star John Cena. In this case, “Cena” was also a play on words.
“You haven’t seen it before!” said Steve Wilson, chef and owner.
The most eye-catching entry came from Reuby Indian Taqueria: a hoagie with a hot pink roll filled with tandoori chicken salad and salsa verde chutney.
“I have a Michelin background from New York City, but I wanted to do my own thing, which is Indian-Mexican food,” said Reuben Asaram, chef and owner. “My friends and following that I have know that my food is vibrant – I’m known for bright colors, so I had to bring it here for the Hoagie [Throwdown].”
As for what made the bun pink? It’s still a mystery.
“I can’t say because it’s a secret, but it is all natural,” Asaram said. (He did add that the bread has roasted long hots and pecorino inside.)
General admission tickets included hoagie tastings, a beer from Other Half Brewing, entry to the wrestling matches, meet-and-greets with wrestlers, live entertainment and access to a vendor marketplace. A VIP package offered early entry, exclusive sandwiches and a private lounge.
By day’s end, Shaun “Too Smooth” Smith scored the victory in the ring, while Reuby Indian Taqueria claimed the Hoagie Throwdown’s inaugural winning belt.
As Asaram held the belt alongside two of his teammates, his speech was simple:
“Go Birds!”
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