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DNC Guide To Iconic Philly Foods

From pork roll to Philly soft pretzels, here are the iconic foods you have to try when you're in Philadelphia for the DNC. -- Chelsea Lacey-Mabe
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PORK ROLL

pork roll or taylor ham
(credit: CBS 3)

Mrs. K's Koffee Shop
325 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Pork roll or Taylor Ham -- the debate continues but one thing is certain: this egg and cheese breakfast "sammich" is a Philly/Jersey staple. And if you're an out-of-towner wanting to fit in you can order it by pointing to the menu and saying, "I'll take one of these jawns."
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SCRAPPLE

Penrose Diner
2016 Penrose Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19145

Swap out the side of sausage that comes with your pancakes for a side of scrapple instead. What is it? The name says it all. It's pork scraps pounded out with corn meal and flour but trust any Philadelphian -- it's savory and delicious! Rocky would probably eat it so you should at least give it a try.
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CHEESESTEAK

genos
(Credit: CBSPhilly)

Pat's King of Steaks
1237 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Geno's Steaks
1219 S 9th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Notice how we didn't call it a "Philly Cheesesteak"? That's because when you're in the City of Brotherly Love there's no need to specify. Head to the corner of East Passayunk Avenue and South 9th Street to get in on the famous and delicious rivalry between Pat's and Geno's. Both joints are open 24/7 because Philadelphians take their eating seriously.
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WAWA COFFEE

Wawa
Wawa Coffee.

Store #191
1602 South Delaware Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148

True, Wawas have been popping up as far south as Fort Meyers, but much of the US is still in the dark about this convenience store... and their coffee. There are locations throughout the city and surrounding suburbs but the one closest to the DNC is on Columbus Boulevard. Stop there on the way back to your hotel room and make sure to grab a Tasty Kake -- the Butterscotch Krimpets and Kandy Kakes come highly recommended.
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HOAGIE

hoagie 1
Hoagies from Primo Hoagie's Sandwich Day competition. (Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

Primo Hoagies
1528 Ritner St
Philadelphia, PA 19145

If you're not from Philly you may call this cold cuts sandwich a "hero," maybe even a "sub" or a "grinder" but in Philly it's called a hoagie. And word on the streets is the hoagie actually originated right here in Philadelphia. There are dozens of great hoagie shops around the city, including several Primo locations -- the closest one to the DNC is actually the original Primo's on Ritner Street.
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ROAST PORK SANDWICH

reading trm mkt _jlloyd
(Tommy DiNic's sandwich stand in the Reading Terminal Market. Credit: Jay Lloyd)

Tommy DiNic's
51 N 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

John's Roast Pork
14 East Snyder Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19148

You've probably heard Philadelphians are opinionated about their sports team and the same is true for their favorite food places too. Second to the great cheesesteak debates may be agreeing on who has the best roast pork sandwich. So which is the superior sandwich? Well, we're trying to be political about the whole thing (after all the DNC is in town). But it's safe to say that John's and DiNic's are definitely high up on the list.
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ICE CREAM

bassets ice cream
Bassett's Ice Cream inside Reading Terminal. (Credit: Kristen Johanson)

Bassetts Ice Cream
51 N 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

If you're in the mood for traditional scoops find the Bassett's stand in Reading Terminal Market. Known as America's oldest ice cream company, the shop is a Philadelphia favorite for generations young and old. The stand is dishing out a new flavor made special for the DNC. "Red, White and Blueberry" is vanilla ice cream, with swirls of raspberry and blueberry purees.

Little Baby's Ice Cream
4903 Catharine St
Philadelphia, PA 19143

If you're feeling more adventurous you'll find everything from pizza-flavored ice cream to scoops of Peanut Chews Chocolate Molasses featuring real pieces of the candy that originated right here in Philly. And good news is they'll be serving up some scoops at Xfinity Live during the DNC inside the CNN Grill at Victory Beer Hall.
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"WOODER" ICE

john's water ice
Photo Credit: John's Water Ice

John's Water Ice
701 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

"Wooder ice" is just Philly's way of saying water ice. There are dozens of shops in the city where you can get your fill of it too but if you can't make up your mind try John's in South Philly which has been hand cranking their water ice for more than 65 years. If you leave from the DNC you'll be there in less than 10 minutes.
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SOFT PRETZEL

pretzel
(Photo provided by Philly Pretzel Factory)

Philly Pretzel Factory
2955 Market St
Philadelphia, PA 19104

When the Pope came in September one of the Philly Pretzel Factory locations made a pretzel in his likeness (shown above). Needless to say Philly has a soft pretzel flavor all their own. And you never know, there could be a Hillary, Bernie or even a Trump pretzel in the works for when the DNC comes to the city. Whatever shape they come in you'll want to grab a few after a long day at the DNC while you're waiting to catch the train at 30th Street station. Or click here to find the location nearest you.

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