Delicious City Philly

Delicious City Philly

Ep. 173: Hoagie Throwdown Is Back And It's Pure BREAD-lam!

Aug 3, 2026 · 51 min · 10 segments

Everyone thinks they know what makes a great hoagie… until they come to Hoagie Throwdown. Last year, we watched Philadelphia's most iconic, old-school hoagies go head-to-head with the city's most…

Everyone thinks they know what makes a great hoagie… until they come to Hoagie Throwdown. Last year, we watched Philadelphia's most iconic, old-school hoagies go head-to-head with the city's most creative chefs, who completely reimagined what a hoagie could be. This year, Hoagie Throwdown is back on Sunday September 27th at Other Half Brewing. One of last year's contenders, Chef Chad Durkin, already has his eyes on the championship! He tells what's new at Porco's Porchetteria, Small Oven Pastry Shop, and Breezy's Deli, regales us with stories of sailboats and Cake Boss, and calls out other Philly chefs to rise to the challenge of Hoagie Throwdown… Get tickets at DeliciousCityPodcast.com to throw down with all the hoagies, pro wrestling, and craft beer you can handle. - (00:00) Hoagie Throwdown is back! How will we top last year?? - (07:37) Chef Chad Durkin is fired up for the competition - (14:24) Tips for Hoagie Throwdown: throw your roll into the ring - (34:33) Whatcha Been Eatin': from Atlantic City to Ardmore, everything we love - (45:30) The Sauce: what's opening and closing in Philly And of course, we could not do this without our amazing partners who are as passionate about food and drink as we are: - If your restaurant or company wants to be in the headlines for all the right reasons, click here to discover how Peter Breslow Consulting and PR can take your business to the next level - Social media and digital content are two of the most important things you can create for your brand. Check out Breakdown Media, a one stop shop for all of your marketing needs. Listen to us on Spotify Listen to us on Apple Watch us on YouTube Connect with us on Instagram, and share your eating adventures by tagging us in your posts so we can talk about them on air.

Everyone thinks they know what makes a great hoagie… until they come to Hoagie Throwdown. Last year, we watched Philadelphia's most iconic, old-school hoagies go head-to-head with the city's most…

Hoagie Throwdown 2.0 Event Promo0:00 – 5:12

0:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, Delicious City presents Hoagie Throwdown once again.

0:08

Oh, yeah.

Marisa MagnattaHost

0:10

[imitates trumpet]

0:12

[laughs]

Marisa MagnattaHost

0:12

I saved it one for all year long-

0:14

[laughs]

Marisa MagnattaHost

0:14

... just for this.

0:15

That's Marissa's one.

0:16

That's all you get.

0:17

It is the return of our most anticipated event, next to the Tasties, of course, Hoagie Throwdown.

0:24

2.0, it's here.

0:26

Sunday.

0:26

Save the date.

0:27

Sunday, September 27th, noon to 4:00 PM at Other Half Brewing in Fishtown.

0:34

It went so well, right?

Marisa MagnattaHost

0:35

Yeah.

0:36

Perfect space.

0:37

Got to do it again.

0:37

Perfect space.

0:39

And we're gonna have a bunch of deli chefs, sandwich makers serving up their best hoagies and battling for the championship belt.

0:47

We just ordered it yesterday.

Marisa MagnattaHost

0:49

[laughs] We really did.

0:49

It's in the mail.

0:50

Well, they're making it, but it's coming soon.

0:53

Um, but anyways, guys, the coolest thing about this whole event is that there's a winner, right? The People's Choice winner.

1:01

And when you come in, you will have an opportunity to vote for your favorite hoagie.

1:07

And there's all sorts of different ones.

1:09

You have the traditional ones.

1:11

You're gonna see some Italians, of course.

1:13

You gonna have some Italian-

1:14

You're gonna see some Italian.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:16

You're gonna see Italians.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:16

Yeah, I'll be there.

1:17

Real ones.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:18

[laughs] What are-

1:18

Real life Italians

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:19

...

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:19

Oh, real Italians, then I won't.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:20

Then I don't count.

1:21

I- talians.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:22

You're gonna have to bring in some others.

1:23

You're gonna see some, uh, you know, salami and prosciutto.

1:26

Um, but then you're gonna have more creative ones.

1:28

I mean, last year, I mean, I think of Cafe Roasters-

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:32

Mm-hmm

1:32

... right? With that glazed pork belly t- thing, deliciousness.

1:36

We had chopped hoagies.

1:38

We had, um, we had, uh, char siu hoagies.

1:42

We had-

1:43

Yeah

1:43

... capicola hoagie.

1:44

You had a head, uh, head cheese hoagies.

1:46

Oh, yeah.

1:47

Carlos.

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:47

And your ticket allows you to sample all of these unlimited.

1:50

Bank hoagies.

1:51

Unlimited.

1:52

I mean, if you ate all 20, and start doing a second round-

Marisa MagnattaHost

1:55

There you go

1:56

... call your doctor, but hey, you can do it if you want.

1:59

All right, so tickets are 55 bucks.

2:01

It's early bird only though.

2:03

You gotta get them before they're all gone.

2:05

Price is gonna go up.

2:06

There's literally 100 early bird tickets available, and then it's going up.

2:10

Um, also, in addition to all you-can-eat hoagies, you get a first drink compliments of Other Half Brewing, so you get a beer or a soft drink.

2:19

Um, and like I said, you get your little token, and you're gonna be able to, like, eat all of them.

2:23

Then you come around with your little token, pop it in the voting box, and then the, uh, the winner will be announced at the end.

Marisa MagnattaHost

2:28

And you know what we haven't even talked about.

2:30

What's that?

Marisa MagnattaHost

2:31

The wrestling.

2:32

Yes.

2:33

Oh, my God, the wrestling.

2:35

We already have some great...

2:36

No, wait.

2:37

It's all natural.

2:38

It's all fr- it all, it's all nat- happens naturally, right? Nothing's planned.

2:41

Uh, anyways, so, uh, the wrestling from Pro Wrestling Entertainment once again, uh, and of course, the nemesis, the heels, BTA.

2:52

[growls]

2:52

Buster-

2:53

Buster

2:54

... and BTA will be there once again.

2:57

Uh, it's, it's, it's really a, a incredible time.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:00

Anybody who saw the videos from last year, uh, immediate FOMO.

3:03

Yeah.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:03

So get your tickets now.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:05

Plus, this year we are offering kids' tickets for anyone under 12 who will be attending.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:09

This, of course, is family-friendly.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:12

And, uh, there's gonna be a Hoagie Throwdown fan zone.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:15

Think professional wrestling painting-

3:18

Yes

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:19

... and making signs to hold up next to the ring.

3:22

Yep.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:22

Along with a whole bunch of other surprises, because, you know-

3:25

Dave, if you're getting your face painted, who is it gonna be?

3:27

Uh, Legion of Doom.

3:29

Legion of Doom?

3:31

Yeah.

3:31

What about The Undertaker?

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:32

I, I was thinking Undertaker.

3:33

Undertaker doesn't have any face paint.

3:34

Well, he's just white, I guess, with black eyeshadow.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:37

Mm.

3:37

Just look dead, you know?

3:38

Yeah.

3:39

Right?

3:40

Well, I, I, I foresee a lot of Ultimate Warrior.

3:42

Sure.

3:43

Sure.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:43

Mm-hmm.

3:44

[laughs]

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:44

We have three months to talk about this, especially when tickets sell out.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:48

So that's why-

3:49

Marissa, your ma-

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:49

...

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:49

I encourage everybody

3:50

... your math is wrong.

3:50

You got two months to talk about it.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:52

Shit.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:52

[laughs] All right, so buy your tickets now-

3:55

They're on sale

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:55

... 'cause we only have two months.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:57

Um, and they're easy to get.

Marisa MagnattaHost

3:58

Visit Delicious City Podcast and snag those early bird tickets, because, as Eli said, we only have 100 early bird tickets.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:05

And then the price is gonna go up, and then you're gonna be mad that you didn't get the early birds.

4:08

But you're still gonna come.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:08

So get those.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:10

And if you are a business that is listening to us right now and you wanna participate, all you have to do is send us a message.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:16

Drop us a DM via the Delicious City Instagram page.

4:20

Yep.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:20

Or email eli@deliciouscity-

4:23

Yep, eli@deliciouscitypodcast

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:25

... podcast.com.

4:26

Uh, and, uh, if you want to enter the hoagie octagon, no, the cage, 20 enter, but only one leaves.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:35

Mm.

4:36

Mm.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:36

One leaves the winner.

4:38

Yes.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:39

[laughs] Keeping it positive.

4:40

Nobody dies.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:41

[laughs] All right, details again in case you zoned out.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:44

Hoagie Throwdown, it is happening Saturday, Septem- no, it is happening Sunday.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:49

[laughs]

4:50

Sunday.

4:50

Sunday.

4:51

Sunday.

4:51

Sunday.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:52

[laughs] I wrote the wrong day.

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:54

Sunday, September 27th.

4:56

You did.

4:56

[laughs]

Marisa MagnattaHost

4:56

If you are like me and you looked at the Eagles' schedule, there is a Monday night game against the Bears, so there's no Birds game that day.

Marisa MagnattaHost

5:04

Other Half Brewing, Sunday, September 27th, noon to 4:00.

Marisa MagnattaHost

5:09

Tickets at deliciouscitypodcast.com.

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