In this episode of The Philly Blunt, we sit down with the elusive Philadelphia Inquirer Food critic, Craig LaBan. Craig is probably the most powerful person in the Philly food scene as his reviews can often make or break a restaurant.  

Craig is a true Philly man of mystery. His identity remain unknown, although restaurants around town claim to have photos of him in the kitchen so they notice him when he walks in. Few folks have had the opportunity to sit face-to-face with Craig for an interview. Why he agreed to meet with us, we have no idea, but we are grateful nonetheless. As far as we know, this is the first in-person podcast he’s ever done with complete strangers.

After intense negotiations over a few weeks, he agreed to meet with us in person, at a secret Chinatown location that opened the doors only for us (links below), and only if the use of phones was prohibited.

Born in Detroit, tells us a little about his background and life as a food critic in a city with a world-class food scene. His schedule and the amount of food he eats in a year is unbelievable. You have to hear it to believe it.

Craig offers insight into who he is as person, what he’s looking for in a restaurant, his process for reviews, his take on the current Philly food scene, his uses of disguises, as well as dropping nugget after nugget of valuable information for dining around Philly. This is a must listen for anyone who enjoys dining out in the city or those who work in the food industry around town.

And…he survived a round of The Philly Blunt…barely.

We didn’t get a photo of Craig, but below is a photo of us immediately after and one of the few instances where peopls had their photo taken in Hop Sing and did not end up on the banned list. Don’t not attempt this on your own or you will be banned.

Don’t forget to review, rate, and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you consume your podcasts. Also, follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all as The Philly Blunt.

Links:
Craig LaBan: column/twitter/Instagram
Hop Sing Laundromat: url/twitter/Facebook