Cooking Channel's Summer Eats Tour Pulls Into Philly

By: Mandy Major

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There’s really no polite way to eat a good cheesesteak. Piled high with beef, peppers and cheese, you've got to grab hold and just go for it—which is exactly what happy patrons did at Cooking Channel’s latest (and last) Summer Eats event at Philadelphia’s historic Reading Terminal Market.

Parked on benches in the back of the mega food market, party-goers had two things on the brain: steaks and cakes, in the form of Bobby Flay’s tender strip loin drenched in a creamy Provolone sauce (watch out, Geno's and Pat's!), as well as Chuck Hughes’ dense red velvet cupcakes topped with lemon-laced mascarpone frosting.

As the subdued mix of families, couples and 20-somethings noshed the hours away—other eats included fish tacos, potato salad and watermelon-feta salad—Cooking Channel hosts G. Garvin and Eden Grinshpan showed up to talk shop while Brooklyn-based band Carousel added catchy synth-pop sounds to it all.

Washed down with Food Network’s entwine wines and a variety of (free-flowing) local micro-brews, the event felt like a vibrant indoor family picnic—that is, if your family had the sway to take over a landmark after-hours and string it with lights, glossy flat-screen TVs, a digital photo booth and lots of fun freebies like neon sunglasses and logo T-shirts. Talk about celebrating the channel’s second birthday with a bang!

Check out photos after the jump to see the event and ogle the eats: