Written by: Connor Arrison, BK Merid, Ahmad Flynn, Kylee Crawford

On July 1st, we investigated diverse cuisine in West Philadelphia to showcase the wide range of options and culture in the city and introduce the audience to good restaurants. They spoke to the owners of various restaurants and residents to understand the way that food culture reflects the intercultural demographics of the city. The group walked around the neighborhood, specifically on Baltimore Ave, to explore the area and showcase the international food scene from an authentic perspective.

Historically, Philly is one of the most diverse cities in the country. Each neighborhood has formed its own identity, but these are constantly changing and evolving with new demographics and residents. In the last 15 years alone, almost 7000 new residents have moved into West Philly, many of African and Asian descent. The result of this is a melting pot of cuisine and culture. Baltimore Avenue in the south region of the neighborhood is a bustling food hub. Each restaurant has its own unique take on its country's food. Because of this diversity, nearly any type of food can be found in west.

To understand how local restaurants showcase the neighborhood, we spoke to West Philly citizens and restaurant owners, each of a different national origin and each cooking up good food from these places. The people make the place, and the best way to understand these restaurants is through the people that eat there. ...

Last year, Kate Ratner went on a quest to discover all the different Ethiopian food options on this side of the river. One of these restaurants that showcases this mix of culture is Doro-Bet, which combines both Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine into a neighborhood staple. The owner Kane is from Ethiopia but has spent much of her life in Philly. During the interview, Kane stated, “I’m not gonna lie, we were like ‘I don’t know how the Ethiopian community will feel about this,’” Kane says. “But, I think the whole thing for any immigrant is seeing that you’re represented, and you know [that you’re] going somewhere that feels like home.”