When will we see Top Chef Pennsylvania already?
It's perfect. The state famously has two polar opposite cities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, plus "Pennsyltucky" in the middle. It has the largest chip/snack production in the country, the biggest chocolate company in the country, is a major agricultural state including the primary producer of mushrooms. It has hunting and fishing, putting trout and venison on the menu. It has cultural food connections from Pennsylvania Dutch, Russian, Polish, Italian, German, etc. It has iconic local foods like cheesesteaks, soft pretzels and water ice on one side to the Primanti's sandwiches, chipped ham and wedding cookie tables on the other. Penn State's Beaver Stadium is a perfect venue for a Sheetz vs. Wawa showdown in the middle. While we're talking Penn State, we can't ignore that it's got a world class program in making ice cream - including being where Ben and Jerry learned their craft. Michelin is about to make its first forays into the Pittsburgh area. And there is a startling amount of pizza in the state, some of it really great and some of it very controversial (looking at you, Altoona).
I literally just wrote 23 challenges in there. No excuse for not hitting the Keystone State yet.