Tastykake to Water Ice: Grading Iconic Philly Snacks
From Peanut Chews and Tastykake to pretzels and water ice, Philly has some great treats. Host Trenae Nuri and City Cast Philly producer Abby Fritz taste and grade their favorite snacks.
City Cast Philly’s Grading System
A - Free Wawa coffee
B - Finding a parking spot on Broad Street on a Saturday
C - A bike ride on MLK Drive, but it’s a cloudy day
D - Your kid is on the waitlist for a school
F - You’re stuck in traffic on I-95, I-76, Walt or Benny Bridges
If you’re looking for a great outdoor spring activity, check out Wissahickon Park. Read the Hey Philly newsletter’s Urban Almanac to learn more about the beautiful trails.
Read more about the history of Peanut Chews here.
Discover more on Philly's version of soft pretzels with these articles from Billy Penn, Serious Eats, and Philadelphia Magazine.
To learn more about Tastykake, check out Philadelphia Magazine, Thrillist, and Penn State University.
For more on the origins of water ice, Rita's and Pop's Italian Ice have descriptions on their websites.
If you need to know more about Peeps, check out their website and this Vox article.
Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Philly.
We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly.
Have a question or just want to share some thoughts with the team? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 215-259-8170.
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