James Beard-nominated restaurateur Adam Diltz provides his patrons with education in Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and Philadelphia food history at his Fishtown restaurant, Elwood, writes Jennifer Cline for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

Diltz likes to remind people that Philadelphia was once the food capital of the country. Everybody flocked to the city to taste its cuisine. Philadelphia’s signature dishes included turtle soup and catfish and waffles, while ingredients like sturgeon and shad were in high demand.

Much of that food heritage, however, has been lost.

“America is severely lacking — unless you’re in New Orleans — that food culture,” said Diltz. “Everybody eats chicken, pork, and beef and forgot where their food comes from.”

Diltz graduated from the culinary arts program at Penn College. He started reading up on Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine by William Woys Weaver and soon he also focused on the works of James Beard. He worked in various restaurants throughout the country before he decided he wanted to open a farm-to-table regional restaurant.

He opened Elwood at 1007 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section in May 2019, offering a menu that consisted mostly of historical and country-style family entrees. It took some time for customers to get used to the unusual meals, but now the restaurant is thriving.

Read more about Adam Diltz in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

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Toon215 takes viewers on a walk through of Fishtown.