Slobblog: Oh, You Didn't Know?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages...

Welcome to the world of Slobfest. One of the key parts I mentioned for starting Lockration. is beginning Slobblog to chronicle my friends and my monthly feast at eateries around Philadelphia. Before I start doing any of that, it only makes sense to provide a brief history of what Slobfest is and how it came to be over a steak at Union Trust.

Slobfest has a godfather; he just wears sweatpants.

Slobfest was the original idea of the Godfather. He moved into the Philadelphia and noticed two things...a group of friends that probably didn't hang out as much as they should and a lot of great restaurants. What do geniuses do when they see two great things that belong together? They combine them into one, even greater thing.

Now, going out to eat with a group of friends on a regular basis is nothing ground breaking. Everyone from soccer mom's to book clubs probably have some sort of culinary concordance. So here's what sets Slobfest apart from cocktails with the ladies.

I guess first thing is, there are no ladies. This is a guys only meal. No wives, girlfriends, escorts, strippers, or hookers. This meal is for guys to hang out and be themselves without women confusing the mix. Hey, I hear it works for Catholic high school.

Second, we rotate the selection of Slobfest locals. Each member of the Slobfest crew selects a place in their given month and then the baton is passed to the next individual. The goal of selecting a great spot is the food, the atmosphere, the drinks (BYO or good cocktail menu), and uniqueness are key.

Last, we try to schedule it for a Wednesday or Thursday so as not to mess with our weekend and avoid big crowds at the restaurant. Also we usually schedule them from the middle to later in the month.

Mmm, Fogo. Yeah, I'll have the whole thing.

With these rather basic ground rules in place, the first Slobfest took place over a year ago at Delmonico's. Since the success of that first encounter, Slobfest has gone all over Philadelphia. Lolita, El Vez, Fogo de Chao, Davio's, Amada, Han Dynasty and many more. There have been good places and bad places. Places that were decent and places that were overrated. But what makes Slobfest so great is that the group of people that come together like to have fun and crack each other up. While the food can be hit or miss at times, the company is what you keep going back for.

Initially, Slobfest was only 5 people, but has expanded to 7, and soon 8. This growing group will add to the good times, but almost certainly make us an even more intolerable group to anyone trying to enjoy their meal around us. It's not that we go out of our way to bother people, but the gathering of all of us just creates such a noise it's probably really annoying. Along with that we have pretty off-color humor which probably doesn't mesh very well with some of the places we go to. All in all, it's a group of guys that just like to rag on each other and enjoy massive amounts of food. The unwritten rule, or rather the implicit rule of Slobfest, is that you eat a lot. No salads or small amounts of food here. You get an app, a main (or two main courses), and dessert. Drinking alcohol is optional, but highly recommended.

That's enough background to whet your appetite. Every month, I'll post the location and some stories and pics from the evening that was had. Jealous? Think it's a good idea? Start your own Slobfest and enjoy.

-Slobs out