Cracking a coconut at The Passenger. Photo by furcafe.

Zagat Buzz pointed us to their interview with Philadelphia Inquirer food columnist Rick Nichols, where he is asked if Philadelphia is an international food destination. Nichols responds:

Philly is definitely in the upper echelons, better than most other U.S. cities. We’re head and shoulders above DC or Boston, for example, in variety, aptitude and execution.

While we might agree that Philly wins with respect to junk food — a roast pork sandwich or a cheesesteak can arguably trump a half smoke. And maybe some of the prices are lower than those we have in D.C.

But we seriously doubt that Philly chefs can match the talent on display in D.C.