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Adsum’s Matt Levin Leads Philly’s ‘Loko-Vore’ Movement

Matt Levin, the city's first Loko-vore
Matt Levin, the city’s first Loko-vore Photo: Collin Keefe

Weeks ago when the LCB levied the epic buzzkill that politely goaded retailers that stocked and sold Four Loko into pulling it from their shelves, Adsum’s Matt Levin joked that he was going to create a multi-course dinner with the overly caffeinated malt liquor beverage. The response he got was overwhelming, so he decided to stockpile as many cases of the demonized elixir as he could get his hands on and started coming up with dishes to pair with it. “Adsum is basically like a place for food debauchery to begin with,” Levin told Grub Street. “I figured we could have some fun with it.”

“I just tried to do things that were simplistic,” Levin said. “It doesn’t take to cooking very well.” So for Monday’s tasting dinner, which costs $35 per person, the Loko’s been relegated to things like pearls that garnish his BBQ picnic dish, a gelee, slushy and a brine for pickling watermelon rind. Whether or not Four Loko has been incorporated into the dinner’s four courses, each dish will be paired with it, except the Moroccan lamb sausage and peppers, which will be served with Adsum’s Loko Yoko cocktail. The full menu is below.

Moroccan Lamb ‘Sausage and Peppers’ paired with the restaurant’s own Loko Yoko cocktail

BBQ Picnic featuring Loko pearls and pickled watermelon rind, paired with Lemonade Loko

Vanilla Pain Perdu with Loko slushy and gelee, paired with Watermelon Loko

Loko Pate de Fruit, paired with Fruit Punch Loko

Adsum’s Matt Levin Leads Philly’s ‘Loko-Vore’ Movement