By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — City Tap House celebrates National Watermelon Day this weekend.

“There’s a lot of watermelon beers that breweries are starting to produce which is kind of a fun, niche segment of the brewing population,” says City Tap House’s Andy Farrell. “We got Lancaster Farm Fresh to send us out 50 watermelons.  We carved half of them up for the watermelon eating contest, the other half we puree and strain to make our own watermelon cocktails.”

Hear the full City Tap House interview (runs 4:08)…

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If you’re more of a wine drinker, Lauren Harris, the GM and sommelier of McCrossen’s Tavern invited you to their Reisling Smackdown on Tuesday, August 7.

“We set it up like a boxing match,” Harris says. “So I kind of get up and announce we’re going to decide which one is better ‘porch pounder’ (for example) and I get up and explain what that means and each get up on the microphone and defend their Reisling and guests taste both side by side, vote, choose one, we announce the round and keep track on the chalkboards.”

(Lauren Harris of McCrossen’s Tavern. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

Hear the full McCrossen’s Tavern interview (runs 4:06)…

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As for food this week, La Veranda welcomes their new chef Luca Bizzarri who previously worked at the Vatican:

Kuznits: “What does the Pope like to eat?”

“Oh, the Pope eats everything,” says Bizzarri. “Fish, truffles, porcini mushrooms.”

How is cooking in Philadelphia different from cooking in Vatican City?

“The Vatican is a billionaire. The kitchen is huge, it’s beautiful.”

(Chef Luca Bizzarri of La Veranda. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

Hear the full La Veranda interview (runs 3:01)…

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And for this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

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