South Philly brothers hunt, gather food finds for new show

A pair of brothers from South Philadelphia who run a small string of gourmet grocery stories are debuting a new television show tonight on the Food Network.

The Erace brothers — Adam and Andrew — own and operate the Green Aisle grocery stores in rowhome storefronts on Passyunk Avenue, on Grays Ferry Avenue and, soon, in Fishtown. They feature artisanal food products, many of them organic and sourced locally.

The Food Network has the brothers doing what they do all the time.

“We own a small food business. We are going out to meet other small food businesses,” said Adam Erace. “The through line through the show is the small entrepreneur businesses in the industry. Other than bars and restaurants, we go to bakeries, candy shops, and pasta places.”

For the show, “Great American Food Finds,” the Erace brothers travel through the region — Pennsylvania, South Jersey, New York, and Connecticut — seeking out unusual food and the people who make it. The Food Network hatched the concept last year, then set out looking for a pair of guys who fit the bill. After several months of auditions and pilots, the Erace brothers got the job.

“I’m more the creative end of the biz, I create the recipes, do the cooking, I do merchandising and ordering,” said Adam, who is also a food and travel writer. “Andrew handles the numbers.””I’m more the business end of things,” confirmed Andrew. “That was always the case growing up. I was the math guy, he the writing and literature guy.”

Andrew Erace says they have five episodes in the can, to run out the summer. After that, who knows if there will be a second course.