Is this South Philly chef feeding Mark Ruffalo?
His meals are delivered to Wawa parking lots close to filming locations.
What’s fueling Mark Ruffalo as he galavants around Delco filming for HBO’s Task?
Tofu tiramisu and Tupperware containers full of vegan lasagna, courtesy of a South Philadelphia chef.
Private chef Carly Foglia posted a TikTok video at the end of October alluding to her newest high-profile client: An “A-list actor currently filming in Philly” with a “sweet tooth” and a long list of dietary restrictions.
“And if you’re as nosy as I am, maybe I’ll let you know who this is for next time,” Foglia teased at the end of the video while panning over an aesthetically pleasing array of colorful lettuce wraps, salads, and rice bowls.
Foglia’s 43,000 followers wasted no time trying to unmask her secret client.
“It’s definitely Mark Ruffalo and I’m here for it,” read one comment, which Foglia liked. “Mark Ruffalo would have the more annoying dietary restrictions,” read another, which Foglia — crucially — did not like.
Reached by phone last week, Foglia confirmed she’s been preparing ready-made meals for Ruffalo since July. That’s when the actor returned to Philly to film season two of Task, the Delaware County-set crime drama from Mare of Easttown creator (and Berwyn native) Brad Ingelsby.
“We usually meet at a Wawa close to set,” said Foglia. “Isn’t that the most Delco thing ever?”
Ruffalo was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a drama series at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards for his work as Tom Brandis — a priest-turned-FBI-agent — on the first season of Task, which filmed everywhere from a Rita’s Italian Ice & Custard in Collingdale to the former Philadelphia police headquarters and several iconic Delco dive bars and diners.
Filming for season two is still underway, with Ruffalo and other cast members already spotted in character around Manayunk, Center City, and Upper Darby.
Foglia, a registered dietician and meal-prep entrepreneur who lives in South Philly, said she got connected with Ruffalo through one of his assistants, who found her via Instagram. Her business, Prepped By Carly, is a favorite among local influencers, who often post videos of themselves unpacking a week’s worth of her entrees and snacks, which range from miso salmon poke bowls and pumpkin enchiladas to protein-packed cosmic brownies.
Foglia said she currently has a roster of 60 customers buying weekly meal kits. Ruffalo is by far her most famous, even though she didn’t quite realize who he was at first.
“When I got the job, I called my sister and was like, ‘I’m cooking for Matty from 13 Going on 30!’” Foglia, 30, said. “My sister had to tell me that I would actually be working for the Hulk.”
Foglia has binged Task three times since she began cooking for Ruffalo. She remains in awe of his Philly accent. “I’m still like, ‘Do we actually sound like this?’” she said.
Though Ruffalo did admit to eating a lot of cheeseteaks to bulk up for season one, Foglia said the actor is currently on a gluten- and dairy-free low-inflammation diet. It’s required her to get extra creative, since she said Ruffalo likes two things in particular: Italian food and dessert.
“The first time I dropped food off, he asked, ‘Did you bring anything sweet?’” she recalled. It was the only time Foglia felt like she didn’t deliver.
Since then, she said, the biggest hits have been her tofu tiramisu and vegan caramel cheesecake bites, made with a cashew-based cream cheese alternative.
Another Ruffalo favorite, per Foglia: her vegetable lasagna, which uses a sauce made from beets and carrots in place of traditional marinara. “I promise that it takes on the taste of red gravy,” she said. She estimates she spends about 10 to 15 hours a week cooking for the Task star.
Foglia started Prepped By Carly in 2019 as a weekend-only side hustle while getting a masters in nutrition at West Chester University. Seven years later, she still works from a commercial kitchen near campus, juggling her regular meal-prep business with a handful of private-chef clients — including a Phillies player she refuses to name.
“People think I’m, like, whipping up soufflés constantly. Sometimes my clients just want chicken fingers,” she said. “It’s not five-star meals every day ... it’s not always glamorous.”
Foglia is holding out hope that she’ll end up at Task’s wrap party, whenever that may be. “I keep manifesting,” she said. “Who knows if I’ll be invited.”
