Thanks to a coup by local vegetarians, the king of the jungle will be stepping down from his place on the menu of the South Philadelphia Tap Room.

After a six-week reign, SPTR chef Michael Zulli has decided to stop dishing up lion after receiving numerous letters critical of his decision to serve feline. "Why do we need to eat lion?" says Christine Stover, one of the chef's critics. "It seems like such a ridiculous indulgence."

This comes despite the fact that the restaurant procures the meat from a federally licensed farm in Illinois that raises the African cats for human consumption.

Zulli plans to continue serving other exotic meats including ostrich, boar and bear. "I'm not doing game as a gimmick," he maintains. "I like exposing people to ingredients and flavors that are interesting and unique."

Question raised: Would you sample some Simba?

Take a gander at a Zulli's lion platter after the jump.


Photo courtesy of Michael Persico.

Want to see some more strange meat? Check out the bizarre bacon products below.

The Most Bizarre Bacon Products Ever

    Bacon Bra
    This bra isn't quite as sexy as it should be. Maybe there can be too much of a good thing.

    Bacon Pop
    Walking around town sucking on a cold slice of bacon is as uncouth as it is delicious. (Trust us, we know.) But stick a bacon pop in your mouth and you get the same savory flavor without offending polite society.

    Bacon Spray
    If you have an addiction to bacon the way Elvis did, there's only one cure: the "Bacon Spray" inhaler.

    Bacon Martini
    After years of fruity feminization, it's time the martini became a man's drink once again, with the addition of pig skin (or some other part thereof).

    Bacon Breath Mints
    If you want to impress the ladies (or at least their chihuahuas), a mouthful of bacon breath mints will definitely do the trick.

    Bacon Cup
    Move over tortilla bowl, there's a new piece of edible flatware on the block. It won't be long until Lil Jon exchanges his diamond-encrusted pimp cup for this decadently succulent receptacle: the bacon-encrusted bacon cup.

    Bacon Air Freshener
    We're not sure about this one: If you want your place to smell of bacon (and who wouldn't?), why not just fry up a slab and get the added bonus of a yummy snack? That being said, this product would be good for messing with vegetarians or hungry dieters.

    Bacon Salt
    Like traditional salt, bacon salt brings out the flavor in a dish. Unlike traditional salt, the flavor will always be bacon.

    Bacon Ice Cream
    The only way this could be less kosher is if it was soaked in blood.

    Gummy Bacon
    We're not sure if this tastes like bacon (like gummy cola tastes like cola), or tastes like gummy (like gummy worms taste like gummy). We're hoping it tastes like bacon.