Holly Moore

My cookbook collection includes Trader Vic's Helluva Man's Cookbook in which he share's his recipes for a number of drinks. Not one of them specifies an umbrella garnish, not do the pics in Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook show any umbrellas. Official garnish for the Navy Grog, "lime shell, rock candy stick and fresh mint."

Holly is indeed passionate. The Amish sell a good amount of vegetables at RTM that are mainstream commercial veggies not from the "farm" with the perception that they are. ← For the record, the quote cited in Vadouvan's posting is not by me. And I am certainly no more talented a cook than Vadouvan. All merchants in the market hope to make money. That does not make any of them ethical or unethical, principled or unprincipled. Uniting, as most of the merchants have done, including the Amish, to protest injustice and to support a fellow merchant who, at no fault of his, is at risk of losing his family's livelihood, does speak to those merchants' character.

I can not be excepted to remember that as I never stopped at one Navy Grog. Don's and Trader Vic's were regular expense account expenses. I miss my expense account.

Couldn't disagree more with the proposition that either "...it's the merchants that have made the Reading Terminal Market what it is..." or that "...the merchants are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority." Fact is, human nature and our economic system being what they are, if left to their own devices most merchants, at RTM or anrywhere, would mostly be concerned with squeezing more profit from their businesses. Which is perfectly fine: it's their function, that's why they're merchants. But it's also why having someone else with a broader view running the show is essential. Or we're going to end up with, for instance, a Market festooned with Coke signage. And if I understand things correctly, the merchants were brought in to meet someone's vision of what the market should be. If that is true, they didn't "make" anything, other than in the obvious sense of being present on a daily basis. As for customers... Kitten Syndrome: people root for whatever's cuter, or most immediately in their interest, not for whatever makes for a better market in the long run. I have no illusions that current management is anything remotely approaching perfection. And reform may well be called for. But please lets not allow hackneyed populism drag down yet another institution. We have so few left. ← Out of curiosity were you around Philadelphia in the late 70's and early 80's when the market was a dark, dank public embarrassment? I'm guessing not. Anyone who was realizes that it was the tenacity of the long term merchants and the savvy leadership of David O'Neil that saved the market and started it well on its way to what it has become today. Kitten Syndrome? Rick Olivieri? Cute. Nah. Pussy Syndrome? As in RTM board and management trying to rule by intimidation. Closer. But not working for them. Actually, this is simply about righting an injustice and protecting the merchants in the future, and therefore the market.

Pu Pu platters taste best under the shade of an umbrella drink, in my case a Navy Grog.

I'm not sure how one goes about changing the RTM's charter or whatever it is that sets the board of directors - but that there is only one merchant representative on the board is disgraceful. It is the merchants that have made Reading Terminal Market what it is, not the management that comes and goes, or the RTM board that changes as city politics change. There are two constants - the merchants, many of whom are second and third generation, and the customers, many of whom are third, fourth and fifth generation. These people, the merchants and the customers, are the ones that have the best interest of the market as their number one priority. They are the ones that should have the say - not the Vice President of Finance for the Convention Center or some guy that manages the airport retail franchises. Other members of the board, along with the obvious political appointments, include representatives of the RTM Preservation Fund and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. One would expect these organizations to be pro market tradition. William Blades is listed as representing the Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, but he appears to be no longer active with the Alliance. He is/was vice president of the RTM Preservation Fund. Paul Steinke, RTM manager is on the board of the Alliance. Neither Google nor Yahoo can tell me that much about the RTM Preservation Fund. It just says they have a member on the RTM Board and that two of their employees have made contributions in 2006/2007 to Philadelphia mayoral candidates. So what is the RTM Preservation Fund? What do they do? It all seems very confusing and inbred. After the current fiasco ends, attention should be focused on making the RTM Board far more representative of the merchants and the market's regular customers.

The original surgery to remove a kidney and later surgery to remove metastatic tumors from my intestine and pancreas both occurred in early August, eight years apart. The tragedy out of that were not the surgeries but with no appetite for a couple of months following the surgery, I missed out on the tomato, peach and corn seasons. So when I'm down to two weeks, I am going to make sure those are the last two weeks of the summer produce season. There was another tradition of my surgeries - each required my spending about a week with a tube to my stomach, waiting for my intestines to start intestining. Not sure how it happened the first time but word got to Jack McDavid of Jack's Firehouse that the tube was going to come out and I could start eating. Knowing that hospital food for such an occasion would bring me down, Jack sent over a version of one of my favorite dishes - shrimp and grits - tiny diced shrimp and veggies, very creamy rice, and tons of flavor. Eight years later, though I had to cue him this time, shrimp and grits. So that too during those two weeks. Other than that, a lobster roll from Red's, roast oysters from Bowan's Island, a couple of Rutt's Rippers and two slices of one of Carman's pies.

Any of the church, club, or association dining tents or pavilions are a great start. Maid Rites. Turkey Drumsticks. Any fried candy bars or Hostess Cupcake products. Whatever else looks good.

It's a curse Charlie, but I have learned to live with it. Just trying to help Kevin Feeley be more candid. Beyond that I'm sticking with it because I am pissed off at the injustice of the RTM management's and board's actions. At the least they are arrogant, petty and vindictive. I don't want the story to die off until market management does the right thing and lets Rick's Steaks stay. Hopefully I'm doing more than tilting at windmills. No self interest on my part, not even a free cheesesteak. And I've probably blown my chance of ever opening up a HollyEats dog and burger stand at the market. Edited to add: If we were talking about Rick's Steaks at Citizen's Bank Stadium or at some shopping mall I probably would have dropped it a long time ago. But this is happening at an institution that has been part of Philadelphia for over 100 years. What the market is trying to do - kick out a business that has been there, in the same family, for over 25 years and that has played such a substantial and positive role in the market's evolution - strikes me as totally going against the mission of an urban farmer's market and the tradition of Reading Terminal Market.

Reading Terminal Market spokesman Kevin Feeley's big problem is that he'd rather be terse than accurate. If only he took the time to finish his sentences. Earlier in this fiasco, "It's unfortunate that Mr. Olivieri is putting his interests above those of Reading Terminal Market." Feeley meant to say, "It's unfortunate that Mr. Olivieri is putting his interests above those of Reading Terminal Market's board and management." In todays Daily News, Feeley, speaking about the market's relationship with Tony Luke's, is quoted, "We have a letter of intent. He's made it clear he doesn't want to complete negotiations until after this business with Rick Olivieri is cleared up." Feeley could have been clearer. "We have a letter of intent where Tony Luke Jr. agrees to read a lease offer..." Big Deal. Key word is read. Tony Luke Jr. has not agreed to sign a lease, just consider one. And in today's Inquirer, Feeley apologized, "One of the truly unfortunate elements in this is the impact this has had on Tony Luke. He runs a family-owned and -operated business, and they just want the opportunity." Alas, Feeley failed to complete his lament, "The RTM Board and Management apologizes to Tony Luke Jr. for putting him in such an tenuous position." Relatedly, one wonders about the longterm employment of the "Rumsfeld" on the RTM management payroll who assured the board, "Don't worry, there'll be a little fuss and it will quickly blow over." Any word on Tony Luke Jr.'s press conference today?

Who is to blame for this stand off? Eastern NC barbecue or Western NC barbecue? Will they ever sit across the picnic table from each other? Is cole slaw the issue? Corn Sticks v. Corn Bread?

If nothing else Reading Terminal Management is brutally efficient. As of today Rick's Steaks has been removed from their online Market Map and List of Merchants In Rick's Steak's place, nothingness.

From the KYW story: Last year Reading Terminal Market evicted four merchants. The order was later rescinded for two and they are still around. As I understand it the other two were considerably behind in their rent and they are gone. Not paying rent. Certainly grounds for eviction. For the other two, Franks-A-Lot and, I believe the Tokyo Sushi Bar, good fortune. They settled their differences with the market management and their evictions were rescinded. Reasonable and just actions on the part of a landlord. Market management not acting at all capriciously. So why is RTM management so unwavering with Rick's Steaks? What is so special about Rick's Steaks that it has to go? No matter what, Rick's Steaks has to go. Was Rick's Steaks behind in rent? No. Serving a lousy product? No. Running a dirty operation? No. Violating sections of their lease? No. Doing anything at all wrong? No. Neither of the two evicted businesses that later were so magnanimously reprieved by the market board and management has anywhere near the 25 years longevity of Rick's Steaks. Neither of the owners of the two businesses that survived eviction has made anywhere near the contribution of Rick Olivieri who played a major role in turning the market around twenty some years ago and who has led the merchant's association for a number of years. Reading Terminal Market's management's only rationale for ousting Rick's Steaks - a gushy, starry-eyed, "We can get Tony Luke's." Does Mayor Street, who incidentally has a great deal of pull with the Board through his appointments, really believe that market management is "not acting capriciously" - that "We can get Tony Luke's" is "good reason" for the market board and management to evict Rick's Steaks? Does the mayor really buy the board and management's flimsy stand that Tony Luke's who is not really famous for their cheesesteaks should replace the grandson of the man who invented the cheesesteak? A man's livelihood is being taken away. If the Reading Terminal Market board and management has its way, the business that Rick Olivieri's father established and passed on to him, and that would have continued in his family for generations will be gone. Vanished. Capricious! Capricious! Capricious! Or not. This whole thing smells worse than the discarded fish rotting in the market's dumpsters. Perhaps the most valuable business location in the market is taken away from one business for no cause and then given away to another business? One can imagine Deep Throat lurking in the shadows of Filbert Street, hoarsely whispering, "When nothing else makes sense - Follow the money. Follow the money." Something is very wrong here. The RTM board and management can not be allowed to succeed. Their actions should probably be investigated.

I am surprised that with the management's inept instinct for PR self-destruction they did not do that. As I understand it, there was nothing to restrain (get a TRO) until RTM Management handed Rick's an eviction notice.

Dateline Reading Terminal Market: As of 11:15 AM on Wednesday AUGUST 1, Rick's Steaks is open for business as usual. Only difference, with all the staving media types hanging out, business must be way up. Police was there too. Standing in line to order cheesesteaks. My understanding, and I am not a lawyer, only play one on eGullet, is that the first move is up to the RTM Market Board and Management. They have to serve an eviction notice, which I believe happened around 10 AM this morning. It states that Rick's Steaks has to vacate the market within a set number of days - not sure how many. In the mean time the cheesesteaks are grilling for at least the immediate future.

If market management is unable to regain the trust of its merchants, it's not just the merchants and market management who suffer. We do. That's why, beginning now, even before the dust settles, the market has got to begin earning that trust back. ← Trust is not something the Reading Terminal Market board and management gets to switch on and off to suit their landlord or personal agendas.

Pike Place Market in Seattle has been very successful in successfully showcasing local vendors. It can be done. I agree the 1100 block of Filbert will not work. It is the only area of the market needing a good dose of daylight more than the metaphorical "board room."

Or the Amish merchants are upset because they think Rick Olvieri is being treated unfairly. That is what I gathered from their published statement.

He would have. As I recall the conversation, Rick told me that if RTM had offered him a lease, "I'd have been stupid not to sign it." ← I believe Rick stated at the press conference that he kept asking for a lease and management, rather than speaking frankly, just kept replying, "It is not your time yet Rick?" Could that be because RTM management has done a good job at keeping costs economical for the purveyors by tilting the burden upon those in more remunerative lines of business? That's what the restructured leases are all about, to make sure the more prosperous businesses (by virtue of what they sell, rather than their skill) support those in less prosperous lines of business. The less prosperous lines of business are those that are most compatible with the market's century-old tradition. So it is working? Then I have to ask again, why not offer Rick the same lease others have been given? Yes those days with David O'Neill at the helm were good days for the market. Maybe someone from the press should track him down and get his reaction to the current market management's treatment of a merchant who was there with him during the market turn-around and revitalization. If by "effective" you mean selling drop-dead gorgeous produce at drop-dead prices, RTM will never compete with Headhouse or any of the other farmers' markets selling $3/pound tomatoes, $2 a head lettuces, and $8 a pound chickens. The Reading Terminal Market is not a "showcase" selling designer fruit nor is it meant to be. It's a public market designed to provide consumers a wide range of affordable foods. The produce vendors at the RTM serve more people with good quality produce, at considerably lower prices, than Headhouse could ever hope to provide. At the same time, the RTM is still able to offer "high-end" produce, meat and dairy products of the same or better quality than that found at the Farmers' markets. Don't get me wrong, I love the Headhouse market, and all the other seasonal farmers' markets I patronize. I'm lucky, because I can afford to spend my disposable income this way. But just as the RTM isn't Headhouse Square, Headhouse Square isn't the RTM. (It's like comparing a down-and-dirty copy shop that gets the job done efficiently, quickly and cheaply with artisans who use hand-set type and a flat-bed press; yes, they both reproduce printed documents, but their respective markets compete only on the margins.) I said nothing about "competitng." And I don't see the produce at Headhouse as "designer fruit." Top quality, fantastic variety - but designer??? The Reading Terminal Mission does not speak to showcasing (in spirit, as opposed to those exact words) local producers? The Reading Terminal Market would not be better as a the showcase for local producers? Over the past 25 years I've had a few public disagreements with market management. Even David O'Neill (I was an expert witness for Jack McDavid when RTM repairs were creating rainstorms inside the market.) But in general I agree that they have done a good job in furthering the market's mission. That was before the board and management turned petty, arrogant, vindictive, and punitive. Any board and management that does not grasp that far more good can be accomplished for the market by working as partners with the merchants rather than as intimidating adversaries should not be running a public trust. Geez, they even upset the Amish merchants to the point they have canceled the Dutch festival and are not willing to commit to a long term relationship with the current market.

I'm not convinced this is to the market's advantage. But I don't see it as being to its disadvantage, either. If Rick's running at capacity now, there's no way that TL is going to harm other sandwich vendors. Even if he finds a way to expand capacity in the existing use and space configuration (I'm doubtful he could, but if he did that's a prima facie case for his superiority as an operator vs. Rick). Given the long lunch lines at Rick's, Tommy's, and Carmine's today, my hunch is a modest expansion of noontime capacity won't hurt anyone's business. An exponential capacity expansion, which could be possible by converting Rick's current seating area to production and sales, would cause me considerably grater concern. ← Then how can the Board and Management state Tony Luke's will benefit the market? Perhaps the Board, the Management and the individual members of both could just be candid as to why they are so adamant in taking away a longterm merchant's livelihood. And if they are unwilling to do so, perhaps an investigative reporter from Philadelphia Media could bring some much needed daylight to the true motivations for this action.

Interesting point, and one addressed by the market's Operating Policy Guidelines: "Leases shall require the owners to be actively involved in the management and operation of their businesses within the Market." Of course, "actively involved" is a matter of interpretation. The owner of Downtown Cheese splits his time between the RTM and his Ardmore store. Ken Foster only showed up at his RTM outlet once a week. But not physically being there all or even most of the time doesn't mean you're not actively managing it. If TL does take over the space, my guess is he'll be there most of time during the first few weeks or couple of months of operation, then cut back once he's satisfied the operation no longer requires his minute-to-minute supervision. ← I was speaking more to all of Tony Luke Jr.'s other stores that seem to have suffered because Tony Luke Jr. has not mastered the ability to be two places at once. The market's Operating Guidelines being what they are, encouraging active involvement, is it not better to have a full time owner operator than one who is spreading his time and attention over a bunch of places and who know how many more in the future. Out of curiosity, if Tony Luke's were to decide to franchise his business or offer owner partnerships, would that sort of management structure force him to leave the market? Conceivable, but highly unlikely. Market management has the power to veto any item in a product line, so they could limit TL to cheese steaks, prohibiting TL from selling roast pork to protect DiNic's or hoagies to project Carmine's, Salumeria and Spataro's. In any event, Carmine's thrives on the overflow of long lines at Rick's, and if TL or another operator is as successful, Carmine's will do at least as well. Salumeria, as jtnicolosi and his dad explained to me, relies a lot more on olive oil and grocery sales than hoagies. The only possible threat I see would be to Spataro's cheese steak business, which they added last year when they moved to their new location; but at the same time, they expanded their breakfast hot sandwich business. Then Tony Luke's will not be selling burgers, hot dogs, pork sandwiches, hoagies, etc? Just steak sandwiches? Then why is it to the market's advantage to bring in Tony Luke just to sell steak sandwiches? Uh, he is really not very famous for steak sandwiches. If you grant that Rick's now pretty much runs at capacity, how is Tony Luke's going to bring much more business into the market? Restaurant Marketing 101 - If you want to build your sales you will do so much more successfully by attracting regular customers at nearby restaurant or, in this case, just down the aisle, than by trying to bring new customers into the neighborhood.

Is Tony Luke Jr, himself, planning on personally running his Reading Terminal Stand on a day-by-day basis for the next ten years or longer? Rick Olivieri seems a pretty hard working and consistent presence at Rick's Steaks. And if Tony Luke's is as a big of draw as market management believes it to be, has market management done any studies that would relieve concerns about his operation attracting significant sales from other market lunch merchants? I'd be real concerned about that if I had a lunch stand down the aisle.

There has been not one whit of evidence produced that the long-term viability of purveyors is threatened. The board is creating a straw man to support their agenda of applying regional shopping mall lease tactics to an institution with the history and tradition of reading terminal market. 1. The board and management has not implemented revenue sharing. As far as I know that is not even on the table at this time. 2. The Reading Terminal Market is composed a bunch of individual operators - not national chains. These are entrepreneurs at their most entrepreneurial. No entrepreneurs want to share specifics of their farm stand and lunch counter revenues with anyone - especially a board and management as slick and adversarial as the current market's. 3. A number of the producers - along with the lunch merchants - have vocally rallied against the ousting of Rick's Steaks. They signed the petition, they spoke out at Rick Olivieri's press conference. 4. NO ONE HAS OFFERED OLIVIERI a lease to sign. How can it be suggested that Olivieri is being kicked out of the market for not signing a lease? 5. In negotiating the lease on behalf of the merchant's association Olivieri was representing the members of the association. Demands he made had surely been discussed by a committee of member merchants if not all of them. I'm seeing villains and victims, not villains and heroes. The villain, true to the old time movies, is the group of people taking away a man's livelihood even though that man has done everything right. The villain is the group of people taking away a family legacy - a business that has been and would continue to be passed on from one generation to another. 1. So if someone makes "better" hoagies RTM should kick out Carman's and put in Sarcone's Deli? 2. Rick's Steaks is already one of the most successful ventures in the market. What Tony Luke's name may do is make the market a bigger selling point for the convention center - take the market one more step down that slippery slope to Convention Center Food Court.. Doesn't sound callous as much as it sounds like buying into the the RTM management spin. There is no indication that the merchant vendors of produce etc have any problems - longterm or short term. The market is a booming success. Rather than dicking around playing puppet master with people's livelihoods, RTM management should figure out why they can't pull off a showcase for regional growers a tenth as effective as the Headhouse Square Sunday Market. From conversations with market merchants though not directly with Rick. RTM Market could easily prove me wrong. Just give him a lease and see if he signs it. That is where the inaneness of this situation soars - management is kicking out a long term tenant for not signing a lease he never refused to sign. If management's issue is the lease - give Rick's the same lease that similar merchants have recently signed. Problem is over. If management's issue is wanting Tony Luke's in - give us something beyond "gut feel" as to why it is necessary to cause such a controversy by replacing one of the busiest and most successful businesses in the market with one that really doesn't have all that much more name power than "Olivieri" - the family that came up with the idea of the cheesesteak in the first place. Let the RTM management also prove that the majority of any additional sales generated by a Tony Luke's will not come from the pockets of the other lunch merchants. It is very conceivable that a Tony Luke's at the market could threaten/damage market merchants more than help them. It would be interesting if one of our local media's investigative reporters looked into why board and market management members are so stubbornly deaf to any attempts to end and resolve a dispute that could so easily be resolved.

I had my first DiNic's pork sandwich with broccoli rabe. Life just got more difficult. Now a decision where before there was none. I'm thinking ordering my pork sandwiches half and half - rabe on one end, greens on the other. As I was there for the press conference I was eating my pork sandwich at Rick's Steaks. See, I am impartial. Unfortunately the CBS 3 camera guy there for the rally zoomed in on my pork sandwich for an establishing shot. He was kinda disappointed when I told him it wasn't a cheesesteak and I didn't get it from Rick's Steaks. "Damn, that really looks good."

Could Kevin Feeley have made a more inane statement? Maybe he was quoted inaccurately. Perhaps he actually responded, "It's unfortunate that Mr. Olivieri is putting his interests above those of Reading Terminal Market's board and management." That is at least comprehensible. As I see it, the Reading Terminal Market board and management is the one putting their agenda ahead of what is good for Reading Terminal Market. They and only they are responsible for what has happened. They and only they can easily end it now.