MarketStEl

<macho> I just about always cleaned my plate. </macho> A more appropriate name for a dish, though, cannot be imagined. Good question. Anyone know?

The truck was called Jow's Lunch; it had been on 36th between Sansom and Walnut prior to the construction of Sansom Common (now called University Square), the retail-hotel block. The construction of that building was Penn's impetus to move all the trucks off of Walnut, 36th and 37th. Jow's got a spot in the truck court at the northeast corner of 33d/Spruce/South, right at Franklin Field's southwest gate. That plaza was the most lightly patronized of the four that were set up, and last I was in the area, only one of the trucks assigned slots there was still in business. I'm sure the relocation didn't help--they lost me as a customer because it became more difficult to reach them from where I worked--but I believe the deterioration of Jow's marriage with Su(mumble)--most of the people I knew simply called him Oy--was the bigger contributor to the demise of both the truck and Jow's Garden, the restaurant at 48th and Pine. I loved the crying tiger dishes. They were the spiciest fare I've ever had--"Folks, don't try this at home" spicy.

I've noticed -- and participated in -- a lot of really good discussions on this board about Philly food, both highbrow and everyday. Clearly, our newfound rep as a great place to dine out is well-deserved, and in keeping with local roots, we're not a bunch of food snobs either. Which is why I believe it's time we started talking about Philly's most democratic fare--the stuff served up at thousands of trucks and carts all over the city. Most of these fall into three broad categories: fruit salad, steak/sausage/hot dog/burger and Chinese. But I've also eaten first-rate vegetarian fare, really good Mexican food and perhaps the best bargain in Korean/Japanese fare in the city from trucks. Generally speaking, the more "exotic" food trucks congregate around the college campuses (Penn, Temple, Drexel), but I'm sure there must be some curbside creativity at other locations in town. I will kick this thread off by talking about the three trucks/carts I've mentioned above, two of which I highly recommend. All are on the Penn campus. Magic Carpet Foods: This was the first all-vegetarian food truck to set up shop around Penn, and it remains one of the best vegetarian places in U-City. Their menu is heavy on the meatlike fare--seitan peppersteak, meatless chili con carne, "magic meatballs"--but all of these foods are hearty enough and tasty enough to satisfy a carnivore like me. You can order most items in either sandwich or platter form; the platters include a tossed salad, rice and pita bread on the side. The owners did try their had at operating an actual restaurant for a while, at 15th and South streets, but business wasn't good enough, so they returned to their mobile roots. They have two carts on the Penn campus, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out they operated others elsewhere. (Magic Carpet Foods: 34th and Walnut vendor plaza and 36th and Spruce streets.) KoJa Korean/Japanese: I believe this truck got a writeup in the Inquirer's recent "Where We Live" supplement on University City. It deserves the writeup. Their Korean dishes are first-rate, and served with a side of kim chi to clear out your sinuses. It's been a while since I've eaten there, so I've forgotten the Korean names of the various dishes, but I particularly like the sauteed pork strips with a crunchy coating (the term "bul go gi" keeps popping into my head). You can even call in your order ahead of time and it will be ready for pickup when you get to the truck. (KoJa: 38th Street between Sansom and Walnut.) Taco Pal: This Mexican cart is a clean little affair, offering standard Tex-Mex fare--tacos, burritos, enchiladas and so on. Their ingredients are good quality and the portions healthy enough. Unlike the other two carts, I would not go out of my way to seek this one out, but it is a welcome alternative if you're in the Penn campus area. (Taco Pal: 37th and Spruce streets.) My travels around Drexel have uncovered a more authentic-looking Mexican truck called Mexi Movil at 33d and Chestunt. This place also offers Cuban sandwiches, something I've not yet encountered in truckland, for $6. I plan to try one soon and will report back to this forum. Okay, it's your turn now. Let's have your favorites. Or, for that matter, any comments or observations you may have about truck-and-cart cuisine in Philly and environs.

My impression is that a couple of things work against them at this location: 1) There is an established convenience store across the street and two doors down that also makes hoagies. The bread is undistinguished, but the meats are Dietz and Watson, so they are good enough, and about $1-$2 cheaper than Planet Hoagie. PH is still pretty new at this location, so I suspect it will take some time for them to make a dent in the existing competition...which also includes Pandora's Lunchbox right up the block on the same side of the street. However, Pandora's does not specialize in hoagies, and I personally would not seek the place out for them; it's their hot foods that are their strength. 2) They are just far enough off the beaten path for the office crowds to keep them from stopping in. Primo's Center City location, by contrast, is directly across 11th Street from Jefferson Hospital, giving them a ready clientele. In the area around PH, the crowds usually materialize before and after shows at the nearby Forrest Theatre or when the gay bars close. I'm certain that PH will not stay open late enough to catch the latter, but they have started staying open later on Friday and Saturday evenings to catch some of the nightlife trade. I haven't stopped by at those hours yet, but since they haven't cut them back, I assume they're bringing in business. Glad you liked the place, though, Holly. Ready to give it grease stains?

Villotti-Pisanelli. Somewhat convenient in that they didn't have to scrape off all the old lettering on their delivery trucks. Someone mentioned Sarcone's. Who besides Sarcone's uses their rolls? ← Frusco's at 7220 Frankford Ave, a just a few blocks north of the Grey Lodge Pub, makes a fine cheesesteak and uses Sarcone's rolls, but for a $1 surcharge. Why, I dont know. ← And now that you mention it...I've this vague recollection that the manager at the Walnut Street Planet Hoagie told me their rolls came from Sarcone's as well. They definitely deserve their Best of Philly award. But they're still the only hoagie shop I've run across in the area that uses Hatfield as their meat supplier. I wonder whether that doesn't make a difference (in the supermarket meat case, I'm partial to Hatfield kielbasa over Hillshire Farm or the other brand any particular store may have).

Hi, David! Sounds like you and the Mrs. are going to have a luxurious weekend in Philly. I notice that most of the places recommended so far are near your hotel, which makes sense, but if I may add one a little further away if you want to take a stroll, the Mean Bean Cafe (1112 Locust) also serves La Colombe coffee, has decent pastry (though not their own, and hence not as good as the places already mentioned) and a semi-outdoor seating area (covered with an awning and enclosed in inclement weather) next to a cute community garden. Toppers Spa is also near your hotel, on 19th between Chestnut and Sansom. They have good affordable spa packages--unfortunately, I can't report on the quality of the experience, because my partner never used the gift certificate I bought him last Christmas. The Sunday Brunch at the Four Seasons really is that good. You will be pampered like you've never been before, with super-attentive service and a fabulous spread--three different buffet stations with just about everything imaginable (beef Wellington, sushi, crab legs, asparagus salad, carved turkey...and of course, eggs, bacon, sausage and quiche), with live music (classics and jazz standards). I have a congenital aversion to spending lots of money on things (I usually think that past a certain point, you're just paying for the name), but this brunch was worth every penny of the $125 (including drinks and tip) the two of us spent. Since this is a special weekend, by all means, go for it! Zanzibar Blue is a bit pricey, but the big-name acts usually play there when they're in Philly. The weekend you're in town, guitarist Joyce Cooling will be performing (you will have just missed Maynard Ferguson). Chris' Jazz Cafe has more local and regional talent, as does Ortlieb's Jazz Haus, a classic dive in Northern Liberties. Another local dive--a real dive--that has good jam sessions (and a legendary drag show during the week) is Bob and Barbara's Lounge at 1509 South Street. You'd probably have to check Philadelphia Weekly or the CityPaper to see what's on there. However: If you wanted to dine while listening, this establishment does not serve food.

Hi, folks! And thanks for a great topic-starter, Melissa. I've come to the Mid-Atlantic region from the Midwest (the Grain Belt part, not the Rust Belt part) via New England, and little bits of each remain in my culinary DNA. Growing up, I really don't remember much that is distinctive about the food my parents and grandparents served in Kansas City. Most of it is what I think most of you would call traditional "comfort food"--meatloaf, pork chops, fried chicken and so on, accompanied by potatoes or rice and (canned) vegetables, except when Mom or one of my aunts prepared traditional "soul food" dishes, most of which require long simmering. Oh, yes--there was chili (from a sausage-roll-like package, but quite spicy) as well, and chili (made from scratch, no two batches alike) remains one of my signature dishes. Eating out usually meant more of the same, with some exceptions. The best Mexican meal I've ever had anywhere was served at a little hole-in-the-wall on Southwest Boulevard at the south end of KC's traditional Mexican neighborhood; my dad took me there. You felt like you were eating in someone's kitchen (for all I can remember, I was), and the food tasted homemade to boot. There was a standard-issue Italian restaurant downtown with huge portions and oceans of tomato sauce (I still can't bring myself to call it "gravy" as South Philly Italian-Americans do), and another, fancier Italian restaurant, also downtown, that had a rather unusual pizza with an extremely crunchy crust that I enjoyed. And, of course, there was barbecue. Friends of my family owned a small barbecue joint in Kansas City, Kansas, which we dropped in on often, and in later years, my mother would frequent Ollie Gates' restaurant and bar--the one he owned before he got to take over his dad's operation. My dad loved to grill, and I've tried to keep the flame burning to this day, although it's next to impossible to do so living in a city apartment. However, I have managed to produce mean barbecue ribs every now and then. My college days in Boston served as my introduction to seafood. Not that I never ate things that live in water before, but in Kansas City, they tended to live in fresh water. Here I became enamored of New England clam chowder, scrod and lobster, among other things. In Philly, I've wandered all over the culinary map, taking in a variety of ethnic cuisines (Vietnamese, Ethiopian, West African, Greek, Chinese, Afghan...) and adopting the city's signature sandwiches, the cheesesteak and the hoagie, as my own.

Villotti-Pisanelli. Somewhat convenient in that they didn't have to scrape off all the old lettering on their delivery trucks. Someone mentioned Sarcone's. Who besides Sarcone's uses their rolls?

Over in the Italian Beef vs. Philly Cheesesteak thread under General Food Topics, I proposed a sandwich that combines the signature foods of my native and adopted hometowns: the barbecue cheesesteak. I reported to the group that I would try a variant on my original version of this sandwich today and report back on the results. Well, the results are in (my stomach), and I pronounce them satisfactory. Here's the recipe--try it yourself and let me know what you think. For each sandwich, you will need: 1-3 slices thinly sliced steak for sandwiches (number of slices depends on thickness), thawed if frozen 1 teaspoon barbecue spice or barbecue rub 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce (see note) 1-2 slices American, Cheddar or Colby cheese Fried onions (optional) 1 long sandwich roll Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle barbecue spice on steak slices and rub into meat. Prepare a foil packet by arranging slices in a single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil, then covering them with sauce. Fold ends of foil sheet to enclose slices, then fold edges of foil inward and close packet. Cook in packet at 450 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Open packet and place cheese slices on top. Return to oven for about 1 minute or until cheese just melts. Place filling into sandwich roll. Note: I am partial to Gates Barbecue Sauce, widely available in the Kansas City area and by phone (info on web site). But there are plenty of other excellent Kansas City sauces you can try, including Arthur Bryant's (the place made famous by Calvin Trillin and Jimmy Carter, among others; Bryant's smoky, grainy sauce is like no other I've ever tasted) and Zarda Bar-B-Q (a newcomer relative to Bryant's and Gates', but right up there with those two in the sauce pantheon). You can actually make your own version of Gates' sauce now that Ollie shared his recipe with Martha Stewart on her Food Network show this past spring. The recipe's no longer up on the Food Network web site, but if you'd like it, e-mail or PM me; I have a copy. If you are lazy or short on time, you may use KC Masterpiece, the only Kansas City-style sauce that's widely available everywhere. Again, let me know what you think of this concoction. Maybe AllRecipes will accept this submission!

The Constitution Center is cool, but if you want to showcase the food, you're not going to get much that's neater than the Reading Terminal Market--and it's right under the Convention Center. Another possible option, I believe, is the Crystal Tea Room, the former restaurant on the 9th floor of the Wanamaker Building (nee John Wanamaker department store) at 13th and Market, one block from the Convention Center. This is a very elegant space, with dark wood paneling and crystal chandeliers, so it may not be the ideal spot for a gathering for which you want to establish a more casual tone. But the space is a quintessentially Philadelphian place. Their web page is on a site that helps people plan weddings, so beware, but if you're interested, here's the contact info from that wedding site: Tom Finley The Wanamaker Building 100 Penn Square East Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-627-5100 tfin66@aol.com He runs the facility's caterer.

I had it with ketchup this morning. I'd say ketchup is better than maple syrup.

In the late 1970s, during a New York newspaper strike, a bunch of reporters put together a hilarious New York Times parody, Not the New York Times. A "foreign dispatch" headlined "Nothing Much of Significance Happening in Africa of Late" caught this attitude well when, midway through the story, it quoted an unnamed African diplomat explaining why nothing was going on in Africa: "'It's that newspaper strike,' he said. 'No New York Times, no news.'" Yes, the Times is that self-important--so much so that it would run an assertion like the one you quote. But I don't think it so much untrue as an exaggeration. The Times does not launch trends, but it does ratify them and make them acceptable to a broader segment of the population. Yes, the Atkins diet had been gaining in popularity for quite some time before that famous New York Times Magazine cover story two years ago. But prior to that story, most mentions of the diet in the mainstream press were usually dismissive or negative. The positive treatment the Atkins diet received in that TimesMag article gave it a legitimacy it had not previously enjoyed in the rest of the press. For better or for worse, what the Times does still influences what other mainstream media organizations do.

And what do I find on the list of "Authentic Berks County Recipes -- Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking"? Chili con carne! About as far from Pennsylvania Dutch as I might imagine...but then again, the recipe is about as far from traditional chili as I could imagine (no peppers! no chili powder! no cumin! no garlic!), so I guess it qualifies. Welcome to eGullet, Dave.

Unemployment has permitted me to do a little more spur-of-the-moment, I-think-I'll-try-this-for-dinner-tonight shopping, but I still stick to my basic routine of doing a major grocery shopping trip every other week and a minor one in the off week. In between trips, I jot down items that run out and that I do not usually buy on the grocery list notepad that's stuck to the fridge. Then, on Saturday morning, I go through the fridge and pantry, looking to see what's running low and thinking about what sorts of main dishes I might want to serve in the next two weeks. Then I draw up the list, clip my coupons, check the circulars for the weekly specials and head off for the most distant of the three supermarkets I shop, an Acme in South Philly. (Since I've been unemployed, I've tried to hit this store on Friday, when its weekly specials begin.) Invariably, I end up buying several sale items not on my list. On the way from the distant supermarket to the two close-in ones (a Whole Foods and a Super Fresh, across the street from each other), I usually survey the 9th Street ("Italian Market") produce vendors and purchase some of my produce there. I may also stop into Esposito's Meats or one of the seafood shops if there is something special or something on sale. I generally cruise Whole Foods more than I shop there, but there are some items I will pick up there, including milk, spring water and Kettle Chips when they're on sale. Finally, I hit the Super Fresh for whatever is either (a) on sale for less than at Acme or (b) not on sale at the Acme at all. Invariably, I end up buying several sale items not on my list. Last but not least, I pick up the rest of my produce at the Reading Terminal on a separate trip. I never make a list for that one.

Okay, I need some advice. In response to a roommate's pleas, I went out and purchased some scrapple week before last (D&W) and again this past Saturday (Hatfield, on sale at Acme). My problem is, I haven't gotten the hang of cooking it yet. I understand the ideal is to have a crispy crust on the outside and a creamy center. This means I need to slice the stuff thick, at least 1/4 inch, right? Then, do I dust the slices with flour? Roomies say I should, but it looks to me like things come out better if I don't. (The package instructions say nothing about this.) When I cooked the stuff over high heat (electric range), the outside went black before the inside cooked; cooking over medium heat gets the outside browned but not really crispy (or so it seems; maybe I need more oil or butter? I'm spraying my skillet with cooking spray right now). And I ate some this morning. Not bad at all, with or without maple syrup.

The Great Hall of the Convention Center occupies the front (south) half of the Reading Terminal trainshed. It is truly a spectacular space, which would swallow up your 500-odd guests. (A ballroom and several smaller meeting rooms are stacked atop each other in the shed's north end.) The trainshed sits atop the Reading Terminal Market, which is a must-visit for any foodie visting Philly. And lucky you--the Reading Terminal Market merchants do catering, and you can rent the market for your event.

Smokey Joe's serves food?

Katie: 10/16 is a Saturday. As for hoagies, I will recommend a place around the corner from me that I've gone on about before on these boards: Planet Hoagie (1211 Walnut). They took Best Hoagie honors in this year's Philadelphia magazine awards. The unusual feature of this shop is that their meats and cheeses are every bit the equal of their bread, which ain't Sarcone's but is almost as good. (Their supplier is Hatfield Quality Meats, which is rather unusual, even though the company is local to the Philly region. Most of the better sandwich shops in Philly use Dietz and Watson, though Primo Hoagies uses Thumann's.) In Center City, the Wine & Spirits SuperStore at 1228 Chestnut is open from noon to 5 on Sundays and has a far better wine selection than most State Stores. If you want to check out the Italian Market merchants on a Sunday, head down there early in the morning; most close by 2 p.m. Decent inexpensive fare? Try More Than Just Ice Cream, on the street floor of my apartment building (1229 Locust). It's a neighborhood institution--and their ice cream isn't bad either.

I will definitely have to go there on the right special occasion. FWIW, I live just down the block from Deux Cheminees and have occasionally run into Chef Blank on the street. I also know the owners of the restaurant that opened in Deux Cheminees' former space, the Inn Philadelphia. That restaurant is a very good place to take your honey for a romantic meal, especially in good weather when their rear garden is open. Cuisine is French/New American hybrid, prices are reasonable for a fancy restaurant, atmosphere is intimate. Good piano bar, too.

Was it from a post from you, or was it somewhere else, that I read about staff at Rouge donning "Free Neil" T-shirts? And when are you actually working at Rouge? (You may reply via PM if you prefer.)

We can only hope. A rule of thumb I had when I was working on the media-relations side of Penn's communications office: "In order to attract reporters to your event, serve food." Those who applied the rule once I jumped over to the Current could usually be counted on to attract my attention. The food was good--and heavily German-influenced. Isn't Deux Cheminees a French restaurant, though? (Believe it or not, I have yet to eat there and I've lived here two decades now. Same goes for Le Bec-Fin.)

Donation? When was it announced that Fritz Blank was donating his collection to the University of Pennsylvania Library? I wrote about this exhibition when it opened in the Kamin Gallery of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library at Penn: Out and About: A cook and his books But the space where it was mounted is used for changing exhibits. No mention was made of a permanent donation when the exhibit opened. The Penn Library's web site maintains an extensive archive of online exhibits linked to past physical ones. The site listed above is one of these.

BTW, folks, the 1114 Pine Street store is open again. Haven't gone in yet to see whether the coffee and beverages is an improvement over the hummus and Maytag blue cheese.

Well, here's where I display my outlander colors. Scrapple is an acquired taste, and while I would never say it sucks, I can't really say I've acquired it either. Perhaps it's because I haven't figured out how to cook it right yet.

You can get Boar's Head in Texas???