MarketStEl

I'm guessing that this is probably the most appropriate forum to post an observation on terminology used in the selling of food and suchlike; if it isn't, I hope a moderator will let me know. In any case, I had an interesting encounter with a neologism at the Pier 70 Super Fresh this morning. I had gone down to South Philly's Big Box Heaven to stock up on household items at Target, and on the way back, decided I would stop here to pick up the things I didn't get at the Acme the day before. One of these was flounder fillets, which my neighborhood Super Fresh had run out of when they had a seafood sale earlier this month. So I went over to the seafood counter and found a wealth of fish, including: "Fresh Ocean Perch" "Fresh Salmon Fillet" "Re-Fresh Flounder Fillet" Funny, the fillets looked well rested to me. Had they gotten tired on their journey from the waters off New England? Then it hit me: These fillets were of the variety we have historically called "previously frozen." They had been put in suspended animation and "re-freshed" by thawing before being put on display. Still, there's something too cute by half about this term, and maybe a bit misleading to boot. And I'm sure it's not the only example of euphemisms on the supermarket shelf. Let's hear some of yours. I'll start the ball rolling further with another, one I see on the ingredient lists of several organic products: "evaporated cane juice." I assume you all know what that is.

So by trial and error, I see that you have come to follow Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." And it appears to be working spectacularly for you. Congratulations again. You'd probably agree with this statement too: "Everything in moderation, including moderation." Unfortunately, my trip to the Left Coast in about a week and a half will keep me well to the north of the Land of Eternal Sunshine, so I guess I will have to arrange a more southerly swing in the future. Thanks for sharing some wonderful food and scenery with us, and see you on the boards.

I'll make a note of that, Sam, for I will be back. I absolutely adore sushi, and yours is so good. Hey, if you end up going to that place at Front and Olney or something like it, you might even be able to persuade me to skip my usual Saturday night karaoke.

I see your boss is a Penn grad. When did he attend? (I worked there from 1985 through 2004.)

Forgot to report on Friday happy hour: All bow down before the God of Good Spirits. It was probably the liveliest scene I've ever encountered with only four people plus the bartender -- my friend Greg, me, Katie, of course, and in series, a (I think -- I wasn't taking notes) real estate guy who lives nearby and a lawyer transplanted here from Florida. From her we learned that the Florida bar is deliberately difficult to pass in order to discourage snowbird lawyers from up North from taking all the business from the natives. From us she learned why you can find the phrase "Philadelphia lawyer" in the dictionary to this day. I had intended to try some of M's excellent tequilas for a happy hour (which required my leaving Widener an hour early to get back into Philly in time; as my bus hit Swarthmore right as the 4:21 inbound was departing, I ended up not getting there until 5:20), and Katie did not disappoint, fashioning a black cherry margarita using (mumble -- I wasn't taking notes) and imported black cherry syrup from Zagreb. The olives served as bar munchies are delicious and a welcome change from the usual salty carbs. All seekers in search of spiritual guidance must make a pilgrimage to the bar at M posthaste. If you are watching your wallet, do so between 4:45 and 6 p.m., when everything's half price.

Camden, N.J., has a Broadway. Philadelphia does not. I guess they figured that Broad Street would suffice. Ellen: That Arnie's Whole Beef Halves tagline (actually, the commercial is from "TV or Not TV," the duo effort by half the Firesigns, [Philip] Proctor & [Peter] Bergman) brings back memories of another product that take-out place carried. A beverage, to be more specific. Unfortunately, posting that part of the commercial would probably get this post yanked. Any fan of wordplay has to appreciate the Firesign Theater, who revel in it ("They told me to go to the same old place..." "...Oh, you must mean the old Same place.") I'm glad we both have hung onto our warped senses of humor! Question: What did you all have to do to obtain an Italian domain name for SanDiego.Eats.It?

I too have wondered about the popularity of naming urban streets after Euclid. There's one in Brooklyn too, if memory serves. Anybody got a clue about this? ← There's one in Irvine too. Maybe its a convenient "E" for streets running in alphabetical series? I have a hard time imagining city planners coming up with a series of mathematican or philosopher-named streets. "The Golden Arches, iat the intersection of Archimedes and Nietsche." ← I'll try a way-out-there guess: As rectilinear street grids, though first used in Roman camp settlements in Britain, are a largely American urban phenomenon (thanks in no small measure to Thomas Jefferson), perhaps the surveyors who laid them out in various cities felt they needed to give a nod to the father of geometry? None of the Euclid Avenues I can recall--the most prominent one I know is the one in Cleveland; it's a secondary street in my hometown--are part of an alphabetical sequence.

Big bump: I finally made it to Raw on Monday night, with two colleagues in tow. The backstory: As some of you may know, Widener University is the presenting sponsor of the Philadelphia Speakers Series, a series of lectures by notable (and sometimes notorious) public figures that brings some of today's best known names to the Kimmel Center. With a very few exceptions (coughColin Powellcough), the speaker is also available for a pre-talk dinner and post-talk reception for friends of Widener and co-sponsor WRTI; on a few occasions (historian David McCullough, author Amy Tan), the speaker comes to campus the next day for a talk with students and interested faculty and staff. We have a photographer on hand for the VIP events, and University Advancement Division staff work these events to keep track of the VIPs and who the photographer shot. The instructions on how to handle the photo logistics include information on booking dinner at Cadence, the Kimmel Center's terrace restaurant, between the early reception/dinner and the talk. Our photographer, Ted Kostans, told me at the last Speakers Series talk we worked that he didn't much care for Cadence. So I took him and Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations Rob Skormoucha to Good Dog instead, where we all ordered--and loved--the burger. This past Monday, after we took care of everyone who wanted a photo with RFK Jr., I told them that I had been dying to try Raw for some time. They agreed to follow me along after we stashed our paraphernalia at the Kimmel. All three of us had one of the evening's specials. Rob and I both ordered the white tiger roll: Spicy white tuna roll topped with more white tuna, shrimp and a peppery sauce. Ted had the spicy lobster roll with a gingery soy sauce drizzle. Oh, my, were these ever orgasmic. The creaminess of the tuna-and-shrimp topping (evidently a puree) played nicely off the rolls, and the hint of heat (you might find it more than a hint, based on others' reaction to my standard chili) enhanced the mildness of the tuna. The spicy lobster roll was equally delectable. This was the first time I've ever eaten sushi rolls without once dipping them in soy sauce, let alone soy sauce mixed with wasabi, which readers of this thread will recall is bad form. They needed no enhancement; the freshness of the ingredients and the interplay of flavors made the soy sauce superfluous. (I did dab some wasabi on a couple of pieces.) And the portions are generous -- 8 to 10 roll slices -- and beautifully displayed. Given what worse places here charge for sushi, I wonder how this place gets away with such reasonable prices for this quality level. As my waiter informed us that Greg Ling is now at Hikaru, I'm going to have to go down there to see if he has raised that restauant to this level. In the meantime, Rob and Ted now regard me as a dining god, and I'm sure they're going to ask to work with me on future Speakers Series talks (the 2007-08 series is listed at the link above). I'm just lucky to live where I do and hang out on this board.

I'm down wit dat, as I haven't been to either in a dog's age. But I'm trying to get James on my calendar for another engagement first. Mr. Andrews: I get paid today. When are you free? Reply via phone or PM.

Including me, since you've poked me at least once on Facebook. Katie: Check your inbox.

You look more like you now than you did back in our college days! Do you find that you have to fight the urge to munch late at night? (I think you said something about this already.) My Lizard Brain had me polishing off about 1/5 of a bag of Chex Mix for some reason last night after spagetti with clam sauce for dinner.

Wow. Yes. I had forgotten all of this........how the SoCal grocery scene has changed over the past 20 years. Is everywhere like this? (Best to the B. Tedde and the Rockola guys ) ← I only have anecdotal bits and pieces, but my sense is that there's been a bunch of supermarket comings and goings all over in the past few decades. Reading this Wikipedia article on the once-dominating A&P supermarket chain gives me further glimpses of the ever-changing fortunes, closeouts, and consolidations that have been going on in the supermarket biz. ← If you're interested at all in supermarket history, there's a Web site called Groceteria that you might want to check out. The site has a good capsule history of the rise and fall of the chain that could once have, but never did, call itself "America's Grocer" (the way the Hudson's Bay Company calls itself "Canada's Merchants Since 1670").

Last things first: The two things I know about Alpha Beta are: --The chain's name came from its unique method of organizing the merchandise: Products in its stores were originally shelved in alphabetical order. --From the 1960s until its demise, it was a unit of American Stores, parent company of Acme Markets, Philadelphia's dominant supermarket chain. (I remember visiting an Alpha Beta store in LA in 1965 and noting the sign with a farm boy named "Alphy" bearing a blue ribbon reading "ACME" on it.) Many of the Mexican grocery/variety stores that have opened in the "Italian" Market recently incorporate the colors red, white and green in their decor or signage. (The green is the dark green shade found in the Mexican flag, not the lime green of this building.) I guess that with San Diego being right next door to Mexico, these displays of national heritage are unnecessary? I'm sure that cell-phone tower disguised as a palm tree added to the effect too! Never mind the Pocky -- I want to know about those Cheese and Tomato Pretz! Perhaps National Park, N.J.? (This community, founded as a Methodist retreat, is directly across the Delaware River from the foot of Broad Street at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.) I would be curious to know how National City got its name.

Where does one find ambrosia apples, dividend? Are they local to the Heart of America? I can't say I've encountered that variety up this way.

From April 3 through 10, I will be visiting two cities I've long wanted to visit for the first time: San Francisco and Seattle. The reason for the trip is: I had an unused airline ticket that a friend had purchased for me for a trip that never materialized, and as of last October 6, I'm an uncle -- I want to see my new niece, Stella Rose Smith, which means a trip to Seattle to see my brother, Sean. This gives me lots of time to explore both cities. Unfortunately, what I won't have is lots of money -- my partner is currently idled thanks to a strike at the Community College of Philadelphia, so I have to watch my pennies for the duration. I do think, though, that I should have enough to afford at least one decent meal. I'd love to hear your recommendations for good, inexpensive/cheap eats in the Seattle area. One other caveat: Your recommendations should be accessible by public transportation if possible; even though I will be staying with Sean, I'm not renting a car and will want to be able to get around by myself--which may be a little more difficult than I think, as Sean lives in Woodinville, on that side of Lake Washington. (Besides, look at my posting handle and .sig.) Guess I need to do some research on the Seattle Metro Web site before heading out that way.

Not to hijack this great blog, but there are some problems. First of all, cilantro is used a great deal in certain kinds of Indian food, as well as in Cantonese food, etc., etc. Ginger is used in South and Southeast as well as East Asian food. And "curry" is not an ingredient in Indian food, but rather, essentially a catchall term to describe various kinds of dishes -- many of which we'd think of as similar to stews -- using a masala (blend of spices, but one which isn't normally bought already blended in a store). ← And while we're at it, curries are a staple of Caribbean cooking too. At least the article didn't toss in "jerk seasoning" -- which is a blend of spices -- for good measure. Blog on, Ellen....

From April 3 through 10, I will be visiting two cities I've long wanted to visit for the first time: San Francisco and Seattle. The reason for the trip is: I had an unused airline ticket that a friend had purchased for me for a trip that never materialized, and as of last October 6, I'm an uncle -- I want to see my new niece, Stella Rose Smith, which means a trip to Seattle to see my brother, Sean. (I'll be staying with a cousin in Oakland and a friend in The City while in the Bay Area.) This gives me lots of time to explore both cities. Unfortunately, what I won't have is lots of money -- my partner is currently idled thanks to a strike at the Community College of Philadelphia, so I have to watch my pennies for the duration. I do think, though, that I should have enough to afford at least one decent meal. Of course, the French Laundry -- and probably Chez Panisse as well -- are out of the question. I know that housing in the Bay Area is crazy expensive, but that can't be true for dining out, can it? I'd love to hear your recommendations for good, inexpensive/cheap eats in the Bay Area. One other caveat: Your recommendations must be accessible by public transportation, as I'm not renting a car while in the area. (Besides, look at my posting handle and .sig.) Take it away, folks...

It's most definitely not Tex-Mex. It's probably closer to what you prefer. Cheese is not part of the setup, tomatoes (but not tomatillos, IIRC) are nonexistent, and the meats offered are far from the ground/shredded beef/pork/chicken you usually run into in Tex-Mex joints. The first time I was there, I ordered the (mumble; I want to say "carnitas" but don't believe that's the word) tacos -- pork loin topped with a pineapple and cooked on a vertical broiler. The pineapple juice trickles down into the pork loin, making for a very tasty treat. And they're only $6.

As of now, no, unless I hear from someone besides you. Right now, it's just you and me on that day. And with my partner on strike, I need to watch my expenditures. I'm open to suggestions for alternate dates. (I will be out of town from April 3-10.)

Nah, I'm a total Euro-American product there--in fact, cheese used to be my second-worst temptation right behind greasy meaty stuff. However, I do confess to sometimes still being a little startled by modern Asian dishes that incorporate dairy in non-traditional ways--for instance, cream cheese in sushi rolls. Philly rolls! (Named, of course, for the cream cheese, not because they originated in Philadelphia. In that sense, they are worthy descendants of the cream cheese itself.) I have this recollection of reading somewhere an item that basically boiled down a bunch of ethnic and national cuisines to one or two key ingredients. Cilantro? Mexican. Ginger? East Asian. Curry? Indian. And so on. The article was a sort of culinary equivalent of the hip-hop music practice of "sampling." In this fashion, one could theoretically replicate the entire United Nations in a single dish, which would in all likelihood be nearly inedible. So had you retained your religious as well as ethnic ties, you would no doubt be a Reconstructionist Jew. Say what you will about Christianity, it lets you off the hook for a multitude of sins. (There's a passage in, I believe, Acts where the Apostle Paul is presented with a vision in which all sorts of unclean foods are laid before him in a sort of huge buffet, and the voice of the Lord commands him to eat. He protests that the law forbids this, but the Lord replies that through the sacrifice of Christ, we are released from having to observe these petty rules. I could comment further on this, but that would be venturing way OT. )

Checking in late for my flight to disgustingly sunny San Diego! And let me add my Huzzahs and Congratulations on your successful shedding of 114 pounds one at a time. Spinning my wheels as I am in the neighborhood of 205, I can only salute you. (I'm probably engaged in self-sabotage. However, I did take one piece of advice you gave me a while back: I keep cases of Laughing Cow Light cheese in my desk drawer for snacking, along with tins of sardines; this--I hope!--helps cut down on the urge to overindulge at the campus dining hall, which I manage to do on my weekly visits.) Keep up the good work, Ducks! Now, on to your travels so far: Looks like a former Safeway, vintage mid-'60s. Am I in the ballpark? Actually, while we're on the subject of light cheese, you might want to see if you can find Cabot 50% Light Cheddar out your way. It actually has a distinct Cheddar sharpness and decent mouthfeel, though you can tell the difference between it and their full-fat product. Still, I've tried it, and it's not too shabby at all. (I don't know whether Tillamook makes a similar product. As I consider Cabot and Tillamook roughly equal in quality, with Tillamook having the edge on flavor, if you do happen to find something that calls itself "Tillamook Light Cheddar," try it. I know I haven't seen such a creature over on this coast.) No wonder you said you were thinking of me as you posted your fridge shots! Your fridge could easily pass for my own. So could your kitchen, with some minor alterations (a real tile floor and varnished hardwood door and drawer faces). Do you keep a messy desk too? Switching gears only slightly: I found out on Saturday that a fellow PGMCer in the baritone section is one of those cultural rarities: He's Vietnamese-American, and he loves cheese.* He got this from his father, who, he told me, routinely ordered pizza with extra cheese, took out chopsticks, ate the cheese off the pizza, and discarded the rest of the pie. Usually, Asian cuisines and dairy foods don't mix. Do you find your love of both in any way unusual? *I have made it a mission to have this fellow and Vince (see second foodblog) over soon for a cheese orgy.

What is work to one may be pleasure to another. Again, I'll reference cooking. Not all the chefs in the world cook solely for a "warm feeling". ← Samuel Johnson famously wrote, "None but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." I violate this rule every time I post here, and I do write for money, too. Just not about food, at least not lately. A former colleague and still friend of mine warned me away from applying for an opening in SEPTA's public relations department with the advice, "Never make your avocation your vocation." A lot of the really good blogs out there are, or at least started out as, avocations; if someone else decides that a person is so good at his or her avocation that she or he deserves to get paid for it, I don't think that's a real violation of this principle. I consider the ability of many in cyberspace to flagrantly flout Dr. Johnson's axiom one of the beautiful things about the 'Net. But as has already been noted, it can prove exhausting, and if it gets to that point, oftentimes the choice one makes is to get paid or get out.

Actually, I think this subject has been covered on this board before: I vaguely recall a similar query posted here within the last two months, which generated the usual passel of helpful responses from PhillieGulleteer food fans. eGullet's search engine being what it is, however, I'm not surprised that you may not have unearthed this thread when you went on this board looking for advice. So herewith the Short List of the Good Everyday Stuff You Will Want to Eat: 1. Reading Terminal Market. Pick any prepared foods vendor (but pass on Rick's Philly Steaks -- save your cheesesteak slot for one of those below). 2. Tony Luke's, but try the roast pork Italian before the cheesesteak. 3. John's Roast Pork, but try the cheesesteak before the roast pork, and beware--it's only open during the day. And as a bonus, here are a few places that offer Great Cheap Eats You Probably Didn't Expect to Find in Philly: 1. Taqueria La Puebla. Try some of the more exotic varieties if you dare. A real bargain at twice the price. 2. Szechuan Tasty House. (Well, maybe you did expect this one, as Philly does have one of the country's oldest Chinatowns.) 3. Rangoon. Around the corner and up 9th from Szechuan Tasty House. 4. Pho 75. You will feel like you've been sent back to your high school cafeteria, but the soup is to die for.) (Reading Terminal Market: 12th and Filbert streets, Center City. Tony Luke's: 39 Oregon Avenue, South Philly; Broad Street Line to Oregon station, then Bus Route 7 eastbound to Front Street. John's Roast Pork: Water Street and Snyder Avenue, South Philly; Broad Street Line to Snyder Avenue station, then Bus Route 79 eastbound to Water Street; construction in the area has the buses detoured in the vicinity of John's, so ask your bus driver for directions. Taqueria La Puebla: 9th Street between Ellsworth and Federal; Bus Route 47 southbound on 8th Street or Bus Route 47m northbound on 9th to Ellsworth or Federal streets; it's midblock on the east side of 9th. Szechuan Tasty House is on Arch Street just west of 9th, and Rangoon on 9th between Arch and Race. Pho 75: 12th Street and Washington Avenue; Broad Street Line to Ellsworth-Federal, then Bus Route 64 east on Federal to 11th and Washington; Pho 75 is in the Asian shopping center that stretches from 11th to 12th on Washington's south side.)

Asparagus! I completely forgot about asparagus! It's right about now that the tender young spears make their appearance in local markets, as asparagus is the first product of the Garden State to come into season each year. And while it's not eaten raw, you can't get much simpler than steaming for just a few minutes to bring out its color and flavor.

And what was YOUR response to HIS question? After all, from an African-American perspective, that's equally inconceivable. Although (a) I have committed this apostasy myself on occasion and (b) I have run across blue boxes in other African-American households, though usually they are kept discreetly tucked away behind other more respectable products in the pantry.