MarketStEl

So I see that in addition to the Grey Lodge and Southwark in Philly--neither of which I have been to--they did include a place I have been to: Julius' in Greenwich Village, which was a gay bar before anyone--anyone straight, that is--knew what a gay bar was and a true classic. I'm sorry I wasn't tipped off to this post during the research phase. I might have suggested a couple of places in Philly, including a shrine to Pabst Blue Ribbon that also happens to have good jazz and the best drag show in town and a little neighborhood corner bar on Ellsworth at 15th where everyone's a neighbor, even the strangers who just happened across it. Then again, I'll wager that someone had already nominated Bob & Barbara's Lounge (the PBR shrine) and it didn't make the initial cut, for that place is among Philly's legendary bars. However, I'd be surprised if anyone put up Scotty's Bar (the place on Ellsworth, which I found out about only because I met the owner's nephew) for consideration. Maybe someone might be so kind as to give me a heads-up when this exercise is repeated next year? And now I'll have to unbury my copy of the June Esquire and read the entire article.

My own district councilman is Frank DiCicco. He has struck me as one of the more thoughtful and intelligent members of Council. Perhaps in addition to sending nastygrams to Councilman Kelly, we should send notes to our own district Councilpeople or any of the four currently seated at-large members (I don't think Councilman Cohen's seat has been filled yet) suggesting that if Kelly's proposed ordinance sees the light of day, they dispatch it to the bottom of the Delaware quickly.

Guess I'm gonna have to leave work early on certain Tuesdays. The 12th and St. James market is right across the street from me, but the earliest train I can catch from work gets me into town at 6:03.

"the town where they are made" being Chicago? Kyoto? Somewhere else? And "they" are...? This is one of those occasions where you should have used the "quote reply," as I did here, rather than a plain old reply.

Enzo is named after Enzo Ferrari, since he's a nice Ferrari red (I hope this doesn't tread on any Piaggio toes or anything, but I don't know too much about the company history)[....] ← Weird, I tell you. Yesterday morning on the 109 bus from 69th Street (I missed the 7:47 R3 to Swarthmore), I was reading a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer about some bizarre car crash in California in which a strange character made mincemeat of a Ferrari Enzo by sending it into a utility pole at somewhere north of 160 mph. The driver was badly injured but survived, and it seems that all sorts of shady things about him are coming to the surface as the authorities investigate the accident and how the driver managed to get his hands on the car, which wasn't his. The Enzo is one of those rare "exotic" sports cars--only a few hundred were produced, and each one sells for probably about what your condo fetched (somewhere around US$600,000). The article includes lamentations from exotic-car buffs. I trust that your Vespa is nowhere near that exotic and that you wouldn't jet around Vancouver on it doing 160 anyway (if it is capable of that speed to begin with). Good luck getting your kitchen to fall into place. Your range is a Wolf, but it looks like your fridge is not a Sub-Zero (not that I would suspect you would get one after reading the rather discouraging posts about SZ reliability here on eG), but rather something much more mundane. It actually bears some resemblance to the Frigidaire in my apartment, except that you have a bottom-freezer model. Anything inside it yet?

Look at the bright side... Unlike the roads and school reform, we're not likely to have Harrisburg step in to handle the matter.

Awwwwww..... I hope both of you enjoy your special night--just the two of you, with neither of us looking over your shoulders. And enjoy your well-deserved rest from the series of wind sprints that is foodblogging. Mike, you did us all proud on this blog. As for the other Pennsylvania subject that at once unites and divides the two of us, all I will say is this: It looks like regardless what I may think of the electorate in the rest of the state, they are more engaged and aware than Philadelphians are! You have my permission to insert your favorite "corrupt and contented" comment in response. (To the non-Pennsylvanians reading this: Yesterday was the state primary election. Voters in a number of districts--only one of which is in metropolitan Philadelphia--tossed out long-serving legislators, including the two top leaders in the state Senate, as punishment for a stealth pay raise they voted themselves in the middle of the night last year, then took right away via a questionable constitutional loophole the courts provided for them some time back.)

Oh, Lordy, Lordy... Bad ideas have a way of spreading, don't they? Joel Assouline, quoted in the story, is right, but that won't make a dime's worth of difference if this gets into too many folks' heads. As for the "foie gras is a heart attack on a plate" argument: So is a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a side of fries. Gonna ban those too, Councilman Kelly? As for secondhand smoke: It may not be "torture," but unlike foie, those of us who don't like it don't have the option of simply choosing not to consume it if we go into places where smoking is permitted.

A great big Thank You! to all three of you for reopening the big hole in my culinary soul that was first blasted open when I moved out of an apartment building with a courtyard. I love my countertop grill, but there are some things you just can't do with one of those. Yes, I've heard of indoor smokers too. But where would I put one of those in my relatively compact kitchen? And they still use electricity, not charcoal. Hey, at least I got to relive the thrill of the (outdoor) grill vicariously through this blog. And Mike--you deserve a gold star and several stiff drinks for soldiering on through the wettest week in Pennsylvania since Hurricane Agnes drowned the state in 1973. It's been a load of fun watching you all expose your butts as well. Would that I had one that looked that good!

I'm envious, Mike. I'm eating leftover tuna casserole today for the second day in a row. I'll have my notebook at the ready to jot down recommendations. I usually buy mine from Hatville Farms (where I took the picture). It would be great to have something like that waiting for me after my lunch-hour workout.

Barbecue syrup! Tell me more...

closed now. ← That was quick! What happened? I thought they were doing OK at 40th and Chestnut.

Saw what you were talking about. Maybe the fellow couldn't afford the tests required for the permit you need to sell raw milk for human consumption, for the only other listing in Allegheny County was discouraging: The farms that produce raw milk around Philadelphia all seem to be doing well, especially Trent and Rachel Hendricks' operation in Telford. In their case, it may be because they sell raw milk cheese and organic meat as well.

I don't know where Anonymouze lives, but if she is in a large city with a Japanese or Korean population of any size, she should be able to find ready-made tofu without having to spend a fortune on it. At most of the Asian supermarkets in and around Philadelphia, one can find dirt cheap, perfectly good tofu. I just snagged a pound of firm tofu from a Reading Terminal Market produce vendor (Korean) for 99 cents. The way my college's food service prepared tofu scarred me deeply, and I avoided it for a couple of decades afterwards. I now find it a valuable addition to my menu repertoire, even though I remain a carnivore at heart. Ellen's techniques for preparing vegetables are worth considering, and mushrooms are a good flavoring agent to have on hand. BTW, Ellen, wish me luck: I've started spending my lunch hours working out at Widener's Wellness Center. I'm hoping that this will enable me to shed my spare tire without having to make drastic alterations in my eating habits.

Personally, I prefer Coca-Cola Zero over Diet Coke. Coke Zero has a blend of sweeteners rather than just one, and the combination works better than any of them do alone. It's pretty darned close to the taste of regular Coke, and you almost don't notice an aftertaste.

From the archives, three weeks back: (Taken at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. It's in the rightmost of the three columns--regular in front, sweet in back.) I'm looking forward to seeing it in its applied state, in a sandwich.

Pet food? I don't understand why these farms have to resort to any subterfuge to sell raw milk to consumers in Pennsylvania, for this state has very few restrictions on the sale of raw milk. Farmers and retail stores in the Commonwealth may sell raw milk to consumers. All farmers who produce raw milk for retail sale must have a permit from the state and regularly test their herds and milk for contamination and disease. Those who produce milk for sale to retail stores (which may resell it without a permit) must have their own bottling and labeling operations. (Wawa Inc. had just such a setup for decades and delivered "certified milk" throughout the region and down at the Jersey Shore. I believe the company has long since ceased to sell raw milk.) Raw milk cheese may also be sold by any licensed dairy in the state and resold anywhere else in the state, but no other raw milk products are legal for sale because the state has not developed standards of identity for them. Here is a list of dairy farms in the state that sell raw milk and raw milk cheese.

Hey, Mike, you kept your impending bloggerdom well hidden! I hope that when you're not busy smokin', you will show everyone a little bit of Pennsylvania Dutch country up close and personal. (Somewhat relevant aside: In my 30 years of living in the Northeast, there has been only one time where I have been in a landscape that actually made me nostalgic for the part of the Midwest where I grew up. That was driving from Harrisburg to Lancaster on PA 283. Yes, you can find that sort of landscape in Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri--the area is much hillier than outsiders imagine it is.) So are you gonna fix us some ribs, Mike? Reveal your rub secrets? Share with us your killer sauce? And while I see that you have a great coffee setup, you still haven't shown us your grill yet. No need to rush--you've got all week, and I'm patient. Welcome to the wonderful world of foodblogging! I hope you have as much fun doing it as I did!

A marvelous report, and amazingly enough, one about a debate where it seems all parties agree on several key points. Reading it, I'm reminded once again of an old witticism: "In the South, they don't care how close you get, as long as you don't get too big. In the North, they don't care how big you get, as long as you don't get too close." Neither is a desirable option, but if I had to choose one of these forms of subjugation as my departure point for improving race relations in America, I'd choose the Southern one, and this article demonstrates why in spades. The truth is, Southern blacks and Southern whites probably know each other better and more intimately than their counterparts in the North do. If it weren't for that little problem with the whites having owned the blacks' ancestors in the past, and then perpetuating that subservience--and dehumanization--by other legal means after emancipation, the Southerners could probably teach the rest of the country a thing or two or three about living with diversity. I wish everyone in the Southern Foodways Alliance well in their efforts to construct a Southern past that all who live there now can take part in. I have no illusions that it will be an easy job. But if they can make a stab at it in Colonial Williamsburg, then there's no reason not to push on.

Freshgrocer at 56th and Market/Chestnut was running a special on store-cooked turkey breast for $2.49 a half pound when I swung by the place yesterday evening. Maybe I'll head home via 69th Street again later this week to buy some. I tell you, this place is fabulous. Their prepared foods to take out section includes Chinese, pizza, traditional comfort fare, Caribbean dishes and soul food. (There might have been some arugula with balsamic vinaigrette stuffed in a corner somewhere, but I wasn't able to sniff it out.) I will also grant that deli turkey breast is always and everywhere not as good as real roasted turkey breast, but also note that Boar's Head is at least edible and tastes like turkey, as opposed to some brands I've had that taste like water and MSG.

You mean to tell me they've gotten tired of poking fun at fashion with their fashions? Oh, you mean this Fiorucci? And which Giant? Giant (Landover, Md.) or Giant (Carlisle, Pa.)? Their Web site says their products are available at Giant stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington D.C. Even though both Giant chains are owned by the same company (Royal Ahold NV), they are separate and distinct operations. The web site lists Acme, Clemens Family Markets, Pathmark, Redner's Warehouse Markets, ShopRite, Wegmans and Weis Markets as the chains that stock their products in and around Southeastern Pennsylvania. (I believe Giant stores in New Jersey are part of the Maryland-based chain.)

Fairly asked -- and you see it correctly as a non-conundrum. To an economist's question, an economist's answer: Three words at the beginning of your question define my entire answer: if the foodstuffs are truly "of identical quality," then I absolutely will use the lower-priced private-label product. I want *value,* not defined simply by price but starting with the delicious quality this purchase will bring to my menu in my home. If I can make my choice with that purchase to obtain equal quality at a better price (for me) from local/private labels, I gain -- and I influence, infinitesimally, the entire retail chain working back from me and my purchases at the register. I have set up, in a very small way, the beginnings of a competition for my business based on *value,* -- but with quality as a defining factor, not price or prestige. Does this help to define my response? (Edited for greater clarity.) ← Very much so, and it's an excellent answer. Just how good it is will be shown by my starting down the slippery slope by changing one word in my original question: Replace "identical" with "comparable." Now we get into the area where taste--that subjective value that you correctly identify as the "controlling variable" in the decision-making process--must come into play. What one person may accept as comparable may strike another as unacceptable. I'll use cream cheese as an example because it's a product I know well and one where I can identify the differences among brands. Generally speaking, Philadelphia Brand is the "gold standard" for the category. I can tell the difference between it and most store brands in both taste (many store brands are noticeably sweeter and have less of a cream flavor; a few are way too salty) and consistency (most other brands are also firmer in their refrigerated, unsoftened state). But given what I use cream cheese for--mainly as a snack--the differences, noticeable though they are, are not so great as to prevent me from purchasing the store brand (unless it's one of those too-salty ones) when it is less expensive. Perhaps if I made lots of cheesecake, the difference would be significant enough for me to insist on "Philly" all the time. The point where this sort of discrimination ceases to be a legitimate quality distinction and starts being one based on snobbery, status-flaunting or ostentation is even harder to fix. I would personally draw the line at insisting on bottled spring water flown halfway around the world when running your municipal supply through a Brita filter will produce something that tastes as good at far lower cost to you and the environment. (To show how variable this is, I would not recoil at someone who buys spring water from Maine in the Northeast, though it would be good if that person could get spring water from as close to where he or she lives as possible--for instance, Pocono Springs in this region.) You may not--and I recall that some people indeed have not in similar areas involving really basic foodstuffs like salt in other discussions here on eG.

Near me, I guess that means DiBruno's on Chestnut. I've not purchased deli items from them yet, though, so I'm only assuming based on the displays. It might also mean Koch's Deli--anyone around here from University City who can confirm or refute? As for that very top level of deli: Nope, haven't run across any of that species around here. At least not yet. Time for another research project, perhaps. D&W has a decent horseradish Cheddar and a pretty good New York State sharp processed, but I can't really do a comparison here, for I haven't bought any Boar's Head cheese save their deli double Gloucester, which I thought lacked the characteristic tanginess of that variety. *sigh* More research.

That's the problem! It's not just good, it's better than the hometown fave! Oh, the ignominy of it all... I think I need a refill on that Hoagizine prescription.

Thanks. Nice--and very clever--review you wrote of the book on Amazon.com, BTW. Since we're talking language for now, I'm going to go off on a tangent: I'm looking forward to going to the office Monday morning to see how--or whether--my boss reacts to the headline I put on a release I wrote about that semester-abroad program I mentioned in my blog: Hospitality Management Students Offered Swiss Stake (There's a more straightforward subhead to bring the thing back down to earth: "New study abroad program offers international perspective".)