rlibkind

The chickens have come home to roast. For Charles Giunta that's a good thing. A ruling today by Common Pleas Court Judge Mark I. Bernstein gave Giunta the right to sell hot rotisserie chicken from his stall at the Reading Terminal Market, Giunta's Prime Shop. Giunta had been seeking to sell the cooked birds for more than a year, but was turned down by RTM General Manager Paul Steinke on the basis that Giunta's lease did not permit him to sell hot foods. Giunta sued the market and today Judge Bernstein ruled from the bench that there's nothing in the lease to prevent the butcher from selling the rotisserie chicken. The market's board holds a regular meeting tomorrow and will consider whether or not to appeal. Steinke said Giunta's lease was written to allow the vendor to sell pre-cooked meats for consumption at home as well as prepared meats (for instance, stuffed meats) for cooking at home, much as Harry Ochs & Sons does. Also influencing Steinke's initial rejection of Giunta's request was concern it would harm the existing business of another merchant, Dienner's Bar-B-Q, which deals primarily in rotisserie chicken. The suit has been simmering for about a year, but unlike the highly publicized and emotional battle with Rick Olivieri of Rick's Steaks, which took on the dimensions of the personalities involved, this was "strictly business". It totally lacked the histrionics of the earlier case which resulted in a settlement in the market's favor in which Olivieri left the market.

I agree with upthread comments: Ted Drewes and toasted ravioli are the quintessential St. Louis foods. It's also worth a visit to The Hill to visit Volpi's retail store, 5250 Daggett. One of the better domestic makers of Italian salamis and meats. As for the buttercakes, while the St. Louis version is justly renowned, any urban center with a substantial German population probably offers it. I get a great version here in Philadelphia at Haegele's Bakery.

You're right, that ain't lox. It's not even ersatz lox, however. What you're making is ersatz smoked salmon, or Nova lox. Real lox (a.k.a. belly lox) is simply brined, never smoked. Mostly, I use Wright's as an additive to canned baked beans, and occasionally added to a sauce for application after cooking/grilling.

I live no more than two blocks from most of the restaurants mentioned, so here goes. The food at L'Oca is quite good. If it weren't for the excessive decibel levels I'd be a regular. You absolutely cannot have a conversation inside, though outdoor seating, if you can get it, is nice with its view of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. (Off-topic: if you haven't been to the prison and can make some time, do visit.) I'm a fan of Jack's Firehouse, though I'll admit on occasion a dish can miss. The BBQ pork isn't nearly as spicy as it was two or three years ago. Fun interior in an old firehouse. Rembrandts has a great bar scene and bar menu. The full menu in dining room (very pleasant and lovely to dine in), however, can't compare to London Grill, which is my fav neighborhood restaurant. If you want simple, basic Greek, Zorba's will not disappoint. Not the best in town, but it satisfies. I haven't been there for a while, but Figs is good and I understand it's kept up its standards. Moroccan-influenced food. I've been disppointed in Illuminaire's food, though the decor is handsome, and there's a backyard patio that's delightful, away from the street.

Both are excellent but Cod is the better book if you just want one.

The farmers' market at The Piazza at Schmidt's in Northern Liberties is going strong, at least to judge by the number of vendors. I counted 23 vendors this morning, though customers were few and far between during the market's opening hour beginning at 10 a.m. One vendor told me his shoppers tended to sleep in and not show up until noontime or soon thereafter. Whether the vendors keep up their presence when other farmers' markets open and their selling opportunities multiply in May is yet to be seen. But those I spoke with have been happy with sales since the market opened in January Producers participating today included: Shellbark Hollow goat cheese Highland Orchards, produce Birchrun Hills Farm, cheese and meats Weaver's Way, produce Landisdale Farm, produce (also at Clark Park on Saturday) Whimsical Farm, mushrooms, wool products (will add produce later this season, as well as their beef, pork, poultry and lamb come fall) Culton Organics, produce, including fresh garlic M&B Farview Farm, meats Natural Meadow, meats Hillside Nursery Plenty of bakers and sweets-makers were there today: La Baguette Big Sky Bakery Market Canele (sharing a stall with Joe's Coffee) Amaranth Bakery (gluten-free) Ian's Baked Goods (sharing stall with Culton) John + Kira Chocolates Wild Flour Bakery My House Cookies Other vendors: Joe's Coffee Verain-Savon, soaps and body goods Barbie-Lu's Sassy Salsa Penn Herb Just Dogs Gourmet Philadelphia Phaithful Sports Apparel Produce was primarily root vegetables and storage apples, though some offered greenhouse greens. Culton was selling early spring garlic, dandelions and other greens.

Tom Culton, whose Culton Organics supplies lots of regional chefs as well as shoppers at Headhouse Square and other farmers' markets with produce in season, is ordering more goslings to meet demand for foie gras. This year marks Culton's first into foie gras production. When he first told me last month he had purchased 300 geese for his humanely raised foie gras his entire production had already been sold out, primarily to restaurateurs. Based on growing interest he'll be adding to his gaggle, therefore, there will be more geese for us to gander for gras.

After 17 years, Earl Livengood is leaving the Reading Terminal Market. But come May the market will add a farmers' market on Sundays with up to 14 growers and value-added producers. In recent years the Lancaster farmer and hauled his produce to the market, leaving his wife Joyce to staff the stall with a helper while he trekked to the Bryn Mawr farmers' market. This year, prompted by declining sales at the RTM, he decided to avoid the mileage by continuing at Bryn Mawr on Saturdays while adding a new market at the Upper Merion Township Building in King of Prussia. The market's fees may not have been the major reason for Earl's departure; his rents ranged from $25 to $75/day, with the higher fee levied at the peak of the local produce season. A bigger influence my have been the competition due to the availability of local produce at the Fair Food Farmstand, Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce, O.K. Lee and Iovine Brothers Livengood will continue to sell his produce (and son Dwain's beef) Tuesedays at South and Passyunk and Thursdays at Fairmount. Paul Steinke, RTM general manager, learned of Livengood's decision Thursday. At the spot in center court where Livengood has sold since 1993 Steinke installed a table and a commemorative book, which shoppers could sign wishing the Livengood's good fortune in their non-RTM endeavors. No doubt Steinke wants to keep in Livengood's favor, should Earl find the other Saturday venues not as profitable and wish to return. Steinke would welcome him back with open arms. The farmers market will begin either the second or third week of May across 12th street, next to the outdoor Parkway parking lot between Arch and Cuthbert streets. There's space for 14 vendors (no sandwich vendors). Farm To City, which will manage the market for the RTM, has lined up nearly half a dozen sellers so far, and hopes to fill it out by opening. Hours will 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, with possible expansion to another day if demand warrants. Jim Iovine, who owns Iovine Brothers with sibling Vinnie, told me he welcomes the competition. If it draws additional shoppers to the RTM, Iovine figures he'll get more business from buyers who can't meet all their needs at the outdoor venue. Iovine said Sunday remains one of his busiest days, third behind Saturday and Friday.

Wan's Seafood has the first Boston mackerel I've seen this season, but it was pretty wan-looking, and pricey at $3.49. Better to wander over to John Yi's or Golden Seafood: both were selling Spanish mackerel, $2.99 at the former, $3.49 at the latter. Spanish mackerel is just as tasty as the Boston variety, and quite similar in taste and a tad more meaty. Speaking of seafood, you could get your shrimp and grits for breakfast today at the Down Home Diner. The Rock Shrimp Scampi and Grits special was $7.99. Iovine Brothers Produce still had ramps, $1.99 for a bunch of four to six. Earlier this week I par-boiled the whites, chiffonaded the greens and added them to a foil package of halibut, carrots and parnips before baking for 17 minutes at 425F. In addition to the ramps Iovine's had another sign of spring, California strawberries, $1 for a one-pound clamshell. And to go with them you could buy intensely ruby-red rhubarb from the Pacific Northwest, $3.99/pound. A new item at Iovine's is Tropicana-branded clementines. It's the end of the season, but this Califormia citrus, selling at $5.99 for a five-pound box, had an intense, alluring aroma when you break them open.

It's not inbetween the two points, and it will undoubtedly be busy, but the line moves quickly and the food is worth it: Shapiro's Deli, 808 S. Meridian, right off the same I-70 exit you'd take for the stadium.

It must be spring, because Iovine Brothers Produce touted the first ramps of the season this week. They're only $1.99 a bunch . . . but the bunches are very small. The one I picked out seemed the heftiest, and it weighed out at only two ounces. That puts the cost at somewhere around $16/pound. It's a good thing a little goes a long way. I plan to use them with some halibut tonight. Also featured at Iovine's this week: * California strawberries, $1 for a one-pound pack * Lettuces, 99-cents a head (romaine, iceberg, green and red leaf) * Asparagus (U.S.), pencil thin, $1.99/bunch * Seedless grapes, $1 for one-pound pack

The Rittenhouse Farmers' Market, which went year-round this past winter, is attracting more vendors as spring arrives. Last Saturday the market, operated by Farm To City, boasted four actual producers of produce or dairy products, along with two bakers and a chocolatier. Daryl Rineer had four tables worth of root veggies, storage apples and a few other goodies. Davidson Exotic Mushroom provided fungi. Hail's Dairy brought their cow udder output, in both fresh and cheesy forms, and Linden Dale Farms offered goat cheeses and products. Breads, rolls and pastries were supplied by La Baguette while Amaranth offered its gluten-free equivalents. John + Kira were there with chocolates. In future weeks before the spring produce arrives (which isn't that far away) you will probably see two more cheese makers. Cherry Grove, from the Lawrenceville NJ area, is renounded for their tomme and other cow milk cheeses. Rabbits Run specializes in aged goat cheese; that's a rarity in these parts, since most goat cheese producers in these parts stick to fresh cheese.

It's too early. Don't expect to see them until late April, mid-April at the earliest. That's been the experience of Sam Consylman, who gathers them in Lancaster County and sells them via Earl Livengood at the Reading Terminal Market and other locations. I don't imagine they are earlier than that in other parts of eastern Pennsylvania.

Isn't "gefilte" simply Yiddish for stuffed? So any stuffed fish is, indeed, gefilte fish? (Gefüllt in German, from whence a lot of Yiddish derives, like אָנגעפילט.)

Correction: Nolia's kitchen is in the Old Kensington-Northern Liberties area, not South Philly.

We're blessed in Philadelphia with some excellent chocolates made in the region. John + Kira, Neuchatel, Eclat and others, including those made in-house at Lacroix. Now add Nolia to the list. From the depths of South Philly, Kristin and Samantha are concocting some great flavors using single origin Carenero beans from Venezuela. She Who Must Be Obeyed attended a tasting Saturday at the home of one of the principals in Fairmount and was bowled over. This is a lady who, when asked for her favorite chocolatier, answers: Marcolini. I tried a few from the small box SWMBO brought home. Rosemary Goat. Inspired by a flavor fav at Capogiro, the rosemary comes on just strong enough without overpowering the other components. Bourbon Cherry. Simply put, the best damned cherry cordial I've ever tasted. The cherry itself, as well as the filling, have an intense bourbon flavor which, again, augments rather than overpowers this bonbon's cherryness. Raspberry Champagne. 'Nuff said. Lemon Pepper. The hit of Saturday's tasting, and my No. 2 behind the cherry among those I tasted; the bits of pepper pepper the top of the chocolate. iirc, SWMBO said she was told the pepper comes from a single estate of one of the principals' acquaintances in Costa Rica. SWMBO also tried a Mango Buttercream which she found appealing. There are lots of other flavors, as well as those they make when prime ingredients become available; these aren't listed on the website, but when you order an assortment a couple of these will be included. Nolia appears to be priced competitively for high quality chocolates. The 12-piece assortment SWMBO brought home for $20 weighed out at 7.5 ounces, which works out to less than $43 a pound. The 24-piece box, assuming it weighs in at 15 ounces, would be priced at less than $41/pound. I didn't try them, but for Easter Nolia is offering a variety of filled eggs, including a large hollow egg filled with truffles. You can order online, with shipping charges (First Class or Fedex), though you can avoid those by arranging to pick up your order in town. For any Manhattanites reading this post, another tasting will be held this Thursday in NYC. Although it's by invitation, my guess is you can wrangle an invite to contacting Kristin via the website; just tell her I sent you.

Nick Ochs I had a chance to talk a bit about beef yesterday with Nick Ochs of Harry G. Ochs & Sons (shown here getting into the spirit -- and garb -- during the Pennsylania Dutch Festival at the Reading Terminal Market a few years ago). The Ochs stall has long been known as a purveyor of prime beef, but given my conversation with Charlie Giunta a few days ago (see my blog post) I wanted to know a bit more about his beef. Nick said he uses the same suppliers in Lancaster County as his dad Harry did. He exclusively buys USDA prime beef sides, which was a mild surprise to me, since I thought only some of his inventory was prime. The only time he orders choice, he said, is when a customer specifically requests it; an example he gave was someone who wanted ribs with a bit less fat on them. His suppliers hang the sides he selects for four weeks, which is as long as most butchers and restaurants selling or serving dry aged beef. Even the meat that goes into his ground beef ages that long since it's all coming from the same sides and ground at the store. A few customers like their beef for steak and roasts aged longer, and Nick obliges. Lynn Abraham, for example, goes for six weeks. He's even had a rare customer (a Manhattanite who forsook Lobel's for Ochs via mail order) who asked for eight weeks. Beyond eight weeks, says Nick, the beef becomes way too livery tasting. Occasionally, when his supply at the store is low, he might pull some sides from his suppliers' aging rooms at three weeks, but that's the exception, not the rule. All of Nick's beef and poultry comes from Lancaster County. The lamb and pork come from farther afield. Nick said his sales of prime dry aged beef have held up pretty well, even though they took a dip early in the recent recession. Five or six years ago a lot of market shoppers thought the lack of bright red color like they find in supermarket wet aged beef indicated poor quality. Today more shoppers are aware of prime beef and its characteristics, Nick said.

Benuel Kauffman Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce has been a fixture at the Reading Terminal Market for 20 years. Benuel Kauffman is among the handful of greengrocers who work directly with area farmers to bring their fruits and vegetables to the Reading Terminal Market. (The others are Iovine Brother's Produce and O.K. Lee, who have contracts with farmers to provide certain produce, Fair Food Farmstand and, to a lesser extent, L. Halteman.) Ben says his customers have been asking when they'll start to see green things at his stall, which is now stocked with beans, canned goods, preserves and other packaged foods. If the weather cooperates he expects asparagus to show up in about three or four weeks. Don't curse all that snow we had this winter. Ben says the thick layer of white stuff melted slowly, which was very good in prepping the soil for planting and for those crops already in the ground waiting to spring up with longer days and moderate weather. Ben's been working in the market since the early 1980s when he helped out a fellow Amishman who operated a produce stand at the market, originally located where the Down Home Diner rules today. With the improvement of the market during convention center construction his predecessor moved to the seating area closest to Arch Street. A few years later he left the market, so Ben established his stall where Moyer's Pork Products of Blooming Glen was ensconced for a few decades. (You can still see the lettering for Moyer's stall at Ben's; we both lament the loss of Moyers and his superior hams, the best either of us have ever tasted.) Although Ben obtains most of his produce from neighbors, he outs in a few crops himself, including green beans, peas and a few other vegetables.

The first day of spring -- and a gorgeous one at that -- drew plenty of shoppers, vendors and a couple of music makers to Clark Park yesterday, the year-round farmers' market in West Philly operated by The Food Trust. Even the daffodils cooperated by coming out in bloom. If you wanted a few salad greens, they could be obtained from Brogue Hydroponics. The York Country grower, after an experiment for a few weeks last year, added Clark Park to their regular rotation of farmers' markets this year. They also sell at Eastern Market in York, Anselma Mill Market in Chester Spring and Bel Air Market in Bel Air, Maryland. The six-greenhouse operation, which also wholesales to restaurants, utilizes integrated pest management. Other produce vendors at Clark Park (whose fresh offerings were mostly restricted to root vegetables and storage apples) included Eden Garden, Hail's Family Farm (dairy), Mountain View Farm (poultry), Landisdale Farm, Keystone Farm, and Noelle Margerum. Also on hand were Forest View Bakery, Market Day Canele, John & Kira Chocolates, Slow Rise Bakery, and Honest Tom's Tacos.

Earlier this week Iovine Brothers Produce featured California strawberries at $1.99 for a one-pound clamshell. Yesterday they added Florida berries at the same price. As good as they looked and smelled, I'm still holding off until our local berries appear in May, though if you're hankering for a strawberry strawcake there's no reason to wait.

Although a couple year-round farmers' markets are open (Clark Park, Rittenhouse Square and the Piazza at Schmidt's, Saturdays, Suburban Station on Thursdays), the full range of city and suburban markets will start to open in early May, beginning with Headhouse Square on May 2 and Fairmount on May 6. As I wrote last spring (see post) the Reading Terminal Market is considering sponsoring a farmer's market. Although nothing's set in stone at this point, it's looking likely for opening sometime this spring or summer, probably in cooperation with Farm To City. It would be open on Sundays and located on the sidewalk adjacent to the open air parking lot across 12th Street from the market, which is different than the original thought that it would be opening Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m.

When Charles Giunta opened Giunta's Prime Shop at the Reading Terminal Market a couple years ago his goal was to offer natural, hormone-free meats. It didn't work. As Charlie has complained to me on numerous occasions, customers like all-natural, hormone-free, no-antibiotics beef, but few want to pay the freight. Price beats all. As evidence, he points out that the Reading Terminal Market has the highest volume of food stamp purchases in the state, and these shoppers have to be particularly thrifty. Shoppers who are fortunate enough not to need food stamps are just as thrifty. With few exceptions they also buy on price, though just like food stamp shoppers they seek the best possible quality for their buck. The market for the premium meat remains small. Either of the city's two Whole Foods store, which carry hormone-free, natural meats exclusively, sell only half the dollar volume that he does each week, Giunta estimates. Even Harry Ochs, long renowned as the market's premier butcher specializing in prime meats, doesn't move much of the good stuff: look at Ochs' cases and you'll see nearly half the space taken up by prepared foods and Boar's Head deli meats; much of the fresh meat that remains, while certainly of high quality, is conventionally-raised. Although Giunta has concluded he can't make a living if he relied on all-natural product, that doesn't mean he won't stop trying to make it work, at least for part of his business. This weekend, you can expect to see all-natural, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats from Peterson & Shaner, a small-scale operation in Douglassville, not far from Pottstown. Peterson & Shaner raises about 50 head of Black Angus for slaughter each year, as it has since the 1950s. The beef is grass fed until shortly before slaughter, when they are switched to corn and other grains grown on the farm. They are shipped only so far as a Quakertown slaughterhouse for processing, with the carcasses sent back to Douglassville where individual customers can order whole sides which are they butchered while they watch (and the customer does his or her own packing). They hang the beef for two weeks before they let the customer do the packing. Because Peterson & Shaner doe not use growth hormones, the sides are smaller than most commercial beef, which means the steaks and other cuts will be smaller (though you can always get a thicker cut of steak if you want more meat). It also means don't expect any filet mignons, since the tenderloins are much too small. Giunta made a trip Sunday to Douglassville and came back with three sides, which he's starting to cut today. As of this morning, he's still figuring out the pricing, but expect them to be a few bucks a pound more than his usual product. If you want have access to this type of quality beef at the Reading Terminal Market, bite the bullet and go buy some this weekend. If Giunta doesn't move it at a price at which he can make a fair profit, don't expect to see it in the future.

First time I've ever spied it at the Reading Terminal Market, but Golden Fish had conch today, $12.99/pound.

The chives in the backyard container started to shoot up last week, enough so I could clip some as a soup garnish last evening. But that doesn't mean we'll see local produce anytime soon. Maybe we'll see ramps (and they won't be local) by late March, and perhaps some tiny potatoes from Earl Livengood by mid-April, but asparagus will have to wait for late April, and strawberries another three weeks or so beyond that. But if you're hankering for spring, there's alway Mexico and California. Iovine's Brother Produce offered asparagus and strawberries this week at reasonable prices, and the quality didn't look bad. The Mexican asparagus, $1.99 for a one-pound bunch, was thin and bright green; though the purple-topped local variety will no doubt be tastier, these didn't look bad. The California berries were huge, if not fully ripe. $2.50 for a one-pound clamshell. Cacus pears must be in season in Mexico and Southwest. Both Iovine's and O.K. Lee have been selling them at bargain prices. The former had slightly smallish ones today at five for a buck today.

Bill Beck of Beck's Cajun Café says he's solved his beignet problem and assures me they're light and fluffy inside, and crispy on the exterior. I haven't tried them to confirm yet. They are available on Wednesdays and Sundays only. Bill's beignet man (who comes in the night before to prep the dough) makes only enough for 30 orders each day. Beck tried the beignets last year, but the results were inconsistent at best. He shut down beignets until he could invest the time to figure out what was goint wrong and fix it.