rlibkind

Nicky Uy, project manager for The Food Trust, subsequently sent me the full schedule of farmers markets they either sponsor or partner with. I've converted her e-mail Excel file to a web page, which you can find here.

A reader of my blog about markets posted comments which included the schedule of markets sponsored by The Food Trust, including Headhouse (Saturday and Sunday), Fairmount, and other neighborhoods. There will also be a new market on Wednesdays opposite the Franklin Institute at Aviator Park, 20th and Race. You can find that schedule here.

Rather than add lots more posts to last year's Headhouse Square topic, I thought I'd start a new one for 2008 covering all the Philadelphia Farmers' markets. First, the news: there will be new markets this season at City Hall and near Jefferson Hospital, sponsored by Farm to City. FTC's Bob Pierson says he's lined up three "definite" vendors as of earlier this week for City Hall: Fruitwood Orchards (a South Jersey berry, tree fruit, garden vegetable producer), Pumpkin Ridge (cut flowers), and Better Together Bakery (from Havertown). Possible additions include an aquaculturist who grows clams and sea lettuce, a seller of canned/jarred goods (with some fresh veggies), and two youth organizations who are involved in urban gardening. Pierson said that the City Hall market likely wouldn't be much bigger, since space in the venue, the northeast quadrant of the courtyard, is limited. Full details of the Farm to City markets, including schedules, can be found at FTC Farmers Market page., but here are some dates worth noting: <UL><li>South & Passyunk Market opens May 6, with vendors to include the Livengoods and the Rineers, among others.</li><li>The City Hall market opens Wednesday, May 14. No time established yet.</li><li>Jefferson, Chestnut near 10th, will be held Thursdays from 12 noon to 5:30 p.m., beginning May 22. No vendor lineup yet. </UL>The other major sponsor of area farmers markets, The Food Trust, hasn't posted its schedule yet, except for the hugely successful Headhouse Square venue, which begins its Sunday run May 4. Anyone besides me ever wonder why we've got two separate organizations sponsoring farmers' markets? I don't have all the answers (I wouldn't be surprised if policy/politics and ego had something to do with it), but Farm To City and The Food Trust are coming at it from different angles, though from the consumer's practical point of view it hardly matter. Farm To City is more interested in promoting the economic well-being of small, family farmers and to help preserve vanishing countryside. The Food Trust's goal is to insure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. Now you know.

No beer, and the hours aren't any better (probably worse), and I doubt the hot dog is better or as good (though the pretzel part is superb), but Fisher's @ the RTM does pretzel dogs.

If it's bacon you want, cut it like bacon, against the grain as fendi_pilot says. But that's not the only way to cut cooked pork belly, fresh or cured. Any number of dishes (particularly some roasted and braised ones) call for the belly to be cubed, usually about 2-inches square, but some about half that size.

Local asparagus made its debut last week at Earl Livengood's, Fair Food Farmstand, and Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce, with prices ranging from $2.25 to $5.99/pound (though it's usually priced by the bunch; I figured the range by weighing some bunches, which usually clocked in at about a pound. Iovine Brother's Produce carried ramps last week at $3.99/bunch, but by Saturday only a handful were left and their condition had deteriorated a bit (still usable, but the greens were a tad ragged). Go for them when they first get it. Vinnie Iovine complained he couldn't get root parsley, which sometimes appears on seder plates in the karpas role. South American pears are still plentiful, with Bartletts priced at 50-cents/pound, Anjou's at 99 cents. John Yi offered both organic and wild Alaskan king (chinook) salmon. The organic is farm-raised and was priced at $15.99; the wild (probably frozen since there's only limited trolling permitted in southeast Alaska until the main season begins about mid-May) sold for $20. Sundays at the RTM largely seem to be a tourist/conventioneer affair, at least based on my visit yesterday, my first in months. Iovine's, though reasonably busy, seemed to have only two-thirds or less the staff they do on Saturdays. Other purveyors appeared to be operating with reduced staffs, too. Bassett's, however, could have used a few more scoopers!

I walked by on my way to the RTM early Sunday afternoon, and they got slammed. But have no fear, in another week or two the crowds will move on. And it's a good thing, in the long-run: some who visit just because of the review will return, contributing to the foundation of the business.

Just a friendly reminder, the new season starts Sunday, May 4. Hours will be 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Thanks for the nudge, Moriah.) Some other local farmers' markets should start up in May, others in June.

Another sure sign of warmer weather (as if we needed confirmation of what the thermometer says): soft shell crabs. John Yi had them today, at $6 apiece (or two for $10). As promised in its weekly email, wild garlic could be had at Fair Food Farmstand. Over at Benuel Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce, local greenhouse tomatoes have appeared. Missing in action today, for the second or third Saturday in a row, was Earl Livengood. Apparently, nothing to sell yet other than stores of root vegetables from the fall, though I would imagine his spinach should be ready. We're still a while away from asparagus. Today I picked up a deli treat I've neglected since Siegfried pulled up stakes: leberkase, the German style veal loaf. I ordered half a pound of the onion-inflected version from Dutch Country Meats and enjoyed some for lunch on rye bread from Le Bus. I'm looking for some pork belly to braise this week, but it won't be from the RTM. Dutch Country Meats only has the salt pork version. I did spy some unsalted belly from Meadow Run Farm in the frozen case at Fair Food, but found the price (about $8/pound) exorbitant. Yes, I know it's expensive for small scale farmers to raise quality pork, but this was simply too much. You can buy quality apple smoked bacon (which, after all, is pork belly) for less -- and the bacon loses water weight, so it should be even more dear. I think I'll get some pork belly at one of the Chinese supermarkets instead. Over at Iovine Brothers Produce, the price of some citrus fruits is easing. Limes now three for a buck, lemons four. A three-pound bag of end-of-the-season clementines was $3.99. Small navel oranges were selling for 5/$1, medium ones at 4/$1. Peruvian mangoes looked to be one of the better fruit deals, two for $1. They also had those not-so-bad-for-coming-from-so-far-away Bartlett pears from Argentina (I failed to note the price, but in recent weeks they've been priced at 99-cents to $1.49/pound). Red and green peppers from Mexican greenhouses 89-cents, orange varieties 99-cents. If the rain stays away (it was thundering when I began writing this missive, but now the sun is peeking through) it will be grill time again for dinner. Over at Giunta's Prime Shop I picked up a hanger steak (total of about 1.25 pounds, priced at $6.99/pound) and a small whole Eberly's organic chicken (sorry, don't recall weight, but cost was less than $4). They'll both on the grill, with the quartered chicken to be consumed tomorrow.

Ouch! The Sunday hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. No Pennsylvania Dutch on Sundays, of course. Otherwise, about two-thirds of the merchants participate in the Sunday hours.

The new occupant of what was formerly Margerum's and, more recently, The Natural Connection, likely will be Dave Schreiber, owner of Jonathan's Best in Chestnut Hill. As of last week no lease agreement was signed, but the only remaining details to be worked out were some product offering specifics. Although everyone's optimistic, that could be a deal-breaker. Jonathan Best has been around for about a quarter of a century, selling groceries and "gourmet" products. It's the only seven-day operation at the Chestnut Hill Farmers Market. Bringing Jonathan Best to the RTM would restore the presence of a grocer in the market, something both management and merchants (even the sandwich vendors) wanted. Having a grocer with dry and canned goods and other staples means food shoppers don't have to make a separate trip to a supermarket to pick up the one or two extra items they may need for a recipe. The problem for the grocer is that it's a low-margin business. So Schreiber is looking to add other items for sale which will allow him to earn a reasonable profit; canned goods and packaged grains just don't do it. That's where the negotiating over product lines becomes complicated. Where Schreiber sells sandwiches at Chestnut Hill, that would be a no-no for a grocer at the RTM. It's hard to avoid overlapping product lines with other merchants entirely. This past winter, when Dutch Country Farms' expanded to baked goods, it caused consternation to an Amish section merchant selling baked goods, resulting in DCM having to pull the line of products from the Northeast's Haegerle's Bakery. Jonathan Best started out as a cheesemonger in Chestnut Hill, but the RTM already has two full-fledged cheesemongers and others who also sell cheese. Just about any higher-margin grocery item Jonathan Best could carry is also sold by another RTM merchant. So RTM management is faced with a delicate task: trying to limit significant competition with other merchants while providing Schreiber with the higher-margin products he needs to sell to be profitable. At least one veteran merchant suggests lottery tickets might be the answer. Product line note: The Cookbook Stall has added a few "green" household cleaning items: all-purposes cleaner, glass cleaner, dish and hand soap.

Yeah, I think it's a useful distinction. But trade lingo prevails, even when it's less than helpful.

Some folks in this topic have been using the term "grilled" when I think they must mean "griddled". A grill is usually what you place food on over charcoal or perhaps gas; it might even be a "grill pan" in which parts of the pan, in an even pattern, are raised above the surface level to impart "grill marks" and allow fat to drain. A griddle is a flat sheet of metal heated from underneath. You can place one on top of a grill, but then whatever is cooked on it is "griddled" not "grilled". Grilling is akin to broiling, the difference being the heat comes from the bottom in grilloing, the top in broling.. Griddling is akin to cooking in a pan on a stove. FWIW, I like my hot dogs either way, though I also like some just plain boiled.

Funny, I was talking to Jack just the day before I left and asked him about Savanah, and he said he'd never been hereabouts. How were his shrimp and grits?

Today was our last day in Savannah -- we leave tomorrow morning with a breakfast break at one of SWMBO's favs since her days in Athens, Georgia: The Waffle House. For brunch, I enjoyed my third serving of shrimp and grits this week, this time at the Firefly Café just on the other side of Troupe Square from our digs. I finished every last morsel of the bacon gravy flavored dish. SWMBO stuck with eggs, hash browns (she hates grits, and usually rhymes it "grits is s---s " to express her feelings about the dish. She may have lived in Georgia for four or five years, but she didn't adopt some of the state's food preferences, especially grits. Service was okay though not quite professional (SCAD students, no doubt); had to ask twice for a coffee refill, which is a no-no before 12 noon on a Sunday morning. We weren't intending to eat out again today, given that we had leftovers waiting from our Toucan Café excursion last night. However, after a stop at the Byrd Cookie Company (exceedingly overpriced, but very good, cookies and savories in tins, especially the sesame-cheese Benne [sesame] Bits SWMBO discovered during her Georgia days), across the strip mall parking lot, a sign shined as a beacon: The Dawg House Grill. Drawings and photos of Uga (all the successive Ugas) adorned the interior, with a couple big red ones on the exterior. (For those unaware, Uga is a real, live bulldog, the mascot of the U of Ga. "How 'bout them Dawgs!" is not a question.) Incredibly, it was not a chain restaurant. More like a family-oriented sports bar. The hot dogs were merely okay, grilled and what tasted like a beef-pork extrusion into a thin, unsnappy collagen casing. I had one "lonely" (no adornments; add mustard or whatever yourself at the table), and one "coney" with a slightly spicy, meaty sauce, onions and yellow mustard. What were outstanding, however, were the onion rings, freshly made on premises. I could see spending some time watching them Dawgs on the wide screen tvs some autumn Saturday afternoon, ordering rings and downing PBRs. And attention New Jersey hot dog fans: The Dawg House Grill features "The Ripper," and it sounds right. Here's what the menu says: "Deep Fried Hot Dog, in bun, loaded and ready for your eating pleasure! Loaded with Relish, yellow mustard, onions." Hard to imagine The Dawg House's owners haven't made a trip to Rutt's Hut. I'm not a fan of the Rutt's Hut style, though I understand its attractions, so I didn't order one. Thus ends our visit to Savannah, which offers plentious good food as well as charming architecture and 22 inviting neighborhood squares. Now, can anyone tell me where I can get authentic shrimp and grits when I get back to Philly?

Alas, Salumeria won't make hoagies until 11 a.m. But they make a great hoagie, very different in style from many others in town. Get a prosciutto or Italian with house dressing and marinated artichokes (extra charge for the artichokes).

We hit two of the spots on the list today: Gerald's Diner for lunch and Toucan Café for dinner. We arrived at Gerald's at 12:30 p.m., just a half hour before closing time for Saturday, so only one other table was occupied when we got there. SWMBO wanted eggs, so she had a single egg over with biscuit and bacon. The egg was quite large cooked to her taste, the biscuit light and fluffy the bacon scrumptious (I tasted some from her very large serving). I ordered the fried fish/shrimp combo with hush puppies and cole slaw. The fish (whiting) was sweet, and both shrimp and fish featured a crispy, spicy cornmeal breading that wasn't too thick but perfectly crispy. The oniony hush puppies crispy little balls of corn meal goodness. The creamy-style slaw wasn't shabby, either. If Gerald's other dishes are up to the quality we experienced today, it's a fine spot. (Even if they aren't, it would still be a fine spot based on what we ate alone.) If the friendly staff was put out because we may have kept them from closing a tad early, they didn't let on. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner at the Toucan Café, but it seemed as much Greek as Caribbean, what with spanakopita and "Hellenic" chicken on the menu. Not that I minded! The bread brought to the table was nearly a dead ringer from the springy Greek white bread I buy in Philadelphia for dipping into taramasalata, except that it was flavored with rosemary and garlic, trying to be foccacio. The rosemary seemed to be overused; with bread seasoned so strongly, I hardly wanted the same flavors to be whipped into the table butter. Likewise SWMBO thought the jerk chicken she ordered, delicious as it was, should have omitted the rosemary as a flavor component. After all the shrimp and fish this week, I wanted red meat, so I ordered the special "black and blue" rib steak, which was a peppered ribeye with blue cheese. The steak came as ordered (medium rare) and was reasonably tender, though it was a tad flavorless for a rib steak (not enough marbling); however, the blue cheese mostly made up for the lack of fat. I didn't expect to get an exceptional steak, but I did expect a decent one; I wasn't disappointed. (Rosemary made its presence felt in the roasted potatoes.) One of the highlights at Toucan Café was the garlic pickles. Seeing the menu tout its homemade pickles lured me to order them, and I was pleased with them. They were sweet pickles, akin to bread-and-butter pickles, with garlic and just a hint of Tabasco. I bought a container to bring home, they were that good. We both brought leftovers back to our flat, so that will be dinner tomorrow evening. Our last restaurant meal in Savannah will probably be brunch at the Firefly Café if the line isn't too long.

I've been to the Down Home Diner three times in March, and never experienced any service problems. Those "knocks", if you look at them, are based on old visits, at least those I've seen on eGullet. There used to be occasional service problems, but these reports are old and out of date. Under Jordan Shapiro's day-to-day management for the past year I've found service has been spot-on. For breakfast (which is the only time I've been there in recent months), the plates come out of the kitchen within minutes, and the service has been friendly and efficient. And the food is as good as it's ever been. Do not let those few old, out of date complaints you've seen stop you from enjoying the hearty breakfast there. My favorite is the biscuits, sausage and saw mill gravy (white gravy), served with stewed apples. But the pancakes are always good, and the eggs reliably made. And be sure to get that scrapple! A lot of folks put ketchup on it, but syrup is better; I tend to eat mine unadorned. Correction: George's is on 9th near Christian, not Washington as I reported earlier. I don't know whether or not John's would have the pork ready by 830; I imagine it's more of an egg-sausage-on-roll kind of traffic at that hour.

If you're arriving on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, the Amish places at the RTM will be closed (Dutch Eating Place). However, the Down Home Diner will be open in the morning, and it's a good place for a traditional breakfast with scrapple on the side, if you should be so inclined. Hershel's Deli will also be open in the morning if a lox 'n bagel or plate (whitefish and whitefish salad, too) is up your ally. My guess is that by 10 or so they'll also have brisket, corned beef, pastrami and other meats ready for sandwiches. Spataro's would also be open for breakfast; nothing special, but reliable, cheap eats. You could also get a savory focaccio at Metropolitan Bakery or croissant, sweet roll, etc. LeBus would also have baked goods ready in the morning. It's possible Tommy DiNic's night have their pork ready by 10 a.m., but I'm not sure. All in all, I think the RTM would be your best bet for finding something in the morning. I don't think you'd be able to get a sandwich at Sarcone's that early, though you could get slices of pizza (baked in rectangular pans) at that hour at their bakery down the street from the deli. George's at 9th and Washington nearby might also have pork, beef or tripe sandwiches ready for serving by then.

Made it to Vic's today (thanks for the rec, maf) and enjoyed the the shrimp and grits. I'm a big fan of corn meal derived starches, so it didn't surprise me I liked grits, although I had never had them before this trip to Savannah. They do require a tasty sauce, imho, and the rich ham-laden sauce at Vic's worked well. On a lark, I ordered the pulled pork egg roll; while I wouldn't go out of my way to order it again, it was okay, especially with the mustardy sauce (which tasted similar to the mustard-currant jelly mix in which I cook cocktail franks when I don't wrap them as pigs-in-the-blanket). Went to the Audra McDonald concert tonight (wonderful) and followed that by walking around to Leopold's Ice Cream. SWMBO had the hot fudge sundae (not enough hot fudge for her taste, but she drinks the stuff by the tankerload) and I lapped up a dish of rum raisin. I'll have to try Bassetts rum raisin again for a taste test when I'm back in Philadelphia!

<a href="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1206634299/gallery_7493_5845_142845.jpg; "><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right;" src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1206634299/gallery_7493_5845_142845.jpg"</a> The Crab Shack is definitely a fun spot what with this critter, who was not on the menu, available for gawking at (and returning the stare). Couldn't find Desposito's (probably because of all the road resurfacing going on along Hwy. 80), so I went to the Crab Shack. The shrimp may well have been frozen, but they tasted just fine in the Low Country Shrimp Boil. Nice combination of protein, starch and fat, the last nutritional component courtesy of the kielbasa-like sausage cuts. I like my corn considerably less water-logged, but it still tasted like corn, even this early in the season. Frozen like the shrimp? I started with a half dozen oysters on the halfshell. Although the oysters were fine, maybe it's my Yankee bias, but I prefer cold water oysters: they provide the briny, mineral taste I've always associated with this particular bivalve. Hmmm, maybe a friend oyster sandwich is in order, since these speciments would make a fine version with some remoulade and shredded lettuce. I drove by North Beach Grill without realizing it was North Beach Grill. Maybe next time. Likewise, couldn't make it to Dewey's because it wasn't going to open until 4 or 5 p.m. and I wanted to be back in Savannah by then. I did stop for a peach ice cream cone on the way off the island. Basic premium ice cream (not super premium), but it hit the spot. Tomorrow's up for grabs. Maybe Vic's.

Thanks, maf. I'm off to Tybee in just a few minutes, so I'm taking your suggestions along!

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments, maf. I'll have to hit Parker's. I was pretty close to there when I walked over to Harris Baking yesterday morning. BBQ is probably a dead issue, since we finally finished the leftovers from NC tonight and we've had our fill. And even though we're here for a week, there's so much to enjoy right in Savanah that my original thoughts of driving south to explore will probably fall by the wayside. More seafood, however, is definitely required. For that reason, I'll probably head to Tybee tomorrow and do the Crab Shack shrimp boil. The lady who rented us our flat also recommended North Beach Grill, so maybe I'll indulge in a Red Stripe or two, also. I'm also in the market for oysters on the half shell. Fresh, cheap and expertly shucked is the goal. Anyone have any suggestions on where to find them? (I'll shuck them myself if someone supplies a knife -- I forgot to pack mine). And can anyone recommend a superior establishment from which to purchase fresh shrimp? I'd like to cook them in our flat for munching on the ride back to Philadelphia! I was fully aware that Belford's, being located in City Market, would be tourist-centric, but we were in tourist mode today, starting out with a private carriage tour. We asked our driver to drop us off at City Market so I could try the shrimp, greens and grits at Belfords. I enjoyed it. Everything was well-cooked and tasty, though I thought the grit cake serving could have been more generous; the five nicely-sized (probably 16-24s) shrimps tasted fresh and were not over-cooked, which is how I measure shrimp preparation. The collards were as good as what we had at Sweet Potatoes, but more traditional, i.e., cooked with pork fat. I was so eager to dig in that I forgot to take photos of everything swimming in butter sauce. Since I'm in search of more shrimp and grits (and I'm also a transportation nut, having spent 23 years working for a freight railroad), Vic's sounds ideal for lunch. The menu looks great, though I think chicken and waffles with kumquat maple gastrique sounds a bit precious. BTW, we spied the line at Mrs. Wilkes at 12:30 today during our carriage ride. Too long for me, though I imagine if we showed up 15 or 20 minutes before opening, or after 1:30, it might be a bit shorter. I visited two bakeries this morning: Back in the Day and Baker's Pride. I found the latter forgetable (with few exceptions, just over-sweet, over-glazed, over-frosted fare). Back in the Day seemed more interesting. The baguette, which I had for breakfast and with dinner, was as good as most that I've had. SWMBO is delaying her consumption of the Chocolate Heaven cupcake until tomorrow, but if looks could kill, this little treat could face a womanslaughter charge. I found Johnie Ganem's on my return from Kroger's Monday evening. I didn't explore their wine offerings, since I was only in the market for beer and bourbon. The beer selection was modest but offered sufficient variety (I got a bottle of Flensburger Weizen). Since I've got plenty of bourbon at home, I went with a simple pint of Evan Williams (though it's not as decent as it was before they dropped claiming on the label it was aged seven years). Drinkable, but just that. I'll use the remainder of the pint in marinade for grilled meats when I get home. We didn't choose this week because of the music festival (we really keyed it to azalea season), but I reserved tickets for Audra Macdonald more than a month ago. I've heard her twice in Philly (once solo, once with Barbara Cook), and she's a rare talent.

Andrew, you were right on: Sweet Potatoes has wonderful Southern food, but with a light touch. At our late lunch today, SWMBO started to devour this chicken (you can see her knife and fork action in the photo) before I could get out the camera. She adored the peach barbeque sauce and the accompaniments: a sweet/potato apple mash and herbed vinaigrette cucumbers. (It wasn't called a blue plate special, but it came on one.) My meatloaf plate featured a huge hunk of The People's Paté, adorned with the same peach sauce. The meatloaf had just enough filler to provide pleasing texture, and a good, meaty flavor. The lemony collard greens hadn't seen any fatback, but that didn't make them any less good; in fact, they were a superb veggie. And, being that the restaurant is named Sweet Potatoes, I, too, ordered that tuber for my starch, in this case it was sweet potato salad, which also had a nice light touch, something you don't expect from sweet potatoes. Both plates also included a light, fluffy biscuit. Sweet potatoes is about a 10-15 minute drive from the historic district, where we're staying, but it's worth the minor detour. If this establishment were in my neighborhood, it would be my go-to place. And it's value-priced: the tab for our two plates (we didn't order beverages or dessert) was just a little over $15, including tax. Service friendly and efficient. We'll be eating leftovers for dinner tonight, but I stopped to pick up some menu additions at Polk Fresh Market, a produce and plant vendor two blocks from our flat. My chief acquisition was a pint of local strawberries, grown just 65 miles away in Metter, Georgia. They smelled great at the market, so I couldn't resist this early taste of spring. When I got them back, I tasted one: strong, pure strawberry flavor, and although not sugary, adequate sweetness; they'll need just the merest dusting of sugar. But just in case that isn't enough dessert, a small peach cobbler is now also sitting in the counter. Who cares if it's made of frozen peaches? I'm in Georgia! How 'bout them Dawgs?

Harris Baking, Drayton just north of Liberty, makes as good a croissant as i've ever had. Buttery and flakey. Good place to start the morning with their strong coffee. Savory tarts, if you wish, for breakfast. Sweets looked good: I'll be back!