Reading Terminal Market (Part 2)

[rlibkind]

Update on street signs: The PDF version of the market map downloadable from the website does indicate streets and avenues.

[Holly Moore]

Finally tried the new pretzel place in the Market, Millers Twist, across from the old pretzel place. First course, a hot dog encased pretzel, good eating.

Second course, pretzels - one for now and the rest to take home. I was a little leery, they were much browner the Fisher's. But they tasted fine. One major issue though.

"I''ll take them buttered."

The guy starts putting them in the bag.

"No, I wanted them buttered."

"They already are."

I tried a pretzel on my way out. I could taste the butter. But they weren't oozing and dripping melted butter, and that is a loss. A great product and a Philadelphia tradition not quite as good as before.

Pricing has changed too. Fisher's had a sliding scale that incremented by pretzel. Now there is a price for an individual pretzel and one for six pretzel's - nothing in between. I ordered three, and the guy gave me four. Good deal, but I miss the per pretzel pricing.

[rlibkind]

John Yi (Eat Fish, Live Longer) was selling Copper River salmon fillets at $26.99/pound this morning. The fishmonger swore it was Chinook (King) rather than sockeye. I'm not so sure, given that Alaska Fish & Game's Commercial Division reports that for the first two days of the season (May 14 and 18), a total of 116,000 sockeye and fewer than 3,000 Chinook were landed. An additional day was scheduled for this past Thursday.

I'll give it the taste test tonight. I like sockeye, too, but the CRS Chinook is awesome.

[rlibkind]

Rick Nichols nailed it in his report on the Reading Terminal Market Merchants’ Association soiree held May 17 ("On the Side: Market's old-timers fill plate with memories,"[/url The Inquirer, May 21, 2009). Centered around the showing of the 11-minute video, part of a larger oral history project, the event was a celebration of the market and its history.

The highlight (besides the lamb chops) was Tootsie D’Ambrosio’s singing of Happy Birthday, a la Marilyn Monroe, to Harry Ochs. Tootsie, who operates Salad Express at the market, is one of the Iovine clan, sister to Jimmy, Vinnie and all the rest.

A number of former vendors were invited, including Jill Horn, who many may remember as the owner of Jill’s Vorspeise. When I first started shopping at the RTM in 1982, Jill was located against the back wall behind Iovine Brothers Produce, and later moved to the center court spot now occupied by Mezze. In addition to her various salads and appetizer, she made a killer vegetable paté with orange (carrot), green (spinach?) and white (?) layers.

Tim Bellew, btw, will be the chef at Meze, the Fairmount Avenue restaurant scheduled to open sometime this fall just two blocks from my house. If he’s got those lamb chops on the menu, I may be a regular. Charles Giunta, who supplied the lamb, and Vinnie Iovine attest to Tim’s culinary skills.

Besides the lamb chops, the favorite of many atttendees was dessert, served at Bassett’s counter. In addition to your choice of ice cream, various little cakes and fudge were served.

Don Mitchell, who produced the video shown at the party, has about 100 hours of interviews with market merchants and customers, but funding is needed to complete the project. DVDs of the video were for sale at the event to help raise funds for the project, and I suspect they will be made available to the public soon.

[rlibkind]

Vinnie Iovine is big on Panther Farm in Vineland. Because of the quality of their vegetables, you’ll see lots of their output at Iovine Brothers Produce this season. In fact, Iovine’s has a larger poster declaring Panther Farm their featured supplier.

Also known by the family name, Flaim Farm, it produces romaine, kohlrabi, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, swiss chard (green, red) ,rainbow kale, turnips, napa cabbage, squash, eggplant (four varieties), peppers, escarole, endive. tomatillos and scallions on 450 acres. Recently they’ve added “value added” eggplant “fries” and cutlets to their offerings, and have marketed them to school lunch programs in the Garden State.

The farm was established in 1934 and is now operated by brothers Kevin and Bob Flaim. They also sell at the Collingswood Farmers’ Market.

[rlibkind]

A week ago, local strawberries were just starting to appear. This weekend they were in their full grandeur at the Reading Terminal Market and all the neighborhood farmers’ markets.

At the RTM, Benuel Kauffman’s $4.95 pints were being undersold by Halteman’s $4.29 pints and Earl Livengood’s $4.25 pints. Fair Food, selling Rineer’s output, was at the high end at $5.50.

Better buys could be found at Sunday’s Headhouse Square.

[rlibkind]

Strawberries, red potatoes, yellow squash and more at Kauffman's

If you haven’t bought strawberries yet, don’t wait. This week has got to be the peak of the season. The pint I purchased from Livengood’s, at Thursday’s Fairmount Farmer’ Market, was the sweetest and most flavorful yet. They simply don’t get any better.

Today at the Reading Terminal Market the prize for lowest priced berries goes to Benuel Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce, with two quarts for $11, the equivalent of $2.75/pint. A single quart was $5.95, pints $3.95. L. Halteman had the best price for a pint, $3.29, with quarts at $5.99. Fair Food’s conventional berries were $3.50/pint, but chemical-free berries from Rineer’s were $5.50. Earl Livengood’s were $4.25/pint or $8.25/quart.

Livengood’s had some beautiful, thin red scallions (spring onions), for $1.75 bunch. Kauffman’s added yellow summer squash to its offerings today, $2.49/pound.

Over at Iovine Brothers Produce the price of limes went up to four for a buck, after a couple weeks at 10 for a buck. Although loose lemons remained 3/$1, you could bag a bag of six large lemons for the same price. Green seedless grapes in clamshells went up to $1.99 this week, but the tray-wrapped grapes were $1.49. Stone fruits from California and other southern climes are in abundance, including apricots at 99-cents a pound.

Sandwiches at Bassett's?

Yes, ice cream sandwiches. I noticed the vanilla ice cream sandwiches for the first time today at Bassett’s Reading Terminal market counter, though the server said they’ve occasionally had them for about a year. They go for $1.25 apiece.

The Guardian, one of the UK’s leading daily rags, looked at Philadelphia’s food scene today, with writer Joshua Stein spending an inordinante amount of time at the Reading Terminal market, where he enjoyed Tommy DiNic’s roast pork so much he had two! Stein also declared the pretzels at Miller’s Twists “perhaps the best pretzels in the world”. Read all about it here.

The New York Post made a trip to Philadelphia recently with an obligatory stop at the RTM, which it called “Philadelphia’s town square”. Read about it here.

Edited May 30, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce has added a new gizmo to its counter at the Reading Terminal Market, the rice cake popper pictured above. When operating, a cake pops out of the machine (with a muffled pop) about every 10 or 12 seconds; the plexiglass prevents the finished cakes from hitting customers.

The cakes aren’t pure rice, instead they are a mix of wheat, rice, corn with some salt. A bag of 15 sells for $3.49.

They are pretty tasty, at least when fresh out of the machine. Note that the staff enjoys munching on them, too.

[rlibkind]

The summer solstice draws nigh, only two weeks away. So it should not come as a surprise that watermelon was among the featured fruits at Iovine Brothers Produce today.

For sure the melon was not local; it will probably be another six or seven weeks until we see that. But the domestic melons (whole and in pre-packaged sections) certainly looked attractive. Maybe it’s time for a watermelon and feta salad. The whole, oblong seeded melons were selling for $2.99 apiece, the smaller but still substantial globes of seedless melons, $1.99.

Spring remains firmly evidence from the abundance of strawberries. L. Halteman’s berries were $2.99/pint, $5.49/quart (though the snow peas were also attractive at $2.99/pound). Earl Livengood’s organic strawberries were $3.95/$6.95, Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce was similarly priced, though you could also get two quarts for $13. Fair Food’s chemical-free berries were $4.95/pint, conventionals $3.50/$6.75.

Summer squash has made its appearance, with both yellow and green zucchinis selling for $2.49/pound at Kauffman’s, which also featured bunch beets at $2.49, white new potatoes for $2.5o/pint, reds $3.95.

Kauffman’s turns on its new rice cake popping machine when the crowds thicken. The Rube Goldberg contraption not only sells the rice cakes, but Ben’s assortment of spreads and nut butters.

On the protein front, Giunta’s Prime Shop included at least one cut of meat new to its display, lamb “London broil”, $8.99/pound. Like it’s beef counterpart, it’s cut from the top round. Giunta’s also had lamb shanks for $5.49/pound and ribs at $3.29 (same price as at his brother Martin’s).

Whole mackeral would cost you $2.99/pound from either Golden Seafood or John Yi. The latter’s Copper River Salmon (King) came down in price to $22.99. They also had Alaskan sockeye (my guess is it’s either CRS or Bristol Bay) for $12.99, the same price as Arctic char, another member of the salmonid family. Soft shell crabs remained $5.99 apiece or 4/$20.

Back at Iovine Brothers, both green and red bell peppers were on sale for 89 cents, with the oranges and yellows commanding $2.99/pound. Garden State asparagus was $1.99/bunch, jumbo limes 5/$1, and Ataulfa mangoes 2/$1.

[rlibkind]

To heck with another cheese steak stand. How about some hot beignettes?

The former proprietor of Pompano Grill is talking with Reading Terminal Market management about opening up a Louisiana style eatery in the vacant space formery occupied by Andros Gourmet, just across from Tootsie’s Salad Express. The menu would include beignettes (yeah! hot donuts!), seafood etouffé, jambalaya, etc.

Work is ready to start this coming week on the adjacent space to be occupied by S&B Meats. A mid-summer opening remains possible for this butcher shop, which will also include a cooked sausage stand.

[rlibkind]

The strawberry season, which usually extends to late June and even early July, looks like it may be shortened this year. The culprit is the wet weather which is wiping out some of the crop. So get them while you can.

Jimmy Iovine of Iovine Brothers Produce says he usually gets local berries from Shady Brook Farm in Bucks County, but this season Shady Brook barely has enough berries to meet its own farmstand and pick-your-own needs.

[rlibkind]

Spanish mackerel made a brief appearance at John Yi’s stall in the Reading Terminal Market last week, and disappeared just as quickly. The fish that was selling at $1.99/pound whole Thursday were not to be found on Saturday. No doubt these members of the mackerel family, which tend to be found on warmer waters than the Boston mackerel, will make a reappearance. They are also slightly larger and meatier than the Boston variety, but similar in flavor. Cook them the same way, though I find they do best baked.

The price of Copper River salmon drops with the size of the catch. At John Yi’s this past week filets were selling at $19.99/pound. Althogh unmarked as to variety, they are undoubtedly sockeyes. Sockeyes from other areas were selling for $15.99/pound.

(Through June 17, Alaska Fish and Game reports a total of more than 600,000 sockeyes (reds) landed in the Copper River District, vs., 8,000 Chinook (king).The Copper River district accounted for most of the table-quality salmon (chinook, sockeye and coho) landed in Alaska’s Prince William Sound area of the Central Region so far this season. The Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay areas within the Central Region also scored well, with more than 100,000 each so far. Another big area for sockeyes, the “Westward” region from Kodiak Islands to the Aleutian peninsula and islands, landed just under 600,000 reds so far this season. Hardly any fish have been landed so far in the Yukon-Arctic Region.)

Also at John Yi’s last week whole wild striped bass was selling for $5.99, filets $11.99. Haddock looked to be the best value among the cold-water finish at $7.00/pound, with scrod (who knows what it really is, other than some member of the cod family) was $8.99. cod $9.99. From warmer waters, flounder was $8.99 for filets. Soft shell crabs remain dear at $5.99 apiece or four for $20.

[rlibkind]

Last Saturday I picked up two breasts of lamb at Giunta’s Prime Shop in the Reading Terminal Market, a cut I’ve used many times before in various cooking methods (braise, braise-and-broil, indirect grilling, broiling, etc.). If you don’t like strongly-flavorecd lamb, the dish is definitely one you should avoid. But if, like me, you crave fatty flavor it’s ideal. It’s priced right at about $3.89 or less a pound on the bone at Giunta’s and Martin’s. The two pieces cost me $15, and I kept the bones, which can be used to make Scotch broth or lightly broiled/indirectly grilled for nibbling, since a little meat clings to them.

I’ve been hankering to try lamb bacon for a while, so I asked Charles to bone them out. When boned, many restaurants serve this as lamb belly, usually slow-roasted.

I turned my two pieces into lamb bacon, using a recipe from Bryan Mayer, butcher at Greene Grape Provisions in Brooklyn, as reported by his colleague, Danny Meyer of restaurant fame. It’s a simple recipe: coat the boned breasts with a mix of two cups kosher salt to one cup sugar, wrap it in plastic and let it sit in the fridge until the meat firms up, anywhere from two to four days. (Mine took four). Then slow roast them in the oven at 250F to an internal temp of 140, though you could also smoke them to that temperature for even more flavor. It should take about two and a half hours.

My oven temp was bit off, so after a little more than two hours the internal temp and gone to 180F. But with all the fat, lamb breast is a rather forgiving cut so long as you don’t carbonize it on the grill. I took one of the pieces and sliced off five rashers, no more than a quarter-inch thick (if you can do it thinner, that’s better), then fried them like bacon in a big pan over medium-high heat. Lots of fat sizzles around in the pan so use a splatter screen if you have it, otherwise you face a big counter cleanup. I cooked it for a few minutes on each side to get it good and crispy. It was delish, even with the over-cooking in the oven. The other slab is in the freezer, where it should keep for at least a couple of months.

The recipe was published in Mark Bittman's blog on the New York Times website.

Edited June 21, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

My supply of homemade Kosher-style sour pickles is dwindling, but the kirby cucumber crop is arriving just in time. Most of the produce vendors, at both the farmers’ markets and the Reading Terminal, are offering them and regular salad cukes.

Over at the Reading Terminal Market, the Fair Food Farmstand’s blueberries were $3.50/pint. You could also obtain North Carolinas for $2/pint at Iovine Brothers Produce. You could find West Coast red cherries at Iovine’s for $3.99/pound, which is slightly less than a pint, so there wasn’t any savings compared to the less-travel locals. O.K. Lee had bags of red cherries for $1.99/pound, but there was a reason for the low price: they were soft and not nearly as flavorful as the locals. Ben Kauffman’s red cherries, $4.95/pint, were firm and flavorful.

A notable bargain at Iovine’s this week were the Italian style frying peppers, 50-cents a pound. I roasted them in the oven with some olive oil and will be adding them to sandwiches all week long, or maybe frying up some onions and tossing them together with pasta. Vidalias, which I’d rather use raw than cooked, were also 50-cents a pound recently.

[rlibkind]

Photos of the finished lamb bacon can be found here. The meat came from Giunta's Prime Shop.

[rlibkind]

The merchants of the Reading Terminal Market took a vote, and they want to celebrate Independence Day with the rest of Philadelphia. So the market will be closed this Saturday, though there will be regular hours Friday and Sunday. In addition, Earl Livengood, who usually appears at the market on Saturdays only, will be there this Friday.

Advance warning: the Ultimate Philadelphia Ice Cream Festival at the market is scheduled for Saturday, July 18. The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival will be August 6-8.

[rlibkind]

Expect to see fresh corn at the local farmers' markets and the RTM this week.

[rlibkind]

What’s a summer grilled meal without corn. At the Reading Terminal Market Friday both Earl Livengood and Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce featured ears for Independence Day celebrations, 4/$2.50 at the former, 4/$2 at the latter. Benuel labelled his corn as Honey Pearl, a bi-color early hybrid.

Ben also had quart boxes of those wonderful cylindrical beets, which are among the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. And he still had small kirbies, maybe three inches long, which make perfect pickles; without slicing it only took two days to turn these beauties into classic Jewish sour pickles, using only salt, water, coriander seeds and garlic. Ben priced them at $3.99/pound.

The steaks were flying from the meat cases as grillers selected their favored beef cuts at the market today. I went for a well-marbled strip steak from Giunta’s Prime Shop, $9.99/pound, for a chance of pace from my normal rib steak. For She Who Must Be Obeyed there’s a filet mignon in the fridge.

In New England salmon is a Fourth of July tradition, especially when served with small red new potatoes. John Yi’s still hs Copper River salmon currently priced at $20.00/pound; one of the fishmongers there claims it’s king (chinook), but since a total of only 8,500 Copper River kings were harvested this season and the harvest was 98 percent complete by June 26 (only 108 were landed during the June 25 fishing hours), I still find it difficult to believe the fish are anything other than the much more common sockeye, whicy is also a tasty fish. Yi also had Alaskan sockeye of unknown provenance selling for $13.99. Organic king salmon (which means it’s farm raised, probably in British Columbia) was $15.99. Also in the fish case was black cod (sablefish) at $12.99.

Sour cherries for pies and other baked goods are still available, but dear as always. At Halteman’s they were $5.75/quart, which was considerably more than the $9 I paid for two quarts the previous Sunday at Headhouse (Beechwood Orchards). Livengood’s was selling their sweet reds for $3.50 pint/$6 quarts. The cheapest sweet cherries I found Friday were West Coast Bings from Iovine Brothers, 59-cents a pound -- but the price went up by today, when bagged cherries for $2.99 weighed out to about 2.5 pounds, or about $1.20/pound. Halteman's sweet reds ere $2.99/$4.99. Halteman's blueberries were $3.39/$5.39 today.

You can make a lot of gin and tonics based on Iovine’s price for limes: a dime apiece. Lemons, however, are still 3/$1, and are showing green on the ends. Frying peppers, a bargain a few weeks ago, are back to their normal 99-cents; red and green peppers are the same price. Pineapples had been featured last week at $1 for either a whole pineapple or an alread-trimmed one; today whole pineapples were $1.99 apiece; I didn't see cored fruit.

Peaches made an early apperance at Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce last week. This early variety, pictured here with hothouse tomatoes, apricots, blueberries and some sour cherries, seemed a bit too hard, but maybe a day or two in a paper bag will ripen them up, though they certainly looked good. Still, I’ll wait a few weeks more before indulging in peaches. Here’s a photo:

[rlibkind]

The pace of activity is up a couple of notches as work begins on two new stalls. A third vendor, new to the market, and RTM management have made their deal official.

The third vendor will be Beck's Cajun Cafe, which will occupy the space formerly held down by Everyday Gourmet and, before that, Andros, across from Tootsie's Salad Express (Avenue C between 8th and 9th streets on the market PDF map). It will be operated by the former owner of the Pompano Grill. I can't wait for the beignets. Nowhere at the RTM can you find fresh, hot donuts, except during during Pennslvania Dutch Festival. Consstruction has yet to start, but Michael Klein reports owner Bill Beck is aiming to open by Labor Day.

Initial construction started a few weeks ago on gthe combined Amish butcher/hot sausage stand (S&B Meats, Barb & Suzy's Kitchen) next to the Cajun Cafe, formerly occupied by Dutch Country Meats. (Find it on the market PDF map at Avenue B between 9th and 10th streets.) The tempo of construction seems to have slowed at the moment.

The Fair Food Farmstand is going full speed head on its relocated space on the 12th Street aisle (Avenue A between 8th and 10th). Photos of the cement laying today below, as well as supervision by sidewalk superintendents:

Edited July 6, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

The Fair Food Farmstand has given up the ghost on its meat freezer. Over the last year or so, it’s broken down three times, with some or all of the meat lost. When it was found by staffers at a “balmy 60 degrees” last Tuesday morning, with all the meat lost, Fair Food management pulled the plug. So, at least for a few weeks, there won’t be any meat products for sale.

There are no plans to put in a new case at the current location: that will wait until the Farmstand moves to its new digs later this summer along Avenue A. Sarah Cain, Farmstand manager, says they might use the planned backup chest freezer at the current stand, but that’s at least a couple weeks away.

In the meantime, the concrete has got about another week to “cure” before more on-site construction can be undertaken at the new stand, though off-site work is progressing on shelving and other appurtenances.

S&B Meats/Barb & Suzy’s Kitchen is making progress on their future stall on Avenue B and 8th Avenue. It’s been painted and much of the shelving is up.

Construction will start soon on the twin renovations of Lancaster County Dairy and Old City Coffee’s stall along 12th Avenue between Avenues B and C. The work will make Old City’s “temporary” second stand permanent.

Edited July 11, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

Adam Richman, of Travel Channel’s “Man Vs. Food” and production crew visited DiNic’s at the Reading Terminal Market this morning as part of a program tenatively scheduled for mid-September. Pictured above are ace prep man Jun, Joe Nicolosi, and Adam.

But Richman wasn’t there to see how many roast pork sandwiches he could down. He’s probably still recovering from the challenge taped yesterday at Tony Luke’s where the glutton star consumed a five-pound cheesesteak. DiNic’s will be among the Philadelphia foodie landmarks featured in the pre-challenge part of the program. Richman and crew also stopped by Miller’s Twists for pretzels.

The RTM and DiNic’s were also in media focus Wednesday when DJ Helen Leicht broadcast her midday WXPN shift live from the Market while local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke performed in Center Court. It was the first of three “Local Music Wednesdays” to be broadcast from the market this summer (the others are scheduled for Aug. 5 and 19). Helen interviewed Tommy Nicolosi, proprietor of DiNic’s, which was immediatley followed by a cover of a song from The Who’s rock opera Tommy.

[rlibkind]

I’ve yet to taste a tomato from a local farmer’s markets or the Reading Terminal Market that truly taste of summer, but we’re getting close. Benuel Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce featured these cherry tomatoes at the RTM today.

Nonetheless, I’ve been enjoying BLTs this week, including one using the last of my unfrozen lamb bacon (the other side resides in the freezer). The best of what I’ve had so far has come from Livengood’s, though it was from a neighbor’s crop: they sold out by 10:30 a.m. of their own tomatoes.

Kauffman’s cherry tomatoes were selling for $3.50 a half-pint, $6 a pint. Also featured were red raspberries, $4/pint; apricots, $2; peaches, $1.99/pound, green peppers, $1.99/pound;, and corn, 50-cents/ear.

The green peppers were even less expensive at Fair Food, $1.25. A.T. Buzby’s cantaloupes were $3.75 apiece, heirloom tomatoes $750, cherry tomatoes $5.50/pint. Three varieties of string beans could be had: green at $3/pound, wax at $4, and burgundy at $5.75. Livengood’s organic stringbeans were $3.95/pound.

Iovine Brothers priced California peaches at the same price as Ben Kauffman’s locals, $1.99/pound. Pacific Northwest cherries (the local season is, for all practicsal purposes, over) were $2.99 for a two-pound bag and $3.99 for a three-pound clamshell. Limes remain a value at a dime apiece. Bell pepper survey: green 99-cents, red $1.99, yellow $3.49, orange $3.99. Frying peppers were $1.49, long hots 99-cents. Jersey blueberries, $1.99/pint.

L. Halteman’s field tomatoes were $3.19/pound, two pounds for $5.59. Corn 60-cents an ear, or $1.49 for three or $2.89 a half dozen. Small cantaloupes were 99 cents apiece.

Ice Cream Festival

Iovine’s and Bassett’s are combining forces for a new ice cream flavor in conjunction with the RTM’s July 18 Ice Cream Festival. It will be a berry-flavored ice cream using fruit from Iovine’s contract grower, Bucks County’s Shady Brook Farm

Market Twitters . . . Me, Too

The Reading Terminal Market is now on Twitter. Find them at RdgTerminalMarket (case required).

If the RTM can do, so can I. I’m at http://twitter.com/robertsmarket

Market Shutterbug

Larry Laszlo, the Denver-based photographer whose shoots of public markets around the world adorn the RTM’s wall along 8th Avenue near Avenue D, was snapping at the market again today. He delivered some photos of additional markets he’s visited; they should be on display sometime next week. Larry’s website can be found http://www.photolaszlo.com.

Market Streets

All of the street signs for market intersections are up, save one. Letter avenues run A to D between Arch and Filbert, numbered avenues 2 to 12 east-west from 12th to the loading alley.

Edited July 11, 2009 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

The local corn crop is in at Iovine Brothers Produce. The Reading Terminal Market vendor, which has ongoing relationships with local farms on both sides of the Delaware River, is featuring corn from Shady Brook Farm, Bucks County. The price is 3 ears for a buck.

Also local (South Jersey) at Iovine’s this week: blueberries, $2.99 pint, and peaches, 99-cents/pound. Watermelon (unsure of provenance) is $2.99 apiece for the big, oblong, melons with seeds, $3.99 for the smaller, round sugar babies.

L. Halteman’s also prices competitively for “homegrown” produce. Today I spied yellow and white peaches, $2.19; blueberries, $3.18 pint/$5.29 quart; sugar plums, $3.29/$5.29; cherry tomatoes, $1.99/pint; and 10-inch round watermelons, $4.99 each.

Benuel Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce’s peaches, yellow or white, were $2.69, though smaller-sized peaches were $1.99. Also at Ben’s: blueberries $4.95/pint, two for $9; cherry tomatoes, $3.50/pint, two for $6; heirloom tomaotes (they looked like Brandywines), $3.69/pound.

Fair Food Farmstand’s heiroloom tomatoes were no bargain at $7.50/pound. Although I’m no okra fan, the red and green varieties ($5/pound) looked good. Also intriguing, large shallots, $7.50/pound, and Purple Verde tomatillos, $5/pound.

[mattohara]

A nice video on AJ's Pickle Patch:

[monavano]

Adam Richman, of Travel Channel’s “Man Vs. Food” and production crew visited DiNic’s at the Reading Terminal Market this morning as part of a program tenatively scheduled for mid-September. Pictured above are ace prep man Jun, Joe Nicolosi, and Adam.

But Richman wasn’t there to see how many roast pork sandwiches he could down. He’s probably still recovering from the challenge taped yesterday at Tony Luke’s where the glutton star consumed a five-pound cheesesteak. DiNic’s will be among the Philadelphia foodie landmarks featured in the pre-challenge part of the program. Richman and crew also stopped by Miller’s Twists for pretzels.

The RTM and DiNic’s were also in media focus Wednesday when DJ Helen Leicht broadcast her midday WXPN shift live from the Market while local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke performed in Center Court. It was the first of three “Local Music Wednesdays” to be broadcast from the market this summer (the others are scheduled for Aug. 5 and 19). Helen interviewed Tommy Nicolosi, proprietor of DiNic’s, which was immediatley followed by a cover of a song from The Who’s rock opera Tommy.

←

Mr. MV and I were eating breakfast at the the Dutch Eating Place when I spied Adam checking out their menu. We finished and payed, then walked around to see if we could find him! Adam was sitting at DiNic's when I asked to take his photo. He could not have been nicer! We chatted for a couple minutes-I can't wait to see the Philly episode.

Edited August 2, 2009 by monavano (log)