Reading Terminal Market (Part 2)

rlibkind · January 28, 2008

I doubt they'll evolve into another Siegfried's. My guess is the focus will continue to be on ready-for-the-oven meats (like the pork tenderloin medallions wrapped in bacon, stuffed pork chops, etc.), some prepared foods and still be a butcher shop of sorts. I'd love to see some of the herrings, salamis and hams, dairy products and breads (especially the large commercial Pechter's ryes) that Siegfried brought in, but that's not going to happen. At least there's a decent selection of brats (even if not quite the wide variety Siegfried prepared).

As for "Deutsche Country Meats," keep in mind that there's no Dutch in "Pennsylvania Dutch"; it's an Americanized corruption of Deutsche to be begin with. But you knew that, Sandy!

Addendum on the Zwiebel Kuchen: When I looked at it in the refrigerated case at the store, there did not appear to be a crust, like an Alsatian onion tart would have. Instead, it was akin to a German-style onion square pan pizza, with a slightly springy bread dough base baked with its topping of the onion, sour cream and egg mixture. I mistakenly expected something more custardy rather than bready. But it was a quite nice accompaniment to our braised beef, especially since I didn't cook potatoes.

SWMBO and I also attacked the Wien Kuchen and Bienenstiche Kuchen for dessert tonight. The Wien was a straight-ahead chocolate cake baked as a small single-serving disc (larger than a cupcake in diameter), but topped with embellishments of three different chocolate frostings and raspberry jam. The Bienenstiche Kuchen (bee sting cake) was a firm yellow cake-like base topped with pastry cream, then almonds glazed in a light honey syrup. Both were good, but I preferred the latter.

Edited January 28, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

GordonCooks · January 28, 2008

Experienced the “Deluxe” tour on Saturday courtesy of Mr. Sandy Smith. My hopes of taking some pics to share where dashed after realizing I had brought my digital camera charger but not the camera L We grabbed some excellent java at Old City Coffee and did the tour. Great Italian fare at Termini Bros. (anywhere that hand fills cannolis is aces in my book.) I grabbed a couple of sticky Apple Walnut bagels for my walk back to the hotel from Le Bus (another recommendation) Lot’s of Penn-Dutch fare – the sheer amount of pickled and jarred items was staggering. The RTM is a nice size to navigate and offers much in the way of prepared foods. I would love to revisit in season to see what the farmers are putting out. I went back to the hotel and my girl decided it was a good place to grab her breakfast on the way to Walnut st.

Jack McDavid’s “Down Home Diner” – Being a scrapple virgin, I decided it was as good a place as any to start. I’m a big sausage lover and figured I would enjoy it – not so much the case but not so much because of the scrapple. The order was for poached eggs and scrapple – what I didn’t know it came with a pile of mushy, cooked apples that left your eggs and meat swimming is a pool of apple water. No amount of hot sauce was able to salvage this dish. Another odd thing, they had toasted grapefruit?! Next time, it will be one of those juicy Pork sammies from Toni DiNic’s

Bluehensfan · January 28, 2008

Jack McDavid’s “Down Home Diner” – Being a scrapple virgin, I decided it was as good a place as any to start. I’m a big sausage lover and figured I would enjoy it – not so much the case but not so much because of the scrapple. The order was for poached eggs and scrapple – what I didn’t know it came with a pile of mushy, cooked apples that left your eggs and meat swimming is a pool of apple water. No amount of hot sauce was able to salvage this dish. Another odd thing, they had toasted grapefruit?! Next time, it will be one of those juicy Pork sammies from Toni DiNic’s
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The Down Home Diner has really gotten pretty bad (for lack of a better word) lately. It's too bad given that it *looks* more appetizing than a number of the other places in the market but the service is poor as is the food. It's sad they are not the merchant in question whose lease is not being renewed, because the quality of the fare served is not doing much for the market...other than keeping the health department busy.

Trust me, a DiNic's sandwich will cure all of your ills.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Bluehensfan (log)

rlibkind · January 28, 2008

Jack McDavid’s “Down Home Diner” . . . . The order was for poached eggs and scrapple – what I didn’t know it came with a pile of mushy, cooked apples that left your eggs and meat swimming is a pool of apple water. No amount of hot sauce was able to salvage this dish. Another odd thing, they had toasted grapefruit?!
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All this is certainly disappointing to hear. Yet, I've eaten there twice in the last six months and did not encounter any of the problems GordonCooks specifies. Still, Gordon Cooks' experience indicates a clear problem with consistency, and that's a serious issue.

Bluehensfan's snide and untrue remark about the Down Home Diner "keeping the health department busy" has been shown before to be not based in fact. Since the poster's comments are unsubstantiated, I thought I'd double-check what the actual findings of the Health Department are. You can see them yourself by pulling up the restaurant inspection reports in PDF format, but here's the skinny:

The Down Home diner was inspected twice last year. The only "critical violation" was found in June, when inspectors spotted some mouse feces on lower shelving on the front counter and instructed it be sanitized. No such critical violation was found upon reinspection in September. The only exception the Health Department found during its September inspection was the lack of a particular certificate. In June the department found that a "food safety certifieid individual not present". That's the entirety of 2007 Health Department inspections of the Down Home diner. If Bluehensfan thinks that's keeping the Health Department busy, he's mistaken.

To give perspective, that same issue of "food safety certified individual not present" was noted by the Health Department in the inspection of 14 other Reading Terminal Market establishments during 2007.

Bluehensfan also makes a point of saying "It's sad they [Down Home Diner] are not the merchant in question whose lease is not being renewed." Presumably Bluehensan is referrinng to Rick's Steaks, whose lease was not renewed and whose future presence at the market is subject to a court case to be tried this June. For what it's worth, Rick's was cited last June for two critical violations: inadequate handwashing and failure to sanitize multiuse utensils. Now, neither of this would stop me from enjoying Rick's Steaks, especially because, in a subsequent inspection in November, Rick's was only cited for failure to post a food safety certificate, which is not a critical violation.

If Bluehensan or anyone is going to post negative remarks about a purveyor or restaurant, I would hope they would be more specific in their complaints so the truth can be tested. One has to wonder why Bluehensfan feels compelled to take a crack at Down Home Diner but praises Rick's, whose health violation was no less critical.

GordonCooks · January 28, 2008

An addendum to my caveat

My girlfriend has simple scrambled eggs, bacon and toast that was perfectly acceptable.

Bluehensfan · January 28, 2008

Jack McDavid’s “Down Home Diner” . . . . The order was for poached eggs and scrapple – what I didn’t know it came with a pile of mushy, cooked apples that left your eggs and meat swimming is a pool of apple water. No amount of hot sauce was able to salvage this dish. Another odd thing, they had toasted grapefruit?!
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All this is certainly disappointing to hear. Yet, I've eaten there twice in the last six months and did not encounter any of the problems GordonCooks specifies. Still, Gordon Cooks' experience indicates a clear problem with consistency, and that's a serious issue.
Bluehensfan's snide and untrue remark about the Down Home Diner "keeping the health department busy" has been shown before to be not based in fact. Since the poster's comments are unsubstantiated, I thought I'd double-check what the actual findings of the Health Department are. You can see them yourself by pulling up the restaurant inspection reports in PDF format, but here's the skinny:
The Down Home diner was inspected twice last year. The only "critical violation" was found in June, when inspectors spotted some mouse feces on lower shelving on the front counter and instructed it be sanitized. No such critical violation was found upon reinspection in September. The only exception the Health Department found during its September inspection was the lack of a particular certificate. In June the department found that a "food safety certifieid individual not present". That's the entirety of 2007 Health Department inspections of the Down Home diner. If Bluehensfan thinks that's keeping the Health Department busy, he's mistaken.
If Bluehensan or anyone is going to post negative remarks about a purveyor or restaurant, I would hope they would be more specific in their complaints so the truth can be tested. One has to wonder why Bluehensfan feels compelled to take a crack at Down Home Diner but praises Rick's, whose health violation was no less critical.
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Bob, Thanks for posting the Philadelphia Health Department link. Admittedly I have not rechecked the Down Home Diner's health reports lately, but you're right, they do seem to be showing some improvements over 2006 with concern to the numerous health complaints they had that calendar year.

Off the record, I have eaten at places numerous times in Philly with less-than-stellar health department findings over the years (the Smoked Joint and its fly infestation seems to keep popping up in my brain). While I won't avoid eating at an establishment per se based upon it's health department report, it would seem commonsense that repeated violations would typically indicate a problem somewhere.

My real "beef" with the Down Home Diner, is that I have never had a good meal there. Granted, that opinion is based on a sampling of two meals I have had over the last five plus years there, but those experiences (one for breakfast and the other for lunch) were so disappointing that I wish that they could do better given the caliber of the other food establishments in the market. A quick glance at Philadelphia Citysearch seems to indicate that other patrons have encountered similar results: CitySearch Profile for the Down Home Diner

rlibkind · January 28, 2008

Bluehensfan, thanks for the new post qualifying and quantiifying the earlier remarks. No doubt about it, Down Home Dinner seems to have some consistency problems, but I still find it a good place for a larger breakfast (I'm usually just a coffee and biscotti guy) at the market. I find the overall quality, for example, superior to the Dutch Eating Place (though the latter's prices are a tad cheaper).

Those Citysearch reviews sure run the gamut, but that's no surprise. The Down Home Diner and the other restaurant founded by Jack McDavid, Jack's Firehouse, have always seemed to generate a love 'em or hate 'em reaction, with not much inbetween.

For the past year, though, Jack hasn't actively been involved in day-to-day management of the Down Home Diner. Instead Jordan Shapiro has taken over the operation, and his management style, quite different from Jack's, has made for a happier wait-staff. I think it shows based in the four or five times I've eaten there over the past year. As for the food, the quality and taste seem on the same level as under Jack's direct management. Then again, all I've had there in my limited visits last year have been the pancakes, the biscuits and gravy, and the fried chicken.

rlibkind · February 2, 2008

Super Bowl Sunday is tomorrow, and if you want wings to feed your crowd, Guinta's Prime Shop has deal for you: a 40-pound case for $59.95, or $1.50/pound. If your group can't consume that many wings, Guinta's and other butchers at the market will sell you them at prices ranging from $2.49-$2.69/pound.

If you're making your own guacamole, the price of avocados and limes are up with demand: the Hass avocados are $1.49 at Iovine Brothers, the limes three for a buck, or $1.69 and four for a buck, respectively, at O.K. Lee.

Earl Livengood took the day off today, which was just as well as far as the market's lunch vendors are concerned, since the space the Lancaster County farmer normally occupies can be used for additional table capacity, given that it's opening day for the auto show. Tom DiNicolosi, proprietor of Tommy DiNic's, expect today to be the busiest day of the year.

Among the hot items Hershel's has to help fill your platter of brisket or any of their other delicacies is kasha varnishkes, a noodle-buckwheat groat combination usually served with gravy.

La Cucina plans to begin cooking classes Feb. 12, with the instruction under the banner of the Temple Center City's Institute for Continuing Studies. Most of the classes La Cucina's RTM demonstration kitchen are for Italian cooking, although other topics are covered in some classes, including a special class for young chefs (ages 9-12) March 8. Most of Temple's basic instructional courses, as well as a number of special chef demonstration classes, will be held at Foster's new store at Fourth and Market, with others at Center City restaurants. Here's the web page listing Temple's classes this semester, some of which are already sold out.

The RTM inaugurates its International Comfort Food Festival on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Samples prepared by market merchants will be available of homey foods from different world cultures, including African-American, Italian, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Jewish. The big event of the day will be a "Souper Bowl" contest to determine which RTM merchant makes the best soup; judges are expected to be local food writers. Live jazz and children's activites will also be part of the festivities.

Weddings are performed every Valentine's Day in center court, and this year is no different. Six local couples will tie the knot on Feb. 14 this year in the ceremonies officiated by Judge Jeffrrey P. Minehart. The Kraft Trio will play the Mendelssohn.

As reported in the Fastnacht topic, Dutch Country Meats will sell the German Shrove Tuesday delicacy baked by Haegele's of the Northeast for one day only, Tuesday, Feb. 5. Haegele's version is different from the plain fried potato dough Fastnacht served in Pennsylvania Dutch country; after frying, Haegele's soaks them in cream, according to Dutch Country Meats proprietor Jake Fisher.

rlibkind · February 3, 2008

Picked up a couple his 'n her steaks at Guinta's Prime Shop today, and lit the Weber Silver B to grill 'em just before sundown.

I say his 'n her because I like mine fatty, she likes hers lean. So for SWMBO I bought a tenderloin filet, priced at about $13 or $14 a pound. My choice was signed as a "cowboy" steak at $7.95/pound. It was a rib steak on the bone with only the excess fat trimmed away, so that there was plenty of extra-fatty meat along the perimeter, which I love, as well as the marbled rib eye.

Both steaks were superb (somehow I managed to cook them to our respective preferred donenesses). SWMBO thought her tenderloin was one of the best steaks she's ever had. Mine had deep beefy taste (not liver-y) and savory richness from all the luscious marbling.

Now, it certainly was not prime that was dry-aged for an exceedingly long period of time; in fact, I think both cuts were wet-aged, though I didn't ask before buying. (Giunta's displayed each individual cut in its own sealed vacuum bag which is why I think they were wet-aged, though that's not conclusive evidence.) As good as the steaks were, Harry Ochs' premium dry-aged steaks and prime rib roasts (the ones that have aged for six weeks rather than four) are superior; however, they cost about 30 or 40 percent more.

Bottom-line, my experience tonight confirms that Guinta's Prime Shop offers exceptional value in very good quality meat. In addition to the steaks tonight, I've bought hanger, flank, skirt and sirloins for grilling. I've enjoyed Guinta's loin and rib lamb chops, shanks, leg, and breasts; ducks and chickens (I've yet to try the veal, but it's on my list). None has disappointed and some, like tonight's steaks, have been extraordinary. The fact that Charles Guinta sells only all-natural, hormone-free, grass-fed beef is almost irrelevant; it just tastes darned good.

Does Guinta's Prime Shop offer the absolutely very best meat you can buy? No. But I am hard-pressed to think of another butcher that offers better meat for the price.

rlibkind · February 6, 2008

A surer sign that spring will eventually arrive than any groundhog's shadow vision is the first shad of the season at local fish markets. Here, roe and buck shad are displayed at John Yi. We're three months away from Delaware River shad.

Over at Iovine Brothers Produce, Brother Vinnie was raving today over the quality of the Chilean stone fruit (where it's mid-summer now). I tasted a slice of peach Vinnie offered, and while it doesn't compare to fresh local orchard fruit from the peak of our season, it was plenty good; better, in fact, than the IQF slices I purchased at Wegman's last week. The Chilean cherries I picked up a week-and-a-half ago weren't bad, priced at $1.99 for a one-pound bag, the same price as the seedless green grapes. Vinnie said the Chilean plums and nectarines were also pretty good.

If you're in the market for Thai ingredients, Katie Loeb notes in this thread that Little Thai Market is more than just a lunch stand: they offer a planoply of necessary goodies if you wish to cook in the Thai style. The search for kaffir lime leaves led Katie to this discovery.

Until today, I always stuck with the roast pork with provolone and greens at DiNic's, but today I experimented with the brisket (with rabe, which I consumed as a kind of first course before digging in the sandwich, but no cheese, though I topped it with a helping of hot peppers from the containers on the counter). It was a tender, beefy sandwich, and one Tommy said he personally prefers. Still, as good as the sandwich was, it's hard for me to order anything but the pork, though I've got friends who swear by the sausage, too.

Edited February 6, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

abooja · February 6, 2008

We visiting RTM for the first time ever this past Saturday. Shared a decent provolone-topped cheese steak at Rick's, bought a few whoopie pies and red licorice, and went home somewhat disappointed. Living in Lawrenceville, I just don't see any reason to make a special trip there when we have a Wegman's right here that services most of our needs. A round trip took around 1-1/2 hours, and parking for less than two hours cost $15. Unless I'm buying tons of meat, there is not much savings to be had. I hate to say it, but a drive to Zabar's in Manhattan, while more expensive, would be a lot more satisfying. The food court atmosphere aside, however, I can see the appeal of RTM for locals. I guess I am just spoiled. :huh:

mrbigjas · February 6, 2008

We visiting RTM for the first time ever this past Saturday. Shared a decent provolone-topped cheese steak at Rick's, bought a few whoopie pies and red licorice, and went home somewhat disappointed. Living in Lawrenceville, I just don't see any reason to make a special trip there when we have a Wegman's right here that services most of our needs. A round trip took around 1-1/2 hours, and parking for less than two hours cost $15. Unless I'm buying tons of meat, there is not much savings to be had. I hate to say it, but a drive to Zabar's in Manhattan, while more expensive, would be a lot more satisfying. The food court atmosphere aside, however, I can see the appeal of RTM for locals. I guess I am just spoiled.
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you got screwed on the parking -- if you spend more than $10 in the market, parking is $3 for up to 2 hours at the lot across the street, if you get it validated at any merchant.

KatieLoeb · February 6, 2008

And you don't have to spend $10 at any one merchant. If you keep your receipts the merchant that puts your total purchases over $10 will stamp your parking ticket for you. This is almost always what happens with me.

Thanks to rlibkind for the recommendation of the cryovac steaks at Giunta's. I bought myself one of those lovely cowboy steaks and grilled it up for dinner last night. Smothered in mushrooms and shallots sauteed with cognac it was one of the best dinners I'd made myself in a while.

Here's what it looked like prior to cooking:

That beauty only cost about $7.50 at just slightly under a pound. It was delicious!

rlibkind · February 6, 2008

Living in Lawrenceville, I just don't see any reason to make a special trip there when we have a Wegman's right here that services most of our needs. . . .The food court atmosphere aside, however, I can see the appeal of RTM for locals. I guess I am just spoiled.
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No doubt about it, Wegman's is something else. I relied on it when I regularly made extended visits in Ithaca. And if I didn't have a public market like the RTM easily available to me, but I had Wegmans nearby, Wegmans' wins. There's no reason to do regular shopping 90 minutes away when you're only 10 or 20 minutes from a Wegmans. Indeed, although I'm the world's biggest booster of the RTM, I still cross the Delaware at least one trip a month to shop at the Cherry Hill Wegmans.

But, even if there was a Wegman's 10 minutes away, I'd be an RTM regular. While Wegman's ain't chopped liver, I prefer most of the meats and produce at the RTM, which has as good if not better a variety and priced less expensively for what I want to buy. There's also more variety and faster turnover at the fishmongers' than at W's, and the prices are usually way, way less expensive at the RTM, though I'll give the nod to Wegmans for usually stocking some items I like that RTM vendors don't, like soft clams, and W has more variety of live oysters and a slightly better price.

Still, a good public market like the RTM and a good supermarket like Wegmans are two different animals. Yet, when you stop to think about it, what makes Wegmans and similar good supermarkets attractive is the fact that they try to mold themselves in the image of a public market. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

rlibkind · February 9, 2008

<a href="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1202523623/gallery_7493_1206_81475.jpg"><img'>http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1202523623/gallery_7493_1206_81475.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1202523623/gallery_7493_1206_81475.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Is That an Egg

Or an Avocado?

That's a 22-ounce emu egg Fair Food Farmstand volunteer Erin Wieand is holding. The $8 egg, from Boody Mill Emu Ranch in South Jersey, will make a very, very large omelet.

The Farmstand has gone more than a week without a freezer, which means no meats or chicken pot pies. The freezer has been repaired, but now a problem has been discovered in the electrical supply. The dairy refrigerator case is just fine.

Earl Livengood returned to the market today, offering root vegetables, winter squash, potatoes and dried herbs. But planning for summer is well underway: Earl said son Dwayne was spending the day planting tomato seeds so seedlings can be grown then placed in the ground this spring.

Lots more variety of sausages at Dutch Country Meats, all from Rieker's: fresh bratwursts, smoked Hungarian brats, Bavarian brats, kielbasa, weisswurst, knockwurst, München weisswurst, coarse mettwurst, fine mettwurst, calve's liverwurst, and German-style wieners, all $5.99/pound. They also had landjaeger at $1.79 a stick and rauchbeischen (smoked bit) sausage at $6.29/pound. Not much selection in the baked goods from Haegele's; the few hot cross buns I saw at 8:30 a.m. were gone by the time I left the market two hours later.

Jim Iovine of Iovine Brothers Produce enjoyed a New Year's trip to Italy last month, including a visit to a namesake winery in the shadow of Vesuvius. He also learned that in Italy, his name is pronounced YO-vin-EE. Just like how he'd shout out to his brother Vincent: "Yo, Vinny!"

There's a shortage of bike racks at the market, but six new ones will soon be placed on the Arch Street side. RTM Manager Paul Steinke said a shortage of bike racks is a good problem to have, but one that is being addressed.

The market has also ordered 5,000 cloth bags for distribution to customers as part of its Green efforts. RTM management and the merchants' association are trying to figure out the best way to get them to customers who will use them instead of just tossing them in a closet. One wag suggested exchanging them for the Whole Food cloth bags some RTM shoppers carry.

rlibkind · February 15, 2008

RTM merchants are distributing coupons to customers through the market's subscriber e-mails. You can sign up for the mailings by clicking on the "Mailing List" link at the bottom of the market's home page.

Among the coupons on this month's missive:

<ul><li>12th Street Cantina: chicken dinner for two to go, $9.95

<li>Bee Natural, $1 lip balm

<li>By George, heart-shaped cheese ravioli with vodka sauce, garlic bread loaf, $21.95 ($25 regularly)

<li>Contessa's French Linens, 10 percent discount.

<li>Fisher's Soft Pretzels, free hot drink with breakfast roll-up.

<li>Franks A Lot, 10 percent off minimum $5 purchase, 15 percent off minimum $10 purchase.

<li>Hatville Deli, deli and sandwich counter specials

<li>Mezze, hot entree with rice, veg, small soup $10 ($11.50 regularly) after 4 p.m.

<li>Old City Coffee, reduced prices on Africa coffees during Black History Month.

<li>Rick's Steaks, free soda with purchase of cheese steak with fries.

<li>Salumeria, free box of crackers with half pound of Toma Blu, and free small fountain soda with regular hoagie.

</u>

MarketStEl · February 15, 2008

Bottom-line, my experience tonight confirms that Guinta's Prime Shop offers exceptional value in very good quality meat. In addition to the steaks tonight, I've bought hanger, flank, skirt and sirloins for grilling. I've enjoyed Guinta's loin and rib lamb chops, shanks, leg, and breasts; ducks and chickens (I've yet to try the veal, but it's on my list). None has disappointed and some, like tonight's steaks, have been extraordinary. The fact that Charles Guinta sells only all-natural, hormone-free, grass-fed beef is almost irrelevant; it just tastes darned good.
Does Guinta's Prime Shop offer the absolutely very best meat you can buy? No. But I am hard-pressed to think of another butcher that offers better meat for the price.
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Thank you for putting an Official Seal of Approval on an opinion I formed back when Giunta's had just opened and I bought from Charlie the most mind-blowingly delicious ham I have ever eaten. The Lancaster County hams he now carries are good enough, but I may just have to move to Iowa so I can get my hands on one of those Van de Rose beauties.

Charlie Giunta offers outstanding value for the money -- meats that are many notches above supermarket quality at prices competitive with supermarkets.

RTM merchants are distributing coupons to customers through the market's subscriber e-mails. You can sign up for the mailings by clicking on the "Mailing List" link at the bottom of the market's home page.
Among the coupons on this month's missive:
[...]
<ul>
<li>Old City Coffee, reduced prices on Africa coffees during Black History Month.
</ul>
[...]
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I had to chuckle at this one. Guess you can commercialize anything if you find the right angle.

rlibkind · February 15, 2008

Old City Coffee, reduced prices on Africa coffees during Black History Month.
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I had to chuckle at this one. Guess you can commercialize anything if you find the right angle.
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That's the American Way!

MarketStEl · February 16, 2008

Wonder whether this is a special event or a trial balloon?

The RTM will be staying open one hour later every day during the Flower Show.

You cannot imagine how glad I am to hear this. Nothing could be more convenient than hopping off the R3, heading upstairs, and buying that evening's meal on the way home.

rlibkind · February 16, 2008

Wonder whether this is a special event or a trial balloon?The RTM will be staying open one hour later every day during the Flower Show.
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iirc, that's been done before, so it's not a trial balloon.

Bluehensfan · February 16, 2008

Wonder whether this is a special event or a trial balloon?The RTM will be staying open one hour later every day during the Flower Show.
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iirc, that's been done before, so it's not a trial balloon.
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RTM always tries to be accomodating during the Flower Show week. They have been open on Sundays during the Flower Show for at least the past few years now, as it is a real money-maker for the market (and a real headache for market regulars like myself).

I wonder what sights I will witness this year. Last year featured a couple of 70+ year-olders deciding that they did not want to wait in line for a particular sit-down restaurant. They just skipped the line entirely, plopped their padded behinds down and refused to vacate their spots when management (no doubt prompted by the many annoyed customers who had waited) pointed them out. Interestingly enough, the old folks still refused to get up when their error was pointed out, as their response was merely that they "didn't feel like waiting."

Perhaps SEPTA will offer a Bouquet Pass for these folks to another state this year...I'd chip in a few bucks! :biggrin:

rlibkind · February 23, 2008

Things that swim were clearly favored by the judges at today's Souper Bowl contest at the Reading Terminal Market. The first, second and third place winners, from among eleven entries cooked up by market merchants, all involved creatures that like to hang out by sea or river.

The Souper Bowl was part of the market's Comfort Food Festival.

Top honors went to a snapper soup sold by Dutch Country Meats. Pearl's Oyster Bar earned second place for its lobster and crab bisque, while the Down Home Diner's clam chowder took third. The seafood-loving judges were April White of Philadelphia magazine, Ken Foster of Foster's Urban Homeware, and Laura Burkhardt of Where Philadelphia magazine.

I tasted most of the soups entered, and there wasn't a clunker among them, including the two pasta fagiole entries, but I can't argue with the winners. The snapper soup, a Philadelphia classic, had its richness balanced by the traditional shot of sherry. The bisque was just about the seafood, as it should be. Although cream-based, no New Englander would have recognized the clam chowder, since it featured some unusual and intense seasonings, but thoroughly enjoyable. Other soups entered included a golden potato, sweet and sour cabbage, matzah ball, turkey chili, and Italian wedding. (That adds up to 10; can't remember the 11th). Although some merchants who don't usually prepare soup made them special for this event (like DiNic's pasta fagiole), most of the soups are regularly available. The winning snapper soup is sold by Dutch Country Meats from the stock of goods they bring in from Rieker's, a German specialty store in the Northeast; starting next week it will be made on premises from the Rieker's recipe.

I also made the rounds tasting just a few of the offerings from merchants at the Comfort Food Festival, served at tables around the market's center court. Most offered free small tastes, but were also selling larger servings. I enjoyed the chicken from Nanee's Kitchen and the German frank with Kraut from Dutch Country Meats, but there were plenty of other goodies, including waffles and ice cream from Fisher's, one of the few "sweet" comfort foods highlighted.

Here are some photos from the event:

Pearl's Oyster Bar (foreground), and the Dutch Eating Place next to them

were among merchants participating in Comfort Food Festival.

Judges April White (left), Ken Foster and Laura Burkhardt slurp and take notes.

RTM General Manager Paul Steinke raises the arms of Souper Bowl champ Jake Fisher of Dutch Country Meats.

Edited February 23, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

Bluehensfan · February 24, 2008

The Souper Bowl was part of the market's Comfort Food Festival.
Top honors went to a snapper soup sold by Dutch Country Meats. Pearl's Oyster Bar earned second place for its lobster and crab bisque, while the Down Home Diner's clam chowder took third. The seafood-loving judges were April White of Philadelphia magazine, Ken Foster of Foster's Urban Homeware, and Laura Burkhardt of Where Philadelphia magazine.
I tasted most of the soups entered, and there wasn't a clunker among them, including the two pasta fagiole entries, but I can't argue with the winners. The snapper soup, a Philadelphia classic, had its richness balanced by the traditional shot of sherry. The bisque was just about the seafood, as it should be. Although cream-based, no New Englander would have recognized the clam chowder, since it featured some unusual and intense seasonings, but thoroughly enjoyable. Other soups entered included a golden potato, sweet and sour cabbage, matzah ball, turkey chili, and Italian wedding. (That adds up to 10; can't remember the 11th).
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We tried a number of the soups (after a delicious, DiNic's sandwich dripping with juice I might add) and particularly enjoyed Tommy DiNic's pasta fagiole. The matzoh ball soup was pretty good as well, as was Mezze's pasta fagiole. The cabbage soup seemed a bit more sour than version my mother makes, so perhaps I am biased there. I can't remember the "missing" soup but seem to remember something else with steak in it.

It was indeed a great event, and hopefully they will do it again next year! Unfortunately I was too stuffed to try one of the delicious looking waffles that they were cooking up.

By the way, even Bob got a plug from Paul Steinke as a "market regular" during the event!

rlibkind · February 24, 2008

Earl Livengood this past Saturday unveiled a project he's been working on for two winters: a new cart. The steel-blue, wooden-wheeled vehicle (photo above) displayed potatoes this week at Earl's regular Reading Terminal Market location.Although the spring crop has yet to be planted (other than seedings Earl and son Dwain have started in the greenhouse), we soon might start seeing the pokeweed Earl's friend Sam Consylman buries in sand each fall.

You will no longer regularly find baked goods from Haegele's at Dutch Country Meats. Purveyor Jake Fisher's lease specifies meat, so when one of the other vendors complained about DCM's carrying baked goods, GM Paul Steinke had no choice but to crack down. Fisher said, however, that he'll be allowed to sell a few specialty baked items at holiday time. (My wish would be for Haegele's to rent daystall space on Saturdays at the market to sell their goodies, which really have no competition in terms of specific items and quality with any of the existing the baked goods sellers at the market.)

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_372526.jpg"><img'>http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_372526.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_372526.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Expansion of product line beyond what's authorized in leases has been a bone of contention before. It's one of the issues which contributed to the departure of Siegfried's, the Germany specialty store whose <span style="font-style: italic;">Große Schuhe</span> Dutch Country Meats is trying to fill. All was fine at Siggy's until his son, who managed the stall, tried to expand into serving lunch items items for on-premises consumption; that was a no-no, since the store 's lease classified it as a purveyor, not a lunch stand.

Even though it's the height of the citrus season, certain fruits have climbed in price. Over at Iovine this past weekend, a lime or lemon would have cost you 50 cents apiece. That's a far cry from summer, when either can sometimes go for a dime apiece.

Reasonably-sized navel oranges, however, can be had for 25 cents, and there are similar prices for tangelos, tangerines, etc. A relative bargain are the Chilean grapes; both red and green seedless varieties are selling for $1.99/pound. Grapefruit prices vary by size and variety, but they are pretty much as inexpensive as they get.

After a week's delay, La Cucina is open for business. In photo below, La Cucina operator Anna Florio leads a class Saturday. Florio offers independent classes as well as programs offered in conjunction with Temple University at the newly requipped kitchen.

There will be a formal "grand opening" ceremony in March, when the market will recognize the donations to the new kitchen of Electrolux IKON appliances from Airs Appliances, countertop material from DuPont and installation from Unique Designs, and cabinetry from Ikea.

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_17573.jpg"><img'>http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_17573.jpg"><img style="margin: 2px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1203780399/gallery_7493_1206_17573.jpg" alt="" border="2" /></a>

rlibkind · February 26, 2008

. . . we soon might start seeing the pokeweed Earl's friend Sam Consylman buries in sand each fall.
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Alas, we will not.

Sam reports that the poke crop he set out in his cold basement in the fall has failed to send up much in the way of shoots for harvesting. Where he had expected to get five pounds a week right now he's barely reaping a pound.

Sam isn't sure why but suspects the lack of a strong cold spell in the fall is responsible. He speculates that the poke needs the cold to snap them into the dormant stage for the rest of the winter.

What little supply of poke Sam does have is earmarked for Farm To City's Winter Harvest program. Sam does have plenty of Jerusalem artichoke, however.

In the fall, Sam digs up pokeweed from his favorite Lancaster County foraging grounds and stores them on two six-foot long shelves in his basement. He stacks them tightly to preserve moisture and waters them daily to "mimic the same way they'd get moisture in the wild."

By January they start to send out edible shoots (the leaves, berries, taproot and older shoots are poisonous) which Sam harvests and usually sells through Earl Livengood and Farm To City. This year, however, no shoots appeared until February, and the crop has been meager.

If you do happen to find Sam's poke, treat it as you would spinach or asparagus. The new growth poke has a bleached appearance because it's not been in the sun; according to Sam, "the wild stuff has a little bitterness because it gets some sun; with what I have you don't need to boil it twice and discard the water" as you would with poke shoots that haven't been coaxed out of the darkness in Sam's cellar.

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