Reading Terminal Market (Part 2)

[MarketStEl]

Bob: The last thing we need is someone who writes bad promotional copy teaching others how to write it too.

Better you send the writer to my re-education camp.

[rlibkind]

April showers bring May flowers. And May morels.

Sam Consylman called last night to say the heavy rains earlier this week in Lancaster County caused an explosion of morels. Indeed, Sam quipped that he "ate $10,000 worth" over the last few days. At $85/pound, that's a lot of mushrooms (more than 117 pounds' worth). Okay, so maybe Sam was indulging in a bit of hyperbole, at least in terms of his personal mushroom consumption. But I have no doubt of his account of the dramatic increase in morel availability.

Sam said most of what he's picking now are white morels, morella deliciosa (the scientific name says it all), which is the immature version of the yellow morel, morella esculenta. Expect to find them at Earl Livengood's center court stall at the Reading Terminal Market Saturday. I cooked what I bought last weekend in cream sauce. You can find my recipe for Morels in Cream Sauce in RecipeGullet.

The Fair Food Farmstand does lots of good works, but it loses a gazillion points for murdering the English language when it insists on calling fiddlehead ferns "wildcrafted," just as it labeled dandelions last week. What's wrong with "wild-harvested" or "foraged" or "gathered"? Does everything have to be made? Can't we just have a eureka moment and "find" things? I want to know what, precisely Vollmecke Orchards (the Coatesville CSA which sold the ferns to Fair Food) did to "craft" these lovely spring veggies?

In any event, you can obtain some nice, freshly harvested fiddleheads there. (At least you could Thursday afternoon. Last week the stand sold out its 10-pound allotment in a few hours.) If Fair Food sells out, walk over to Iovine Brothers. Jim Iovine expected to have them on hand this week, although they will be pricey. Fair Foods was selling them for $17/pound. Jim Iovine hadn't received his when we spoke yesterday, so he couldn't quote a firm price, but figured Fair Food's price isn't far off the mark. I serve them steamed or, after parboiling, sautéed, usually with garlic, though combining them with ramps can't be a bad thing. Just go easy on the ramps so as not to overpower the fiddleheads. To prep the fiddleheads, just remove any papery feathers you might find by rubbing them off and rinse.

Iovine also expected more deliveries of ramps for this weekend, which have been selling for $3.99 a bunch. That's enough to sauté in bacon fat for home fries with a couple of medium-sized potatoes, though two bunches would be better. Be sure to use the leaves as well as the bulbs.

[rlibkind]

LILAC TIME AT LIVENGOOD'S

A couple of bushes' worth of French and common lilacs brought a delightful fragrance to center court at the RTM yesterday, tended to here by Joyce Livengood. She was selling the French lilacs for $12 a bunch, the common lilacs for $9.50 (two for $18). Livengood's might have them available again next Saturday.

Also on sale at Livengood's this week was Earl's deep green spinach, $3.95 bag. Plenty of Sam Consylman's morels this past Saturday, too. Livengood's begins the farmers' market season this week, putting in appearances at South & Passyunk (Tuesday, 3-7 p.m.) and Fairmount & 22nd (Thursday, 3-7 p.m.)

Another specialty of Sam Consylman is poke (above), whose roots he gathers in the fall then stores in a root cellar until they develop new shoots in late winter and spring. Sam says the young shoots make mighty fine eating. This winter his production was disappointing, but spring seems to have put them back into gear. Plenty were for sale at Livengood's stand Saturday at $3.25 a bunch.

This coming week's predicted warm weather might lead to strawberries next week from some of the region's farmers. They'd go great in a pie with the rhubarb for sale at Livengood's (pictured above), Fair Food, Kaufman's Lancaster County Produce and other produce vendors.

Both O.K. Lee and Iovine Brothers Produce offered one-pound bags of key limes yesterday. You could save a buck by buying them at OKL ($1.99 vs. $2.99).

The ramps at Iovine's are considerably less expensive than those at Fair Food Farmstand, but at least judging from what was on the shelves Saturday the quality was a bit better at FFF. Prices were $3.99/bunch at Iovine's, with a bunch weighing in at about four ounces for $16/pound, vs. $27/pound at FFF. Below, Fair Food Farmstand co-manager Sarah Cain proudly displays her bounty.

The market begins a week-long ad campaign on KYW Newsradio Monday. The 30-second spots feature Mike Holahan, president of the Reading Terminal Market Merchants' Association and owner, with wife Julie, of the Pennsylvania General Store.

So far 40 merchants have agreed to stay open until 7 p.m. on June 30 and July 1 and 2. No, not because of the Independence Day celebrations. It's because 8,000 souls will be attending "New Awakening 2008", a meeting of JAMA, a prayer and spiritual awakening movement arising out of the Korean-American community. Another 8,000 conventioners can be expected to munch their way through the market May 14-18 when the Oncology Nurses Association meets.

Visitors to the RTM are running six percent ahead of last year. The running total for 2008 has topped 1,876,000, vs. 1,770,000 for the same period of 2007.

The "tenant obtained" signs are up in the vacant space formerly occupied by Natural Connections and, before that, Margerums. As previously noted, it will be occupied by upscale grocer Jonathan Best, expanding to the RTM from its Chestnut Hill shop.

[wkl]

why are ramps so expensive?

there are tons growing wild in kennett square area now. i picked buckets full last w/e.i probably picked 10 pounds worth in about 45 minutes

when i see the prices i almost can't eat what i picked because i'm doing the math as i clean them.

[mrbigjas]

why are ramps so expensive?

there are tons growing wild in kennett square area now. i picked buckets full last w/e.i probably picked 10 pounds worth in about 45 minutes 

when i see the prices i almost can't eat what i picked because i'm doing the math as i clean them.

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because they're 'wildcrafted'

hahahahaha

[rlibkind]

Cukes and onions make a great salad to accompany cold cut sandwiches, grilled meats and lots of other dishes. Both were on sale at Iovine Brother's Produce yesterday. The Vidalia onions were a cheap 50-cents a pound, while decent regular cucumbers (though with a heavy wax coat) were selling four for a buck. Also down in price this week, after many months in the stratosphere: limes, now five for a buck. Juice oranges were 25 cents apiece, and pints of South Carolina strawberries $1. Jim Iovine was also touting the California peaches and aprocits at $1.99/pound.

Over at John Yi's, the price of soft shell crabs went up to $6 apiece this week (two for $10); the softshells were $5.50 each at Golden.

This week's rains must have killed off the lilacs: Earl Livengood didn't have them this week. He did have some great looking lettuces (I picked up a head of romaine) and asparagus. I bought some of his very fresh eggs, mixed them up with gruyere, parmesan and romano cheeses, heavy cream and made a crustless quiche (inspired by Mark Bittman's Times' column last Wedneday) for dinner last night; I tweaked the dish with some lightly steamed chopped asparagus and gently fried dices of pancetta. Served with Earl's lettuce (and one of his greenhouse tomatoes, some Iovine cuke) and a baguette, it made a great dinner, especially accompanied with a crisp Riesling.

Like artichokes? O.K. Lee had gargantuan specimens for $1.69 apiece.

Local strawberries made their debut at the Fair Food Farmstand, which featured Rineers' crop, which you can also find at some of the area's farmers' markets. The stand also had a sale on some frozen meat products from a variety of vendors: it was priced for sale -- 50 percent off -- because of some packaging issues: won't hold up to long-term freezing, so thaw it now and enjoy.

[rlibkind]

'DINNER IMPOSSIBLE' VISITS MARKET

Cleveland Chef Michael Symons, tagged by a crew including three cameras and assorted production folks, visited the Reading Terminal Market this morning for an installment of Food TV's "Dinner: Impossible." Symons, an Iron Chef America champ, succeeds as program protagonist the prevaricator Robert Irvine.

The goal in this episode: cook a meal for residents of a seniors' residence. They were having a bit of a meat problem, however. After they bought enough pork loin to feed 250, producer Marc Summers learned that pork is the residents' least favorite meat. Oh, well. Can't bust the budget over a little detail like that.

Jim Iovine reports the crew purchased more than $500 worth of food from him, including half a dozen or so boxes of exotic mushrooms.

[rlibkind]

Local Snow Peas At Fair Food

I was a little surprised to see snow peas, which seemed at least a couple weeks early at the Fair food Farmstand at the RTM this morning. They looked great, priced at $4.50/pint, and hail from Green Meadow Farm in Gap, Lancaster County.

Both Fair Food and Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce are selling local berries, priced at $5, give or take a nickel, per pint. Although they were picked an overnight truck ride away, the South Carolina berries at Iovine Brothers Produce represent good value at $1.99 pint and looked tasty; they're the best bet if you need to induce berry intoxication in a big crowd. Iovine's also scored some less expensive avocados, for $1 apiece, and good looking string beans at 99-cents/pound.

Scallions, berries asparagus and tomatoes at Kauffman's

Edited May 17, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

[TarteTatin]

Those snow peas I bought at Fair Food yesterday (Friday) were just so delicate and flavorful.

Delicious.

The strawberries were good from there too! Actually tasted of strawberries, not cardboard.

I dipped them in a bit of goat yoghurt from Fair Food.

But, actually preferred both tastes better-- separately.

I'm the same way with wine and food. I love good wine. I love good food.

But like to appreciate each taste alone.

[rlibkind]

The Fair Food Farmstand offers berries at three different prices depending upon provenance. The conventional berries, from a Delaware grower, sold for $3.50/pint or $6/quart. "Chemical free" berries from Rineer Family Farm were $4.50/pint. Organic berries from another grower were $5/pint. Fair Food also continued to sell snow peas at $4.50/pint.

Local strawberries were also in evidence at Iovine Brothers Produce for $2.50/pint and Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce for $3.50 a half pint or $4.95/pint. L. Halteman also featured local berries ($3.99/pint) and scallions $1.29 bunch).

My Memorial Day weekend grilling consisted of chicken in a coriander-cumin rub (Friday), partaking in a block party Saturday (we supplied cupcakes), hambugers Sunday (ground to order from Harry Ochs, 1.25 pounds chuck + six ounces filet mignon), and hot dogs Monday (the five-to-a-pound "Syd's" kosher style beef dogs from Best Provision, Newark, only available by making a trip to the plant).

We met friends for brunch at the RTM Sunday morning, but by the time we arrived at 10:30 a.m., Hershel's East Side Deli had sold out of all varities of bagels save one, the "everything" bagel. My hand-sliced belly lox was yummy on the salty bagel.

If you like Cracker Jacks, you'll love the Keystone Krunch sold at the Pennsylvania General Store. It's not inexpensive ($9.99 for a large bag which has about six normal servings, though the nutritional info label says the bag holds four servings), but it's far superior, even if you don't get a prize. The caramel covered confection includes not just popcorn, but almonds and, true to Pennsylvania style, pretzels. Great when watching the Phillies crush the opposition, as they did the last two days as I was enjoying Keystone Krunch. (Pennsylvania General Store created the blend and originally made it, but they've farmed the manufacturing out to Asher's.)

[Tim Dolan]

My Memorial Day weekend grilling consisted of chicken in a coriander-cumin rub (Friday), partaking in a block party Saturday (we supplied cupcakes), hambugers Sunday (ground to order from Harry Ochs, 1.25 pounds chuck + six ounces filet mignon), and hot dogs Monday (the five-to-a-pound "Syd's" kosher style beef dogs from Best Provision, Newark, only available by making a trip to the plant).

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How'd those burgers turn out?

[rlibkind]

Very good (though, since I don't cook them regularly enough, I tend to overcook; mine turned out just a tad beyond medium rare, and I like them rare). I'm not sure I'd add the filet mignon next time, it added a tad to texture but not (as expected) to taste. The previous time I added some short ribs to the basic chuck. What I'd love to try are porterhouse tails, since that was the cut my favorite hamburger restaurant from my youth used.

Just plain chuck works well (I prefer it to sirloin, but that's a point upon which reasonable people may disagree), especially if you ask for it to be ground to order, as most butcher shops will. When I want meat for braised or simmered ground meat dishes, I usually ask for a single grind; for burgers, a double. (The better supermarkets will grind to order, also.)

[JanMcBaker]

If you like Cracker Jacks, you'll love the Keystone Krunch sold at the Pennsylvania General Store. It's not inexpensive ($9.99 for a large bag which has about six normal servings, though the nutritional info label says the bag holds four servings), but it's far superior, even if you don't get a prize. The caramel covered confection includes not just popcorn, but almonds and, true to Pennsylvania style, pretzels. Great when watching the Phillies crush the opposition, as they did the last two days as I was enjoying Keystone Krunch. (Pennsylvania General Store created the blend and originally made it, but they've farmed the manufacturing out to Asher's.)

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Yes it is yummy, but Michael Holahan, owner of the Pennsylvania General Store, was persuaded to use the proper spelling for the words in the name of the treat. Hence the name Keystone Crunch.

[rlibkind]

RTM Butcher Closing

Dutch Country Meats is throwing in the towel at the Reading Terminal Market. A combination of poor volume, management issues and personal concerns has caused proprietor Jake Fisher to shut down his operation after this Saturday. Jake took over the business from prior owners about a year ago.

Jake has tried to make a go of it, bringing in German wurstgescheft specialties from Rieker's of Oxford Avenue (including the snapper soup which won him a market-wide competition this winter). He also had featured selected baked goods from Haegele's Bakery of Mayfair/Tacony until another RTM purveyor complained. So, for the time being at least, to obtain those goodies you'll have to make the trip to one of the Northeast's great neighborhoods.

It's too early to figure out who will replace Dutch Country Meats or how long the space will be vacant. Although Steinke will make another effort to lure Rieker's to open under their own name, they've shunned the opportunity in the past. He doesn't have unrealistic expectations that they will jump at the chance now.

Another possibility is that the market just can't support another butcher. With Harry Ochs, Martin's, Giunta's and L. Halteman all doing well, there simply may not have been enough business to go around.

The space Fisher is vacating has been problematic at least since the rehabilitation of the RTM in the mid-1980s as part of the convention center project. It was briefly occupied by Moyer's Pork Products following the reconstruction until Bob Moyers and his family decided to concentrate on their processing, catering and retail business in their home village of Blooming Glen. (I miss those deeply-flavored, home-smoked, no-water added hams; a road trip is in order, especially since Bob now has a BBQ tent in front of the store!) After Moyers departed Charles Giunta held down the stall selling pigmeat for a while before trying the wholesale business as a sales rep; he's been doing much better since he reentered retailing with his wide range of meats across from Iovine Brothers' Produce. Jake's predecessor owner of Dutch Country Meats also gave up the ghost after a few years concentrating on pork products; they added German-style cold cuts after Siegfried's closed in the space that is now the Little Thai Market.

Fair Food Expanding

The Fair Food Farmstand, which sells much of the same produce from the same farms as many of the farmers' markets around town, is bursting at the seams. They'll be expanding their retail space by building out to the next column in the Arch Street side seating area. They've already increased their cold storage ability, including a new walk-in refrigerator with 50 percent more capacity to hold goods before bringing them out to the retail floor.

Best gets closer

One large stall that should be filled sometime this summer (one hopes) is the former Margerum's / Natural Connection. Jonathan's Best has placed signs on the space saying they'll be coming soon. Translation: they'll sign a lease and begin refurbishing the space as soon as their financing comes through. The upscale grocer has been in business in Chestnut Hill for a couple of decades.

Amish Leases

The market has concluded all lease renewal negotiations except with the Amish merchants. Steinke said the market is committed to allowing them to maintain their current market hours and product lines. At least a couple of the Amish merchants still don't like the idea that other merchants can be open on Sunday, even though they are not required to do so. The Amish vendors are there Wednesday-Saturday, closing at 3 p.m. Wednesdays and 5 p.m. on the other days. Steinke said Sundays have not been a stumbling block. The Amish merchants, he acknowledged, are one of the market's special attractions, "so we're trying to preserve the status quo". Steinke won't get into details on the remaining issues, but believes the leases will be concluded soon. Because of the special issues involved with the Amish vendors Steinke said he left negotiations with that group for last.

Pennsylvania Dutch Festival

The Pennsylvania Dutch Festival is scheduled for August 7-9. Last year the Amish merchants shut it down over the Rick's Steaks brouhaha. It's doubtful market management would have scheduled the event if they thought the Amish would repeat their boycott. The Ice Cream Festival is scheduled for Saturday, July 12.

[Bluehensfan]

Since one of the butchers in RTM is unfortunately closing, I thought this might be a good time to do an informal "eGullet survey" to ask what type of merchant the market might benefit from having should another butcher not materialize.

Some thoughts I have:

1. A fish monger who can grill up some of the fresh fish they sell.

2. A decent BBQ joint.

3. Capogiro or some other very high quality Philadelphia-based gelato company.

4. A produce vendor that stocks more upscale items (such as those little red bananas and the like that I can't seem to find in RTM so I have to get them at WFM).

5. Someplace that serves wicked burgers and fries.

6. An outpost of Tartes or Brown Betty Desserts.

7. A fresh popcorn vendor like Garrett Popcorn in Chicago.

8. A creole/cajun place.

9. A really good raw bar.

Just my two cents.

Edited May 30, 2008 by Bluehensfan (log)

[Holly Moore]

Though other vendors might object to the competition, I suspect a place that simply fries up fresh cut, twice fried, non-shoestring french fries would thrive.

Re barbecue - perhaps an opportunity for Jack McDavid to serve Philadelphians the same bbq he is smoking up at bbq festivals around the country.

Some top notch Chicago style caramel corn would hit the spot too.

[lancastermike]

I would think a real bagel place would kick ass at RTM.

[rlibkind]

There was a bagel place when I first started shopping at the market, a year or so prior to the beginning of the rehab in conjunction with the convention center project. I don't think they made them on site, but it was pretty much just a bagel bagel-sandwich retailer. I've mentioned to Paul Steinke recently that would be something to consider luring to the market, if it made business sense for someone to pursue. About the same time, Moises Addison Street Bakery used to sell lots of great breads, rolls and bagels; iirc, it was located about where the seating area to the north side of Flying Monkey now resides.

A good, central/eastern European style bakery, or a version of a good old-fashioned neighborhood bakery, would be an ideal addition to the market. As much as I enjoy what Metropolitan and Le Bus produce, there are a lot of baked goods (breads and sweets) that the RTM doesn't currently offer. Bieler's, the Amish baker, just doesn't cut it for me. (I've never been fond of the overly-sweet Pennsylvania Dutch commercial baked goods they sell) Let's bring a little bit of the Northeast to Center City!

Edited June 1, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

[rlibkind]

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

It's pretty hard not to contain myself this time of year when visiting the Reading Terminal Market or one of the farmers' markets around town. Kind of like the stress-inducing choices She Who Must Be Obeyed and I faced on our honeymoon in St. Martin. Do we sun by the pool? Or maybe the lagoon? Or the ocean front? Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Only this time, it's about produce.

French Breakfast or Cherry Bell radishes? Snow peas or sugar snaps or English peas? Asparagus or Poke? And which of the many pints or quarts of deep red strawberries should I acquire? Decisions, decisions, decisions!

I opted for the breakfast radishes and sugar snaps which will go into a salad along with red onion slices, orange sections and fresh mint from the garden. They will accompany grilled duck breast, followed by a strawberry-banana concoction from "Sorbets!", eGulleter Jim Tarantino's wonderful little compendium of all things icy but cream-less.

This is probably the last weekend for poke at Livengood's, collected and nurtured by Sam Consylman.

Fair Food's prices are usually a tad dear, but the strawberries are competitive, particularly when considering the quality. All of the vendors at the RTM and farmers' markets have had exceptional berries the last few weeks. A lot of warm, sunny days without too many deluges of rain are the reason.

The weather has been a boon to the stone fruits, according to the farmers I've spoken with. A day or two or awful weather could always ruin the crops, but let's keep our collective fingers crossed. Cherries should start showing up in a couple of weeks.

The first cucumbers are also starting to make an appearance. Benuel Kauffman had tiny Kirby cukes today, though they were not as crisp as I would like for my pickle-making (just a salt brine with some garlic and dill: no vinegar or sugar for me). One of the Headhouse Square vendors (I forget who) expects to have some this Sunday. Ben was the only vendor at the RTM today with local English peas (both shelled and unshelled). Fair Food is particularly proud of the tiny white Hakurei turnips from Gottschell Farms on sale today; I'm not a turnip fan, but these diminutive beauties looked swell, and can be eaten raw, I'm told.

This little piggy . . .

Dwain Livengood has added pork to the frozen meats available at the family's stand (Tuesday afternoons at South & Passyunk, Thursday afternoons at 22nd & Fairmount, all day Saturdays at the RTM). The offerings include no-water added ham steak slices and bacon cured by the sole remaining family-owned processor in Lancaster County, Smuckers Quality Meats of Mount Joy. Lancaster Farming had an excellent article on the decline of the small meat processors in April.

Fair Food Newsletter

If you don't subscribe to the Fair Food Farmstand's weekly newsletter, you can always check it out at their website. for what's in season. You can now find it online; it's usually posted on Thursdays. Just surf over to this link and bookmark it.

Crunch Correction

Last week I raved about Keystone Krunch, the almond and pretzel studded Cracker Jack-like conconction from the Pennsylvania General Store. Former Saturday Morning Breakfast Clubber Jan McBaker brought to my attention that it's Crunch with a "C".

Edited to take out off-topic item (Mojo)

Edited June 7, 2008 by rlibkind (log)

[wkl]

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Getting Drunk With Mojo

Does anyone else besides me regard as essential can't miss viewing "Three Sheets" on the HD-only Mojo channel? I mean, Zane Lamprey spent at least half of his recent episode on Denmark extolling the virtues of Akavit!

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that show is hysterical! i luv it. i want his job.

[Tim Dolan]

Anyone have any recommendations for best sauasages in the RTM? I've entered the world of smoking and was thinking about doing some sausage over the weekend. I purchased my first pork butt the other weekend from Giunta's and it was pretty solid. I would imagine that all of the butchers are solid as well, but I figured I would check here. I know that I walked by one vendor the other week and they had a buffalo chicken sausage, can't remember who it was though...

[rlibkind]

All four of the butchers (Harry Ochs, Giunta's Prime Shop, Martin's Quality Meats and L. Halteman Family) carry sausages, though Martin's clearly has the widest variety since they distribute to many stores in the region as well as their own RTM retail outlet. Go with any sausage that tickles your fancy from any of the butchers and you won't be disappointed. Dutch Country Meats had some great brats from Rieker's, but they are now out of business.

Here's a "link" (pardon the pun) to a list of what Martin's makes, which includes that buffalo chicken sausage. BTW, Martin's proprietor, Martin Giunta, and Giunta's Prime Shop's proprietor, Charles Giunta, are brothers. Both Martin and Charles are carrying on in the family business, which started with their grandfather in South Philly.

[rlibkind]

Hail The Summer Solstice!

As the solstice approaches (this coming Friday, 7:59 p.m.), summer fruits are trickling into the marketplace.

Local cucumbers could be found at Benuel Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce. Benuel just had kirby cucumbers (the type that makes the best pickle). Haven't seen any locally grown salad cukes at the RTM yet, but they are available at Headhouse, so they should be at the RTM soon.

Earl Livengood has got some tasty, freshly dug new potatoes. They were selling for $2.50 a half-pint, $3.20 a pint and $4.50 a quart. The pint weighs in at about three-quarters of a pound, so the effective price is about $4.25 a pound, pricey for potatoes, but when you can get them fresh dug, a luxury worth trying. (Ben Kauffman was selling red new potatoes at $2 a pint.) All the farm vendors at RTM (Livengood, Kauffman and Fair Food Project) featured peas both in and out of the shell.

Salmon Expensive

To go with those potatoes and peas, I splurged and purchased a wild Alaskan king salmon filet from John Yi at $22.95/pound. It was delicious, especially when gently slow-roasted as recommended by eGullet poster Vadouvan. A classic early summer meal.

Even though the salmon season has been underway about a month in Alaska, prices remain very high. Copper River king just couldn't be had here; in Seattle the going price has been $40 a pound. Copper River sockeye is considerably less pricey, and a delicious fish in its own right, but my fish mongers haven't had it yet, though Whole Foods has it for $21.99, but the end of the Copper River season is upon us; other runs will replace it and the price should go down, we hope. What's keeping the prices elevated is the closing of the California salmon season this spring because stocks are so low. Reduced commercial catches are also foreseen in Oregon and Washington, so Alaska (and British Columbia) are the only wild salmon games around, and prices have rising in response to market conditions. My advice: learn to love bluefish. (Taras Grescoe wrote a recent op-ed article in the New York Times entitled Sardines With Your Bagel? that I highly recommend.)

Quick notes. Broccoli is much in evidence at the markets, cauliflower can't be far behind. . . . Didn't check this week, but last week the Hass avocados at Iovine's were selling for $1 each, Vidalia onions 50-cents a pound. . . . Time for limeade. Iovine's featured some juicy limes with heft at 10 for a buck; lemons remain relatively dear at 3/1$. . . . Hardshell crabs $2 each or $19.95/dozen at John Yi.

Musical stalls at RTM

A deal is in the works to fill out what had been Dutch Country Meats. Although negotiations are continuing, there's an agreement in principle for Benuel Kauffman to expand his produce stand across the aisle and take over the walk-in refrigerator that served the butcher, and for the manager of the Dutch Eating Place, Roger Miller, to buy Fisher's Soft Pretzels from Paul Fisher and move it to the remainder of the Dutch Country Meats space. Fisher would then expand his candy and sweets business to the part of the stall now occupied by his pretzel bakery.

A cheese steak operation won't necessarily replace Rick's when he vacates October 31. RTM GM Paul Steinke would like to place a more traditional market purveyor in the space, maybe even an expanded Fair Foods Farmstand. The idea, he said, would be to showcase the market as a venue for purchasing food for home consumption.

Market promotion

The Reading Terminal Market is emulating the city's "no questions asked" campaign to get residents to turn in illegal firearms. Only the market wants your shopping bags.

Steinke abhors seeing his regular market shoppers carrying cloth bags advertising competitive food vendors, such as Whole Foods. So he and the merchants are trying to do something about it. Beginning today, shoppers who turn in cloth bags from the other venues will receive a replacement bag with the RTM logo and $5 in Market Money to be spent with RTM merchants. The "No Questions Asked" promotion is limited to the first 200 customers who bring their bags to the RTM office, located up the stairs across from Tootsie's Salad Express. An ad campaign touting the program starts this week in the Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, Citypaper, South Philly Review and Weekly Press.

[Holly Moore]

A cheese steak operation won't necessarily replace Rick's when he vacates October 31. RTM GM Paul Steinke would like to place a more traditional market purveyor in the space, maybe even an expanded Fair Foods Farmstand. The idea, he said, would be to showcase the market as a venue for purchasing food for home consumption.

People don't already get that the Reading Terminal Market is a "venue for purchasing food for home?" Such uncomprehending market-goers will likely never survive a trip to the market in the first place, having been culled from the species seconds after failing to grasp that a "Don't Walk" sign means don't walk.

Recently there has been a speculation about the mystery Tony Luke's cheesesteak franchisee's relationship with the board that initially led to the board kicking out Rick's Steaks. One wonders if this might be a peremptory move by the market so, down the road, they can say, "See, we were never really wanted to put a cheesesteak place in Rick's space." After all, the winners get to write the history.

[MarketStEl]

People don't already get that the Reading Terminal Market is a "venue for purchasing food for home?"  Such uncomprehending market-goers will likely never survive a trip to the market in the first place, having been culled from the species seconds after failing to grasp that a "Don't Walk" sign means don't walk.

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We locals ought to, but the area gets a larger-than-normal share of visitors from beyond, "beyond" here defined as anything you can't get to with a plain-vanilla TransPass and no zone fare.

It's sort of like having those guys who toss the fish right underneath the giant neon sign and clock at the Pike Place Market.

The only problem with this logic is that the Rick's Steaks space is not the first thing many, or even most IMO, visitors to the RTM see. It's my impression that the most heavily used entrance to the RTM is the one at its southwest corner, on 12th just north of Filbert -- it's where the market's bulletin board and information booth are located.

The entrance next to Rick's is the second-closest to the Arch Street entrances to the Convention Center, though, and the closest one that can handle heavy traffic -- it's more visible than the one that leads to the market's NW corner up a couple of stairs -- so maybe some of the folks attending conventions or gate shows might do a double-take to see produce, fresh fish, or meats in the display windows at this point -- but how many conventioneers cook? (Gate-show patrons are a somewhat different story; you might be able to capture some of them, as they're usually local in origin.)