Reading Terminal Market (Part 1)

[rlibkind]

Bob:

What time are they out there on Tuesdays?  I get out of work early enough to pop by there since it's but a few short blocks from home, but only if they're out later than 4PM.

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Pierson's e-mail said 2-7p, but I wouldn't count on anyone being there before 3 or after 6.

[KatieLoeb]

Bob:

What time are they out there on Tuesdays?  I get out of work early enough to pop by there since it's but a few short blocks from home, but only if they're out later than 4PM.

←

Pierson's e-mail said 2-7p, but I wouldn't count on anyone being there before 3 or after 6.

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Good news. I'll try check it out as soon as I'm able.

[rlibkind]

It's hard to underprice Iovine's when the brothers set their mind to it. While locally grown strawberries were selling at about $2.50 to $4.75 a pint, Iovines was selling one-pound clamshells of Mexican berries (nearly two pints' worth) for a buck.

Of course, there's a reason why Iovines has to underprice everyone else: The Mexican berries just can't compete on taste. The local berries ares superior and they are getting better. The two pints I picked up at Earl Livengood's today ($4.75 a pint or two for $9) taste like peak season berries, even if they are an early variety. Considerably better than what I bought Tuesday at Rineer Farms at the South Street market (though I suspect their berries will be better this coming week, too). By the left I left the market at 10:30 Fair Food Farmstand had maybe one pint left ($2.50); although Benuel Kaufman had a sign proclaiming a price of $3.95, iirc, he had none on display. He did, however, have rhubarb, and was also selling individual-sized rhubarb pies. Fair Food had both globe and French breakfast radishes for a buck a bunch (I popped one of the FBRs into my mouth upon returning home, and it had a tad ofr sweetness (which I'm sure cooking would intensify) as well as a subdued but there peppery bite. Local scallions still omnipresent at the local produce vendors.

Earl Livengood's strawberries

Asparagus is another example where Iovines displays its pricing power: $1 a bunch. I don't know whether or not they were local (doubtful, but possible), but they certainly were a good deal. The local purveyors (Earl, Benuel, Fair Food) were selling them for up to $4 a bunch.

If you want fiddleheads, visit OK Lee ($11.99/pound). Iovines' ramps priced at $3.99, not as long in- the-tooth as they were a week or so ago, but not as perky as when they first arrived at the market in April.

The real bargain of the day at Iovine's? Avocados. The U.S. Hass crop from the San Diego area has started to arrive, and Iovines had them at 2/$1. They are smallish, but it's still a good price.

Also at Iovines: Tray-packed plum tomatoes worked out to a buck a pound, vs. $1.99 for loose ones. Seedless green grapes 99-cents for a bag weighing just under two pounds. String beans 79 cents/pound. Pepper report: greens and oranges 99-cents, reds $1.29, yellows $3.99.

What's different about this photo taken at Iovine's today?

Answer: there's no display board showing prices on top of the bins. Instead, prices are displayed (unshown in photo) at the base of the bins. This only holds true in the center aisle at Iovines; it was removed to give a better view of what's happening from the managerial post on the front end.

Still waiting for the 2006 run of Pacific salmon to arrive; the frozen king was selling at Yi's for $12.99. Soft shell crabs $5 apiece or two for $9,

Today was flea market day at the parking lot across the street from the RTM. About four dozen vendors. As part of the RTM's deal with flea market operator Tony Soprano (yes, that's his name, really) no food vendors are permitted. Here's a photo taken from the fifth floor of the parking garage

[Bluehensfan]

I'll second the strawberries from Livengood's. I picked up some Saturday myself and was surprised how good they were. Apparently they come from a farm in Lancaster but are not from Earl's farm itself. Either way they tasted great! Earl also has great spinach that's wprth a try too! I suspect your photo at Iovine's must have been taken early...later in the day it was packed.

[rlibkind]

Asparagus was much in evidence at today's "Third Thursday Producers' Corner" event at the RTM, and not just in this frittata:

There were also place settings from Foster's featuring candles surrounded by an asparagus stockade:

A goodly sized crowd was on hand for most of the first hour, enjoying some of the tastes: red or white sangria from Blue Mountain Vineyards, asparagus cooked in a bamboo steamer or the pictured frittata in frittata pan (both from Fosters), green salad from Fair Food Farmstand, honeycomb from Bee Natural, bread with white bean spread from Metropolitan Bakery, and jam on Metropolitan bread and John and Kira's (formerly Jubilee) chocolates from the Pennsylvania General Store. As 5 o'clock neared and passed, however, the crowd thinned. The theme, "Al Fresco entertaining", wasn't much in evidence except in the displays/place settings from Foster's. Now, if they had had a pushcart selling tube steak's from Al Fresco's umbrella stand . . . .

[Bluehensfan]

Ouch...they served John and Kira's chocolates? That must've cost someone an arm and a leg!

[Bluehensfan]

The strawberries at Livengood's were even better this week...next week I may just grab a few quarts to take home. Probably the best tasting strawberries in the past few years actually!

Also tried some fabulous flourless peanut butter cookies from the Flying Monkey Patisserie last week. They also had decent chocolate cake with raspberry icing.

[MarketStEl]

Bob:

What time are they out there on Tuesdays?  I get out of work early enough to pop by there since it's but a few short blocks from home, but only if they're out later than 4PM.

←

Pierson's e-mail said 2-7p, but I wouldn't count on anyone being there before 3 or after 6.

←

Good news. I'll try check it out as soon as I'm able.

←

The Farmer's Market Trust market right across the street from my building on Tuesday closes at 6, just like the RTM.

To make matters worse, our summer hours begin June 5.

The good news is, we get Fridays off.

The bad news is, we make up the time by working either 8 am to 5:30 pm or 8:30 am to 6 pm the other four days. That means I'll miss this stand completely unless I can finagle an occasional early departure on Tuesday.

Aside: I doubt that too many of the RTM's customers would find themselves in my situation, but I have more evidence to support Paul when he argues with the merchants that they do face competition.

In my case, the competition is at 69th Street Terminal.

Remember that H-Mart I described in my blog? The Koreans must be savvy produce and seafood buyers, for this store offers quality that matches the Reading Terminal's at even lower prices.

I haven't purchased shrimp there, but I have yet to see medium shrimp (41-50/lb) selling for more than $4/pound.

Fresh--very fresh--spinach was on sale for 79c/lb when I swung by the place Monday. (It appeared to be freshly harvested wherever they got it--there was plenty of sand on the bunches.)

Radicchio, $2.49/lb.

Red peppers, $0.99.

You get the picture.

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

Not to mention free samples everyday - salted clams, fermented black beans, sesame leaves sweet or spicy... you could eat well free here alone. I tried some Chinese sausage made in Korea, OK if you like cinnamon - not for me, though.

[rlibkind]

At today's South Street farmer's market, I picked up a quart of what had to be the sweetest sugar snap peas I've ever had. Incredibly fresh. They came from Greensgrow Farms, which distributes produce they grow right here in Philadelphia as well as from family farms in nearby Pennsylvania and South Jersey, from whence these sugar snaps hailed. Price for a quart: $1.50. Seeing the sugar snaps changed my dinner plans: i was going to have a salad with some shreds of cooked duck I pulled out of the freezer yesterday; instead, I'm going to do a stir-fry with the duck and peas.

Battle of the strawberries: Rineer Farms and Earl Livengood both had excellent strawberries at South Street today. I did a taste test when I brought them home, a pint from each. They were flavor differences, but that's all it was, just a difference in taste, not in ripeness or quality.

Speaking of strawberries, that will be the focus of the next "Local Producers' Corner" event at the Reading Terminal Market. It's scheduled for June 15. The annual Sidewalk Sizzle is scheduled for June 24; a number of vendors will be cooking outdoors along Harry Ochs Way (Filbert Street) and selling summertime treats; music for all and games for the kids.

The game of musical chairs at the Reading Terminal Market should pick up over the next couple of months. Paul Steinke, market manager, reports Spataro's will begin work soon to prepare their new location across the aisle from Tommy DiNic's. Once they move out, possibly late in June, Hershel's East Side Deli can begin construction in Spataro's current space adjacent to center court. Also, Charlie Giunta expects to have his butcher stall complete by the end of the summer in the space now occupied by A. A. Halteman across from Iovine's. Charlie (whose brother Martin owns Martin's Quality Meats and Sausage) will actually be returning to the space that he and Martin opened in the early 1980s. New cases have been ordered, and the tenative plan is to name it Guinta's Prime Shop, even though not all meats will be USDA prime. However, according to Steinke, Charlie plans to sell only prime or natural meat products.

.

[MarketStEl]

Re: the new Giunta's butcher stand:

--Are either Charlie or Martin related to the Giunta who has the butcher shop on 9th Street that specializes in more exotic meats? (I believe that place is run by someone named Giunta.)

--What, pray tell, is the difference between "prime meats" and "USDA prime meats"? Wouldn't the former have to meet the standards required to obtain the USDA grade?

[rlibkind]

Re: the new Giunta's butcher stand:

--Are either Charlie or Martin related to the Giunta who has the butcher shop on 9th Street that specializes in more exotic meats?  (I believe that place is run by someone named Giunta.)

←

I believe so, but am not sure.

--What, pray tell, is the difference between "prime meats" and "USDA prime meats"?  Wouldn't the former have to meet the standards required to obtain the USDA grade?

←

When I said "Charlie plans to sell only prime or natural meat products" I did indeed, mean USDA Prime. Just that USDA Prime isn't the only grade he intends to carry, according to Paul. From what Paul said, I divine that Charlie simply doesn't intend to carry the standard feedlot beef you'd get in the supermarket.

Of course, there's "prime" the adjective and "Prime" the official grade of USDA. Kind of like "catholic" and "Catholic". Meat graded USDA Prime must be of particular quality standards. BTW, you can only have "USDA Prime" beef or lamb; the USDA grading system for pork is simply "Acceptable" or "Unacceptable" (though a separate USDA grading system exists for porcine yield which has nothing to do with taste and cooking quality).

[rlibkind]

Best deal at Iovine's today: Strawberries. They come from Iovine's contract farm (Shady Brook, iirc) and are selling for $3.99/quart. That's a roughly $3 savings vs. what Fair Food Project and Earl Livengood charge. I refrained from buying them last week because they looked a bit pale, but this week they are a nice, deep red, fully ripe and, after taste test, quite delicious. I didn't check Benuel Kaufman's prices, but he's usually in the middle between Iovine's and the FF/Livengood pricing.

A contender for deal of the week: Limes. While loose fruit was going for four for a buck, a bag of 11-12 are priced at $1.99, for a savings of about 30 percent. Time to make lime bars.

A lot more summer fruit is starting to appear, even if it is being trucked in from more southern climes. Iovine's had California cherries and bins of cantaloupes. Local cherries should debut within a couple of weeks, along with raspberries; cantaloupes will wait for late July.

Bell pepper survey at Iovines: Green $0.99, red and yellow $2.99, orange $3.99. OK Lee's had the reds priced a buck cheaper, but they looked long in the tooth.

No sign of fresh Pacific salmon yet, just formerly frozen king today at John Yi's, selling for $12.99.

I was going to pick up pork ribs for the bbq, but both Martin's and Harry Ochs are featuring beef ribs at about $2.50/pound. Nick at Harry Ochs said although they always have them, they are more prominent in grilling weather. Also, this time of year folks aren't roasting prime ribs too much, so they take the primal cut and separate out the ribs to create the beef ribs and Delmonico steaks for the grill.

When you visit the market, make a point of checking out the bulletin board on the walk-in refrigerator cases along the back aisle, opposite the rest rooms. Paul Steinke, market manager, posts his merchant newsletter there and the most recent one recounts a wonderful story from Dominic Spataro. It seems the floor of the market, which has a resemblance to paving stones, wasn't original - it was installed sometime during World War II. Prior to that there was some sort of bituminous flooring (not all that surprising given Pennsylvania's coal heritage) that during hot weather would soften. Spataro told Steinke the merchants' carts would leave wheel tracks on the soft surface.

Speaking of Spataro's, expect work to begin any day now on the new location across from Tommy DiNic's in the former Sandwich Stand spot. Also, Flying Monkey Patisserie has turned on the lights of its cases earlier on Saturday. They are also serving La Colombe coffee.

[MarketStEl]

Bell pepper survey at Iovines: Green $0.99, red and yellow $2.99, orange $3.99. OK Lee's had the reds priced a buck cheaper, but they looked long in the tooth.

I must have lucked out at OK Lee's, then, with the red bell pepper I purchased.

When you visit the market, make a point of checking out the bulletin board on the walk-in refrigerator cases along the back aisle, opposite the rest rooms. Paul Steinke, market manager, posts  his merchant newsletter there and the most recent one recounts a wonderful story from Dominic Spataro. It seems the floor of the market, which has a resemblance to paving stones, wasn't original - it was installed sometime during World War II. Prior to that there was some sort of bituminous flooring (not all that surprising given Pennsylvania's coal heritage) that during hot weather would soften. Spataro told Steinke the merchants' carts would leave wheel tracks on the soft surface.

There wasn't a problem with the flooring spontaneously combusting during the summer?

Changing the subject slightly: Paul and the RTM get a thumbs-up for taking out an ad in the program for the upcoming PGMC concert. (That's this Saturday at 8 at the Kimmel, folks. Maybe I'll see some of you in the audience? 215-893-1999; www.kimmelcenter.org.) I can assure you I'm far from the only chorus member who's a regular patron of the RTM.

--Sandy "yes, I'm on the marketing committee of the PGMC" Smith

Edited June 5, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[rlibkind]

The first raspberries of the season:

These could be found today at Earl Livengood's stall at the South Street market. Priced at $3.95 for a half-pint box. Strawberries still going strong, but Daryl Rineer (who was selling pint baskets today at $3.75, or 2/$7 or 3/$10) expects next week will be the last for his crop. Sam Consylman said the wineberries are taking over the traditional raspberry patches in his area of Lancaster County. Sam, btw, won't be at Livengood's stand at the Reading Terminal Market this Saturday -- he'll be ground-hog hunting. Watch out, Gus!

Also making an appearance today: peas. Rineer was selling them hulled; Livengood still in the shell. I opened one of Earl's and the peas were nice and sweet. I'll pick them up Saturday at the RTM and serve them with salmon and new potatoes, which Earl has also dug up. Now that's a late spring/early summer meal if ever there was one!

Big Sky Bread Company is back at South Street. I tasted the sour dough and it was just fine, as were the rolls I brought home. This outfit is based in Wilmington, but they actually appear to be one of several Big Sky Bread Company outlets east of the Missisippi; a quick web search revealed others in Portland, Maine; Baltimore; Orlando; Raleigh; and Alabama. All with pretty much the same logo. Looks like it's a franchise, but the bread is not pedestrian. Maybe not Metropolitan or Le Bus, but still pretty good.

From Tom Forest I picked up both bacon and pepperoni, the latter made from lamb. Haven't made the bacon yet, but the pepperoni was very nice, a bit less fat and spice than more traditional types, but pepperoni nonetheless.

[ladydisdain]

For my first eGullet post, I thought some pictures from my recent first visit to Flying Monkey might be apropos. (I hope I get the pictures right.) This visit was on May 29th and was quickly followed up by a second visit yesterday. First, the case, with my now much emptier pink wallet visible on the counter:

There's a second smaller case to the right of this one. Here's a picture of my favorite of the seven or so cupcake flavors I've tried so far - the vanilla cake with coffee frosting:

We've also tried the chocolate with chocolate, the vanilla with chocolate, the choc with apricot, the choc with raspberry, the chocolate with cream cheese in the center, and the choc with peanut butter frosting. Oh, and the Santa Fe brownie. And the yellow cake with choc frosting, and the chocolate cake with raspberry frosting. These are real old-fashioned baked goods, solid and moist and just sweet enough, like my grandmother makes. I gave them a rave on my 'blog. I think their finest product, though, is the flourless peanut butter cookie sandwich, which is so good it's almost unholy:

[aaronwcpa]

Looks very enticing. Nice job. My earliest memories are of a bakery in another world more than sixty-five years ago and I love the sight and smell of almost every bakery.

At the first opportunity I will have to visit the Flying Monkey.

[rlibkind]

For my first eGullet post, I thought some pictures from my recent first visit to Flying Monkey might be apropos . . . .

Welcome to eGullet, ladydisdain. And keep those photos and cupcake updates coming! Your blog says the cupcake is the perfect food. But is there a pizza cupcake? Now that would be perfect! Make mine with anchovies.

[ladydisdain]

Welcome to eGullet, ladydisdain. And keep those photos and cupcake updates coming! Your blog says the cupcake is the perfect food. But is there a pizza cupcake? Now that would be perfect! Make mine with anchovies.

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If you look at the Flying Monkey gallery, she has a pizza brioche pictured. That's probably about as close to a pizza cupcake as you could get, and I agree that might be right up there on the perfect food list. Maybe she'll start offering them and we can find out.

[KatieLoeb]

ladydisdain:

Allow me to formally welcome you to eGullet and the PA forum! Great pictures - keep 'em coming, as well as your observations. Anyone who has a blog devoted to cupcakes is definitely in the right place with the right company!

[rlibkind]

June is busting out all over, especially at the produce stands. Although there's been a decent selection of local vegetables and berries at the Reading Terminal Market's farm-to-consumer stands, the volume and variety haven't been impressive until this week. Enjoy it now through much of October.

At Fair Food Farmstand, for example, shelled hull peas and pea shoots have made their appearance, along with garlic scapes and tri-color carrots.

Here are two of Benuel Kaufman's colorful displays:

Among the items: shelled and unshelled peas, two varieties of strawberries, early sweet cherries, potatoes, snow peas, ball zucchini and kirby cucumbers. Not pictured is one of my favorites: the long, sweet red beets, $2.95 for a heavy basket full.

Earl Livengood offered both strawberries and raspberries today, along with his excellent salad and cooking greens, scallions, local hothouse tomatoes, as well as new potatoes.

Over at Iovine Brothers, the local produce from their contract farmer, Shady Brook, is just dribbling in, though the strawberries offer excellent value -- two quarts for $5, and almost as tasty as varieties offered by the smaller farm stand vendors. One of the best values from last week has gotten even better: the limes are 10 for $1, considerably cheaper than the rather pithy lemons at 3/$1. It's the start of the season for figs, and Iovine's has some good-looking black ones at $4.99 a basket (about 11-12 fruits). West Coast cherries selling for $7.99/pound for Bings, $8.99 Rainiers. California apricots were $1.99 (I hope the local apricot season is as plentiful and good as last year; they should hit the local stands at the same time as the cherries). Georgia blueberries $3.99/pint. Iovines were offering a deal on cucumbers: five rather large specimens for $1. Vinnie Iovine explained that since the local crop is starting to come in the Florida packers are selling their cukes at distressed prices. Bell pepper price survey at Iovine's: greens 79-cents, reds 99-cents, yellows $2.99, oranges $3.99.

Over at John Yi's fresh Alaskan sockeye fillets for $13.99 -- that's a buck more than the king salmon, also fresh. Halbut price has eased a little to $10.99, a buck more than the "white tuna" a.k.a. "Hawaiian Butterfish" a.k.a. escolar. Soft shell crabs are $4 apiece for mediums, $5 for large. Boston mackeral $2.49, Spanish mackeral $2.99. Sea bass was decent value and quality at $3.99 for smalls and $4.99 for large.

[rlibkind]

New Marketing Push

Expect the market to make a stronger push for business in the weekday after-lunch hours, especially 4-6 p.m. RTM Manager Paul Steinke says those hours offer great opportunities for increasing business for the market's purveyors of meats, produce, fish, baked goods, dairy products and prepared foods that are either ready-to-eat or stick in the oven/microwave. In order the succeed, however, he knows he has to show some of the more reluctant vendors, who now start shutting down their stalls at 4:30 or 5 p.m., if not sooner, that it will be worth their while to stay open until the official closing time of 6 p.m. weekdays.

Some vendors have developed decent post-lunch business, especially Iovine Brothers. Vinnie Iovine says he used to employ only two checkout cashiers after lunch -- and he really only needed one, he just kept two so there would be break time coverage. Now Iovine's keeps at least twice that number of cashiers busy until closing time. (Of course, Iovine Brothers would stay open 24 hours a day if they could.)

Some other vendors, who have a long commute back to their Lancaster or western Chester County homes, are more reluctant to stay open until 6 p.m., but Steinke thinks that with proper promotion and cooperation from key merchants he can demonstrate it is worth their while.

The late afternoon push will be part of a new identity campaign assigned to Dyad Communications, an Old City graphics consultant. They will also try to heighten awareness the RTM's $2 parking deal. Steinke says their research indicates patrons who bring their own cars buy more stuff than those who use public transit -- car trunks are bigger than tote bags -- so the market needs to do a better job of publicizing the cheap and easy parking.

Upcoming Events

The "Third Thursday" program featuring local producers is also part of the market's scheme to gain additional business from Center City office workers. The next event will be this Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. Strawberries is the theme. There will be tastings of strawberry shortcake, strawberry sangria, and strawberry salad, and Nick Ochs will demonstrate how to prepare a strawberry and orange marinade for chicken or pork.

Also this week, the Basic 4 Vegetarian Snack Bar celebrates its 25th year at the RTM Tuesday, June 13. Owners Alfoncie Austin and Lisa Tyne plan some festivities: Breakfast samples with Mary Mason of WHAT-AM from 8 to 9 a.m., exercise demonstration from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Hizzoner The Mayor John Street has been invited for a proclamation presentation at noon. Cookies and cake will be served in the afternoon.

The Reading Terminals will bring some hot jazz to center court on Friday from 12 noon to 2 p.m. And Saturday will see another edition of the Flea Market at the Arch & 12th Street outdoor parking lot; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Manna.

The following Saturday, June 24, brings the Sidewalk Sizzle along Harry Ochs Way (Filbert Street). The event, sponsored by the Center City District and part of the Sunoco Welcome America roster of Fourth of July (or thereabouts) activities, will feature seven barbeque stations, ice cream, games, contests, sidewalk sales, music and family entertainment.

Vendor Move Update

Some equipment supplier snafus will be delaying the opening of Herschel's Deli until on or about Sept. 1. That gives Spataro's some extra time to vacate and move over to the former Sandwich Stand. LeBus expects a late summer opening at their new location on the 12th Street side. OK Lee has completed a redesign of their produce stand, including new cases, and Tokyo Sushi has embarked on their renovations.

Guinta's Prime Shop expects to be in business by early August to sell natural, hormone-free meats and poultry. Charlie Guinta's move into the current A.A. Halteman space includes some footprint and footage changes that will allow Iovine's to enhance their operations, with a move of their office space and the addition of refrigerated cases. Tropicana-supplied refrigerated cases already adorn one of the checkout aisles as well as a corner in the back of the store.

[rlibkind]

Rick's Steaks will get competition at the RTM. Spataro's plans to offer cheesesteaks when they make their move.

[rlibkind]

OK Lee Produce has completed its redesign (photo below) which eliminates the claustrophonic interior and opens it up to the main aisles. Nice new case for the greens, in particular.

Among the deals at OK Lee this week: dark, black-purple artichokes, three large ones for a buck.

Harry Ochs has added hanger steak ($9.99) and skirt steak ($8.99) to its regular offerings. Like most of Och's beef, both are dry aged two weeks. If you've got some wads in your wallet, however, you'll want to buy your steaks and roasts from the side case opposite Meze. These are dry aged from four to six weeks.

The end of strawberry season is upon us, but with one exception the prices are pretty much where they've been all season. The exception: Iovines, whose local farmer's crop is priced at $3.99/quart, vs. up to $6.50-$6.95 at Livengood's, Kaufman and Fair Food Project ($5.99 iirc at L. Halteman's). Iovine's local berries were dead ripe, perfect for turning into homemade ice cream, which I intend to do tomorrow.

Of course, if strawberry season is on its last legs, that means raspberries and cherries are here. The dark sweet cheeries were going for about $3.95/pint at the RTM's three farmstands ($7.99/pound for West Coast cherries at Iovines). In addition to the dark sweets, Benuel Kaufman also had yellow/pink Queen Annes.

Ripe and ready to eat avocados at Iovines were two for a buck. Limes continue to be a bargain at 10/$1 (lemons still 3/$1). Jersey blueberries are side-by-side with Georgia blues, both selling for $3.99 pint; local blueberries will probably show up in about three weeks. Iovines was also selling barely ripe California strawberries: $1 for a one-pound clamshell. Belll pepper survey: green $.79, red and yellow $2.99, orange $3.99.

Our dinner tonight: slow-roasted Alaskan king salmon from John Yi ($12.99/pound), hull peas from Benuel Kaufman, new potatoes from Earl Livengood, lime sorbet (from Iovines limes).

Sardines are back at Golden Seafood. Gorgeous specimens at $3.99/pound. I might pick them up next week and grill them.

[mrbigjas]

Harry Ochs has added hanger steak ($9.99) and skirt steak ($8.99) to its regular offerings.

that's cool--just a month or so ago, i asked them about hanger steak, and he said that they don't carry it, because there's only one per cow and they usually get the side of the beef without it. and that the rest goes to restaurants.

i may pick one up today for grilling down the shore tonight.