The worst part of wandering the Reading Terminal Market in Center City Philadelphia is that stomach capacity is not unbounded.
Turn to the left, and those whoopie pies with their sticky chocolate cake nearly smooshed into tight-fitting plastic wrap call from the bakery goods-lined plywood shelf. To the right, the compacted line serpentines past the glass case leaving just enough space to get a shot of the peanut butter and jelly-filled little puffs of fatty stomach padding. Under the cast of bright lights, the vertical spits of lamb shwarma glitter with rivulets of fat running the length of the sweet roast. Ducking through convention attendees,school field-trip minions, hungry Philly police officers, jurors staving off hunger and listlessness and the abundance of regular folk making the pilgrimage to this institution of higher eating, choices must be made. The crispy skin of Pekin duck hanging there, all naked and delicious, is tempting, especially dunked into unctuous broth and allowed to dress with only broad, slippery, sweet noodles. Or, perhaps the blackened chicken penne alfredo parked next to ‘gator gumbo tucked dangerously close to bread pudding with whiskey sauce? What is stirring in the next aisle over? Those people lined up for a crusty roll piled with sloooooow roasted pork under garlicky greens and sharp provolone are causing quite the hubbub, so it must be good.
There is a reason why the Reading Terminal Market is the most traveled-to destination in Philadelphia. Travelers and locals alike ding the Liberty Bell, don’t battle for Valley Forge and snake past the Philadelphia Zoo to breathe in this life. There is energy here. Four cathedral walls and myriad offerings poke at every sense, stirring a big, bold smile and a craving for everything this glutton’s temple could offer to indulge senses, erect with anticipation, tingling with oohs and ahhs of culinary overload.
Absolutely, positively worth exploring at the Reading Terminal Market:
Beck’s Cajun Cafe
There is some gutsy gumbo; it’s spicy and big; every ingredient plays a starring role, yet together, one dynamic crescendo of a really melodious cajun food. The bread pudding is like no other. Creamy and dreamy, warm chunks of custard-soaked bread should not taste this good. Thankfully, oh thankfully, theirs is a specimen of eggy righteousness.
Beiler’s
Banana cream, salted caramel, apple fritter; donut Mecca transports to cream-filled enlightenment.
Carmen’s Famous
Cheesesteaks in the town that created the ubiquitous sandwich. For sure. It is no small feat to rule the roost in an area so replete with cheesesteak iterations. Alas, Carmen’s is Carmen’s Famous for many steak and cheese-covered reasons.
DiNic’s
Named the best sandwich in America. That’s a tough bill to cover, but the lines speak volumes. There is no arguing with tradition, and certainly the bags and bags and bags of rolls are not there for decoration. A resounding “yes!”
Dutch Eating Place
Because the locals do.
Flying Monkey
The. Butter. Cake. Hoping for free butter cake for life by flashing an “I heart Flying Monkey butter cake” tattoo.
Hershel’s East Side Deli
Reubens for days! Made sloppy with corned beef cut to order, makes deli devotees smile out loud. Thank you, Brooklyn, for sharing.
MeltKraft
Way beyond grilled cheese. As ordinary food simply doesn’t cut it in this bacchanal-style orgy of gastronomic excess, a grilled cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery mastered by the braintrust at MeltKraft goes way, way beyond. Tuck their farm-made raclette with pickled tomatoes, jalapenos, BBQ chips and watercress between grilled bread and, well, that’s a grilled cheese.
Old City Coffee
Make a stop for a cup of the Old City roast: a lava-hot and equally spirited cup of really, really good coffee.
Olympia Gyro
For goodness sake, the sweet lady behind the counter is worth skippering through the crowds. She will talk anybody into flaky baklava even after putting away a warm pita stuffed with lamb and zesty, cool cucumber tzatziki sauce. Bless her, she is just so darn cute.
Pennsylvania General Store
Stop by to get the iconic Reading Terminal Market sign immortalized on a t-shirt. And leave with a bag of Hope’s Cookies as you walk over to …
Sang Kee Peking
Forget chicken noodle soup—duck noodle soup is where it is at. Stop walking past the place with the ducks hanging by their necks and dripping fatty goodness. Cleaver meets bone, skin and meat; bathe in luxurious broth. Cooking process over. Enthusiastic slurping is encouraged.
But what about dinner? How can so much good food be left behind? A bag from Iovine’s Produce adds vegetable flair to imported cheeses from Salumeria gilded with hog-casing-stuffed carnivorous indulgence from Martin’s Sausages. Dessert? Termini Brothers’ cannoli, of course. There’s always tomorrow.
Find Reading Terminal Market at 12th and Arch Sts. in Philadelphia; phone: (215) 922-2317.
- Photography: Jim Berman
2 Comments