If you've visited Reading Terminal Market in the last few months, you surely know of all the construction that's been going on. One of the bigger projects in the Center Court area has been the move of DiNic's (which I truly believe makes the best sandwich in the city). The photo above was taken at close of market yesterday. By the time you read this today, it'll be open for business with approximately twice the capacity as the old space.
Robert has some cool info on the signage above the stall in this post.
DiNic's
Reading Terminal Market
12/Arch
Su & M: 8am – 4pm
Tu – Sa: 8am – 6pm
(215) 923.6175
So, this doesn't happen often, but I'm having a little show at a friend's gallery [Gravy] up in Fishtown [2212 Sepviva]. I'd love it if you came out to see an in-progress long term project about the region's food system from the farms to our tables. This show was a bit last minute so please forgive the late notice, but if you're in town for 4th of July weekend, kick it off in Fishtown!
The gallery is called Gravy and it's in an awesome warehouse which is a vintage motorcycle shop [video of the space: youtu.be/VdNEJAFfFLA]. The Berks train stop is a few blocks away. The show runs all month, but the party will run from 6.30p – 10p.
We'll have local brews, a cheese plate from Fair Food, goodies from Flying Monkey Patisserie and vino! There will hopefully be a few farmers on hand, including my cover model Landon who is one half of Root Mass Farm based out of Oley Valley, PA.
I'm thinking of getting drinks over at Memphis Taproom afterward? It's about a 7 minute walk from the gallery and I've wanted to go there for a long time now.
I passed by one of my foraging fig trees over the weekend to see how they were doing with the nice heat. The buds started sprouting a couple weeks ago and already, figs!
Living closer to the trees I've mapped out [no, you can't see my map!] is gonna be nice.
Above is a short 5-minute film about Zone 7, a newish company bringing local food to restaurants and markets 52 weeks a year.
Zone 7 is a farm fresh-distribution service that connects farmers and chefs. We pick up the highest quality ingredients from New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania farms and deliver them weekly to restaurants, grocers and institutions.
Based in central New Jersey and named after our agricultural growing zone, Zone 7 works exclusively with the region's best organic and sustainable farmers to offer fruit, berries, vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, honey, cheese, grain products and other farm-fresh food.
Our mission is to strengthen our local and regional food chain by enabling restaurants, grocers and institutions to buy from and support small- and medium-sized sustainable farms. Zone 7's role is to act as a direct link between farmers and chefs. We create a new and dependable outlet for farmers and offer a consistent and reliable source of locally grown products to chefs and grocers.
Basically, plant hardiness zones are a guide to help you know which plants will grow where you live, so you don't plant things that will soon die just because they can't manage your region's temperatures. Plants vary in the temperature extremes they can endure. Basic laboratory testing can determine the lowest sustained temperature a particular plant type can withstand, but, as gardeners, we still need to know how these measurements relate to our own gardens. BackyardGardener.com
And as you can see in the map above, Philly is in the magical band of light and dark pink which allows for lots of varieties of plants which can grow here.
Anyways, check out the video, it's really well done. Kudos to the Zone 7 crew and the director Brian Hedden.
The people behind Philadelphia Urban Adventures, a local tour guide group, invited us on one of their food-related tours, 9th St Italian Market [$20]. Messy couldn't make it, but I brought along my camera and curiosity for the journey. I've lived in Philly for almost 8 years now and know a lot about the area, but I was confident I'd take home a boat load of fun tidbits and tasty bites.
Living just off of 9th St, of course I was late to the 9th & South St meeting point. I've noticed that whenever I'm really close to something, I'm often late because I think I'll get there quicker than I really can. I caught up to the group at the first stop: Sarcone's Bakery at 758 S 9th St. The group of 8 plus a few people from PUA crammed into the bakery which was probably just done with their morning rush. We grabbed a loaf of their crusty, seeded Italian bread which was promptly devoured by the group. We hurried out of there before we pissed off too many of the regulars who were coming in for their fix. Next door is Ralph's, which has been in business since 1900 and at their current location since 1915. These two spots, just north of the main strip of the 9th St Market, are nestled into the neighborhood rowhomes, but offer a glimpse of what's to come south of Christian St.
Our guide, Jason, stopped into DiBruno Bros to let them know the gang was there. Ian Peacock, one of the cheese mongers, started prepping our delicious bites while we went across the street.
Into Anthony's we went. But not for coffee, we were 2 doors down from that. We went into the other storefront for some gelato. Delicious spoonfuls for everyone. I'm a sucker for Nutella so I opted for the hazelnut. A little sweet for my liking, but there's probably half a dozen which would've fit the bill nicely. But we had other spots to hit up and I live around the corner so I could always come back for more. There were plenty of "ooohs" and "mmmms" from the group to know they had good stuff.
A few doors down is Cannuli's Meats, a butcher closing in on 100 years on 9th St.
We walked to the back and watched one of the staffers cut up some porterhouses on the band saw. Oh porterhouse, you are so grand.
In a butcher shop, you'll always see tons of meat hooks on rails. The whole, uncut animals were rolled through at one point, but now, most of the butchering and deliveries happen in the back so most of the rails, while still beautiful, are unused.
Here's our Cannuli's guide in the walk in fridge with a suckling pig. Cannuli's will roast one for you at varying weights. I think I recall hearing that Jason actually just had one for a party.
And stepping up from the suckling pigs, there are the big hogs. I think the big one above was closer to 150lbs.
Doesn't this photo just feel South Philly?
Back across the street we went and into the back section of the narrow house of cheese. Peacock guided us through a history of the company with it's humble beginnings as a spiteful grocery store opened for the sole purpose to put out the Greek grocers across the street. Legend has it, they wouldn't give an Italian worker a day off for New Year's, a big deal for the Italians in the area. So DiBruno opened up, and sure enough, the Greeks had all the vacation time they'd need. Over the years since the 1939 opening, the store changed focuses. From fresh grocer to incorporating more specialty items, but it was a vacation in Switzerland which brought along the fine selection of cheese to the region. In 1965, the grocer changed over to their "House of Cheese" moniker dealing in specialty cheeses and cured meats from all over Europe. In 2005, they expanded to Center City with their 10,000 sq ft space just off Rittenhouse Square which helped them earn them the accolade of 2006: NASFT Gourmet Retailer of the Year, one of five stores selected nationwide for the distinction. In 2008, their Comcast Center store opened and in the very near future, their first suburban outpost, in Ardmore, will open to further expand their regional reach.
As Peackock talked us through the last 70+ years of history, he drizzled the thickest balsamic vinegar I've ever seen over hunks of Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio. The 8.5oz bottle of Campari 15 year will set you back $50, but a little goes a very long way.
Just look how it stands on its own. It doesn't run around the plate. It almost has the viscosity of motor oil, but the taste is intense and rich, a sweet vinegary tang to complement the sweet nuttiness of Reggiano.
Down the street we ventured to Talluto's whose fresh pastas are made daily in house.
The sheets of flat pasta go into this cutter and magically, out the other end, comes fresh pasta. While I did know that fresh pasta takes just a couple minutes to cook—and for cuts like angel hair, less than a minute—I didn't know how perishable they were. On the mildly humid day two Fridays ago, we were told the pasta, unrefrigerated, would only keep for three hours. Good to know on your next trip to 9th St for fresh pasta. Don't dally too much or hit up Talluto's last on your way home.
Out of Talluto's and into Fante's we went. Perhaps the most dangerous store in all of 9th St for the passionate home cook. Mariella Giovannucci gave us a quick history of the store in front of their wall of fame. She started off as an after school part-time worker (they needed her because she spoke Italian) graduating to General Manager years down the line. In 1981 she and her family bought the store as the Fantes retired. The store focuses on the tools needed for food prep and the specialty items you don't see in most stores. She picked up a pomegranate seed remover tool [$15] behind her as an example. It's made by a family in Israel. You put half a pomegranate inside and whack it. Seeds fall out below. No muss, no fuss. Lest we all max out our credit cards in there, we moved on southward. With the help of some of the biggest names in cooking across the country, and lovers of all things food-prep related, Fante's has survived some hard times and continues to sell wares at great prices.
We stopped at the corner of 9th St & Washington Ave. as Jason explained how this view showed how diverse the neighborhood has become in the last few years. A look east, west and south will reveal Vietnamese and Mexican shops as far as you can see. Across 9th St was Giordano's anchoring the southern end of the densest part of the old Italian Market area. Jason told us a funny anecdote from the filming of the jogging sequence in the original Rocky (you know the one!). The shoot shut down much of 9th St for days. The vendors were angry because they were losing much needed business. One of the guys from Giordano's got the idea to interrupt Sly on the run and the little act of rebellion made it into the final cut. Watch this clip for a reminder. Pay attention at the 25 second mark. Sly turns around to catch the orange in-stride and keeps on running.
Outside Shun Da Live Poultry were some cages of birds. Here are some squab, aka, pigeons.
We ended the tour at the iconic spot where Pat's and Geno's face off. On that particular day, at that particular moment, there was a huge crowd at Pat's while Geno's was lit up like Vegas and remained mostly empty. But that's just that one moment. The cheesesteak wars will not likely see an end anytime soon, and you can be your own judge.
The tour was a whole lot of fun and I learned a lot. It's a great way to learn a lot about a slice of the city. If you're looking to entertain a few out of towners or get to know a hunk of the city, Philadelphia Urban Adventures is a great way to do it. But don't take my word for it, they're the #3 attraction in Philly out of 277. They also do out of town trips through the other part of the company, Awfully Nice Tours. Take a trip to Lancaster or Valley Forge without the hassle of driving. Sit back and take in the sights with a guide! I might check out the Philly on Tap tour [$30] in the future.
Bigger pictures if you click on the slideshow above
It's that time of year again, Fair Food's Brewer's Plate is upon us! Sunday March 13th at the Penn Museum [whoa, a .museum top-level domain]. Seventy or so vendors (breweries, creameries, restaurants, bakeries…) from the 150-mile locavore radius of the city will be on hand from 5p – 8p (you get in at 4p if you're a big willy VIP!) for a fantastic night of good eats.
This event is a fundraiser for Fair Food, a local-food non-profit and where Picky works part-time. Fair Food's mission:
Dedicated to bringing locally grown food to the marketplace and to promoting a humane, sustainable agriculture system for the Greater Philadelphia region.
Fair Food has been uniting local farmers with businesses and consumers for over a decade. We promote the importance of family farms and create a year-round marketplace for fresh, local and humane food products in the Greater Philadelphia region. We provide an assortment of programs and services that contribute to a strong and sustainable local food system. Supporting farmers, connecting consumers, educating the public and celebrating the joys of local food.
You'll get a souvenir tasting glass from which you'll imbibe the best the region has to offer. You'll make up your $75 ticket in no time if you're like Picky. If you're a non-drinker, you can still enjoy the non-liquid offerings that evening for $45, the 'Designated Driver' ticket price. And if you're feeling extra schmancy, step on up to the $125 VIP level where you'll enjoy a full hour of advance access to Brewer's Plate's complete offerings.
At 5p when the event opens to the general admission, VIPs can steal away to the beautiful Warden Garden—transformed by an expansive canopy into a private lounge—were you’ll find comfortable seating, exclusive artisanal offerings, tutored tastings, gift bags, and live music, plus have the opportunity to meet your local farmers and producers. Celebrity chefs such as Terence Feury of Fork and Marcie Turney of Barbuzzo will be on hand as well as City Paper food critic Drew Lazor, wine author Marnie Old, and beer writer Lew Bryson.
Picky's been to a couple of these as an employee of Fair Food and can say first hand that it's a really special night of food and drink. You'll get a chance to chat with a chef or two of your favorite restaurant or try something new you've been dying to get your hands on. All while mingling with antiquities; hands off the sphinx! Last year's event was particularly pork-heavy, but vegetarians fear not, there will be plenty of options for you. Check out the list and all vendors with an * will have veggie options. Teetotaling vegans, sorry, but you're out of luck here.
This event has sold out in each of the six previous years so get your tickets while you can! For a look at a similar event Fair Food throws each year for the producer-side of things, check out this post of the 2010 Local Grower Local Buyer event at Reading Terminal. Picky didn't bring his camera gear last year, but he'll have it on hand this time around for a recap a few days afterward.
Brewer's Plate
Sunday March 13, 2011
5p-8p (4p-8p for VIPs)
Designated Drivers: $45 | General Admission: $75 | VIP $125
Drexel senior Emma Louth is headed to Napa Valley in a less than two weeks to compete in the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition. She won the Mid-Atlantic regional round, held at Drexel University's Academic Bistro, beating out seven other hopefuls. Now she'll pack up her knife roll and head west to the Culinary Institute of America at Napa Valley, CA to cook her take on the classic Surf 'n Turf: Smoke+Ocean+Prairie [.pdf].
Above is a shot of the competition dish Chef Louth provided for the post. Delicious looking, eh? Rare bison tenderloin on a fig balsamic reduction, topped with smoked, deep fried oysters with a crispy potato Napoleon and arugula pine nut salad. While I didn't get a chance to taste this awesome looking dish, I did get a chance to spend a little time talking with Emma about the competition, studying the culinary arts at Drexel and a sprinkling of everything else going on in her busy life.
The seed for the Smoke+Ocean+Prairie dish was planted in the fall term during one of Louth's classes. She had seven or eight different kinds of oysters to work with and had no restrictions on preparation. Not being the biggest raw oyster fan, she smoked then deep fried them and had a taste. She thought "I'm a person who doesn't like oysters, but I love it," and she knew she had a winner.
Above is a shot of Drexel's newest kitchen where Louth and her classmates spent hours practicing their craft. But her love for food started during her childhood. She told me of a second grade fairytale she wrote, back home in New England, of the invention of London broil and Bearnaise.
Louth likes to eat out when she can, but being a student puts a damper on things like that. When she and her classmates head out, she prefers places like Lolita and their "innovative cuisine." Louth points out their use of interesting ingredients like jicama, which they made more popular around town. On the other end of the spectrum, she loves spots like Taqueria la Veracruzana. Their pork tacos stood out while on a class trip to the Italian Market. After telling her of my recent move to the Italian Market area, she said she'd be at Veracruzana all the time; we're not so far off from that reality.
But what meals about at home? She loves cooking Chinese cuisine. There's a lot of preparation beforehand of the food making good use of all the knifeskills she's learned. And there's the mental aspect of it too: thinking the dishes through as the wok speeds the timing up. She finds wok cooking quick and exciting. She loves dumplings because you can fill them with anything. She'll also admit to spaghetti for the ease of it and being a college student always pressed for time, it's a great time saver.
I walked through the main class kitchen to see the equivalent of a kitchen cubicle: sections of ranges pointed at each other in islands.
Louth lists Charlie Palmer as a big influence in her philosophy as a chef, which requires a lot of management skills. She heard Palmer speak at the 5th Annual International Chefs Congress (she missed the first few days of classes, but it was well worth it). He went with some of the chefs from his various restaurants around the country.
I respected what he had to say about being a mentor to your staff… Not looking to say "this is how I run things and this is what you have to follow, the mold you have to be in, to be one of my chefs. It's really: what can you bring to the table and how can you make this great." I respect that style and that lifestyle… that management style. I think that's something you really have to think about even if you're not a manager, working with people and collaborating, making something better than you yourself could put out on your own.
She took this knowledge to her co-op at The Regatta at Cotuit in Cape Cod where she first found bison tenderloin. "It was an introduction to the flavor and that's why I chose the meat [for her competition dish] because it's interesting and the sweetness of it, I think, really complements the salty-smoky oyster." She started off as an expediter in the spring (slow season), dealing with incoming orders. She moved to the broiler, then garde manger, then sautée, then desserts and back to expediting. She went from 30 incoming tickets a night to 130 by the summer and that's when she realized "I can do it, it's not just something you're either good at it or you're not. But you learn, and it was a confidence booster to me, 'so maybe I can do this.'" Her head chef and pastry chef were very helpful and truly made her time there a learning experience in addition to a working experience.
The newish bar area at The Academic Bistro.
Louth doesn't have any finite plans after college, the finals of the contest may have a big part of her future, but she wants to try a little bit of everything. She'd love to try catering to have that skill set in her repertoire. She'd love to work more with pastries as Drexel doesn't have a full pastry program to explore. Working in a restaurant is key as well because you do everything and learn a lot day to day. Ideally, she'd love to travel to Ireland and Italy to learn old world bread making. Maybe there's a future for her at The University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy?!
So back to the competition in Napa. The competition is in two parts on March 12th and 13th. Part 1 will be a mystery box challenge where each competitor will have three main ingredients and two hours to prepare a dish for the the 10 judges. Part 2 will be making the signature dish, but in appetizer size and for 200 people. She'll have a sous chef to help in all the preparation. A total of $19,000 broken down in different categories will be handed out. The Grand Prize will take home a $10,000 cash prize and a position in the kitchen from one of the judges of the competition. We can all vote for Louth on the 13th at 2p eastern as the competition winds down in NapaWe can watch [and vote for Emma!] the competition online at the Almost Famous Chef site from 1.30p-5p on Saturday and 8.30p-11p (both times are Eastern).
The dining room of The Academic Bistro where Louth, and her fellow classmates, prepare meals weekly for the general public. A better kept secret than the well-known Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College a few blocks west. The entire kitchen is student-run so the feel of the meals semester to semester changes quite a bit.
I had a great time chatting with her and hopefully this fairytale will end with a Happily ever after for her. Go Emma!
