Messy and Picky

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