Spataro's Founder Dies, 94

Original 'Buttermilk' sign at old Spataro's

Domenic C. Spataro, who started the eponymous sandwich stall in the Reading Terminal Market in 1947, died overnight at the age of 94.

Mr. Spataro was "a legend of longevity at the Market, having worked here continuously since 1930 except for a military stint during World War II," wrote Paul Steinke, the market's general manager, in an email this morning to market followers.  He opened his own sandwich shop in the Market  in 1947, which continues in business to this day. "Up until the end, he had a near photographic memory of the Market and its people from the past 80+ years. His passion was his family and his work at the Market," wrote Steinke.

My first purchase at Spataro's -- in the early 1980s when they occupied a stall now housing Terralyn's Bath Body Spirit -- was lekvar, the Eastern European prune butter which they sold in bulk. But their specialty, loudly proclaimed on a sign that still stands at the original location, was buttermilk.

Spataro's had always been the home of an inexpensive lunch sandwich, simple stuff like cream cheese and jelly, priced for the lowly store clerk, not foodie. In more recent years the menu expanded, especially with the move about two years ago to center court and the addition of a grill for cheese steaks. The stall. operated by son Domenic, will soon move to the former Dinic's spot across Avenue C.

Valentine to the Market

This year's version of the Valentine to the Market will be held Saturday, Feb. 25, and if it's up to last year's standards another great evening is in store for party-goers. The shindig benefits the Reading Terminal Market Preservation Fund.

In addition to two bars, two stages with entertainment and great food from the market's merchants Philadelphia Brewing Company will present a special beer in honor of the market's 120th anniversary. (The RTM opened its doors in 1892, the successor to two earlier markets at 12th and Market.)

The event runs from 8 to 11 p.m. with tickets at $125 apiece. The pre-party VIP event, with a celebrity chef cook-off, cocktails and hors d'oeurves, begins at 7 p.m. ($300 tickets).

Tickets and more info here.

Monkey's Buttercake

I couldn't resist trying Flying Monkey Bakery's buttercake. It's not your German Großmutter's buttercake, but it's darned good. 

The big difference, to me, is that this cake is practically candy. Same flavor, same sugar and butter intensity. But it's set atop a shortbread-like base and creates an instant sugar high. Take a break from a cupcake or brownie and try this treat. Do enjoy it with a cup of Flying Monkey's coffee; I forget the roaster's name, but it's the tastiest coffee at the RTM.

If you want a comparison with a traditional German style buttercake, take a trip to Tacony, where Haegele's bakery offers the classic version.

First Sign of Spring

So what if it comes from way down south. The appearance of shad at the Reading Terminal Market is a surer sign that spring will eventually reach Philadelphia than any western Pennsylvania groundhog. The local spring run won't hit the Delaware (Lambertville is the center of local action, though Fishtown also holds a festival dedicated to the fish) in late April.

The first of the species could be found at John Yi's  "Eat Fish Live Longer" stall off center court. As always, the roe-laden females are a buck pricier than the bucks. I've got to admit I'm not a big fan of this herring-family variety due to its exceedingly complicated and fine bone structure; but when it comes to shad, it's all about the roe.

All three fishmongers at the market still have sardines in their display cases. Prices range from $1.99 to $5.99, with the cleaned fish commanding a higher price (though the whole fish really aren't that difficult to clean at home). Golden Fish Market (the one closest to Arch Street) also has some salt herring and mackerel available, the latter in filets. I've cooked the salt mackerels (after many changes of water to leach out the excess sodium) and enjoyed them immensely. They can be broiled, baked or pan-fried (sauté meunière).

La Cuchina Next RTM Move

New La Cuchina, with view toward center court

La Cuchina at the Market, the cooking school and event venue operated by Anna Florio at the Reading Terminal Market, has just a few finishes touches and health department inspection to go before it can open at its new spot, perhaps as early as later next week.

Although plenty more works needs to be done on the market's Avenue D project, the opening of La Cuchina provides a preview of the new look for this end of center court, which will also include the Rick Nichols Room, a multi-purpose venue, adjacent to La Cuchina. The Nichols Room and La Cuchina will be separated by a removal wall so that large scale cooking demonstrations can be held.

Spataro's Starts Construction

Work begins on new Spataro's stall

Sign at old Spataro's stall when they used to specialize
in buttermilk and lekvar (prune butter)

Dinic's move to its new home in the Reading Terminal Market cleared the way for Spataro's to begin construction in the former's stall.

This will be at least the fourth location within the market for Spataro's. Once upon a time it was located where Terralyn's Bath Body Spirit shop now stands. Then it moved to center court where Hershel's East Side Deli now holds down the fort before shifting a few years ago to a different center court stall.

Once Spataro's moves to its new spot Flying Monkey Bakery shifts to where Spataro has been.

First Day at Dinics

Joe and Tom Nicolosi pose with meat they're prepping for first day at new location

Nothing is easy or goes without bumps.

In moving from old to new location within the Reading Terminal Market last night, the staff at Dinic's found that one of the ovens simply wouldn't fit through the opening in the old counter. So out came the sledgehammer to create a suitable opening.

"I almost cried," said Tom Nicolosi, proprietor of Dinic's.

But that wasn't the end of the oven problems. Because of electrical box issues, the electric ovens wouldn't work at all, and the gas oven needs electricity to drive its fan. Undaunted -- and with assurances from the electrician that all would be well soon -- Nicolosi, son Joe and the rest of the crew still planned to be serving their pork and beef sandwiches for lunch.

DiNics Makes Move

DiNic's got its Health Department okay today and, as I write, is moving equipment over to its new location within the Reading Terminal Market.

More About Those Meat Hooks

I've still to photographically document the Moyers' Pork signage over Benuel Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce stall, but here are a few other original signposts/meat hook apparatus spotted at the Reading Terminal Market yesterday.

The meat hooks are largely gone but Kamal Barouki has kept the signboards
above Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialties as an integral part of the stall.
Note the stall numbers.

Over at L. Halteman Family the otherwise unadorned signboards are
painted baby pink and baby blue, but the hooks are put to good use as
shopping bag dispensers and apron hooks. They also serve to store spare
fluorescent light bulbs.

Hershel's East Side Deli uses the old meat hooks for hanging up cooking equipment.

Dinic's Remembers Market's Butchers

When Dinic's moves into its new stall at the Reading Terminal Market (perhaps as early as later this week, if the city's Health Department can schedule its inspection), it will be adorned with signs remembering the stall's predecessors in vending meats at this spot. Though Tom Nicolosi is a purveyor of cooked meats, he knows it all starts with the butcher.

Most folks know that Dinic's will occupy space vacated last year by Harry G. Ochs & Son Prime Butchers. But that's only half the story. Until the early 1970s, while one side of the stall was occupied by Ochs, the other was home to another market butcher, G.M. Yerger. When Yerger went out of business, Ochs expanded to span the entire space along Avenue B between the market's Fifth and Sixth Avenues (aisles) .

The signs, by the way, date back to the market's beginnings under the Reading Railroad's train shed. Wander and you'll see a number of them over what had originally been hooks to hang meat and other vittles. At Kaufman's Lancaster County Produce, for example, you'll see a sign for Eugene M. Moyers & Son, which left the market in the mid-1980s (but still makes killer ham under its Blooming Glen brand in the village of the same name between Doylestown and Quakertown).

Before yesterday, the soon-to-be-home of roast pork, beef, brisket, pulled pork and pork cutlet sandwiches was shrouded in plastic, looking as if the artist Christo had arisen from the dead and moved into the Reading Terminal Market.

With Dinic's move, Spataro's will begin work to move across the aisle. When that work is done, Flying Monkey will take over Spataro's space.

Avenue D Project Running Late

The musical chairs involving the sandwich makers and baker is just one aspect of the Avenue D Project, which will create additional leaseable space for more vendors and a multi-purpose room for meetings and other gatherings (as well as additional seating during lunch hour). The entire project was originally envisioned to be completed by late February, just in time for the Flower Show when hordes from across the Northeast and Mid Atlantic descend for an early fix of springtime.

Like most construction projects, however, this one fell of its initial schedule. Although the revamped rest rooms should be open by late February, the rest of the construction won't be completed until late April.

Cardoons at Iovine's

If it's winter, then Iovine Brothers Produce has cardoons for sale at its Reading Terminal Market fruit and vegetable emporium. Cardoons may look like extra-large bunches of celery, but they are more closely related to to tdhe artichoke. You can find them in the same bin at Iovine's, along with beets, parsnips, turnips and black radishes.

Giunta's Prime Shop

At least one reader of this blog complained in the past about the name of this butcher shop at the Reading Terminal Market, objecting to the use of "Prime" for a shop that doesn't sell prime beef. Technically, the critique is on-target: Charles Giunta does not sell USDA prime grade beef.

But I don't care. His beef may be "only" USDA Choice, but his eye in picking out primals and his hereditary butchering skills have won my regular patronage. For what it's worth, overall his meats are far better than that sold by Ochs in its last few years at the market.

For the holidays I picked up a small prime standing rib roast (prime as in the definition of the cut, not the USDA grade). Even though he was exceedingly busy on the Friday before Christmas he took the time to get a new full rib from his walk-in refrigerator and asked me how many ribs and from which end, i.e., chuck end or loin end. When I asked for his recommendation, he suggested the chuck end, which he thought more flavorful than the loin end though it can be a slightly tougher part of the full seven-rib cut. He did a great job of a trimming my two-rib roast, leaving just the right amount of fat, semi-separating the bones for easy carving and expertly tying it all together, ready for the oven.
 
It made a superb meal on Christmas Day. No doubt it was helped by the fact that it sat it in the fridge for two days, unwrapped except for some wax paper loosely placed over the top, a do-it-yourself aging technique which will improve almost any piece of beef. I took the meat out of the fridge a few hours before cooking so it would lose some of its refrigerator cool, then seared all sides of the meat stovetop in a roasting pan (no need for additional fat). After about 10-12 minutes of browning I simply salted and peppered before placing the standing rib in a 200F oven. It cooked on a rack in the roasting pan at this low temperature until my digital probe registered 135F (this took about 150 minutes). After resting half an hour while I prepped the rest of our meal I carved the meat, and it was perfectly medium rare (quite rosy, but not red) through and through, from just below the outer crust to the deepest part of the interior. Best of all, it tasted absolutely yummy with plenty of beef flavor, with the tenderness one would expect from USDA Prime. The five-pound roast priced at $10.95/pound could be considered dear, but I thought it great value for a superior hunk of protein.

Steaks cut from the same primal are a favorite of mine and I've always been satisfied by Giunta's rib steaks on the bone. But I've also cooked his filet mignon, flank steak and hanger steak and never been disappointed. Ditto for pieces of chuck I've braised in a variety of fashions, as well as short ribs.

In recent weeks I've cooked up two ground meat dishes from Giunta. I used his pre-ground (on premises, not from a wholesaler) meatloaf mix -- beef, veal and and pork -- to make meatballs. Last week I asked him to grind chuck to my order, which went into an all-beef meatloaf (it was assisted by my addition of half a teaspoon of unflavored gelatin to mimic the collagen veal would have provided). We enjoyed both.

Lamb is one of those meats that's pretty good no matter where you buy it, so sometimes I obtain it from Giunta's and other times from his brother Martin. (Both learned their trade in the family butcher shop in the Italian Market.) Giunta's ducks are superb, offering the classic Long Island style duckling raised and packed by Joe Jurgielewicz & Son of Berks County. (For Muscovy duck visit Godshall's Poultry.)

Best of all, Giunta's prices are competitive -- rarely more expensive than what you'd pay in a supermarket, and frequently much better value.

Vendors Interested in Spice Terminal

Spice Terminal adjacent to Center Court

It seems there are a few potential entrepreneurs interested in taking over the Spice Terminal.

Paul Steinke, the Reading Terminal Market's general manager, reports there are three existing vendors and two outsiders who have expressed interest.

In the meantime, Jonathan Best is widening its spice and herb selection.

WiFi Back Up at RTM

WiFi service, suspended since early fall when work on the Avenue D project displaced the market's office, came back on line last week. Good coverage in center court and the piano court (where the holiday train display has temporarily displaced seating), but spotty around the market's perimeter.

Cheeses On Parade

The Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market added

a new display case just for cheese last week, much to the

delight of cheesemonger Paul Lawler.

Seven Fishes

The cases at John Yi ('Eat Fish Live Longer') at the Reading Terminal Market
were chock full of piscatorian delights for the Feast of the Seven Fishes
before Christmas, including these sardines, a.k.a. herring

Spice Terminal To Close

Rendering of what would have been
the Spice Terminal's new stall

The cupboards are getting barer and barer at the Spice Terminal, and not just because bakers are grabbing spices for their Christmas cookies and cakes.

The long-time proprietor of the Spice Terminal, Al Starzi, died about a year and a half ago. With the stall scheduled to move to a space under the market office later this winter as part of the Avenue D redesign project Starzi's family decided to shut down at the end of next month. Once the decision to close was made they stopped restocking the shelves.

The Spice Terminal has been my go-to vendor for all sorts of seasonings, nuts, condiments and other special items for the nearly 30 years I've been a market regular. If I recall correctly, it was originally located on the Filbert Street side of the market before moving to center court with the mid-1980s renovation completed in connection with construction of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

With the closing of the business the only vendor with a reasonable selection of similar merchandise in one space will be Jonathan Best, though some selected items are available at Salumeria, Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce, Iovine Brothers Produce and other stalls. It's possible these and other merchants may expand their offerings to take up the slack. The Spice Terminal also offered a decent selection of whole bean coffees as a competitor to Old City Coffee.

RTM GM Paul Steinke would love to see someone continue the business, but that appears unlikely.

Some of the Spice Terminal space will accommodate the relocated Flying Monkey Bakery, which will also take over Spataro's space when they move across the aisle where DiNic's now holds the fort. DiNic's hopes to open in mid to late-January in the former Harry Ochs stall. The remainder of the Spice Terminal space off center court is scheduled to be occupied by an as yet undetermined new merchant.

Talks are continuing with Valley Shepherd Creamery to occupy space along the back wall of Avenue D. The New Jersey cheese-maker recently opened its new store in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood concurrent with the closing of its outlet in Manhattan.

In the past Steinke said he has a waiting list of potential vendors waiting to open businesses at the RTM. A major reason for the Avenue D project is to create more leaseable space.

Citrus Season!

Tangerines at Iovine Brothers now selling at 5/$1

Now that we're officially into winter, it's time to shift our fruity focus from pomes to citrus. Although I've got my full stock of Newtown Pippin apples in cold storage to get through January and, perhaps, February if I hoard my hoard, my fresh fruit purchases have turned to oranges and their close relations. (Alas, my statin regimen prevents indulging in grapefruits and other pomelos.)

Right now I'm working my way through Temple oranges I purchased at Iovine Brother's Produce in the Reading Terminal Market for a quarter apiece. Small navels tend to sell for the same price, as do tangerines (though this week they're featuring them at 20 cents). Large navels are 50 cents, but the gargantuan Jumanjis for over-stuffing a stocking call for a 99-cent investment.

Just eating them plain is a joy, especially the easy-to-peel temples, tangerines and other mandarins. The perfumes they exude upon peeling is right up there with good whiskey, bacon and vanilla in my olfactory Hall of Fame. After eating a spicy or rich entree, the sweet bite of citrus is a great palate-cleanser. No wonder so many Asian restaurants slip a few chunks of orange on the parting plate along with a fortune cookie.

Still, I think I'm game this season for doing a bit more than taking my oranges straight. Although I usually only make sorbets in warmer weather, the great looking juice oranges (usually the Hamlin variety) may prompt me to get out the juicer and make an icy winter treat.

Another option may be a composed salad where oranges and beets take center stage, perhaps with a sprinkling of walnuts and little bits of chevre in a plain vinaigrette (or, alternatively, using orange juice as the base of a vinaigrette to top the other ingredients).

If I'm more ambitious, there's the orange flan from Jose Garce's mom. But since I'm less ambitious there may be an orange chiffon cake in my future.

Besides orange-flavored beef, a staple at some Chinese restaurants, I'm hard-pressed to think of other meat-centric dishes incorporating oranges. If anyone has some ideas, please comment on this post.

For fish I might try Norwegian chef Andreas Viestad's variation on a sauté meunière wherein both the fish filets and orange sauce are spiked with ginger and cloves. 

Pigs Outside!

As winter nears the number of vendors dwindle at the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market operated by the Food Trust. But that negative can be a positive: producers who can't get in during the height of the season can get a space.

That was the case today for Stryker Farm of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, which raises heritage breed pigs and meat goats. Young farmer Nolan Thevenet is new to farming, but he's enthusiastic. Because I had picked up enough meat for the week at the Reading Terminal yesterday, I abstained from indulging in pure pigmeat from Nolan, but couldn't resist picking up some scrapple.

Stryker Farms' scrapple, Nolan says, isn't made from innards like liver and heart, as is traditional, but from scrap meat, including jowls. Now, I have no objection to the innards in my scrapple, indeed, if you're going to keep it historic that's the way to go, adding a bit of livery savoriness. Still, I can't wait to fry up a couple slices tomorrow morning.

The farm raises their pigs out of doors and lets them forage in the fields and woods, supplementing their diet in winter with barley and grass feed, not corn. Like many heritage pig farmers Stryker Farm uses a Tamworth cross (in this case with Hereford), though Nolan said he'd like to get some Berkshire into his piggies' bloodlines.

Nolan plans to be at the final two Headhouse markets this season (the next two Sundays) and hopes to get a spot next season as well.

Black Radishes

With the season winding down, the offerings at Blooming Glen Farm's stall at the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market were slim today, but what they did have was choice, including these black radishes.

When you find them in supermarkets, black radishes tend to be the size of bocci balls. They're good, but the smaller, freshly dug versions are superior.

You can roast them like a turnip, but they're probably at their best raw. I like to grate mine and mix into soft sweet butter, then spread it on good pumpernickel or rye bread. But I've seen some salad recipes that look like they're worth trying. Most call for the radishes to be thinly sliced (a mandoline comes in handy), then tossed with apples or oranges, placed atop a bed of escarole or similar green, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. And the green tops can be treated like any other cooking green

Persimmon Season

We're at the tail end of the season for local persimmons, like these found at Culton Organics at today's Headhouse Square Farmers' Market.

The Fuyu variety can be eaten while still firm, but the Hachiya, which I prefer, must be allowed to ripen -- just shy of becoming rotten -- to be best enjoyed. I just lop off the stem end and dig in with a spoon, eating the gelatinous flesh like pudding.

Pepper Prep at DiNic's

Before those sweet bell peppers top your roast pork sandwich at DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market, they've got to be prepped. Every morning Jun snaps out the cores before the peppers go into the oven with a light dressing of olive oil.

Earlier this week I had a hankering for one of Tommy's sandwiches and managed to order something other than the roast pork. Instead I opted for the brisket, which you should try. Tender and flavorful it's like beef done as pulled pork -- but even more succulent. I kept it simply topped with roasted hot peppers.

Tommy's partner and son, Joe Nicolosi, says they won't be rushing to open their new location in the former Harry Ochs stall, because they want to make sure they do it right. They're aiming for mid-January, so they can have some shake-down time before the auto show crowds descend.

Shane Confectionery Opens Tomorrow

The official grand opening is tomorrow, Monday, Dec. 5, for Shane Confectionery, the revitalized candy emporium from the Berley Brothers of Franklin Fountain. Except for the past year or so, the building at 110 Market Street has housed candy makers. Just in time for Christmas!

Pippins and Winesaps

Newtown Pippins from North Star Orchards

There were apple varieties galore at the Headhouse Square farrmer's market yesterday at the three primary apple vendors: Three Springs Fruit Farm, Beechwood Orchards, and North Star Orchards.

When it comes to antique (a.k.a. heirloom) varieties, North Star always has a few surprises. This week I picked up an apple I've been waiting for: the Newtown Pippin. This is a green but sweet-tart apple native to the Mid-Atlantic region (it's named after Newtown, which is a neighborhood deep in the heart of Queens: perhaps you've crossed Newtown Creek while snailing along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway en route to a Phillies-Mets game.

The beauty of the Newtown Pippin is its storage quality, indeed, this apple improves with age. North Star's Ike Kerschner said he picked his crop a month ago, but is only now bringing them to market because they weren't ready to eat then. But they'll get even better in a few months. Kept loosely bagged in the refrigerator these will make especially fine eating come January and February when most other apples will be well-passed peak flavor.

Another interesting variety from North Star this week was the Reinette Simerenko, a tart Eastern European variety for a welcome change of taste. North Star has a fine web site that includes spot-on descriptions of their apple varieties.

Golden Russet is yet another variety you are unlikely to find at the Acme, or even Wegman's. I bought some more this week from North Star. They are far from the classic red apple, but well worth seeking out, with a pear-like flavor and texture. Great with a good cheese, like Birchrun Hill's Fat Cat washed rind comestible.

Over at Beechwood Orchards (they also have a website with apple descriptions worth consulting) Stayman Winesap and Northern Spy were my apples of choice. Both are older commercial varieties (19th century). Although either can be eaten either raw or cooked, I find the former tops for consuming fresh, the latter best for pies, tarts and other applications involving heat.

Beechwood also had the original Winesap, which is a tad tarter than its Stayman offspring. I like it better for cooking than eating though it can be used either way. It's also a good "keeper" for two or three months. If you're into drying your own fruit, sliced Winesaps are ideal for schnitz.

Three Springs Fruit Farm isn't into the antiques, but Ben Wenk and family still offer a nice selection of commercial varieties. I'm not a big fan of Honeycrisp (too one-dimensionally sweet to me taste), but it's a favorite among a lot of apple shoppers, and Three Springs has them as well as Staymans and other popular varieties. (And if you want a taste of summer through the winter, buy some of their canned peaches: delicious.)

About apple storage: As mentioned earlier, I keep my Newtown Pippins in the fridge, along with all other apples. While some fruits improve with room temperature storage to come to proper ripeness, apples don't and will deteriorate. Keep them in the crisper either loose or very loosely bagged, allowing them to breath. If you like to eat your apple at room temperature, take them out no more than a day before you intend to consume them.

Molly Molloy's: Quick Take

It's shakedown time for Molly Molloy's, the Iovine Brothers' production that replaced The Beer Garden off center court of the Reading Terminal Market. With the understanding that any new restaurant will have kinks to work out, and that I've only tried two breakfast items and one lunch dish, here are some early impressions.

It seems that all restaurants are noisy these days -- one wishes Craig Laban's well-intentioned decibel critiques had more influence on interior designers -- and Molly Molloy's is no exception. It's louder at a table here, even when it's only one-third full, than the tables in center court.

Both breakfast items I tried (taken out for enjoying in center court) were superb.

The French Toast was cooked perfectly from good quality bread with a very slight background vanilla flavor (which of course was mostly overpowered by the maple syrup I ordered). Just as good was the scrapple: crispy exterior, creamy interior with the proper pork liver-y (but not overpowering) flavor.

A few days later I ordered the Pumpkin Pancakes with fresh cheese, and here's where one of the kinks kicked in, though by no means impacting the quality and flavor of the food. It was about 15 minutes after the 8 a.m. opening and chef Bobby Fisher had yet to prepare the batter. Jim Iovine, who knows me, noticed this and came over to distract me from what would be less than lickety-split service. (To no avail; I had already spotted Bobby making batter and surmised there would be a delay.) Still, it only took about 15 minutes or so until my order was ready, and it was perfectly enjoyable, though the traditional pumpkin pie spice flavors were a bit too subtle; in the words of that New England Portuguese-Québécois chef transplanted to New Orleans, it could have been taken up a notch. Given the lack of spice the fresh cheese seemed unnecessary, though it would be more welcome if the pancakes had greater kick. I selected sausages as my accompanying meat and found them very banger-ish, which is a good thing.

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I stopped by for lunch a week after opening, and we both agreed the starter we shared -- Butternut Squash Croquettes -- was the big hit. Although pricey (four golf balls for $4.50) they were perfectly fried, greaseless, crackly exterior and squashy interior. The plate could have used a bit more of the spiced pear butter, though.

SWMBO ordered the hamburger ($10) which arrived as a substantial piece of meat and an even more substantial brioche bun. (I wish rolls served with burgers were more appropriately sized; I think London Grill has it right in using English muffins for their excellent burgers). She enjoyed it very much, and it had a great charcoal grill flavor. (I'm not sure if they have a charcoal grill, though the rib eye steak sandwich says it's "char-grilled".) Since she likes her burgers medium, and I'm a Pittsburgh-rare kind of guy, it was too well-done for me. The burger also seemed tightly packed; I think the grind should be more loosely packed for best flavor and mouth-feel. Still, a quality burger if not up there on the first level. We both thought the French fries were very good.

I ordered the Braised Short Rib Pie ($6.50), but I didn't pay enough attention to the menu description: I thought I was going to get a pot pie. Instead what appeared on my plate, otherwise barren except for a Guinness reduction, were two empandas. Once I got over my misunderstanding of pie type, I was impressed by the quality of the pastry wrapper itself: thin, crunchy and greaseless: it was baked prior to service to cook through, then quickly deep-fried upon ordering. My only complaint (and others would consider this a merit) was all I could find was the shredded meat, but no carrots or onions. When I noted this to one of the managers he responded that he had another customer who complained of too many veggies and not enough meat. There was not a huge amount of meat inside, even considering the paucity of vegetables, but it was flavorful. The Guinness reduction as sauce (which prompted me to order a Guinness as my quaff) was a nice touch. The platter could have used some sort of vegetable side, though.

While I went with the Guinness, SWMBO read the bar menu and immediately pounced upon the Juicy Pear ($10) among the specialty cocktail offerings: Blue Coat gin, pear nectar, ginger ale and lemon. Alas, though listed on the menu Molly Molloy's had yet to have any available after more than a week after opening; seems they hadn't made the necessary pear nectar, which they insist be made on premises rather than purchased. Good intensions. No execution. If they don't have it, it shouldn't be on the menu.

I've yet to work my way through the extensive list of draft (24) and bottled (24) beers, but so long as they actually have them it's impressive. Perhaps Molly Molloy's will never be a destination beer bar (especially since it closes when the market does, 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday) like Monk's or any number of other tappies, but hop-heads won't be disappointed with offerings like Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, Stoudt's Scarlet Lady, Spaten Oktoberfest, Weyerbacher Winter Ale, Harpoon UFO, Ithaca Apricot Wheat, or Great Lakes Elliot Ness as well as the pedestrian macro-brews. Still, they could do better than O'Doul's for a non-alcohol offering (SWMBO suggested Kaliber from Guinness).

All-in-all, Molly Molloy's offers plenty worth trying right now, and I expect that under the Iovine's management and Chef Fisher's talents it will only get better. I intend to work my way through the entire menu over time.

Molly Molloy's Menus

Now online. Here are the links:

Breakfast
Lunch/Dinner
Bar menu

Full website link

Market Renovations Update

L. Halteman added new cases in preparation for move

Plastic sheeting and temporary construction walls adorn the east end of the Reading Terminal Market as its renovation program builds steam.

All cold storage has moved to the basement as work begins on two family bathrooms under the market's mezzanine management office. Once the new lavs are ready, temporary access changes to the men's room will be made so that work can begin on the new home for La Cucina at the Market.

Meanwhile work is underway at DiNic 's new center court location in the former Harry Ochs space; owner Tom Nicolosi hopes for a late November opening. L. Halteman, which will shift west to take over the former flower vendor space, has positioned a new refrigerated display case there in anticipation of its move later this fall.

One casualty of the renovations has been the market's free wi-fi service, which had to be temporarily shut when work started on its remodeled mezzanine offices. When the new office opens about mid-November a new and improved wi-fi system will be installed.

Molly Molloy's Opens
Will seek Market's okay on beer for center court

Plenty of taps await beer lovers at Molly Molloy's

The Iovine's opened gastropub Molly Molloy's at the Reading Terminal Market this morning. Named after brothers Jim and Vinnie Iovine's mother, the pub replaces the considerably more downscale Beer Garden.

The only detail to be resolved is whether customers can take beer into center court to enjoy with items bought from other market vendors. Jim Iovine told me their license allows them to sell beer for consumption in market seating areas, but they have yet to present their request to market management, which must also approve any such plan.

Paul Steinke, the RTM's general manager, told me today that when the Iovines get around to making a formal request "it's a policy matter we have to deal with." Beyond operational issues, liability will be a key question, i.e., who's the responsible party for an alcohol-related incident outside of Molly Molloy's but within the market? Until that's resolved, you'll have to enjoy the craft beers offered by Molly Molloy's within the confines of the gastropub.

Although beer sales are strictly on-premises for now, there is a take-out counter for food. I tried it for a late breakfast this morning and found chef Bobby Fisher's French toast with berry sauce quite good, accompanied by a sagey scrapple. While I was enjoying that at a center court table, Tom Nicolosi of DiNic's had an early lunch of something else with French in its name: onion soup; he noted with approval that it was made from homemade stock, not an institutional salt-based broth.

No menu has been posted at the restaurant's website yet, but Menupages has one, even if they misspell its name.  Hot sandwiches include braised oxtail, pork belly, rib  eye, pulled chicken, and burgers. Irish beef stew, fish and chips, short ribs and chicken pot pies are among the entrees. And since the bar's focus is beer, there are wings.

There isn't a lot of overlap on the menu with what's offered by other RTM lunch vendors, but of all the others the one most likely to be concerned would be the Down Home Diner, which also offers a large seating area independent of center court and similar foodie aspirations. My guess is that Molly Molloy's won't so much take away business from the Down Home Diner as grow its own volume. And if it gets permission to sell beer in plastic cups for travel to center court, it can only help other sandwich vendors (though their profitable soft drink sales may suffer).

O.K. Lee Upgrades Fixtures

Produce vendor O.K. Lee has gotten into the spirit of the Reading Terminal Market's renovations by replacing its display tables. The finished wood displays are a significant visual improvement over the more rustic displays they replaced.

Back in Dane County

The stars are shining bright when I arrive shortly after the official 6 a.m. Saturday opening of the Dane County Farrmers Market in Madison, Wisconsin. This is America's Dairyland (the auto license plates say so), even under the state capitol dome, as the Chula Vista cheese truck attests.

After my initial walk around Capitol Square, where about a hundred vendors are setting up shop, and a leisurely cup of coffee in the Starbucks, dawn breaks and I repeat my farmers market circuit, this time going counter-clockwise around the big block, which is the required direction; go clockwise and you'll get polite stares from the other early shoppers.

All my previous visits to this market (probably the nation's largest true farmers market; you can't sell here unless you grow, raise or make it yourself) have been in early spring when meats, cheeses and baked goods predominate with only a scatteing of early spring crops. Today, however, boasted the last of summer and hearty fall fare. Four or five vendors offered late season raspberries, many others had tomatoes (some, though, finished under hoop houses), but there were plenty of winter squashes and apples, too.

The grower pictured above was selling a great variety of tomatoes, including heirlooms, all grown in the field without benefit of hoop houses. At less than a dollar a pound these beauties were bargains.

Apples, however were my main area of interest, since they were one of the few products I could bring back to the hotel and maybe even back home to Philadelphia.

Suncrisps from Pleasant Valley Orchard

Although more than half a dozen vendors sold apples, only half of them offered antiques. Taking the prize for variety was Pleasant Springs Orchard: Hubbardston Nonesuch, Tolman, Black Gilliflower, Hoople's Antique Gold, Richard's Red Delicious, Calville Blanc d'Hiver (a classic French dessert apple which I first tasted in upstate New York abut a dozen years ago), Wolf River (a Wisconsin native and widely grown here), Arkansas  Black, Northwestern Greening, Court Pendu Plat, Ashmead's Kernel, Show, Cortland, Golden Russet, Spitzenburg (better known as Esopus Spitzenburg), and Cornish Gilliflower.

Another vendor claimed 30 varieties,  including some lesser known commercial cultivars: Haralson, Regent, Sonata, Suncrisp (a yellow Cox Orange Pippin-Golden Delicious cross popular in the Midwest), Keepsake, Swiss Gourmet, Northern Spy, Blushing Golden, and Melrose.

For those with any interest in learning about these or any other variety, I commend the Cox Orange Pippin website, which hardly limits itself to my favorite variety.

My words can hardly do justice to the variety of produce I discovered this morning, so pictures (annotated with a just a little verbiage) follow. As always, click on a photo for an enlarged version.

The harvest of winter squashes just peaked

Mums, of course, dominated the flower stalls

Only one vendor offered still offered sweet corn, but a few more had plenty of popcorn

Beauty Heart radishes look like what is labeled a watermelon radish in Philadelphia

Celeriac and chiogga beets

Urban pumpkin patch

Want some winter squashes?

More winter squashes, and some winter greens

This season's garlic is nicely dried

Lots of peppers

If you eat like a bird...

Berkshire pork is hard to find, especially at these (relative) bargin prices

Local potatoes and radicchio, among other veggies

Cruciferous vegetables weren't lacking

One-stop shopping for vegetable soup

String beans, parsnips, carrots, daikon radishes