I primarily use the Reading Terminal Market as a place to buy good quality, reasonably priced meats, fish, produce, cheese, etc. In other words, the foods I cook and consume at home. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the food court aspects of the market. Here's my take about the offerings of various breakfast, lunch and snack vendors at the RTM. (Dates when each entry created or last revised follow each item.)
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| Bassetts counter in its early RTM days |
Bassetts Ice Cream, founded in 1861, has been in the market since it opened in 1892. They must be doing something right.
It really doesn't matter what flavor you pick -- they're all great. It's a high-butterfat, medium-low overrun ice cream. That said, I'm a sucker for rum raisin, while She Who Must Be Obeyed prefers butter almond or raspberry truffle.
My preferred mode of consumption is to order a small cup, then sit at the marble counter. When done, pour yourself a small plastic cup of water from the traditional iced pitchers on the counter.
09/05/12
Beck's Cajun Cafe
I haven't tried much here, but what I've had was good: the muffaletta, the po' boy, and the beignets.
The New Orleans muffaletta and the South Phillie hoagie are variations on the same theme: Italian cold cuts served in good bread suitably relished with veggies and adorned with a dressing. The meats are cured differently, so that's where some of the style difference comes in; the mufuletta gets an olive salad garnish as opposed to the fresh salad veggies of the hoagie; and the breads are of different shape though they emerge from the same Italian tradition.
I love fried seafood sandwiches, and it's hard to beat any po' boy (poor boy), French or Italian bread with fried oysters or shrimp dressed with some variation of mayonnaise. When the seafood is fried right, it's a joy. Owner Bill Beck also does a fried chicken breast 'po boy. In season, and when the price is not stratospheric, he adds a soft shell crab po' boy.
The Pennsylvania Dutch have funnel cakes, the Italians zeppoles, Germans fastnachts. Fried dough, with sugar sprinkled on top, is universal. In French New Orleans it's the beignet, which Beck's serves on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays in limited quantities while they last. Get an order with chickory-enhanced Community Coffee from NOLA.
In addition to sourcing his meats (including gator for one of his gumbos and 'po boys) from New Orleans area distributors, he carries Abita Root Beer and Zapp's Potato Chips.
5/13/14
By George
Pizza, pasta and cheese steaks are the specialties here. I usually just go for the pizza by the slice, which is first rate and more akin to New York/North Jersey style pizza than most other Philly pies. They also have salads, and I've enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana, too. A couple of times a year I buy their fresh made (then frozen) pumpkin ravioli to cook at home and served with sage brown butter sauce.
More salads and sandwiches can also be found at the same ownership's Mezze in center court.
5/13/14
Carmen's Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks
There are lots of places that add the adjective "famous" to their name, and the only one I consider deserved is "Nathan's Famous" of Coney Island fame.
Although Carmen's, like 99 percent of the other joints that add "famous" to their signs, doesn't deserve the adjective, he does make a very good hoagie. It's not my personal favorite at the market (that would be Salumeria's which, alas, closed shop in the summer of 2016 after about 30 years in business), but that's a matter of taste, not quality. Check out the long but quickly moving line at lunch time and you'll see that there are plenty of folks who find Carmen's worth the short wait.
Carmen also added cheese steaks to his menu in 2009, and they are a credible version of this Philadelphia classic.
11/18/10
Dienner's Bar-B-Q
Strictly take-away, Dienner's specializes in barbeque chicken rotiseried before your eyes. Priced by the piece and finger-lickin' good. They recently added chicken sandwiches. Like many other Pennsylvania Dutch merchants, they're only open Tuesday-Saturday.
11/18/10
Dinic's
Dinics serves roast pork. Simple, right? Sure, and so is caviar.
As much as the cheese steak has become the symbol of Philadelphia food culture, many contend that the best sandwich to be found in town is the roast pork italienne. Although John's and Tony Luke's present fine examples of this sammie, none do it better than Tommy Nicolosi, proprietor of DiNic's, and son Joe.
They take a fresh ham, roast it with simple Italian seasonings, cool it off, then the next day thinly slice it, gently reheating in gravy and presented on one of the better hoagie-style rolls in Philadelphia. But you shouldn't eat it naked. Add aged provolone and either of their choice greens, spinach or broccoli rabe, both considerably more than gently enhanced by garlic.
Hard as it is to pull myself away from this Pork Italienne, DiNic's other meat sandwiches have their allure. One friends goes from the roast beef with horseradish, cooked frying peppers and provolone. Others swear by the Italian style pulled pork, quite different in seasoning from the traditional Southern barbecue version, but at least as delicious. DiNic's also offers a tender brisket, sausage and meatball sandwiches.
With all the publicity DiNic's has received from its appearance on Adam Richman's Man vs. Food and Best Sandwich in America shows (DiNic's beat out New York deli Katz's in the Northeast competition), the line can be long at lunchtime. But persevere: it moves quickly, and your patience will be rewarded.
With all the publicity DiNic's has received from its appearance on Adam Richman's Man vs. Food and Best Sandwich in America shows (DiNic's beat out New York deli Katz's in the Northeast competition), the line can be long at lunchtime. But persevere: it moves quickly, and your patience will be rewarded.
6/27/12
Down Home Diner. Back in the early days of the Food Network, there was a series introducing two chefs to television. One was Bobby Flay. The other was Jack McDavid. They challenged each other each week on "Grillin' and Chillin'". If I recall correctly, Bobby stuck to a gas grill but Jack always used lump charcoal or wood.
You can taste Jack's style here for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner. There's frequently a "special pancake" as well as buttermilk, buckwheat or blueberry cakes, like pumpkin in the fall Another. standard is Biscuits, Sausage and Sawmill (sometimes called Rich Man's) Gravy, the gravy being a white sauce with hunks of additional pork product in it; the sausage is large patty, and the plate comes with a serving of stewed apple. Decent scrapple, too.
The diner underwent major rehabilitation in 2010, centering on expansion and improvement to the kitchen. The menu was slightly revamped to encourage take-out business and now includes cheese steaks.
The Down Home Diner is not without its critics. Although breakfast is consistently good, the quality can be variable at lunch and dinner.
The Down Home Diner is not without its critics. Although breakfast is consistently good, the quality can be variable at lunch and dinner.
A bit of history. McDavid took over what was known as the Market Diner in the early 1980s when it was essentially a small highway style diner, complete with glass windows, booths, and shiny aluminum siding. It was located where Amy's Place now stands. Among the early menu items, reflecting McDavid's Southern sensibilities, Brunswick Stew. I haven't seen that on the menu for at least 25 years!
Because the Down Home also has its own an entrance from the street (Filbert) and its own restrooms, it remains open later than the market: until 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday.
5/13/14
Dutch Eating Place
Lots of folks will kill, or at lease maim, for the apple dumplings, which aren't anything more than a whole apple, sweetened, in a pie dough. What could be wrong with that? Nothing at all, especially when you pour some fresh, non ultra-pasteurized heavy cream over the top.
But this spot is best know for a a hearty breakfast at a reasonable price. Lots of folks go for the pancakes, but I was always a sucker for the chipped beef on toast, adding extra cholesterol by ordering a side of scrapple. Lunch offers some decent deals, too. Overall, however, I find the food pedestrian. Still, a plate of eggs with hash browns and bacon or sausage or scrapple is a good thing.
11/18/10
11/18/10
Franks-A-Lot
A number of different styles of hot dogs (though no Chicago or dirty water dogs) cooked, alas, on those tubular hot dog cookers. Still, the quality of the franks are good, and the toppings copious and delicious. A couple different sausages, also
It's more than tube steaks, however. They do a nice barbecued chicken as well as burgers. But I really like the pierogies, especially served with fried onions.
11/18/10
Hershel's East Side Deli
Hershel's was a welcome addition to the Reading Terminal, which sorely lacked good Jewish style deli (though Pennsylvana Dutch, which is really German, is well-represented).
Steve Safon and Andy Wash have created a mecca to cured meats at center court. They cure their own corned beef and pastrami in the RTM's basement, and almost everything that can be is made on premises. The hot corned beef, pastrami, brisket and turkey are hand-carved to order. A full selection of Dr. Brown sodas to accompany your meal; I always go for the Cel-Ray (celery flavored) soda.
And don't forget about breakfast, with eggs cooked to order. Andy makes a mean latke (potato pancake). And there's a selection of cured fish: nova lox, regular salty (belly) lox, smoked whitefish, whitefish salad, etc.
5/13/14
9/3/16
Hunger Burger
An okay burger, operated by the same folks as By George, with a social mission: "buy one, feed one." For every burger sold a portion of the profits goes to feed child in need.9/3/16
Miller's Twists
Roger Miller took over and moved what had been Fisher's pretzel stall, and he continues a fine Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. These hot, hand-shaped soft pretzels are far superior to the street pretzels (though those are pretty good the next day, a bit stale, broken into a bowl and topped with milk: the breakfast of champions) sold by most vendors. Be sure to ask for yours buttered, than squirt some mustard, brown or yellow, on top. You can also get a pretzel stuffed with hot dog or as a breakfast sandwich (egg, sausage, cheese).
Miller's also serves Kreider's ice cream, a pretty good regional brand from Lancaster County.
11/18/10
Molly Molloy's
What used to be The Beer Garden, serving industrial beers and shots, has bloomed into a gastropub, with a couple dozen taps spewing forth a great range of craft beers. Wide ranging menu. Breakfast inludes great omelets, french toast, pancakes and, in my opinion, the best scrapple in the market. Burgers and pub fare for lunch and early dinner (the market closes at 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 5 p.m. Sundays). Owned by the same family that runs Iovine's Produce, so you know the fruits and veggies are fresh and top quality. Warning: the servings are gargantuan.
6/27/12
Nannee's Kitchen
South Asian soul food. They've switched from being exclusively vegetarian (you can get chicken kabobs now), but their samosas, with chicken or strictly veggie, will satisfy -- I've even had them for breakfast! Meals that stick with you.
6/27/12
6/27/12
The Original Turkey
Sometimes, all you want is a turkey sandwich. If you do, it's hard to do better than at Roger Bassett's stall. I even buy plain turkey ($12/pound) to bring home. If you really want to go overboard, you can order a sandwich filled not just with turkey, but stuffing and cranberry sauce, too.
5/17/11
Pearl's Oyster Bar
Pearl's has been holding down its space along 12th Street for as long as I've been shopping at the RTM, which is for more than 30 years. Second-generation operator David Braunstein has expanded the basic fried and broiled-fish menu since taking over about two years ago, and earlier this year added breakfast, featuring shrimp and grits with eggs benedict. And, of course, a modest but excellent selection of oysters on the half-shell.
5/13/14
12th Street Cantina
This is the only spot for Mexican food at the market, so if that's what you crave, dive in. But there are plenty of better Mexican fooderies in town, especially on 9th Street south of Washington. I rely on this stall more for groceries to bring home (tortillas, cheeses) than the prepared foods.
5/13/14
Sang Kee Peking Duck
Chinese style barbecued duck and roast pork hang in front of the chopping block. You can have either added to a bowl of noodles and soup or atop a plate with rice and green vegetables. I usually go for the latter and walk away satisfied. The stall offers other wok standards, but the duck and pork are what to order here.
11/18/10
Smuckers Grill
Moses Smucker left his harness-manufacturing business behind in Lancaster County a few years ago and opened this meat shop and food stall at the RTM. The menu at the grill has expanded ever since. For breakfast there are pancakes, eggs and a full board of breakfast meats: sausages, scrapple, ham, bacon, pork roll. For lunch there's also burgers, hot dogs,, along with french fries.
Tootsie's Salad Express
Don't go to Old Country Buffet at some suburban strip mall. Make a bee-line instead to Tootsie's. Her menu isn't quite as extensive, but the quality is far superior. Salads, steam-table dishes, pork ribs, fried chicken, fried fish and lots more in daily rotation. You can even get fried whiting and grits for breakfast, along with oatmeal, eggs and sausages.
5/13/14
Valley Shepherd Creamery & Meltkraft Grilled Cheese
Valley Shepherd has been making great cheese for about a dozen years in the wilds of far northwestern New Jersey. In coming to the Reading Terminal Market in early 2013 owner Eran Wajswol decided to branch out into sandwiches featuring his products. If you like grilled cheese sandwiches this is where you need to stop. The shop offers more than half a dozen varieties of pressed hot sandwiches as well as a couple of cold cheese sandwiches.
5/13/14
Wursthaus Schmitz
This offshoot of South Street's Brauhaus Schmitz will satisfy your Teutonic tasting urges, from bratwurst to schnitzel. You could also get a fried bologna sandwich with Muenster cheese, dill pickle, raw onion and horseradish sauce.
5/13/14
