THE READING TERMINAL

Every once in a blue moon, the Mistress likes to venture into downtown to the Reading Terminal Market . The thing is, I go into Philly often, but if I go to the market, I have to be coming right back to the Casa to put the finds away. I'm here to tell you, I can go nuts in there too. When it comes to food I sometimes have no restraint. To see me, one may be shocked I eat like a horse. Luckily from my father's side, I was blessed with a high metabolism. Which is good, otherwise my pants would all need to be let out. And the Lad would make a crack about me getting heavier when we are getting frisky.

The history of Reading Terminal Market dates all the way back to 1860 when the Butcher’s and Farmer’s Market opened for business on the 1100 block of Market Street. The market stayed at the location for 30 years, but by 1890 it looked like the market’s days were numbered.  The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company purchased the land occupied by the market and planned to demolish it to make way for a new railroad terminal. The market was saved however when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company agreed to build a new market underneath the railroad station. In 1892, the new market opened for business and became known as the Reading Terminal Market and thrived in its new building , and has been ever since, and is considered America’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s market. They have everything too....fresh seafood, meats, cheeses, pastries, flowers, produce, French linens, Polish cooking ware, homemade Amish pies or the best sandwiches in America. The Reading Terminal Market has you covered. What took me in though was the cheeses at Salumeria.

They have the cheeses. And I love my cheeses. Almost more than I love my men.

I came home with several. Cheeses, not men. A French Brillat-Savarin with crushed papaya. Zighera, a smoked cheese. Pecorino siciliano from Sicily. And a lovely Spanish Manchego.

It's long corridors of food. Row after row. Produce.....

Pastries at Termini Brothers Bakery. Don't get me started.

I didn't get porked today, but this place has the best pork B-B -Q!

Seafood......but wasn't in the mood for crabs.

I love lobster, but feel terrible eating the poor things....till they are on the plate.

Blooms.........

In addition to my cheeses, and produce and my meat and sausages, I couldn't resist this sandwich .... a  Corned Beef Special at the  Hatville Deli,a long-standing deli stall, where the Esh family has been using products from their native Lancaster County for over 30 years, the most famous offering is this cold sandwich, which plies corned beef with coleslaw and Russian dressing .

And I couldn't resist two cannoli's from Termini Borthers......

Thank goodness the Lad or Daddy Warbucks aren't here this weekend. Otherwise they may mistake me for Philbert, the 3-foot bronze piggy bank that resides in the market.

Hey, I may be a tad heavier, but I'm happy!

Beautiful Day for The Reading Terminal Market

We here is Philadelphia are so glad winter is gone. It has been in the high 60s and and low 70s all week, the snow is gone, no humidity and a wonderful breeze. The Mistress and crew left work early to do some shopping yesterday and we hit a sake lounge, but that's another story and post! No, today the Mistress decided she was getting out for most of the weekend, since she is on her own this weekend. The cat is visiting a friend of ours, so us mice are playing.I took Buster for his walk up the road and behind our complex to the field we haven't been to lately because of the snow and what a surprise to see it was in bloom of daffodilia's!!!

After the walk I had been wanting to go to the Reading Terminal Market for some good food and provisions. Weeks ago it was just too damn cold. I usually just hop the train a block from our house and take it into the city. No hassles sitting in the famous Philadelphia traffic jams! And was their some cute boys riding that train today!!!! There was one that was built like a brick...oh right, the market. Reading Terminal Market is huge.It is an enclosed public market found at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia. Over 80 merchants offer fish, groceries, ice cream, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods. On any given day one can find an eclectic array of fresh baked Amish goods, produce direct from the field, unusual spices, free range meats and poultry, flowers, ethnic foods, and much more. Every space in the market is rented out; three of the vendors are descendants of original market merchants. The market is open every day of the week, but the Pennsylvania Dutch merchants generally do not operate Sunday through Tuesday.


Open-air markets flourished in Philadelphia since its founding. Growth of the city demanded more markets, and the string of open-air markets extending from the Delaware River ran for six blocks, or one full mile, prompting the main street (then called 'High Street') to be renamed 'Market Street.' Soon after the markets reached their peak growth and capacity, open-air markets within the city became seen as dirty and unhygienic by the public. The frenzy of activity along the main street was seen as a nuisance and traffic hazard. In 1859, city officials bowed to public pressure and dismantled all of them. This prompted two indoor markets to open at 12th and Market Streets, Franklin Market and Farmers' Market. These two would be the foundation of the Reading Terminal Market. Today with the weather the place was a hub of activity and the smells were very over powering. I wanted one of everything. Have you ever seen so much food? Today on the list was some shrimp, veggies and fruit. I did also treat myself to some flowers. Who doesn't love themselves some flowers?




The market also does a huge business with the work crowds during the week. The market, when it got revitalized in the the early 90s added "street cafe" areas where people could sit and eat their meals without having to leave. The market almost went out of business when in the seventies and eighties the then company that owned it paid no attention to the market house and wanted to sell it off. Most tenants then left. In the 1980s the Reading Company changed its attitude towards the market and began efforts to revitalize it. Those efforts continued after SEPTA Regional Rail trains moved from the train terminal above the market to the new underground Market East Station below it in 1984. In 1990, ownership of the Reading Terminal and the Market passed to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, and in 1994, Philadelphia City Council established a new, non-profit Reading Terminal Market Corporation to operate the market. The Reading Terminal Market Corporation and the PCCA continued the revitalization program begun by the Reading Company, recruiting new tenants and increasing promotion of the market. By the mid-1990s to the 2000s, the market was once again living up to its founders' vision. Now they have like 80 tenants I believe. One of my favorite places to visit is the the cheese stand that offers over 210 different cheeses!!! I didn't need any of that today though.




And you can't forget Philbert the pig, a sculpture by Eric Berg, is the Market's mascot and donations made to this 'piggy bank' go to support healthy eating programs at The Food Trust.



Now that I'm back home, it time to take Buster Bolfig on a walk to the lake to walk off all the good eating. I mean, tastings I did. Tootles.