Philadelphia PA - 1/13/09
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After New Years my wife and I were looking to take advantage of the long weekend. We wanted a
place that was affordable, didn’t involve too long of a drive and it had to have great food. We
considered going back to Portland Maine or heading up to Montreal. The entire time we were
forgetting about an obvious choice, Philadelphia PA. I have been to Philly several times but never as
a traveler with multiple days to explore. I’m not sure why it took me so long to visit Philly, perhaps
it’s my hatred for their awful sports teams or just plain ignorance. What I discovered is that Philly is
a food lover’s type of town. They really have it all for high end restaurants to fantastic sandwiches.
With only a 3 hour drive and a great hotel deal Philly was a no brainer for us.

The first thing I do when planning a trip is figure out the meal plans. One of the things I enjoy most
about traveling is experience the culture and there is no better or enjoyable way to do it then
through food. Once the meals are planned the other activities just fall into place.

If you go to Philly you have to have a cheese steak. So of course that was our first stop after checking
into the hotel. We grabbed a cab and headed over to the Italian Market section of Philly for a cheese
steak taste off. This part of the trip alone warranted its own article so please follow this link to read
the full Philly Cheese Steak Taste Off article.

My wife and I are not really into museums but we do like to see all the sights of the city. We’ve found
that the hop on/off style tour buses are a great way to get around. For one your transportation is
provided and the bus travels to all the must see sights without spending too much time in one
location. If there is a point of interest you can just hop off the bus and catch the next one.
Philadelphia Trolley Works and Carriage Company seemed to be the main operation in town with
buses departing every 45 minutes. The pass was $25 per person for a 90 minute tour around Philly.
The guided part of the tour is always hit or miss. Sometimes you can get a really interesting guide
that is able to make the information interesting without being cheesy. Unfortunately we ended up
with an incredibly cheesy tour guide but honestly she wasn’t that bad. We still learned a lot about
the city and we were also able to get our bearings for venturing out on our own.

Our dinner for the first night was going to be our one fine dining experience and we selected 10 Arts
by Eric Ripert which is located in the grand lobby of the Ritz Carlton. Eric Ripert is the world famous
Chef/Owner of Le Bernardin, one of only four restaurants in Manhattan to receive three Michelin
stars. I have wanted to try his food for a very long time and while the style of 10 Arts is much
different then Le Bernardin it was an opportunity I could not pass up. The vision behind 10 Arts is to
focus on seasonal and primarily organic ingredients to showcase the bounty of the region. To me this
was a very local experience despite the fact that Eric Ripert is a French chef from New York. The
ingredients and even Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Carroll are a product of Philadelphia. The atmosphere
was stunning as soon as you walk through the doors. The lobby of the Ritz was built 100 years ago as
the Girard Trust Company and features a sweeping rotunda of white marble that rises several
stories. The restaurant is situated to the left side of the lobby providing a more secluded experience
without losing the view of the rotunda. I was surprised to find that the dining room was less than
half full. I’m not sure if it was a result of the economy or the fact that it was the day after New  
Years. My guess is a little bit of both.  The menu is new American and my wife selected the Grilled
Shrimp Quinoa and Herb Salad and I started with Pork and Beans, braised pork belly, summer bean
ragout, herb vinaigrette. The pork was cooked perfectly with the fat nicely rendered producing a
crispy exterior with fork tender meat. Le Bernardin is known for fish so for my main course that was
the direction I was headed. I opted for the Bouillabaisse and my wife had the Striped Bass “Grand
Mere”. The Bouillabaisse included clams, mussels and a white fish that I was not able to identify and
forgot to ask about. The fish changes based on availability at the market. It was all brought together
with a flavorful saffron-tomato broth. The flavors melded perfectly and the saffron did not over
power the subtlety of white fish. The mussels and clams tender and tasted of the sea. Overall a very
tasty and comforting dish on a cold Philadelphia night. We complimented our meal with a side order
of Macaroni, Ham and Cheese. I really don’t know many people that can pass up mac and cheese. It
was served in a mini cast iron Dutch oven and topped with bread crumbs. Although it didn’t surpass
my mom’s mac and cheese it was damn good. The cheese sauce was incredibly creamy and the ham
provided a nice saltiness to the dish. Overall we had a wonderful meal. Sometimes with big name
chefs on the marquee it’s hard for the food to live up to the expectations. In this situation my
expectations were met and I left a happy man.

Saturday morning our activity for the day also happened to involve food. Can’t get any better if you
ask me. We signed up for the Taste of Philadelphia: Market Tour which is a walking tour of the
historic Reading Terminal Market. Originally the market opened in 1892 as the primary food
market in the city. Several years ago the market was remodeled and brought back to life and is now
one of the prime destinations for travelers and locals.
The tour is lead by local food writer Carolyn Wyman. We had emailed a few days earlier to reserve a spot. The tour started with a history of the
train station and market evolved over the years as methods of travel changed. Carolyn did a good job of providing the back story of the market
before emerging us into the busy market. The renovation occurred several years ago and was very well planned. The designers wanted the market
to be a true market that locals used so a rule was put in place that only 40% of the market could sell ready to eat food. This was a smart idea because
it made sure that butchers, fish mongers and produce stands were given an opportunity to succeed. Locals come to the market for their food
shopping and within the Reading Terminal Market you can obtain all the ingredients necessary to make a quality meal. In addition to the 40% rule
the market also bans any chain businesses. Another smart move, all of the food stands within the market and original local businesses producing
quality food. You really can get a taste of everything in the market from cheese steaks to sushi. Our tour winded through the stalls with stops along
the way discussing the history and specialties of each location. One stop was at Bassetts Ice Cream, the oldest ice cream company in the country. We
had the opportunity to try Philadelphia style Vanilla ice cream which is distinctive for two reasons. First Philadelphia style does not use egg. I’ve
actually made this at home and it’s a good option for the home cook since no cooking is involved. The next is the specs of vanilla bean in the ice
cream. Bassetts was intensely creamy and we learned that it uses the same fat ratio as Ben and Jerry’s, or more accurately Ben and Jerry’s uses
the same as Bassetts. At the Dutch Eating Place we had a chance to try Scrapple, a local and my personal favorite. My family is from eastern
Pennsylvania and of Pennsylvania Dutch roots so I’ve been eating scrapple all my life. It doesn’t sound appealing, its ground pork parts and can
include offal like hearts and liver. The meat is then mixed with cornmeal and buckwheat flour and set in a terrine. The mixture forms a type of loaf
that is then baked, fried or cooked of a griddle to form a crusty exterior with a soft delicious center. I’ll admit it’s not a taste for everyone; my wife
for example won’t touch it. In our tour group the majority tried it and every piece was eaten. I’ll admit I had more than a few samples but just
doing my part. The scrapple at the Dutch Eating Place was cooked perfectly. The tour was a great way to see the entire market and it helped us
decide on our lunch options.
Philadelphia is known for the Italian Hoagie sandwich. Being from New York it really isn’t much different then what we would call an Italian
Combo or wedge. We ordered an Italian Hoagie from Carmen’s Famous located right in the market. The hoagie includes a variety of Italian meats,
typically capicola, genoa salami, prosciutto di Parma and sometimes mortadella. Provolone cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and oil and vinegar join
the meat in a fantastic roll. Carmen’s makes a great sandwich but it really isn’t different then the NY version I’ve grown up with. I still recommend
trying one in Philly.

Part two of our lunch was a trip to DiNic’s which has been in the market since 1954 serving roast pork and beef sandwiches. In researching our trip
online it seems that most people opt for the roast pork sandwich. Feeling a little let down from the cheese steaks the day earlier I decided to try the
roast beef. This sandwich is not a cheese steak but it has similarities. Rare roast beef is sliced thin and allowed to rest in a bath of beef jus. The moist
meat is then placed into a roll on top of sliced of provolone cheese. Extra jus is then added across the top and the heat from the meat melts the
cheese. The sandwich is very similar to an Italian Beef from Chicago. DiNic’s knocked it out of the park with this one. A truly amazing sandwich.
The beef flavor was strong and the cheese was nicely melted. The jus soaked into the roll just enough to provide moister without making it soggy. In
my opinion this sandwich is a can’t miss if visiting Philly. I’m sure the roasted pork is great as well. There is always a next time.

For our last dinner we wanted to try a local place and found the Standard Tap. It could be called a gastropub which is a pub that serves great food.
The Standard Tap definitely fits the bill. As you walk in it looks like a typical bar. You seat yourself and the menus are on the wall. All orders are
placed with the bartender. The difference you’ll notice is in the food options available. For example I ordered a fried oysters to start followed by lamb
shank. Not your typical pub grub. The chef formerly worked at Philly standout, Striped Bass and wanted a change into a more casual food focused
restaurant of his own. I really like the fact that you can show up in jeans, order a beer at the bar and still eat amazing food. The fried oysters were
really perfect, I don’t know how else to describe them. The perfect balance of batter to oyster. Fried so the outside was crunchy without being oily
while the oysters were still tender and delicate inside. The lamb shank hit high marks as well. It was extremely tender and well seasoned. The
Standard Tap also offers a great selection of local micro brews. Overall you just felt vey at home at the Standard Tap. It’s the type of place you could
see yourself spending hours with friends even after your meal has ended.

Sunday morning we wrapped up our eating through Philly tour with a return trip to the market. I was fighting a cold the previous day and didn’t
get to experience all the market had to offer. We grabbed a quick lunch at the Down Home Diner right within the market. I needed another scrapple
fix but was left a little disappointed. A key to good scrapple is a nice crispy outer crust and this was completely lacking any exterior crust. If you are
looking to try scrapple in the market I recommend hitting the Dutch Eating Place. Unfortunately it was closed when we arrived on Sunday
morning.

I learned a lot about Philly in our short trip. It seems like a very livable city and had a feel very similar to Boston. The food is fantastic and we only
scratch the surface. I still had their sports teams but I guess I can’t hold that against the entire city.
Hudson Valley Food Blog