Gawk, Feast, and Shop: Philadelphia's Italian Market
See goat carcasses hanging from a butcher's window, sip an espresso, walk in the footsteps of Rocky Balboa, or munch on just-baked Italian bread - these are just a few of the things you can do at Philadelphia's Italian Market.
South Philadelphia's 9th Street is home to the oldest and largest outdoor market in the United States, with plenty of indoor shops and restaurants too. Stretching from Wharton to Fitzwater streets, the Italian Market has more than 100 merchants, plus lots of other shops and restaurants on the streets off of 9th Street.
Don't expect elegance. Set on a busy street in a neighborhood of row houses, it's loud, sometimes smelly, and usually crowded. Outdoor vendors sell their wares - produce, fish (including eels), and dry goods from socks to brooms - from curbside stands. Some of the indoor shops and restaurants also have outdoor stands or seating, leaving a narrow path for walking. But don't try to walk in the street, where Rocky Balboa did his training runs in the early mornings. The street is open to cars, and the drivers aren't kind to pedestrians.
Do expect a unique gawking, feasting, and shopping experience. In warm weather, you can buy coffee and a cannoli from Anthony's Italian Coffee House and watch shoppers from its outdoor tables. Anthony also sells gelato and sandwiches, and a few doors down, delectable sweets at Anthony's Chocolate House.
Under gawking, be sure to look in the window of D'Angelo Bros. Meats, where you may see bunny rabbit, pheasant, or goat hanging in the window or on the counter. The butcher also sells "normal" meats like sausage and roast. Down the street, Talluto's Authentic Italian Food offers dozens of types of pasta they make, along with lots of gravy (a.k.a., sauce).
To see - and smell - cheeses from around the world, visit Claudio Specialty Foods. Watch your head, because some of the cheeses hand down from the ceiling. Watch your hands too; above the olive display is a sign that says, "Shoplifters will be killed. We mean it."
For a perfect loaf of bread, go to Sarcone's Bakery and ask for a long loaf of Italian bread (with or without seeds). But get there early; the shelves turn bare quickly. If you visit the Italian Market in the winter, you'll see the produce vendors warming themselves over fires made in barrels.
Time your visit so that you have a meal at the Italian Market. For breakfast, try Sabrina's Café, where you can feast on the barking Chihuahua breakfast burrito, challah French toast stuffed with cream cheese and bananas topped with vanilla bean maple syrup, and lots of other unusual dishes. Or be unconventional and enjoy a slice of Sicilian pizza from Sarcone's or a pork, roast beef, or tripe sandwich from George's Roast Beef (yes, it's open in the morning) as you stroll through the market.
For a quintessential Philadelphia meal, get a Philly cheese-steak at Pat's King of Steaks® (Pat's Steaks) or Geno's Steaks. Pat Olivieri, owner of Pat's Steaks, "invented" the steak sandwich in the 1930s. You'll order your sandwich at a window and then eat it at outdoor tables or while standing.
For dinner, or if you want to sit down and relax over lunch, there are many Italian restaurants, like Ralph's Italian Restaurant, in or near the market. Ralph's serves great food but make sure you bring your cash; it doesn't accept credit cards.
South Philadelphia's 9th Street is home to the oldest and largest outdoor market in the United States, with plenty of indoor shops and restaurants too. Stretching from Wharton to Fitzwater streets, the Italian Market has more than 100 merchants, plus lots of other shops and restaurants on the streets off of 9th Street.
Don't expect elegance. Set on a busy street in a neighborhood of row houses, it's loud, sometimes smelly, and usually crowded. Outdoor vendors sell their wares - produce, fish (including eels), and dry goods from socks to brooms - from curbside stands. Some of the indoor shops and restaurants also have outdoor stands or seating, leaving a narrow path for walking. But don't try to walk in the street, where Rocky Balboa did his training runs in the early mornings. The street is open to cars, and the drivers aren't kind to pedestrians.
Do expect a unique gawking, feasting, and shopping experience. In warm weather, you can buy coffee and a cannoli from Anthony's Italian Coffee House and watch shoppers from its outdoor tables. Anthony also sells gelato and sandwiches, and a few doors down, delectable sweets at Anthony's Chocolate House.
Under gawking, be sure to look in the window of D'Angelo Bros. Meats, where you may see bunny rabbit, pheasant, or goat hanging in the window or on the counter. The butcher also sells "normal" meats like sausage and roast. Down the street, Talluto's Authentic Italian Food offers dozens of types of pasta they make, along with lots of gravy (a.k.a., sauce).
To see - and smell - cheeses from around the world, visit Claudio Specialty Foods. Watch your head, because some of the cheeses hand down from the ceiling. Watch your hands too; above the olive display is a sign that says, "Shoplifters will be killed. We mean it."
For a perfect loaf of bread, go to Sarcone's Bakery and ask for a long loaf of Italian bread (with or without seeds). But get there early; the shelves turn bare quickly. If you visit the Italian Market in the winter, you'll see the produce vendors warming themselves over fires made in barrels.
Time your visit so that you have a meal at the Italian Market. For breakfast, try Sabrina's Café, where you can feast on the barking Chihuahua breakfast burrito, challah French toast stuffed with cream cheese and bananas topped with vanilla bean maple syrup, and lots of other unusual dishes. Or be unconventional and enjoy a slice of Sicilian pizza from Sarcone's or a pork, roast beef, or tripe sandwich from George's Roast Beef (yes, it's open in the morning) as you stroll through the market.
For a quintessential Philadelphia meal, get a Philly cheese-steak at Pat's King of Steaks® (Pat's Steaks) or Geno's Steaks. Pat Olivieri, owner of Pat's Steaks, "invented" the steak sandwich in the 1930s. You'll order your sandwich at a window and then eat it at outdoor tables or while standing.
For dinner, or if you want to sit down and relax over lunch, there are many Italian restaurants, like Ralph's Italian Restaurant, in or near the market. Ralph's serves great food but make sure you bring your cash; it doesn't accept credit cards.
If You Go: The Italian Market is a few miles from center city Philadelphia. It is generally open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most area restaurants are open at night. You can get to the market by car, taxi, or subway. For maps and directions see: http://italianmarketphilly.org/locations.
About Me: I'm a seasoned traveler and medical writer. For more information about me, visit http://www.writerforrent.net/home.aspx
About Me: I'm a seasoned traveler and medical writer. For more information about me, visit http://www.writerforrent.net/home.aspx
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