South Philly’s Italian Market and downtown’s Reading Terminal Market are good places to savor the flavors of a city that loves to chow down. Bring your appetite.
I hadn’t had Cheez Whiz since I was a kid, so I chose that for my cheesesteak, a hefty sandwich slathered with the flavorful yellow sauce. Others prefer melted Provolone or American cheese on the thin strips of ribeye stacked inside the long, chewy, slightly crusty roll.
No food is more emblematic of Philadelphia than the cheesesteak. (To be clear, it is a sandwich, not a slab of meat served on a plate with potatoes.) Steak joints are found throughout the city, and everyone has their favorite, as I found out when asking locals for recommendations.
The most famous cheesesteak masters are Geno’s and Pat’s King of Steaks, rival eateries that share an intersection on South Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia. But I didn’t want to go for the obvious.
Campo’s makes some of Philadelphia’s best cheesesteaks. (Photo credit: K. Huff/Philadelphia CVB)
After scouting out some cheesesteak places in the Old City on my first night in town, I chose Campo’s. To tap into Philadelphia’s colonial heritage while eating, I snared one of its four outdoor tables on Market Street, right across from Christ Church, a fine example of 18th century Georgian architecture. Family-owned since 1947, Campo’s, I later found out, is the official cheesesteak of baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies.
Though I came to Philadelphia primarily to brush up on American history and venture down the past lane, sampling the traditional food scene became a priority of equal importance. There were two must-see destinations on my list.
Reading Terminal Market
Come lunchtime, it seems like everyone in downtown Philadelphia descends upon Reading Terminal Market, an indoor food emporium dating back to 1893. More than 80 vendors fill the crowded, sprawling space, formerly a railroad station. Neon signs enhance the old school feel.
Reading Terminal Market. (Randy Mink Photo)
Besides stalls offering fresh produce, meats and fish, you’ll find artisan cheeses and all kinds of ethnic delights, from Caribbean, Central American and Middle Eastern to Chinese, Thai and Filipino. You can get poutine and high-end corn dogs at Fox & Son Fancy Corn Dogs, sushi at Umi Seafood & Sushi Bar, or cheesesteaks and hoagies (Philly’s version of a sub) from Carmen’s. A Taste of Spain offers authentic Spanish tapas, and Ma Lessie’s Chicken & Waffles serves up American soul food.
Hearty Amish fare from nearby Pennsylvania Dutch Country appealed to me, so I sidled up to the counter at Dutch Eating Place and wolfed down every bite of my hot turkey platter with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, soft white bread and lots of gravy. Dessert was a softball-sized apple dumpling with a little pitcher of cream.
Across the way, Beiler’s Bakery, another Amish business, is a donut lover’s dream. For a treat one morning day, I limited myself to a Nutella-frosted donut filled with Nutella cream, but the banana cream, coconut custard, chocolate mousse and salted caramel varieties were tempting. So were the peanut butter and strawberry jelly donut, monster cinnamon roll, and apple and blueberry fritters.
Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese, a longtime favorite among fans of South Philadelphia’s Italian Market. (Randy Mink Photo)
Italian Market
Serious foodies will want to bring their appetite to the Italian Market, a mainstay in South Philadelphia since Italian immigrants settled the neighborhood in the late 1800s. The country’s oldest continuously operating outdoor market, now home to many ethnicities, is a collection of shops and stalls that spans about nine blocks along South Ninth. (A scene in the movie “Rocky” shows Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone, jogging through the market.)
Italian Market tasting tours are offered by StrEATS of Philly, whose vivacious owner/guide Chef Jacquie (Jacqueline Peccina-Kelly) grew up in the neighborhood and loves sharing childhood reminiscences with her groups. The two-hour walks make up to eight stops and often include chats with chefs and shop owners.
Our afternoon tour started with meats and cheeses at Claudio Specialty Foods, an Italian grocery store in the same family since the 1950s. A few doors down, at Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese, we sampled thinly sliced salami and its most popular cheese, a creamy, crystalline Gouda from Holland. At Cardena’s Oil & Vinegar Taproom, we tasted extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars from around the world. Fante’s Kitchen Wares Shop, an Italian Market staple since 1906, is the go-to place for cookware and utensils, including items for making pizza, pasta, biscotti, cannolis and other Italian specialties.
Chef Jacquie, owner of StrEATS of Philly, takes her guests on lively walking tours to the eateries and food stores of South Philadelphia’s historic Italian Market. She is shown here in Claudio’s Specialty Foods. (Randy Mink Photo)
At South Philly Barbacoa, renowned for its tacos made with marinated, slow-roasted lamb, we met Chef Cristina Martinez, a Mexican immigrant who started with a taco truck and now enjoys national acclaim. In 2022 she captured the award for James Beard Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic.
Our final stop was Isgro Pastries, a fourth-generation bakery that’s been around since 1904. A secret ingredient in its famed cannolis? Homemade red wine.
Each of us was given an Isgro’s cannoli filled with ricotta and dark chocolate chips—a sweet way to end our palate-pleasing tour.
For more Pennsylvania travel ideas, you can subscribe to Leisure Group Travel for FREE
By Randy Mink, Senior Editor
