Reading Terminal Market (7/23/2019)

Tuesday, July 23, 2019 (continued)

Government of the People (1976, by Jacques Lipchitz)

Philadelphia City Hall (1871-1901, by John McArthur Jr
and Thomas Ustick Walter in Second Empire style),
topped by a statue (1886-1892, by Alexander M Calder)
of William Penn holding the Charter of Pennsylvania

After having some free time in the museum and gift shop of the Philadelphia Masonic Temple, we hopped back on the bus to travel a few blocks to the Reading Terminal Market.

Reading Terminal Market

Since its founding, Philadelphia has always had open-air markets, but by 1859 they were considered dirty and unhygienic. Two indoor markets were opened at the 1100 block at 12th and Market Streets. In 1890 the Reading Railroad purchased this block of property for its urban terminal. The market vendors refused to move, resulting in an agreement whereby a market would be constructed at ground level underneath the tracks and train shed. The Reading Terminal Market has gone through some ups and downs, but now is a thriving "gastronomic bazaar."
We had from 11:30 until 13:00 "free time" in the Market.

Carmen's Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheesesteaks 

The Carmen's cashier refused to describe a "classic" cheesesteak
sandwich, so we chose from the options to add provolone cheese,
onions, and roasted red peppers

SangKee, a Peking Duck restaurant in Philadelphia's
Chinatown, has a stall in the Market

Tommy DiNic's Sandwiches is known for its roast pork sandwich,
once named the best sandwich in America

We had our roast pork sandwich with provolone and broccoli rabe;
the pork is thinly sliced like the beef in cheesesteak sandwiches

Molly Malone's is the only purveyor of alcoholic drinks in the market,
serving over two dozen locally crafted beers

Hunger Burgers is known for its lobster mac'n'cheese

Philbert the Pig (by Eric Berg) is The Food Trust
piggy bank, and mascot of the Market

Flying Monkey Bakery is known for its whoopie pies, and the seasonal
Pumpple Cake: a fall favorite made up of one vanilla cake layer with
an apple pie baked inside and one chocolate cake layer with a pumpkin pie
baked inside, all filled and frosted with vanilla buttercream!

Making Amish pretzels at Miller's Twist

Dutch Eating Place is known for softball-sized
hot apple dumplings

Termini Brothers is known for cannoli, which they must fill when ordered

A gaggle of Temple University cheerleaders and color guard members,
who roamed the Market giving away posters and their football schedule

Meanwhile, Temple football players were dishing up ice cream at Bassett's

... including our order for Guatemalan Ripple, a Guatemalan-sourced coffee
ice cream with mocha fudge ripple, blended with mini coffee-filled chocolates

Beiler's Pickle Patch

Beiler's also had a bakery and a doughnut shop.

Filling the doughnut's at Beiler's

We took home a maple bacon cream-filled doughnut and an apple fritter

How convenient to be picked up by the ACTS mini-bus and driven home!