Canadian World Traveller Fallr 2016 issue American World Traveler Fall 2016 issue | Page 87

“One American with, one without, and a
Provolone with,” I say quite pleased that the
words I rehearsed in my head for the last
15 minutes come off without a hitch. “$30
dollars”, says the man, and the sandwiches
slide towards me.

Hershey Kisses, as well as more traditional
favourites like commercial ice cream, hoagies and pretzels have their lineage here,
as we find out on Wyman’s Taste of
Philadelphia Food Tour at Reading Terminal
Market.

Then panic sets in.

Established in 1892, this railway station
market is one of the oldest in the US, and
has served all walks of life from Grace
Kelly’s family to the city’s workers. It
remains today a microcosm of Philly society. “The market sells the most expensive
cheese in the city, but also accepts the most
food stamps anywhere,” says Wyman. So
even if you don’t come for the food (though
you’d be crazy not to), the people watching
is just as good.

Where’s my money? My wallet’s gone! In
my worry over getting the order right, I had
forgotten rule # 3. I rummage in my bag, a
bag referred to by my kids as ‘The Bag of
Doom’ or alternatively the ‘Black Hole’
because of its ability to swallow objects
whole, never to be seen again. I stop
breathing, my heart races as I rummage
and rummage. Ten minutes later (actually
more like 10 seconds) I remember that my
wallet is in the hotel safe and the cash was
in my pocket. I avoid eye-contact as I quickly hand over the money and grab the sandwiches.
Who knew ordering a sandwich could be so
stressful?
You may wonder if a sandwich is worth all
this bother. In a word – yes. The Philly
cheesesteak lives up to its hype. Simple.
Perfect.
Why?
There are a lot of theories as to why the
steak sandwich in its birthplace is so much
better than anywhere else. A particular bakery, the right cut or even “there’s something
in the water” are some of the ideas put forward. But Wyman asserts that it’s simply the
freshness of the bread that makes the difference.
“It’s not only baked fresh daily, but baked
fresh three or even four times a day.” That
does makes sense, but I’m wondering if it’s
the effort of ordering that improves the
taste.
Reading Terminal Market
As good as the cheesesteaks are, it’s not
the only culinary fare that has roots in
Philadelphia. Turtle soup, scrapple (a
spam-like pressed meat) butter cake and

“Everybody comes here,” says local,
Veronica Blue. “I tell everybody that visits -they gotta go to the market.”
And everybody, it seems has their
favourites. When I ask for directions to the
market, a friendly passerby not only points
us in the right direction, but also adds that
we HAVE to try Beiler’s doughnuts.
“They make them right in front of you. I
have six in my backpack right now.”
The Travel Channel voted DiNic’s roast
pork sandwiches the best sandwich in the
country.
Then there’s butter cake at Flying Monkey,
soft made-on-the-premises Amish pretzels
at Miller’s Twist, chocolate-covered pretzels
at Mueller Chocolate Co., pastrami sandwiches at Hershel’s, hoagies at Carmen’s
and we can’t forget ice-cream at Bassetts’.
This creamery’s history spans 155 years,
and is credited with being the first to commercially produce the cool dessert we now
eat 1.4 billion quarts of a year in North
America. Still run by the same family, six
generations later, it’s worth saving room
for. Of course, it may be easier just to come
back to Philly.
More Than Sandwiches

made a name for itself as an unpre- 87
tentious foodie destination. Not surprisingly given its heritage, some of
the best Italian food in the US can be found
here, and many of the restaurants are BYO,
meaning customers bring their own wine.
Indulge in authentic antipasto and delizioso
mains at L’Angolo, Le Virtu, Mercato and
Palladino’s. At Victor Café, waiters will perform operatic arias as they serve up cannelloni and linguini and clams. We wander
through the Italian Market on 9th Street,
and stop in for an espresso and chocolate
pick-me-up at Anthony’s Chocolate House
(don’t leave without trying the chocolatecovered figs with almonds).
Craft brews were popular before Portland
even had a name in the 19th century
‘Cradle of Libation’ as Philly was nick