Pheeling Out Philly

Hi Franz!

This is past February I took a short trip to Philadelphia and in that brief amount of time it stole my heart. I cant wait to go back! The people and the food were the most inviting things about it. I don’t really know what I expected to find there but it was definitely more than I had anticipated.

One of the biggest factors that made our trip so enjoyable was that we went with my father-in-law. He was raised in Philly and is arguably the best tour guide. It also didn’t hurt that he is a TOTAL foodie either!

I hope you enjoy this compilation of my favorite things I experienced while we were there and the expired film photos that were a product of truly good time.

Since my father in law is such a big foodie, the very first place he took us was the historically tasty “Reading Terminal” ( https://readingterminalmarket.org/).

This vibrant and bustling hub of culinary delights really has it all.

This historic indoor market has been serving the community since 1892, offering a sensory experience like no other. It’s totally a Philly staple.

When you step into Reading Terminal, you are greeted with a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and aromas.

This marketplace is teeming with vendors selling fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and an array of international foods. From mouthwatering sandwiches and authentic Amish goodies to exotic spices and sweet treats, Reading Terminal offers a diverse and eclectic range of options. Reading Terminal a must-visit destination for food lovers and a true embodiment of Philadelphia's rich culinary culture, that I didn’t even know existed. Famous Fourth street cookie is where I had the most amazing cherry dark chocolate cookie that I think about almost DAILY. ( https://famouscookies.com/ )

If you ever find yourself on that side of the terminal to get a cookie, you might as well grab some delicious Old City coffee to go with it. (https://oldcitycoffee.com/ ) That was a mid-morning grab for my very pristine vacation diet.

In this area is where I met this nice man who complimented my Richoflex and agreed to have his photo taken. (see photo above)

The second place that made my very biased list was “Unique Photo” camera store. I walked in there to simply restock my film/nose around and the team there was very nice. They entertained me with some camera nerd convo and showed me a few of their rarest film cameras. It was a treat. Regrettably, I didn’t even take a “unique photo” of Unique photo! A total rookie move on my part. If you are a camera nerd that finds yourself moseying around the Philly area in search of photography goodies you can find them here or online at “uniquephoto.com” where they list the two locations they have.

Once you reach this destination, you are in “Old City”. I found this area to have a good amount of little boutiques and shops that entertained my touristy little heart. This is, of course, also the home of the original old city coffee shop. The coffee was so tasty at the terminal I stopped at this location as well to grab another cup to gas up my walking feet.

**iPhone Photo**

Another tasty treat in this area is the "“Franklin Fountain”, (https://franklinfountain.com/ )

An ice cream shop that will take you back in time that also serves the DANKEST banana splits of all time in the cutest little take out box.

I also really enjoyed hunting down dinner supplies at “The Italian Market” on 9th, or otherwise known as the “TahyinMorkit” *Philly accent*. Yes, you read that right. I mean it exactly as it sounds. Here you can savor the taste of authentic cannoli, crispy sfogliatelle, and velvety gelato as you explore this gastronomic haven, where generations-old family recipes are lovingly prepared and shared with eager patrons. Produce vendors lined the sidewalks with baskets brim with plump tomatoes, fragrant basil, and an array of regional produce. The “food genius“ (my father-in-law) went down there with a serious plan to find the best ingredients for our “TahyinDinner”.

We went to:

Talluto’s (https://www.tallutos.com/) to get the pasta and sauce. It was a treat to watch the lady roll out the pasta from the window. Their products had a very authentic taste and fresh pasta made all the difference. Amore! 🤌🏼🤌🏼

Sarcone’s (https://www.sarconesbakery.com) for the rolls. They also had other baked goods there but we had come at the end of the day so not much was left. Pro-tip: Get there early for the good pickins!

Esposito’s (https://www.espositosmeats.com/) for the sausage. This was a key ingredient to the sauce and the market itself was a sight to see with specialty meats hanging everywhere.

and Di Bruno Bro’s (https://dibruno.com/italian-market/) for the cheese! Di Bruno Bro’s is one of the places that I took so many photos of because it was so photogenic and I was absolutely crushed when the photos came back and only one bad photo had taken to the film. Heart broken, dreams crushed. I can’t fully appreciate the cheese in all of it’s glory with out a decent photo. That’s just not who I am. Anyhow, it was still so delicious without the perfect photos of its birthplace.

Ritten house plaza was a nice area with stores and different restaurants. There was a market that was going on when we were there. Which is where a vegan with a full face mask WEARING a TV playing a video of baby chicks getting thrown into a meat grinder yelled “how does this make you feel?”. I couldn’t stop laughing but my husband promptly responded for me “HUNGRY!” It was a hilarious stunt and pretty much exactly what I would expect from a vegan… My carnivorous self was cackling!!

I spent the rest of the short time in that area venturing the streets checking out little neighborhoods. I was really just hunting for a photo and imagining what it might be like to live there. It was quite a boujie spot, rich with great street photography opportunities.

If you have children, or are a big child yourself, the “Please Touch Museum” (www.pleasetouchmuseum.org ) is by far the best children’s museum I have ever been to. We went for my son, who is one, but ended up having fun ourselves. They have 3 floors of fun meant for every age to enjoy. They have an entire storybook area where they make Alison in Wonderland’s world come to life, giant brain exorcising toys, and of course every kids favorite part the pretend grocery store. They really have so much more but my one year old only lasted so long before nap time, so we only had a limited amount of time to explore.

I hope you found this blog insightful and maybe even playfully entertaining. I am no Philly pro, but if you explore some of these places you are bound to enjoy yourself. Thanks for reading along!