http://italianmarketphilly.org/
Philly’s Italian Market, on 9th Street, centered around Washington St, made famous outside the city by Rocky’s run through it, is a cacophony of sights, smells and sounds. It is the oldest outdoor market in the USA. The area became filled with Italian immigrants in the 1880s but as the city’s immigrant life has changed so has the market. It still contains a strong Italian flavor but has also had the addition of Latin and Asian flavors as well.
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Some of my favorite places are:
D’Angelo Brothers – owned by Sonny who has written 3 cookbooks, this sausage shop has an incredible house made selection of wild boar, duck, rabbit, pheasant as well as traditional flavors. He also makes his own jerky from elk, venison, kangaroo and bison. This store is opened in 1909 and remains a treasure.
Spice Corner – across the street from D’Angelos, this tiny store stocks an enormous array of dried spices and teas. As you roam the two aisles the smell of all the spices blend to a peppery slightly cumin aroma that subtly changes as you go from one aisle to the other.
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Claudio’s – be sure to stop here for a ball of aged provolone. Sealed in wax, it will last for months until you break the seal. The men behind the counter are reason enough to wander in and be entertained by their banter.
DiBrunos – this is the original location of this Philly mainstay, known for its incredible cheese selection. The brothers first worked at a Greek store but the owner wouldn’t give them New Years off so they quit to start their own corner grocery store. Once large grocery chains appeared they decided that was the end of the corner grocery so they decided to specialize in cheeses and olive oil and the rest is history. From the beginning they created their own cheese spreads; try the Abruzi spread…it’s one of the original flavors and has quite a bite!
Fantes – skip Williams Sonoma and come to Fantes! It is the kitchen equipment store for true cooks. It started as a carpenters shop in 1906 but after WWII started selling cookware and eventually started importing lots of unique cake decorating tools from Europe. Now, their focus is on selling excellent cooking products from around the world that come from other small businesses.