Yo Adrienne!

     Who can forget the memorable scene from the movie Rocky with Sylvester Stallone as the title character running through the Italian Market in South Philadelphia in training before stepping into the ring against Apollo Creed?  This morning I took a decidedly more leisurely approach down 9th Street with Jason, the tour guide from Philadelphia Urban Adventures.

     Before our group set out Jason explained the boundaries of the area, both physical and cultural and gave us an introduction to the historical roots of the region we now refer to as the Delaware Valley.  It was, and still is, a land of immigrants.  Coming like waves to the shore were the Irish, Eastern Europeans, Germans, and of course the Italians.  The gone but not forgotten Palumbo's Restaurant had its origins as a boarding house for Italian immigrants and helped them get on their feet in a new world.  And the Italian Market today confirms the fact that the waves are still coming with Latino, Vietnamese, and Chinese opening up shops as merchants with their own specialties.

 

     Our first stop on the tour was Sarcone's Bakery where the aroma of freshly baked bread was wafting out the door.  We each sampled a tug of a still warm loaf of bread from the oven as Jason told of their insistence on quality and how that principle has literally brought the world to their door step since 1918.  If you want to purchase their bread you have to go to their bakery to pick it up yourself, restaurants included.  And the constant stream of customers exiting with paper bags full of rolls was testament to their success.

 

     Another stop on the tour was to DiBruno Brothers.  No where else in Philadelphia can you find such magnificent cheese and coffee.  The store began as a butcher shop with some other items, but realizing that they needed to find their own niche in an economic downturn, decided to specialize in the items they knew best.  After facing closure the next generation revitalized their business and today succeeds where others have not.  It is a great story of innovation and survival, almost as great as the samples of Parmigiano-Reggiano drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar that we received!

 

     Among some of the newer shops is the Tortilleria San Roman.  There you can get the freshest tortillas available in the city and the warmth of the samples are living (and tasting) proof.  But Jason warned us, "The green sauce is hot, and the red sauce is even hotter."  So we spooned it on our tortillas at our own peril.

 

     While the majority of the shops and stalls concentrate on food, it is not just about eating but also preparing a meal.  Fante's is an amazing store loaded with all kinds of kitchen appliances and utensils that are not available anywhere else in the entire country.  It is another story of improvisation as the shop began by selling the furniture that the family owned business, built in the back of the showroom.  Slowly some kitchen items were included in the stock by other family members.  Now, again finding their niche, it is completely devoted to assisting cooks, professional and amateur, to discover the joy of the culinary arts.  (I had a difficult time walking away from the 1,000 item gadget wall.)  Like the DiBruno family story, Fante's is being operated by a new generation of merchants in the Italian Market.

 

     Time and space do not permit me to mention all the other stops and samples we enjoyed along with Jason's thoughtful and insightful presentation.  The Italian Market is a living history museum of culture and business.  And I'm sure that former Mayor Frank Rizzo is looking down with pride.