"Jeet?" ("Did you eat?")
"No, jew?" ("No, did you?")
I overheard that conversation as I stood on the street corner of South 9th and Christian Street right in the heart of Philadelphia's Italian Market. It took my brain a few hiccups to translate this Philly dialect into recognizable English for me, but what they were asking for could be easily satisfied in this neighborhood.
For over a hundred years, South Philadelphia has been home to Italian immigrants and now Italian Americans.
The South 9th Street Italian Market, ten city blocks of open-air vendors who sell fresh produce, homemade pasta and pastries, Italian cheese and sausages, now draws tourists who wish to taste its delights.
I'd read that the deli called Cosmi served one of the best hoagies in the city, a recommendation that received additional support by a lunchtime crowd that included one of Philadelphia's finest. You know a place is good if the local cop patronizes it. And it certainly was!
Tim and I shared the Sicilian, a foot-long delicious sandwich stuffed with prosciutto, sopressata, hot capocollo, mortadella sausages plus sharp provolone and sweet roasted peppers. Gustoso!
Our son Richard told us that he has eaten rolled ice cream in D.C., but since we've only encountered it here in Philadelphia, I'm categorizing it as Philly phood (food). The guy at the counter pours a thin stream of cream flavored according to your choice onto an ice-cold slab.
No visit to Philadelphia could be considered complete without a taste of the sandwich that is a gastronomical and cultural obsession in this city--the Philly cheesesteak. We found our favorite version of the long crusty roll filled with thinly sliced steak, grilled onions and melted cheese at Cleavers, a shop near Rittenhouse Square. Delizioso!
Richard joined us in Philadelphia for Mother's Day weekend where, thanks to the restaurant recommendations of my favorite Philly resident--my daughter Jillian, we enjoyed some wonderful meals. Of course, any time I can share a meal with my children is a special event. Amo i miei figli! I love my children!
Thanks for the story share! Fun! Did Tim take a selfie with the Rocky statue? ��
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DeleteHa! There was a long line waiting for their turn beside Rocky. You know how patient Tim is (not!). So maybe the next time we visit Jillian who lives quite close to the museum, Tim will rise at the crack of dawn to greet Rocky for a photo op.
I went with Jill to a dietetics conference in Philadelphia when she was a student. We enjoyed a Philly cheese steak.
ReplyDeleteYou can now get rolled ice cream in Manhattan, KS! We went to the new establishment after Kinley's music concert. It was in Aggieville.