Hello, readers! I’m back with more tips and tricks when visiting Philly. Today, I’m going to focus on food, and particularly on Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market.

Though the Bay Area still takes the prize for amazing food (in my opinion), Philly’s not too shabby, either. Aside from the Philly cheesesteak (go to Paesano’s for delicious options), it’s home to some amazing restaurants, wonderful markets, cafes, and fast food joints. You will always have a place to get good food.
Reading Terminal Market

Need to eat? Need to shop? Look no further than Reading Terminal Market (it’s pronounced “Redding,” and yes, I’m sure). It’s a one stop shop for all your foodie and gift-shopping needs. At the Pennsylvania General Store, you’ll find a bunch of local Pennsylvania goods like jam and chocolate and handmade traditional Amish goods like potholders and quilts.

RTM is perfect for any time of day. You can go for a snack, or for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner (it closes around 6pm) with a ton of options ranging from Chinese food, Greek sandwiches, Middle Eastern cuisine, Indian curries, bbq, Philly cheesesteaks and a bunch of other choices. I loved the gyros at Olympia Gyro, and the ribs at The Rib Stand were good, but, to be honest, everything I ate was good. 🙂

You can’t leave Reading Terminal without trying the fantastic Amish donuts at Beiler’s. They have a large selection of flavors, and it’s always fun to see them rolling out the dough or mixing the numerous frostings and fillings. It’s also a normally donut priced, so eating a bunch won’t make your wallet too sad; Federal Donuts is also a Philly donut destination, but they are more cakey and pricey. If you need some coffee, stop by either the Metropolitan Bakery or Old City Coffee (also mentioned in Best of Philly: Part I), and, for tea, stop by Tea Leaf for some wonderful options!

For cookies, stop by the Famous 4th Street Cookie Co., and pro-tip: go about 45 minutes before closing when all of their remaining cookies are just one buck! Go to Mueller’s for chocolates (they have a $5 grab bag), candied apples, and chocolate-covered onions. Yes, you read that right, reserved for your special enemies 😉

Italian Market

The Italian Market also has a wonderful selection of things to take home to friends and family. Although the cheese might be hard to take home, you can go to Claudio’s and sample all the cheeses! I’m sure people would love some of the Italian nougats that the shops have, the olive oil and balsamic vinegars at Cardenas Oil & Vinegar Taproom, or the chocolates from Anthony’s Italian Coffee & Chocolate House.

Perhaps the best thing about the Italian Market is that the produce sold in the outdoor markets are super cheap. You can get so many fruits and vegetables for such reasonable prices. That being said, the quality can be a bit hit or miss, so just examine your choices before you buy!

It should also be mentioned that the larger neighborhood, South Philly, is not limited to just wonderful Italian groceries. The area is also home to some of the better taco places and pastelerias to get your fill of pan dulce.

I hope you go to Philly dressed in comfortable (read: elastic waistbands) clothing because there is also some amazing Cambodian and Vietnamese food in this neighborhood. You won’t go wrong with Khmer Kitchen or Nam Phuong Restaurant. The salads at Khmer Kitchen are especially delicious, and while I was a complete neophyte to Cambodian cuisine, I enjoyed absolutely everything! Try to get the whole fish if possible! Nam Phuong has good pho and is also good when going with a larger group of people – there is something on the menu for everybody.

Chinatown

Finally, I didn’t want to finish off the Best of Philly posts without mentioning that the Chinatown neighborhood has some great Asian food. Try Banana Leaf for a wide variety of Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian and Indian dishes, Pho Xe Lua for a nice hot bowl of pho and Dim Sum Garden for some amazing Shanghai style xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and other dishes.

For ramen, though, I think my hands down favorite is Hiro Ramen for its taste and vibe (it’s closer to the Center City area). I think they get the closest to actual Japanese ramen. However, I’d also recommend Terakawa Ramen in Chinatown and Ramen Bar in West Philly/University City.
Happy reading, happy eating, and happy travels!