Reading Terminal Market is the nation’s oldest farmers market, dating to 1893. Housed a 19th Century train shed, the Pennsylvania Dutch continue to import incredible delicacies from Amish Country, just as they did over 100 years ago.

Here’s a turn of the (20th) century photo of Reading Terminal Market. Throughout the market, there are several historic photos of the edifice. Check out the horse-drawn carriages.

Down Home Diner
215 627 1955
Open Monday to Saturday 7 AM – 7 PM

Owner Jack McDavid’s motto is “Save the Farm,” so it makes sense Down Home Diner’s sign would flaunt a Holstein cow.

The 15-year-old Down Home Diner serves some of the region’s greatest dishes in a classic setting. The diner’s rolling pin logo is fitting; Down Home’s tasty biscuits are made on site.

After guzzling some much-needed 200 Mile Coffee, known for its added caffeine, I was in serious need of scrapple. I’ve craved it ever since Philly native Don McGill sang its praises. His aunt was “The Scrapple Queen of Delaware.” Here’s a slice of Pennsylvania’s finest breakfast meat, made with leftover pork parts, cornmeal, flour, and meat broth. According to a Down Home Diner T-shirt, “The name is derived from a Medieval English word for leftovers mixed up with the German word “Panhaskreppel” (a thin slice of pot pudding) and the Netherlands Dutch word “Shrapelkoekeje” (mush or panhas fried on a hoe or shovel).” O…kay. Anyhoo, the “meat” is crisped on the grill and really pretty tasty. Here, it’s served with good cubed potatoes and skin-on stewed apples, which weren’t syrupy or sweet.

After taking a food-free red-eye flight from Los Angeles, a plate of scrapple wasn’t enough. Here’s a plate of irregularly shaped corned beef hash, crisped on the grill, terrific mixed with cubed potatoes and topped with “two eyes open.”

With my corned beef hash, I was served a home-made buttermilk biscuit with a container of fresh raspberry preserves. McDavid is Virginia born, so Southern food appears in several places on the D.H.D. menu. This Northern biscuit would undoubtedly pass muster below the Mason-Dixon Line.

My breakfast companion was from Lancaster County, the epicentre for Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, and he was very happy with the Down Home Diner food. Here’s a plate of tremendous sugar-cured ham, poached eggs, fresh tomatoes, and more stewed apples.

This French toast was moist and delicious, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

For the past 25 years, the northwest section of the Terminal Market has been known as The Dutch Corner, featuring numerous Pennsylvania Dutch specialties. The counters are staffed by bearded Amish men (with no mustaches) and women in bonnets.

Here’s a sampling of fresh Lancaster County produce. Those cherry tomatoes, peas, and asparagus spears looked terrific, but it’s not like I was going to cook.

Here’s a look at scrapple in its raw form, along with smoked kielbassa and hickory smoked bacon.

Bee Natural features bee products like honey and wax. Through the glass, we can see hundreds of bees building a burgeoning honeycomb.

Fisher’s Soft Pretzels
215 592 8510
Open Wednesday to Thursday 8 AM – 3 PM; Friday to Saturday 8 AM – 6 PM

In a city known for their soft pretzels, Paul Fisher’s establishment has a strong reputation.

Here’s an Amish woman rolling dough for one of those magical soft pretzels

These pretzels look like they’d have a crisp crunch, but each bite was cloud-soft. Having the pretzel brushed with melted butter turned out to be a winning idea. So was dipping the pretzel in that container of hot sweet mustard, which was well worth the extra quarter. After eating a Fisher’s pretzel, I’ll never eat those leaden New York pretzels again.

Fisher’s offered three dipping sauces, including hot sweet mustard, sweet mustard, and cheese sauce. There were also toppings like cinnamon sugar, sour cream ‘n onion, and garlic powder.

The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company
215 629 5990
www.famouscookies.com
Open Monday to Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM

The Reading Terminal Market may not be David and Jane Auspitz’s primary location, but even the offshoot offers superior cookies. They’re baked on-site in that silver and red oven.

Famous 4th Street offers several varieties of jumbo cookies, including Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nuts, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut, and Butter Almond.

Here’s a duo of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin. The oatmeal raisin still had a warm soft belly.

Bassetts Ice Cream
215 925 4315
www.bassettsicecream.com
Open Monday to Saturday 9 AM – 6 PM

Bassetts was founded in 1861 by L.D. Bassett, the first year Abe Lincoln was in office. Bassetts first occupied the Reading Terminal Market in 1893, producing ice cream in the basement. It’s been in the same location ever since, offering a classic list of ice creams, floats and shakes. There are even 97% fat free yogurts and sorbets, proving that in subtle ways, Bassetts has had to change with the times.

Here’s a photo from the early days of Bassetts. Amazingly, the ice cream counter is still in the family, run by fifth-generation represenatative Roger Bassett, and Michael Strange.

Bassetts ice cream flavor list current includes peach, butter pecan, strawberry, and coffee.

Here’s a cup of peach and butter pecan, made using whole pecans. The ice cream was certainly very good, thick with buttercream, with distinct flavors.

Here are overflowing cones of chocolate chip and chocolate ice cream.

Related Posts

1. Tony Luke’s – Philadelphia, PA – Saturday, June 17, 2006
2. Sarcone’s Deli – Philadelphia, PA – Sunday, June 18, 2006
3. Capogiro Gelato Artisans – Philadelphia, PA – June 16 & 17, 2006
4. Smitty’s Market – Lockhart, TX – Friday, April 7, 2006
5. City Market – Luling, TX – Friday, April 7, 2006

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This entry is filed under Market, Mid Atlantic.