Enjoy an alternative taste of Philadelphia
Philadelphia has experienced a culinary revolution over the decades and today has a plethora of world-class fine-dining restaurants, quaint bistros, friendly BYOBs and relaxing outdoor cafes, establishing itself firmly as a top dining destination. However, dig beneath the surface when visiting the city as Philadelphia's more exciting foodie scenes might not be as easy to spot.
The market scene in Philly has an incredible history, firstly with Reading Terminal Market (readingterminalmarket.org) which for 120 years continues to provide the city with local fresh produce. This gastronomic indoor bazaar has over 80 vendors, covers 1.7 acres and is filled with merchants selling everything from fresh juice, meats, seafood, vegetables and fruit or delicious goods farmed or made by the nearby Amish community.
Market tours are available at Philly's 9th Street Italian Market (italianmarketphilly.org) which originally started in the 1880s selling fresh meat, fish and fruit to local residents. Today this menu has diversified to reflect the growing community and includes authentic Mexican and Asian fare.
Whilst street food has always been popular - with the traditional Philadelphia Cheesesteak, Soft Pretzels, Hoagies and Scrapples available to grab on the go, the scene has evolved over the years with more Southeast Asian influences including tasty Vietnamese Pho and Korean BBQs.
One culinary phenomenon is the food trucks which pop up over the city, providing great adventurous and affordable cuisine on the go. Famed chef, Jose Garces has even joined the culinary migrants to deliver delicious fresh food for those who may not have time for a restaurant visit. Follow your preferred food trucks on twitter or a schedule of 50 plus local food trucks can be found on chowspotter.com, advising who will appear in your location.
One of the best ways to experience Philadelphia's food truck scene is at one of the Night Markets (nightmarketphilly.org) which takes place on selected nights and locations across the year. This travelling circus of street food is organised by the Food Trust who along with Philly Homegrown, champion locally sourced produce from Jersey shore seafood and farming from Lancaster, and includes artisan crafters and restaurant vendors.
The skill of producing great tasting craft beer is close to Philadelphia's heart as the city has produced beer for more than 300 years, even before the city's founder William Penn arrived! The first beer in the U.S. was brewed in 1840 by John Wagner and today is one of the premiere brewing destinations in the U.S. Philadelphia today is home to dozens of microbreweries and major national brands such as Yuengling, Yards and Triumph which can be enjoyed in over 400 bars across the city. McGillin's Olde Ale House (mcgillins.com) is more than 150 years old, with its beer taps flowing since 1860, making it the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia and one of the oldest taverns in the country.
Philly Beer Week (phillybeerweek) is a 10 day celebration of the Best Beer-Drinking City in America. Established in 2008, it's a beer lover's dream as the largest beer celebration of its kind in America, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights to area bars, restaurants and other locations through Greater Philadelphia. If you can't attend the festival, groups can enjoy one of the many tours available at each brewery or learn about Philadelphia's historic tavern life through a tour of the city's best taverns with a Tippler's Tour (historicphiladelphia.org). City Food Tours (cityfoodtours.com) also offers a great selection of food and drink tours across Philadelphia including the Artisanal Beer, Cheese and Prosciutto Tastings.
For more information on food and drink in Philadelphia, visit discoverPHL.com.