Shopping in the Italian Market (Don’t Let the Name Fool You)

For the past two and a half years, I have had the immense pleasure of living in what I think is the best neighborhood in the city: the Italian Market.  This area spreads (roughly) from 9^th and Fitzwater Streets southward to 9^th and Reed Streets (also where Passyunk intersects 9th).  I have never seen anything like it in my life.  Not only is 9^th Street lined with outdoor vendors, many of whom open every day (though some close in inclement weather), but also a slew of delicious and authentic shops.  In this half-mile or so stretch of 9^th Street, a shopper can find just about any fruit or vegetable from peppers and onions to cactus and sugar cane.  The southern end of the market is dominated by Latino vendors (mostly Mexican), and their stands tend to have even more unusual produce like different types of peppers, plantains, and some fruits I still cannot identify.  My friends and I sometimes joke that some of this produce fell off the back of a truck.  Frankly, it just might have.  But it's more than produce.  You can also find fish of many varieties being sold right on the sidewalk. Butcher shops with neon signs punctuate almost every block.  There are a couple of spice stores, bakeries, and stores filled with housewares, paper goods, and anything else you find on your shopping list.

Between and behind the produce stands are a number of other shops.  There are butchers (DiAngelo Brothers, Espositos, and more) that sell every type and cut of meat, coffee shops specializing in thick, strong Italian espresso, and specialty ethnic markets.  DiBruno Brothers (the original) is right on 9^th Street, along side its main competitor Claudio’s.  Both sell a huge assortment of cheeses from around the world, plus house-cured meats like salami and pepperoni.  In both of these stores you can find Italian specialty goods.  Claudio's, being a bit bigger, has a rather larger selection.  Around the holidays, panettone is displayed in the windows in several varieties.  Pasta of every shape imaginable can be found here-- that is if you don't instead go straight to Talluto's or Superior Pasta Co. for fresh, hand cut pasta.  Canned tomatoes and olive oil line the shelves (especially in Claudio’s) in over a dozen varieties.  Dried beans, cured olives and canned fish likewise fill the shelves in number.  House-made ricotta and mozzarella are locally famous for their quality.

Across 9^th Street, the Mexican counterparts to Claudio’s and DiBrunos have staked their claim to the historic market.  Tortilleria San Roman makes fantastic, fresh pressed corn tortillas right behind the counter.  For only $2 you can buy a kilogram (an approximate 6 inch stack) of hot, soft tortillas, and on the weekends, they sell blue corn varieties too.  Though small, the tortilleria also sells a variety of sodas, sauces, and shelf-stable goods.  One block north is another great Mexican market.  Though I have stopped here occasionally for milk or eggs, their top offering is the house-made tamales.  Not only are they tasty and inexpensive, but also quite authentic.  South of Washington Avenue, the Italian Market truly loses its Italian claim.  South of Washington, 9^th Street’s market is vastly Mexican, while Washington Avenue itself is home to numerous Vietnamese supermarkets, restaurants and miscellaneous establishments.

For those looking to enjoy karaoke, pho, or banh mi, the Vietnamese choices are seemingly infinite. Most signs are posted in both English and Vietnamese.  Within the restaurants, it is common to find to-go offerings along side sit-down dining options.  There are packaged sweets and gelatinized, molded items that remain a mystery to me.  Most places serve Vietnamese-style coffee, made with sweetened

condensed milk.  If you would rather sit down, do not miss a steaming hot bowl of pho.  Expect tea at the table and a menu printed in both languages.  A little utensil caddy is typically placed on the table and holds chopsticks, Vietnamese-style soupspoons and napkins.  Other staples are hot chili sauce, limes and loose basil leaves.

On the other hand, if its tacos you seek, the head south rather than east or west.  But do not expect the choice to be any easier.  Prima Taquieria and Taqueria Veracruzana are both authentic go-tos right on the corner.  The more authentic the restaurant, the more Spanish (and less English) you will encounter.  But head further down 9^th and the options seem only to multiply.  And its not just restaurants.  Right before you reach the famous Geno’s steaks, a live poultry market sits right across the street.  Pigeons and chickens squawk through the day and the odor permeates the entire side of the block at night.  On Geno’s side of the street you can find a tiny, but extensive import market.  Here a shopper can hope to find some of the more unusual Mexican ingredients like crickets and huitlacoche (corn smut) mixed in among tall candles portraying the Virgin Mary. 

I cannot say my shopping trip was a single adventure, but rather a collection of experiences.  Living in the neighborhood has allowed me more than a single visit.  Instead I have become intimately familiar with the diverse world that is known (almost a misnomer now) as the Italian Market.