Historic Reading Terminal in Philadelphia is over 125 years old. It is one of America’s largest and oldest public markets. Visiting the City of Brotherly Love, there is no way you cannot visit this amazing market. Usually is full of people. Lunch time? It will be hard to find a place to sit in order to enjoy some of the delicious food only Philadelphia offers.
The middle of the market was usually open with tables and benches and no “social distancing” because it was not necessary. Nowadays, you can still visit The Reading Terminal and as you can see from the photo above there are booths and partitions in order to avoid any contamination.
Just a few weeks ago, a little visit to have some lunch and buy a few things that here, in Rehoboth Beach, you cannot find.
Also lunch was going to be a must at Beck’s. If you like Cajun food this is the best place in Philly to get a good bowl of Gumbo.
We sat at their bar and surfaces were spotless. Look at this bowl of Gumbo. At this time of the year with Lent on my mind as well as Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, definitely this gumbo hit the spot. A little heat, full of flavor is not to be missed.
And trying to get it all in we also had this “delicacy” from Dinic’s to go with our gumbo.
What can I say? It may not be a good combination of foods but it is best here at the Reading Terminal.
So, don’t be scared. Wear your mask, get out of town and live a little.
AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook. Follow me there and leave me a message if you want to chime in on the post.
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Continuing my motto of “Good Food, Will Travel” we found ourselves this past week at Buckley’s Tavern located at 5812 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807. http://www.buckleystavern.com
This area in northern Delaware has beautiful rolling hills. It is historic Centreville. Buckley’s is open for lunch and dinner. Even though we showed up without a reservation for lunch it would probably be best if you did that. We love sitting at the bar so that is what we did.
Starting with a Bloody Mary, our lunch had just begun.
This Tavern has been here for a very long time. The food is delicious but there is one item on that vast menu that to me is just amazing. They call it Buckley’s Exotic Mushroom Soup. Centreville is adjacent to the mushroom capital so getting the best mushrooms is what they do best.
It is cold and this is soup weather, for sure. The soup has a depth of flavor, but you do have to like mushrooms. The recipe does not change. It has a wide variety of wild and exotic mushrooms, blended and topped with crispy leeks.
You will not leave Buckley’s Tavern hungry. They are very generous with their portions.
My appetizer looked like a regular lunch portion. Seared Tuna served with baby fennel; orange segments, yellow pepper, kalamata olive tapenade, baby arugula, honey-shallot orange vinaigrette and light wonton crisps. If you like seared tuna, you can even split this offering with a friend.
It was hard to pick because there is so much that attracted my attention.
Another hit was the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich. Walnuts and dried cranberries on a croissant. You could pick a side. Very nice.
Social distance is very much in order at Buckley’s. It is a popular lunch and dinner spot.
If you find yourselves around the area please don’t hesitate to stop. The Tavern is near museums in that valley. And, very close to Longwood Gardens, as well.
In the meantime, have a great weekend.
Remember that AboutMyBeaches has its own page on FB just in case you have something to tell me.
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A coffee shop experience is different for most everyone. I remember when I used to be petrified of going into Starbucks. How in the world do you order? I learned quickly…..A Venti, Cafe Mocha, Extra Hot, No Whip. That is my standard.
People watching is a must. Some are relaxing checking their texts. Others are rushing by.
When I was young I remember my grandmother always had coffee in the balcony in Puerto Rico, accompanied by the neighbors. It was a time to relax and talk. Really talk! You had to. There were no portable phones yet. Not even in the imagination of us mortals.
I was in Philadelphia last month and this city is perfect for foodies. It is also a paradise for good coffee shops. Are you a coffee snub? Then you are in the right city.
United By Blue started in Philadelphia in 2013. My son told me he was taking me to a very interesting coffee shop. Indeed it was! It is located at 205 Race St., Old City, Philadelphia 19106. Tel. 267-457-3114. Website? https://www.unitedbyblue.com/pages/flagship
United By Blue is local, so you probably won’t see too many tourists yet. Another location on Walnut Street.
Their coffee was excellent. You can do a little online shopping if you want to try something delicious.
A Breakfast sandwhich with home fries. The menu is online, as well. It was perfect for a cool morning in the City of Brotherly Love.
We all call our planet home and United By Blue is doing its part to help keep it clean. Their Mission? “For every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from our World’s ocean and waterways.” To find out why please log onto the website above referenced.
Besides being a coffee shop, it is also a retail store. Apparel for men, women, including shoes. Camping gear too.
In the store there is copperwear to buy. I particularly liked the straws. I think you can see them in the following photo, inside the mugs.
Very interesting indeed. Read about them, join a cleanup and check past cleanups as well.
In the meantime, if you are in Philly and want to really be a neighborhood local, by all means stop by. Remember this company offers coffee, food, retail shopping but in their hearts it is an “enviornmental conservation organization”.
Follow them on Instagram ubb_phila and on FB as United By Blue.
Have a great day.
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On my previous post I mentioned that day tripping to Philadelphia is an easy one from the Delaware Beaches. It only takes a few hours and if you casually plan it well, you will have a fun day. A change of scenery, as well.
The Philadelphia Museum of art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Our quest was to make it to the Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now exhibit. It is there until March 3rd. You can check the museum’s website by visiting https://philamuseum.org.
I was trying to see what dining experience we could have at the museum. In order not to be rushed it would be perfect to eat there. I found out that a new restaurant called Stir had opened in October, 2018. There is the restaurant and there is also a Cafe. My interest was Stir, the restaurant.
Stir was designed by Frank Owen Gehry. His is considered to be one of the most well known architects in the world. Some of his buildings, including his home in Los Angeles have become world-renowned attractions.
We, actually, made a reservation through Open Table. The restaurant’s ceiling looks like it is floating. The chairs were so comfortable and the lighting was perfect. The Executive Chef is Mark Tropea who is a Philly-born guy with 20 years of experience.
Stir is managed by the Philadelphia’s Constellation Culinary Group which was known as the STARR Catering Group.
The moment I saw the Roasted Duck on the menu, I knew that would be my choice. Served with Vadouvan carrots, wheat berries, sour cherry and port reduction. Vadouvan is a French Masala Curry Powder with a little kick. The blending of classic curry spices with aromatic onion, garlic, and shallot. It is ground to fine powder. Medium rare and chrispy on top is how it was presented. So delicious, I want to go back.
The Grilled Venison Loin also caused a “Stir” because just like the duck it was perfectly cooked, as well. A currant and pink peppercorn gastrique, castle valley grits, and brased rainbow chard complemented the venison.
We did not have dessert. But, we did have wine. Our server was friendly and his suggestions were on point.
But we had a tour to catch. Isn’t it great when a restaurant delivers such a good experience?
Anyway, remember that there is an AboutMyBeaches FaceBook page and if you like it will be much appreciated.
Until then…..Spring is around the corner.
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In June of 2013 I got curious about the 2 lighthouses located between Lewes, Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey. Writing a blog about the Delaware Beaches and beyond gives me so much information. Information that I can pass on to you. The Delaware Beaches are year round resorts and there is plenty to do if you choose to do so, or nothing at all if you just want to relax. I went on a tour this summer with the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation. This organization is dedicated to the preservation of the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse. When I first visited you could not step out off the boat and go inside the lighthouse. We actually then went inside the East End Lightouse. More about that one in another post. Since then there has been a lot of restoration to the Harbor of Refuge, and this summer they opened it for tours.
The Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation can be contacted by calling 302-644-7046. The website is http://www.delawarebaylights.org/
My friend, Sharon, who is a true local, and very proud of it, had never visited the lighthouses but always wanted to. We arrived at the Cape-May Lewes Ferry Terminal in Lewes. That’s is where we would be picked up. Arriving a little early we decided to have something to eat at the outdoor bar/restaurant called On the Rocks. Best view and great burgers, as well.
Finally, the boat arrived and Sharon and I were ready.
The Cape-May Lewes Ferry was just coming in but our main goal was to get to the historic and iconic Harbor of Refuge.
It was one of those beautiful days in Delmarva and Cape Henlopen looked awesome.
The keeper of this lonely offshore lighthouse. It was hard work. Storms were relentless and waves would reach all the way up the lighthouse. We first passed the East End Lighthouse. But, we had to continue to our destination.
The Delaware Breakwater along with the lighthouses are engineer marvels of the 19th century. They were the first strucures of the kind built in the Western Hemisphere. In 1976, the Delaware Breakwater, the East End Lighthouse and the Harbor of Refuge Light Station were inducted into the National Register of Historic Places as the Nation’s first offshore Historic District.
The imposing Harbor of Refuge was in front of us. We got off the boat and climbed the stairs to the different levels where the Keeper lived. Docents are able to give you all the information you need. The most important thing is the feeling you get of what would be like to “walk in the steps of the Lightkeeper”.
The Harbor of Refuge’s dock has been restored. So much work in raising funds to maintain this historic lighthouse. The dock has been dedicated to Red Moulinier, President of the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation for his time and efforts. The lighthouse still has more renovations on the way along with maintenance. It has been painted and it looks beautiful.
From the top of the lighthouse the views are unbelievable as you can imagine. At times, dolphins and mantas pass by.
By visiting the website above mentioned you will be able to see what tours they will have next year. Also check the sunset tours. You will not go inside the lighthouses but will circle around them for those Kodak moments. Tours book quickly and, of course, it also depends on the weather. This weekend they have tours on Saturday, but they are already sold out. For more info. you may call Red at 302-226-3866. There is also a button on the website for donations. Every little bit helps.
If you would like to see my other posts on these lighthouses, with photos, please visit my website at http://www.aboutmybeaches.com.
Have a great time this weekend. The beginning of Fall!!
By the way, lots of locals on this tour. We had fun!!
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Finally the sun has come out. Buds are on the trees, weeping willows are getting greener. Some signs and hints that Spring is around the corner. Well, you know, we had a few nor’easters to take care of but, hopefully, we should almost be finished with winter.
My young second cousin, Natalia, stayed with me for some time after the devastation of two hurricanes in Puerto Rico. Right before she lef Southern Delaware the weather in Southern Delaware was gray and miserable, so I took her to Longwood Gardens. Their Orchid Extravaganza is going on and it is gorgeous. If you get a chance, it is there until March 25th. The address is 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, PAQ 19348.
When you think about it, it is very accessible, only a couple of hours away. You can spend the day. The area offers so much, plus a little bit of a change of scenery.
Flowers have a positive effect on humans. I try to fill my vases with flowers as much as I can. When I see them I have a different disposition altogether. Longwood Gardens open year round. Please check their website, https://www.longwoodgardens.org
It is that time of the year, so if you are ready to get into the spirit of Easter, make a visit to these beautiful gardens.
Discover your own backyard. Have a great day!
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