We’ve been here for 15 years and it’s like I just discovered Reading Terminal Market. I have been seriously missing out.

We would stop by when we were in the city, bring out-of-town visitors, you know… play tourist. But I never really though of it as a place to go grocery shopping.

What a fool I’ve been.

We live a few blocks away from the regional rail line and it drops me right at the market’s front door. 37 minutes on a comfortable train. Have I mentioned what a fool I’ve been?

Today I even got to travel down with my next door neighbor, Kate, and chat about kids, aging parents, food, dogs, politics…. It was a lot of fun – and I had my book for the ride back.

I walked in and headed straight for Old City Coffee to get a couple pounds of their Viennese Roast Sumatra. Good Stuff! Then it was next door to see Rachael at Downtown Cheese. More of the Moliterno cheese. That’s going to become a staple in our house. I also picked up an ash-dusted chevre for Sunday.

Then it was to Valley Shepherd Creamery for their olive bar. I got Sicilian oil-cured olives, marinated artichokes, stuffed peppers, several other olives, and some caperberries… More good stuff for Sunday dinner. And a Sicilian-style cheese called Saffronella – a sheep milk cheese resembling a piacentino, for you cheese-lovers out there. It’s what was grated on top of tonight’s pasta.

Back to Metropolitan Bakery and a discussion on the correct way to pronounce pain au levain (kinda like paow a levzah but not that phonetic.) They make really good breads and I really like the dark, chewy crust on their pain au levain – no matter how it’s pronounced!

Then it was a walk over to Martin’s for sausages. Three each of five different varieties for $17.00. And they’re big sausages! Broccoli rabe and provalone; Italian veal sausage; roasted red pepper, basil, and garlic; white wine, garlic, parsley and lemon; and, finally, peppers and onions… Nothing boring in this place!

A couple pounds of fabulous-looking golden beets and the bags were starting to get heavy. I stopped for a coffee and a muffin and looked up to see Corned Beef Specials at Hershel;s East Side Deli. I got one for Victor and headed next door to Original Turkey for a Turkey Stuffing Club for me. They were both so freakin’ huge that we each had half of a half of each one. The rest are in the ‘fridge for tomorrow. ::burp::

With bags getting heavy and most of my shopping complete, I stopped off at Termini Bros. for a pound of sesame cookies for Nonna.

I was home at 10:30am.

I see another trip in early April! I’m making my mental list, already!