It’s Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving and we head down to the Philadelphia Italian market to channel our inner Tony Soprano.
Sarcone’s is home to stunningly good old school Italian-American deli sandwiches. All bread is baked fresh at the adjacent bakery.
Even Danny DiVito gives it the vote of confidence.
The low key (but crowded) interior.
Random stuff inside the display case.
Spicy pickles!
And what we really came for, the “old fashioned Italian” with the works. Notice, NO MAYO. Olive oil and vinegar, roasted hot long peppers, onions, sharp aged provolone, etc. This is a GREAT hoagie.
The “modern Italian American” has slightly more whitebread meats.
Even the tuna is good.
And the sweet and spicy pepper relish is fantastic.
Here’s the birthplace of the bread.
This is the corner two blocks away at the heart of the Italian market.
In case you need some deer brain, fresh rabbit, or wild boar.
Then on to get some cheese at Di Bruno’s.
Cheesy!
And some completely old school sausage at Fiorella’s. They only make 3-4 kinds. Each has only 3-4 ingredients: pork, salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or red pepper.
And one of my favorites! From Isgro Pasticceria.
Stuffed to order cannoli! Fresh fresh ricotta cheese with chocolate chips in a pastry shell. Almost as good as in Sicily except no candied fruit.
Even my three year-old loves them. I pitched it as a “cheese cookie.” I had him at “cheese.”