|
El
Mercado Farmer's Market off Norris Square, north of Center
City Philadelphia is a great source for Hispanic
foods. Presently there are three restaurants, a
bakery, a juice bar and a produce stand. The
restaurants are Puerto Rican, San Salvadorian and
Mexican. There's plans for a display kitchen area,
giving other Hispanic foods the chance to strut their
stuff on a shared basis. A butcher will be opening
soon. One thing neat about El Mercado is that
everything is home grown. No slick vendors
here. Just some very good cooks sharing their tastes
with the public.
Best
time to visit El Mercado, at least during the Summer, is
Friday evening. A band plays on the outdor deck and
all the restaurants are open. Other days it is catch
as catch can. Also on Friday, El Viejo roasts a who
pig on the patio in the afternoon for that evening's
service. Be sure to pick up some homemade sofrito
from the produce lady. It's a green sauce from
Puerto Rico great for green rice and scrambled eggs.
|
