Heading to Headhouse Square

The Library of Congress's undated file photo of the Headhouse

I had read a blog post about how great the Headhouse Square farmer's market was and I decided to check it out today. I had walked through the square for the first time earlier this week on my way to dinner at one of the country's top vegan restaurants, Horizons (which I really enjoyed--I need to figure out how to make pan-seared tofu!). After having brunch on South Street today, I walked all the way down to Society Hall to the market. Once I got to around 7th, it felt like walking through a beach town--a visual overload of signs, lots of cheap clothing shops, and a variety of delicious junk food options.

Then, suddenly, South Street opens up at 2nd st into Headhouse Square. Located a block from the Delaware River, the market there opened in 1745 to supplement the existing market on Market Street. "Headhouse" refers to the firehouse structure at one end of the market which was built in 1804. In the late eighteenth century, supposedly Dolley Madison and Martha Washington shopped here.

The market finally reopened there last summer, and it's one of the best I've seen--and I've checked out my fair share of markets. There's still cobblestone on the street and it does feel a bit like going back in time. Let's hope there was fudge as good as what I bought yesterday when the founding mothers went shopping there!

Strolling to the market

Last weekend, I walked down to the Italian Market via South Street. Most people think of this street as it is on the eastern end of it--an alternative, edgy bordering on scuzzy, street lined with bars. But the middle section of the street seems to be in transition. There are cute cafes and boarded up houses, ethnic restaurants and outsider art. The art scene--and an agent of that transition--on the street is dominated by an abandoned lot that has been turned into a bricolage of ceramics, glass, iron, and mirrors. I use the word "bricolage" here because it's how the artist, Isaiah Zagar, positions himself; he got the idea to do this sort of art when he saw similar work sharing walls at MoMA with Picasso and Gaudi.

Zagar began transforming empty lots and walls with his inventive work in the late 1960s, when South Street was slated to be ripped out to build an expressway. After that idea was scrapped and the real estate became more valuable, Zagar had to launch a campaign to save his grandest creation, the magic garden (the site refers to gardens, but there's one main garden, which is where my photos are from). It was closed when I walked by, but this creation is an entire three-dimensional wonderland of his mosaic work. His work is scattered through-out the neighborhood, and while it may not end up in a museum, it definitely causes people to stop, look, and marvel--as all great art should.

It was a nicer walk than I expected down to the market, and the first task there was to get lunch. I had an unbelievable panini at Di Bruno brothers and split a risotto ball (arancini) with Anne (the pic is her artistry; check out her photos).

We were so full it we passed by a gelato cart and continued shopping. We found a great pasta factory where we both bought ravioli and fresh-cut pasta. And then, for a finale, we discovered Isgro's pastries. It was pretty tough deciding between the cookies, tarts, cupcakes, and other pastries, but we both settled on cannoli. It's usually not my favorite, but this was good enough to make me want to go back for more.