We stayed in a hotel in the Old City section of Philadelphia during our River Shark weekend. It was excellent to wake up Sunday morning and walk down cobble stone streets to find a good breakfast joint, instead of dealing with hotel food.
The Old City reminds me of SoHo before H&M, before Old Navy, before every square inch was scrubbed clean. Cute boutique shops sit right next to a cast iron building with peeling paint.
We had breakfast at Farmicia. I had an omelette with Lancaster ham and organic eggs. Jonah's Hacienda eggs were especially good.
We didn't have too much time to check out the sights. We took some obligatory pictures of the Liberty Bell and then had to dash. We'll be back again soon. Because you've got to love a city whose default cheese is provolone.
Apt. 11d 
You have a gift for euphemism. “…before every square inch was scrubbed clean,” is a very nice way to indicate how dirty Philly is.
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Maybe I’ve been living in the area and eating lunch here for too long to realize our uniqueness.
What’s the default cheese in other parts of the country?
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Whiz.
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American or Cheddar (and, they can be sneaky with that American, since it looks yellow and similar to Cheddar from a distance).
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Please see, “Predicting ‘Cheddarness’ from visual cues at distances less than 50 meters.”
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Hey, where’s the complete cite?
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Let me know when you’re coming back! I think you and the kids would probably like the Constitution Center, which is a very nicely designed museum and often comfortably uncrowded, and just near it is a fun little miniature golf course in a city park that has mini-versions of some notable city buildings. Also, the Mutter Museum is worth a visit, though your youngest might find it a bit too much…
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Hey, where’s the complete cite?
Even if you don’t read JAMA, I’m not your library monkey.
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“Filthadelphia, yeah, we know how to eat. And we are a heck of a lot cheaper then NY.” Sadly, it doesn’t fit on a license plate. But it is so very, very true. If the opportunity presents itself, move here.
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Sadly, it doesn’t fit on a license plate.
Bill Bryson had a joke from back when the plates said, “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania.” Apparently, whenever he saw one of those plates he’d say, “Then why doesn’t he call.” And then his kids killed him or something.
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Cheese is actually a strength of the Philly food scene, too. DeBruno Brothers must be one of the best cheese stores, if not the best, in the US. While living in NYC and San Francisco I searched all over for anything that could come close to matching it and never found one. Maybe there’s something hidden in NY somewhere, but I doubt it, given what I saw. It’s worth visiting if you’re in town.
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Thanks guys for the tips. We’ll be going down more often. I’ve always wanted to go to the flower show — another way to torture my children. Next time, Tim, I’ll call you.
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Wow. Farmacia is just around the corner from my old workplace, the Chemical Heritage Foundation. You would have walked right by it if you were staying at the Omni. Did you peek in?
There really is a lot of kid friendly stuff in Philly all over the city. While in Camden did you check out the aquarium? I admit we haven’t been there since its makeover a few years ago.
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Yes, we walked right by the Chemical Heritage Foundation. No time for the Aquarium. We were at the Sheraton. What a great area to work, john.
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Yes, next time, two things: 1) we must have drinks and 2) get whiz on the cheesesteak
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Don’t start the cheesesteak wars (and it’s provolone or nothing).
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