Allentown Farmer's Market (P)
610-432-8425
www.fairgroundfarmersmkt.com
Have
you ever wanted to travel around the world in 30
minutes? Three days each week (Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays), the Allentown Fairgrounds hosts the
legendary Farmers Market, a mini version of
Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market. The
self-proclaimed “most modern old-fashioned-style
market in the East,” the Farmers Market is condensed
Allentown goodness. The sixty-plus vendors who set up
temporary shop here cover all the food groups and
then some—there’s pizza, Chinese and Mediterranean
food, amazing BBQ chicken and ribs, pies and
pastries, deli meats and fresh breads, cheeses, fresh
fruits and vegetables. As if that weren’t enough,
there are also candles, flowers, gifts, wine and an
on-site flea market. Prepare for sensory overload:
hand-painted Amish farm signs compete for space with
down-home murals and Allentown’s elderly.
Ninety-thousand square feet never felt so small. We
thought we’d take you on a brief (and selective)
tour, starting at the market’s far west end. As you
enter, you can't miss Charlie K's Pizza, great for
takeout but also your source for bake-you-own pies.
Around the corner, you'll find Ribs N' Things, where
the soup-genious cook prepares over 60 varieties each
week for $5 - $6 (try the Jambalaya). Walk past
Pearl's Smoke Shop to Danny D and Denise's
Fairgrounds Luncheonette, for delicious cheesesteaks
and burgers. Buy a few dozen kiffles (PA Dutch
pastries) at the Kiffle Kitchen Bakery, and drop in
for some local wine at Clover Hill Winery store. Head
back past the Luncheonette, turn right, and behold
the truly startling variety of hormone-free sausage
and poultry at the Mr. Bill's. On your right, you'll
pass fried fish at Bobby Mo's, Italian specialities
at Uncle Angelio's (try the fresh-baked calzones),
and prepared Mexican dishes at the Sweets Grill.
Don't be intimidated by the cheese selection at
Wittman's World Cheeses on your left, but do try a
barrel-drawn pickle from New York Pickle, on your
right. Just a bit further along, Mink's Candies is a
dentist's nightmare, across from Berghold's Produce,
with the freshest, greenest produce in Allentown.
(They supply most of our fine dining establishments.)
Down the ramp, fight the crowds at Dan's Bar-B-Que,
where you must stop, sit, and consume BBQ chicken and
cornbread. Turn right, and around the corner you'll
find Souther Delights, our favorite spot for black
eyed peas and collard greens. As you continue east,
be sure to try the crab cakes at Atlantic Oyster Co.
Across from Atlantic are the Valley's best donuts,
from Mary Ann Donut Kitchen. Don't tire yet! Further
east is Fan's Asian Flavors, with delicious sushi,
which is across from Allentown's gyro heaven, Foods
of the Mediterranean. Miss you mother's pierogis? Try
Gdynia Polish Market, just beyond Fan's. What are you
waiting for? Get off you ass and walk somewhere for
once! (Open Th 9a-8p; F 8a-8p; Sa 8a-6p.)