#philadelphia-water-ice

#philadelphia-water-ice

Frankie Olivieri, the third-generation restaurant owner, felt responsible for protecting his family's legacy, which meant finally breaking free of their rigid expectations.

Joe's Ice Cream is a longstanding scoop shop that has kept the children of the Richmond hopped up on sugar for decades. It's a pretty straightforward operation: they have classic flavors like chocolate and cookie dough, plus some less traditional ones like sweet red bean, peppermint stick, and even wasabi.

Ice cream lovers are faced with serious decisions in the frozen section. Alongside popular favorites, there are plenty of underrated ice cream brands that deserve attention. Pennsylvania-born Turkey Hill is just one example. What started in the Great Depression as a dairy business has endured. Whether tucked into homemade waffle cones or used to make banana splits, Turkey Hill warrants consideration. "I know there's not a lot of love for Turkey Hill, but this is my favorite ice cream," confessed one Redditor. The poster wasn't alone. The brand was first sold regionally but can now be found in major markets.

Start with our cover star, food director Chris Morocco's one-hour bolognese that uses a pantry shortcut, Chinese black bean sauce, to kick up the umami. Then make his Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops where jarred jalapenos and guindillos offer buzzy heat and brightness to counterweight the rich meat. Senior Test Kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic also shared wintry vegetable dishes that can stand on their own.

From rolled ice cream to fried ice cream, there's no shortage of modern, inventive ways to enjoy the world-famous cold treat, but sometimes, a simple scoop of plain ol' vanilla does the trick. Even better? A scoop at America's oldest ice cream brand, Bassetts, where you can get a true old-fashioned ice cream experience. Bassetts has been making Philadelphia-style ice cream since 1861, but it has operated out of its singular, iconic location in Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia since 1892.

I remember my first food tour of Philly. The year was 2015. The guy I was dating at the time and I set out to eat one of the top foods to try in the City of Brotherly Love: cheesesteak. Or better yet, we ate at what many call the two best cheesesteaks in the city - Pat's and Geno's. The two classic cheesesteak shops are conveniently located across from each other on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue. Ever since the 1970's Rocky movie infamously featured a visit to Pat's, a debate sparked about which shop was superior. Today, it's still recommended that you try both to see which you prefer for yourself. So, of course, that was the plan.

Enter Di Fara Pizza, a legendary Brooklyn pizzeria now bringing its iconic, handcrafted Brooklyn-style pies straight from the supermarket freezer to your home oven. As someone born and raised in northern New Jersey/New York City, I've tried most, if not all, of the iconic and delicious slices around. So when I caught wind of the famous Brooklyn pizzeria's entry into the world of frozen food last year, I knew I had to check it out for myself.

Soda fountains were once a common fixture in pharmacies, and people truly thought that fizzy drinks could really cure their ailments. In the early 20th century, though, soda fountains took on their own identity. Throughout Prohibition, bars serving alcoholic cocktails and beers were no longer an option, so soda fountains, still often located in drugstores, stepped in as fun places to drink and socialize.

Seneca Garden II (did I mention the other Seneca Garden is an under-15-minute walk away?) is locally beloved for its pierogi, and the boiled meat and cheese ones are the best. The spices are subtle, and the dough is thick but never rigid, achieving that covetable bounce and bend that I want with my dumplings. The side dishes steal the show: Opt for one of the many sauerkraut sides, or the simmered tomato butter beans.

The ice cream darling known for luxe scoops and cult favorite flavors recently opened the Van Leeuwen Flavor Lab in Greenpoint, giving aficionados a new way to experience the brand. A hub of innovation, the Flavor Lab offers exclusive small-batch flavors alongside fan favorites, plus special collabs and pop-ups. The Lab launched a frozen yogurt pop-up last week, and if you haven't been by to check it out yet, here's your sign: you can get Van Leeuwen fro-yo for just $1.

Their shops are known for making gelato in house daily, using organic Sonoma County milk, Belgian and Italian chocolate, pistachios from Sicily, hazelnuts from Piedmont, Italy, and locally sourced ingredients. For example, the new Arancia Rossa flavor, or blood orange, is made with fruit grown at JJ's Lone Daughter Ranch in Redlands, San Bernardino County. Fresh flavors, including vegan sorbet, rotate in every month.

Alice is the kind of place you tuck into your back pocket and casually gatekeep. Perfect for a cozy date night with your favorite fling in the cityor yes, your long-term partner who still knows how to flirt. You descend beneath a historic Greenwich Village brownstone and suddenly feel like you've entered a velvet-lined jewelry box of small, glittering pleasures. Low light. Oceanic blues. Candle glow. A hum of conversation that feels conspiratorial rather than loud. The prosecco is marvelous, and it knows it.

The Park Street Deli Chocolate Chip Cannoli Dip is decadent and delicious, and while the dip may be intended to be spooned on top of cookies or fruit, we have found a different way to savor the creamy, chocolate chip-speckled treat. Clocking in at $3.29 for a 10-ounce package, this cream cheese-based product is ready to be introduced to your next batch of fudgy brownies.

Kaleidoscopic seems a fitting word to describe the assemblage of drinks curated by Sparkling Ice. The brand has some serious range. Each vibrant flavor of sparkling water is denoted by its trademarked fruit-caught-in-an-ice-cube imagery, spanning from obligatory classics like fruit punch and lemonade to more creative combos like grape raspberry and ginger lime. It makes for a colorful grocery store display and happy customers who can always find a flavor that suits their taste buds.

A truly great Italian sub is something of an art form. Done wrong, and they can be overly oily and way too soggy, and without proper layering, proportions, and prepared ingredients, they can be so hard to eat. But done right, they're amazing. A truly great Italian sub is one that prioritizes an acidic flavor profile, and there's also an unbreakable meat rule that makes Italian subs the real deal: Thinly sliced meats are key.

They folded in diced onions that quickly browned to sweetness. A white version of Cooper Sharp, a sliceable brand of American cheese that's been inducted into the unofficial lexicon of acceptable ingredients for cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, lined a baguette-ish roll crusted with sesame seeds. The final addition: a charred, thin long hot pepper slid along one edge.

Greek immigrants are the unsung heroes behind one of America's tastiest titles. In the early 20th century, they brought their culinary heritage to the small town of New Castle, Pennsylvania, laying the groundwork for what would become its most famous food: the Coney dog. Today, with a population of just over 21,000, New Castle proudly wears the title of "Hot Dog Capital of the World." However, behind that sizzling reputation is a rich, Greek-rooted legacy that continues to flavor the city's identity.