|
|
|
A sad goodbye to South Street's Chef's Market
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
A sad goodbye to South Street's Chef's Market
 |
It was sad coming home from Manhattan last weekend to hear that Chef's Market, the gourmet shop and caterer that's been open at 231 South Street since 1985, would close on Sun., March 1. Its goodies will be gone, and I’ll never be able to snag a Manyunk sandwich or grab a bag of fresh ground coffee.
“Had I known before the vultures swooped in I would’ve snagged your espresso,” manager MJ Jordan told me. The
Georgiou family-owned biz got hit — like most bizzes on South got hit — by a lousy economy and the change in the block’s audience from adult to kids. Other likely contributors include the long-brewing streetscape project as well as a neighboring farmers market. “Even little things like increased parking prices haven’t helped,” said Jordan.
But it meant more than just that to most of us shoppers. When my mom was sick, I got them to cater more than a few Thanksgiving meals. When I schmoked a bunch of weed (uhm, ah, years ago), there was no better come down than a basket of pignoli nuts. “Since we made the decision last Thursday, we’ve only been open to sell off equipment and the remainder of our stock,” said Jordan. (Remaining are being offered at a 50 percent discount.)
The bright spot is that Chef’s Market will keep its catering operations — for family, private and corporate events — in one third of the building. “We’re going to play to our strengths,” said Jordan. “By streamlining and doubling our catering business, we’re doing the right thing. But that doesn’t make it any less hard.”
We will miss having this fabulous little store in our neighborhood, but we are thrilled catering will still be going strong. Hint to all: Chef's Market makes the world's best black & white cake!! ~ Lee & Andrew Sparkle Plenty Designs, Inc. Philadelphia, PA www.Sparkle-Plenty.com "making the world sparkle, one tee at a time"
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
