Philadelphia isn't necessarily well-known for its healthy foodstuffs (gooey cheesesteak, anyone?), but fortunately, organic aficionados are no longer relegated to wandering the aisles of Whole Foods. Instead, intimately charming local markets are popping up across the city, offering unique products with distinctive community flair.
Pumpkin Market is a counterpart of the popular BYO, Pumpkin, just across South Street. The quaint market features organic, in-season produce from local farmers - pearly sweet corn, succulent heirloom tomatoes, juicy doughnut peaches - and the selection changes regularly. Further inside, the market boasts a dairy cooler stocked with products straight from the farm. Frosty glass bottles of non-pasteurized milk share space with rounds of homemade butter, yogurt, eggs and goat cheese. The adjacent freezer offers a bevy of organic meats, fresh-frozen pastas and even homemade turkey and chicken pot pies (the perfect autumn comfort food).
The market also carries jarred pickles and relishes, dry pastas, whole coffee beans and other unique items. To indulge your sweet tooth, try the lavender honey or chocolate peanut butter-drizzled popcorn. Although some specialty item prices are too gourmet for the everyday budget, Pumpkin Market is certainly worth visiting next time you're in the neighborhood.
