That was a fun day, Woodie. I hope you can make it next time.

Shame you can't make it this time Woodie but rest assured there will be more in the future...also plz keep in mind my DD is very serious with a fellow from Edison so I may be heading up that way a lot in the future!!
BTW...I am exit 23 off 295 just in case you feel like taking a drive!! LOL!!

Cheers!
Susie

Unless anything unforseen happens, I am still planning on being there on the 23rd. Do we have a strategy for hooking up with each other?

Do we want to pick a particular vendor at RTM??? That might be easiest. Pam??? Suggestions????

Alexa

My suggestion would be Bassett's Ice Cream. It's on the perimeter of the market, the aisle in front of it is relatively wide, and it shouldn't be as busy in the morning as some of the other stalls.

I am also planning on wearing a post-it note with "C.F." on my chest.

It turns out I won't be able to make it after all. My Dad has been sick and I don't want to leave him for such a long time. I sure am sorry to miss all the fun! Take a lot of pictures so I can feel like I was there!!!
Joann

I am so excited to be part of this get together!!

I don't know if we have a time set yet however I will most likely plan to get there earlier and grab a big table in the dining area.
This way we can have a chance to sit and chat a bit before we take on Philly!

I will be dressed for comfort...prob jeans or a track suit and COMFY shoes LOL!!!

Cheers!
Susie

I'll be away from the computer until Sunday and will check in then. We definitely need a time and place.

I'm taking the train in from Landsdale. (Unless Ruthanna wants to carpool with me?!) I am going to be in MI this next week but am coming back for the weekend. I can't wait!! I hope to find some dried peppers and Mexican chocolate so I can make mole sauce. I'd also like to try and find some decent anchovy paste, the stuff I bought last week in the store was weird to say the least.
But most important, I can't wait to see everyone and meet some new people!! It's been too long!
Time?? Location--the ice cream place?
Roll call? (So far I think me, Susie, Alexa, Ruthanna, CC, Teresa yay!, Pam, and maybe Goldgirl)
This sounds EPIC!
Lpink

Lpink - are you bringing BF or is he not ready for that experience? And you bet I'm in! I wouldn;t miss it for the world!

A

I am looking forward to the vicarious experience. Photos please!

Alexa, going to Philly would interupt his watching football! :)

Howdie all!! Just checked my AOL mail and I got an update from RTM.
Sat the 23rd is the 10th annual harvest festival at the market so how lucky are we??
They are closing Filbert St and turning it into a fall wonderland!!

I guess if I were doing a wish list I would be looking for the Amish butter...maybe some tea. Some good jam or pumpkin butter and a good time with new and old friends!!

I also have some info from a few of my Asian co-workers (yes I've been talking about this thing for weeks) and the suggestions I got so far are "The SangKee Duck House" and if we want somewhat exotic food "Shoa Lung Kung" (Alex gets something there called bitter melon stir fry??)
Finally my gal pal Winnie said to go to "Ocean Harbor" for dim sum!!
We'll just have to see how the day goes as we may be so stuffed at the market LOL!!

Would 10 am be too early??

Cheers!
Susie

Boy I screwed up, I thot it was Sunday the 23rd!! I'm numerically challenged. I'm gonna have to readjust my trip back from MI, I may have to drive all day Friday to make it Sat. I might bring BF, but that's really asking a lot of a guy!!

Geez Lpink! I'm glad you double checked. You would have been wandering RTM in search of us 24 hours late LOL!

Susie - I thought we were just going to have lunch at RTM.... there are more choices under one roof than any other place imaginable, I think we should just stay there. Of course, if everyone else wants to go to a restaurant someplace else then that is close then that is what we will do.

Looking forward to Sat!

Alexa

I think the market opens at 9:00 so that is when I plan to be there - with my Post-it nametag with CF on it!

As for lunch, what if we did a "pot luck" from the items found in the market? I know I don't want a whole sandwich, but I could get one and have it cut up in several pieces. Or someone else could get a stir-fried dish and share with everyone. This way we could get a taste of lots of different food items from the market.Maybe a few of us can bring extra paper plates and forks, or maybe we can get these from market vendors. I have some picnic knives for cutting portions - I always want to be ready for a picnic when I travel!

Teresa

I agree...RTM is a food lovers dream. I just recall someone mentioned ChinaTown so for anyone who would like to take a stroll I thought I'd point out some awesome places.

I am free all day so I am up for just about anything.

There may or may not be a ball game at 4pm.

I may also be bringing one or maybe 2 guests-about 75% sure on one and the other can't let me know until the day of so I can't promise anything yet.

Cheers!
Susie

Lpink, I'd gladly carpool with you but will be doing an overnight visit to my aunt's house near Pottstown on Friday and driving from there to Lansdale to get the train on Saturday AM.

I should arrive at the market around 10. My preference would be to eat lunch at the market (a DiNic's roast pork sandwich has been calling my name) since it takes a long time to see everything the market has to offer, in addition to waiting time to purchase items. (For those who haven't been there, there's no central checkout or shopping carts. You have to order and pay at each individual stall.)

As we're heading into soup season, RTI offers some good soup ingredients that are not available everywhere - chicken feet, smoked neck bones, etc.

I'm really looking forward to my first CF get-together!

I can be at the market at 10-ish too. I think my train arrives at Market St East at 9:55... so I am a quick walk from there. Do we have a final head count yet?

Alexa

I'm hoping to make it but won't know until the end of this week, due to school.

Sue

Ruthanna I am taking the train from Lansdale too!! Maybe we could meet at the train station! I'll e-mail you separately about that. Look for my e-mail, sometimes they get thrown into the spam. It is from yahoo, and the first part is the same as my online name, lpinkmountain.

Yes, it would be just like me to wander around the market on Sunday looking for everyone! I wondered about a Sunday get together . . . When I used to do my course syllabi invariably I would have a student ask someting like, "Professor Pinkmountain, is the field trip on Saturday or Sunday, because you have it listed on here as Saturday, April 23 and that's a Sunday!"

I'm happy to just wander around the market. I would love to stay for Dim Sum dinner, but BF has been without me all week so I know he will want me to get back and spend some time with him. He is one of the world's sweetest men, but spending all day at the market with a large group of female foodies might be too much for even him!

So here is the list of who is coming:
Caliloo
Teresa NC7 and friend
LPinkmountain
Cloudy Christine (are you still in?)
Susie Que and maybe 2 friends
Ruthanna
Goldgirl (depending on school)
Dedtired

I think we better plan to eat at the Market only because finding a restaurant to accommodate 11 people will be tough, and also there is all the food in the world at the Market. It would be fun to taste and share.

So we can meet at 10, shop for awhile and then have an early lunch? You can pretty well shop all the vendors at the Mkt in an hour. If we eat early or late we may have a better chance of finding seats together, although that will still be a challenge.

If driving, be sure to park in the garage at 12th and Filbert and then have your ticket (don't leave it in the car!!) validated by a vendor with a $10 purchase, which will give you two hours for $4 dollars.

Let's meet at Bassett's Ice Cream. One end of the counter is near a 12th St. entrance, so let's meet there. It's across from the Le Bus Bakery stand.

Is anyone coming on the train who needs me to meet them? How can I help you all get there? It's not hard.

I know about two-thirds of you, but maybe wearing something identifying would be a good idea. A Post-It with CF, as someone suggested, would work.

Please email your cell phone number to me through My Page (above next to my name). I will put them in one list and email the list back to all of you. If you have any questions, let me know.

I'll definitely be bringing my camera, but others should, too!

My friend will not be coming..... so just me.

Teresa

Teresa, I'm glad you're still coming!

Lpink, if you're still interested in looking for ingredients to make mole here's the Mexican chocolate I've used for 30+ years. It's packaged with 6 paper-wrapped 3 ounce rounds of chocolate per box.

Have a fun shopping day, everybody!

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Ibarra Mexican Chocolate

Looks like you are going to have a good turnout.

Where is Lou? Isn't he attending?

Ann

I am just a hop skip and a jump away so anytime is good for me!!

I will shoot for 9-9:30.

Hmmmm a roast pork sammy!! Sounds great!! I used to get a cheese steak at Ricks but he is no longer there.

Cheers!
Susie

Weather forecast for Philadelphia for Saturday - partly sunny with a high of 63 degrees.

Getting psyched! This is going to be so much fun. I love CF Get Togethers!

Alexa

Sadly, I'm out for the count Saturday. Have a great time everyone.

Sue

Oh darn, Sue. That's a shame. I was looking forward to meeting the "real" you.

AnnT - Everyone:
I wasn't sure if I could make it and didn't want to dissapoint yau'll.

I'm going to try to be there with my DD and Grandson.
They will be going to the Kimmel Ctr. to see the Philadelphia Orchestra.
But wanted to stop at Reading Terminal too.

Hi pinky!!!

LOU

Another here, watching from the sidelines. I'd say I'm 50/50 at this point.

Wow - I am once again CRUSHED this weekend! I will definitley be at PPP, but I want you all to know I am forgoing my uncles funeral (he passed yesterday), the halloween parade and street fair in my home town (that I thought was next weekend), and I now have to be home early enough to be on stage at 7:00 PM to introduce several of our candidates at a meet & greet for about 400 people.

YIKES!

A

I am not going to make it, sorry to say. Too much else happening. Although hearing about your schedule, Alex, I should have no excuse!
Hoping for another chance some time soon.

You must really love us, Alex, to give up all of that.

Cloudy, I was hoping you'd be there. That's a shame. You too, FOAS.

Right now it's
Caliloo
Teresa nc7
Dedtired
Lpink
Susie Que
Ruthanna
possibly Lou
50/50 FOAS

Pam, I was hoping to see you again too. Another time.

Howdie all! I was just thinkin this time tomorrow we should all be stuffin our faces LOL!!

I got the email and will be at Bassetts some time before 10:00am.
I will have one guest.

I shall wear a posty note and comfortable shoes. I will have a big tote to which I can stock up on chicken feet.

Must pick up batteries for my camera but for those on facebook I will be posting updates all day long!!

For what its worth I will be free all day so if anyone wants to do a little sight seeing I am in so long as my ankle holds up (yea it still hurts from time to time).

Gosh its been over a year since I've been to RTM and a few years since I've seen Lpink, Pam and Alexa so no doubt I am excited!! Add to it meeting NEW friends and I am over the moon!!

Cheers!
Susie

Well I'm sorry to say I'm officially 0/100 now. Logistics would make it a 24 hour deal for me, and I've decided I simply can't afford to lose half a weekend in light of everything that needs to be done around here.

I'm really bummed; I guess the cheesesteaks that I made TWICE this week are about as close as I'll get to Philly this time. You guys have a blast - can't wait for pictures and stories!

This city is going to be electric tomorrow! The Phils won last night and the next game is at home tomorrow at 4 p.m. Good thing for us that the stadium is at the other end of Broad Street. This will certainly add to the fun!

FOAS, too bad. We'll do it again some day.

I have already been eating like a piggy all week. The cool fall weather makes me want to pack the acorns away. I have to have some self-control tomorrow. Maybe only a cheesesteak and not also a porchetta.

I hope to stay on for some more sight seeing, too.

Hope all participants got my email with contact info. I am charging up my camera battery, too.

Have a great time all y'all!! Been to Bucks County but not the city...maybe another time. I'll be checking in for a report next week.

David

Alexa - if you can accomplish all that is on your schedule tomorrow - you will be super human in my opinion.

Teresa

Okay, last call for any additions or changes! Of course, anyone can come but we'll only be looking for those who have said they will be there.

Woo hoo! 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Lots of walking, talking, shopping and eating ahead! With any luck we'll have pictures to post in the evening, or on Sunday.

I still don't know if the Phils are playing at 4 or at 8.

They are playing at 4... so the city will be CRAZED! And I just shot the attendees a quick message, Lpink called me and said she will probably be a little late but she will catch up with us before noon.

See you tomorrow :-)

A

Theresa, what is so "superhuman" about going into the city for a few hours and coming back for an event at 7PM? That was a normal day for me for years when I was working.

Just a few hours everyone - the weather is going to be perfect and we will have a great day!

Alexa

One last peek before I head out the door!

I am ready-my guest is ready and we are HUNGRY!!

I will be wearing Phillies RED!!

BTW...the game will be on at 8...not 4.
I am so happy it the Rangers...I get a little giddy when all NY teams are done LOL!!

Cheers!
Susie

Me, too. Out the door in 10 minutes, just checking for messages. Yikes, I've got to find my Phillies pin!

I arrive on the train at 9:53, Market East.

Alexa - I read to fast and missed the "forgoing" part. Hope it is a good time.

My brother and his wife will be there today. I told them to watch for the group and introduce themselves if they find you.

Thinking of everyone over there, across the river. LOL.. Imagining a bunch of well stuffed CFers happily roaming the market, bags beginning to bulge. Sure is a pretty day for it.

Someone start a brand new thread from the Philly Fillies. Takes too long to get to the end of this one and I'm impatient.Lol Since I didn't go, I love to read about what you're doing.

jude