HughE Dillon: Reading Terminal’s 125th Birthday Party

Have you ever wanted to be a kid trapped in your favorite toy store after closing? Well, that’s what it was like for most of the folks who attended the Reading Terminal Market’s “Valentine to the Market,” the market’s 125th birthday celebration, on Saturday. This year’s event was dedicated to the memory of Rebecca Taylor Stoloff, a Philadelphia conservationist who had been president of the Reading Terminal Market Preservation Fund since 1993. The night kicked off with a celebrity-chef contest modeled on the TV cooking show Chopped in Anna Maria Florio’s La Cucina demonstration kitchen. In the “Valentine to the Market” version, local chefs were paired with celebrity sous chefs. The five celebrity judges were Donna Storm, Michael Klein, Tara Nurin, Rick Nichols and Christina Pellegrini. Below: Bill Beck, of Beck’s Cajun Café, teamed with Philly Health Watch host Tiffany Bucciarelli.
 

 
Below: Erin O’Shea, of Percy Street Barbecue, was with CBS 3’s Jim Donovan, who seemed to enjoy the fortune cookies from the secret ingredients more than stirring the pot. He did share them with the audience though. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and chicken thighs made up the rest of the “secret ingredients” the chefs had to cook with.
 

 
Below: KYW 1060’s Hadas Kuznits has no idea what she’s doing. She doesn’t cook her because husband Dan Reinherz manages the kitchen at their house. She was paired with Louie Campanaro of Village Belle to create “chicken wrapped in chocolate love with good-fortune-cookie crumble.”
 

 
Below: Contest winners Peter McAndrews, of Modo Mio and Monsu, and NBC 10’s Lori Wilson.
 

 
Below: Former D.A. Lynne Abraham and Martin Samschick, manager at Bainbridge Group.
 

 
Below: Anne Callahan and Charles Croce, executive director of the Philadelphia History Museum. I love Anne’s trench coach/shirt made of the same material used to create wet suits.
 

Below: Tony Bruno, from 97.5 the Fanatic, and Robin Austin cap off the night with Bassetts Ice Cream. Delicious. Fun event for every Reading Terminal fan!