Ritner Street Roundup – Mod Betty’s Fave Eats!

2018 Update: Mod Betty can't stay away from that danged tomato pie at Cascia's, it's addictive. We have gone back to Dad's Stuffings to give a sneak peek in the inside, just click here to read the Dad's Stuffing post on Retro Roadmap. 

When visiting South Philly, a stop on Ritner Street means not only a visit to Ritner Hardware, but also your choice of a number of  "family owned for generations" places to get a treat to eat in the neighborhood!

Whether you want to eat tomato pie “a-la-car” or pack your cooler with prepared items for a meal later these local (but not lo-cal!) institutions will fill your belly with the flavors of South Philly, and you'll be supporting these great mom and pop shops (even if they have been a bit stucco'd over.)

Cacia’s Bakery - A bread bakery owned by the Cacia family since 1953 and run by 3rd generation Sam Cacia. Not only famous for cooking neighborhood holiday turkeys in their brick oven, year 'round their wide selection of delicious tomato pie (a South Philly staple) keeps people coming through the doors.

Bakery pizza / tomato pie is usually just red sauce/gravy on crust, but Cacia’s tempts with other flavors. White pie (cheese, garlic), red with cheese, broccoli or spinach, and their famous Pizazz - fresh tomatoes with hot peppers and American cheese. Mod B is addicted to their cheesesteak pizza.

Sold by the slice or box, I suggest mixing and matching so you can enjoy them all. I guarantee you’ll be dining “a-la-car” with this stuff as you won’t want to wait ‘til you get home to try it. http://www.caciabakery.com/

Dad’s Stuffings

Starting out as a butcher shop called John’s Market in 1925 (and still butchering here today) Dad’s Stuffings is 4th generation family owned, and you can sense the history just by looking at the photos lining the walls (that I should've taken a photo of!)

Folks liked the stuffing they made for their stuffed pork roast, and now they sell 6 different kinds. But Dad's is so much more than stuffing, with so many prepared foods ready to take away, including their famous chicken meatballs as well as entrees, soups, salads and vegetables.

You brought your cooler with you, right? Then load it up with all sorts of delicacies to heat up at home! https://www.facebook.com/DadsAll-NaturalStuffings-130891953600167/

Potito's Bakery

The Potito family has run this bakery since 1985, and while technically too "young" for Retro Roadmap, I'm letting that slide today because of that great signage, and interesting history as a bakery. In chatting with current owner Cristina she mentioned that that this was once a location of Weinrich’s bakery (see our Delco section) which probably explains why they have triangle cake here too! Isn't it crazy when things are connected like that?

Stop by here for a sweet treat, as they’re famous for their cannoli and other Italian delicacies. http://potitobakery.com/

From cannolis to Cannuli's!

Cannuli’s Sausage - Started in 1932 as a full service butcher, this Ritner street sausage family is related by blood to Cannuli’s Meats in the 9th Street market, but here Pork is King (as is The Lord) . On this corner since 1972, Cannuli’s specializes in pork sausage, roasts and cutlets. From sweet to spicy, cheese and liver, they have enough of a sausage variety to entice but not overwhelm. Buy some links for later, pack them in your cooler and have a taste of South Philly for your next meal!
http://www.cannulisausage.com/

And there you have it - a perfect excuse to support and appreciate these neighborhood family-owned businesses and enjoy yourself at the same time. As Julia Child would say, "Bon Apetit!"