I’m a woman of my word, so finally got around to sampling Delilah’s Winder’s mac and cheese. If you remember, I posted a while back about the defeat handed down to Delilah by Bobby Flay of Food Network fame.Delilah has a sit-down restaurant, Bluezette, and booth at Reading Terminal Market, Delilah’s at the Terminal. Reading Terminal Market is essentially a huge food court (over 80 merchants housed under 1.7 acres) in downtown Philly, except you won’t find Subway and Burger King inside – only local vendors. Not feeling like a whole meal, I trekked backwards, barefoot, in the snow to Reading Terminal Market in Philly to hunt down Delilah’s booth, and sample a side of mac and cheese. (Nah, I pulled my snow shoes on, and faced forward.) 
Oprah declared Delilah’s mac and cheese the best in the country in 2003, but that woman must be off her rocker. Delilah’s mac and cheese is not bad, but it’s nothing exceptional, and hardly worth the almost $4 it cost for a little cup of this side dish. It looks, feels, and tastes like any mac and cheese you’d get in a Southern diner. It’ll do in a pinch, is a hundred times better than Kraft, and ten times better than something out of a cafeteria, but doesn’t hold a candle to any mac and cheese casserole found at a Southern family reunion.
I can only hope that Delilah’s mac and cheese is taken up a notch at her sit-down restaurant. I also suggest Oprah take a vacation to
Delilah’s at the Terminal,
Mon.-Sat.
7 comments:
really strange that you'd feature this place and their mac & cheese because i tried this weekend and it left me wondering what makes it the "best mac and cheese in the USA"...I agree with your review.
Taylor -
I've read all of your posts pertaining to Mac & Cheese, and while it breaks a few of your "rules" (many pasta shapes and it's whole wheat) you've got to try the mac and cheese @ A Full Plate Cafe in No. Liberties. People in the neighborhood have nicknamed it "Crack and Cheese" because we can't stop eating it.
And I can't think of anything that goes better with a side of their mac and cheese than their veggie pulled pork sandwhich served on coleslaw and a challah roll.
Try it! Let me know what you think.
E - Thanks for the tip. The mention of a pulled pork sandwich definitely has me in the door! (I'll do the mac and cheese, too.) I'll put that spot on my loooong list of places to get to. That list is not getting tackled fast enough due to winter hibernation. I'm sort of waiting for warm weather, so I can ride my bike up to NoLibs. I'll get there, though.
To call Reading Terminal essentially a huge foodcourt is quick a disservice to the other vendors who don't sell prepared foods to eat on the premises. This is a Philadelphia institution and you're shortchanging it for potential visitors, I think. You're review of the Delilah's M&C is pretty consistent, though, with what I've heard about it, so I've never been tempted to even give it a go. There's an Amish place, The Rib Stand, fronting 12th Street, that makes some decent M&C. I was pleasantly surprised, as Amish Country is not the first place that comes to mind when seeking out M&C.
Beth - You're right. There are other merchants in Reading Terminal Market that sell produce, flowers,and hard goods. I wish there were more of those merchants.
There is a much higher proportion of merchants selling ready to eat meals, pastries, candy, snacks, and beverages, though. To me, Reading Terminal Market just seems more of a place to grab a bite to eat than a farmers market or a retail market.
The best Mac & Cheese in Philly can be found at Bob & Barbara's on South Street. It's a little hole in the wall dive bar that serves food on Sunday nights. The Mac and Cheese is awesome and the Ribs are pretty good too.
I haven't thought of Reading Terminal Market in years--I remember they had a pork sandwich counter. I remember Delilah's for the M&C and the red velvet cake. Great stuff.
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