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A Taste of South Kensington: How a Community of Immigrants Has Become Defined by Its Food


  Countless tales about the American Dream have started and ended within the industrial and post-industrial buildings of South Kensington. During the 19th century, European immigrants filed into the neighborhood’s rowhouses and took jobs in Kensington’s mills and factories. In the early 20th century, America’s “Great Migration” saw thousands of African-Americans move to northern cities and take residence in North Philadelphia, with immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America following shortly after. Today, it’s immigrants from the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and the Middle East who are once again stirring the melting pot in South Kensington.

  It could be tastefully argued that the best equalizer when breaking down cultural barriers is food. Religion may top the list as the leading social binding agent, but we are all human and we all must eat. Cultures are based around cooking techniques and ingredients, so wherever there’s a blossoming immigrant community, there’s usually a brick-and-mortar culinary representation of that ethnicity not far away.

  This article celebrates the cultural and culinary diversity of South Kensington and examines how each ethnic food lends to the unique character of the community. We’ll do so by highlighting some of the best eateries that the neighborhood has to offer and speaking with the people behind the counter who serve residents day-in, day-out.

The European and American Sausage Company (1242 North American St.)

  One of the most notorious incidents in South Kensington’s history occurred in 1844 when St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church (1437 North 2nd St.) was set on fire during a riot led by Irish Protestants angry at their Catholic neighbors. But these Nativist Riots did not stop thousands of Catholic immigrants from moving into the neighborhood to work in factories and strive for a better life.

  While most of the working-class Irish immigrants have long since moved out of South Kensington, a new shop on American Street is catering to new European immigrants interested in the taste of the Old World.

  The European and American Sausage Company is a family-owned business that provides the smoked meats and Russian specialties that you would find in a Moscow deli. The smell of meat being smoked is impossible to miss as you approach the lonely building. Don’t be fooled by the plain exterior: once you walk through the door, the smell of smoky meat intensifies and fills your nose.south_kensington_food_2

  According to David Veowiczyk, the store’s product manager, they’ve been here for 20 years and their most popular product is a Russian specialty called “fat back.” Veowiczyk describes the delicacy as pork belly fat that is salt cured until it achieves a buttery consistency. It’s essentially bacon without the meat and it can be eaten raw or melted down in a pan with just about anything.

  Veowiczyk says most Americans don’t know what fat back is, but Russian communities from all over the United States are ordering the stuff from his company.

  “It’s weird,” Veowiczyk said. “We’re in America and Americans don’t eat fat back, but we have huge orders all across America because Russian culture is huge. North Carolina, California, New York.”south_kensington_food_1

  European and American Sausage Company also offers a Russian version of kielbasa. “We have a very famous smoked Polish [sausage]; Americans know it by kielbasa,” Veowiczyk said. “We have a really good one that’s sold all across the United States.”

  Veowiczyk believes food diversity is important to South Kensington and makes the community more interesting. “It’s important because if you eat the same stuff every day you get bored of it,” he said. “It’s not exciting.”

Reggae Reggae Vibes (517 West Girard Ave.)

  Philadelphia saw an influx of African Americans in the early 20th century. These former slaves and descendants of former slaves sought to escape the oppressive Jim Crow society of the South. Major northern cities like Philadelphia and Detroit saw African American populations rise tremendously during this time.

  According to PhiladelphiaEncyclopedia.org, the African American population of Philadelphia went from 63,000 in 1900 to 134,000 in 1920. Kensington was one of the enclaves where these new Philadelphians settled. They brought with them the cooking styles they learned in the South.

  What is generally considered “soul food” is actually derived from food made by slaves using less desirable cuts of meat. These throwaway cuts of meat and vegetables turn into something magical when cooked with the right amount of knowledge, care and love. Things like oxtail and collard greens are soul-food staples you can find in Southern and Caribbean style cuisine.

  Reggae Reggae Vibes is a relatively new restaurant in South Kensington. They’ve been serving up vibrant Jamaican cuisine at their brightly colored restaurant for two years and have some very authentic dishes that represent traditional African and Caribbean menus.

  Denise Moore, manager of Reggae Reggae Vibes, believes food diversity is a good thing for South Kensington.

  “Food diversity is important because there is definitely a lot of ethnicity especially in this community,” Moore said. “It gives everyone a taste of where they’re from, so it’s more so in learning about the heritage and knowing why there is jerk chicken. We’re all different and we all have a story. People definitely connect through food.”

  Moore is an American of Jamaican descent and is bringing the authentic taste of Jamaica to South Kensington. “A lot of our spices do come directly sourced from Jamaica,” Moore said. Everything is made daily to ensure the quality and authenticity of their food. “It’s definitely made with love and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree,” she added.

  Reggae Reggae Vibes’ menu features traditional items like slow-cooked Montego Bay Ox Tail Soup. The oxtails are marinated with Jamaican herbs and spices and served in a stew of vegetables. The oxtails are so tender that the meat and little globs of fat melt in your mouth as they fall right off the bone.

  If you stop by Reggae Reggae Vibes on a Friday or Saturday you can order the Irie Curried Goat, the restaurant’s take on the classic Jamaican dish. They use their house blend of herbs and spices before slow roasting the goat meat to ensure maximum tenderness.

  According to Moore, the restaurant’s most popular item is a jerk chicken cheesesteak. Their take on the Philly classic is doused with curry and dressed the way you want it on a long roll. You might find an imposter curried chicken cheesesteak at certain neighborhood food trucks, but Reggae Reggae Vibes is serving the real deal and you don’t have to wait till the weekend to order it.

Restaurante y Lechonera Principe (235 Cecil B. Moore Ave.)

  Puerto Ricans have been part of American society for hundreds of years and, according to a document published by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia has always had well established ties with the island. Between 1950 and 1970, Philadelphia saw its Puerto Rican population rise to 60,000 residents. According to the 2000 Census, there were about 91,527 Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia, many of which lived in the areas of Kensington and North Philadelphia.

  Of all livestock commonly eaten by humans, there is one animal that is directly tied to Puerto Rican food culture: the pig. Pork is an essential staple of many Puerto Rican dishes. Often times, a whole hog is roasted over coals until the skin is cooked to a crispy brown and the meat is juicy and filled with the taste of smoke. You don’t usually need directions to find places like this — once you’re close enough your nose will guide you in. Restaurante y Lechonera Principe is one of those places.south_kensington_food_4

  If you are looking for tacos and burritos, this is not the place. Instead, this restaurant specializes in roast pork, chicken, rice and beans and fritters. Owner Santiago Principe and his wife Margarita have been running the eatery since June 1996. Over the past 20 years, they’ve kept the culinary style they learned from their family back in Puerto Rico alive in South Kensington.

  “I started when I was a kid with my father and my mom in Puerto Rico,” Principe said in a thick Puerto Rican accent. “We used to prepare the pork for a neighbor during the Christmas season. When they would have a party we would clean the pork and roast it for them.”south_kensington_food_3

  The Principes make everything fresh daily, so that means getting a hog cooking in the early South Kensington hours. If you’re nearby, you may catch a whiff of their barbecue. “We cook every day, fresh food,” Margarita said.

  “The hardest part is waking up at 4AM everyday,” Santiago added.

  The diversity of the neighborhood is not lost on the couple. The few times during the week I’ve popped in for a box of barbecue chicken, rice and beans, it’s been relatively quiet. Santiago says he has a diverse clientele which is evident on Sundays at his tables. “I have customers: Chinese, Puerto Rican, Italian, white, black,” Principe said. “Everybody for me, the same. On Sundays, people from different families sit down here to relax. They talk, they establish relationships. That’s cool. I like it.”

Talia’s Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill (122 West Girard Ave.)

  The ongoing wars in the Middle East have led to thousands of immigrants and refugees to relocate to the United States. Once again, major cities are seeing their immigrant populations rise as ongoing war threatens the lives of millions of ordinary people trying to the flee terrors of their homeland.

  An article published on philly.com near the end of 2012 says the Arab population in Philadelphia is 8,874. According to the article, the concentrations of Arab immigrants were in Northeast and West Philadelphia, but stores like Jerusalem Market and  Liberty Choice Market cater to the blossoming Islamic and Middle Eastern community in South Kensington.

  A few months ago, the word “Talia’s” appeared on a storefront along Girard Avenue, just west of the El. The business remained closed until a few weeks ago when owner Adel Ahmed opened Talia’s Restaurant and Mediterranean Grill. His store is itself a melting pot of many types of Mediterranean cuisine.south_kensington_food_5

  Ahmed is achieving the American Dream of owning his own business after years of working for other people.

  “I decided to start something small on my own, rather than work for somebody else,” Ahmed said. “I ended up looking around for a place. I did some research, and found this up-and-coming area. People like new things… customers are very smart, people are very smart.”

  Ahmed has been in the restaurant business for decades. “I’m a chef,” Ahmed said. “I used to work at one of the top restaurants in Manhattan and I worked for a four-star restaurant in North Jersey.” He points out pictures on the wall of a younger version of himself posing in separate instances with O.J. Simpson, Jamie Lee Curtis and former Vice President Dan Quayle’s wife, Marilyn.

  Ahmed is of Greek and Egyptian descent, so he wanted his restaurant to reflect as many Mediterranean styles of cooking as possible. Items like panini, couscous, tabouli, shawarma and gyro round out the full experience, but the featured item is Talia’s Bagels.

  Talia’s bagels are imported from Ahmed’s cousin’s bagel shop A & S Bagels in Bensalem, Bucks County, where the shop has been a staple for 30 years. The bagel is boiled in water, in contrast to other bagel shops in the neighborhood. “The bagels we have here are different,” Ahmed said. “The bagel is hand rolled every day. When you use the machine, you compress the bagel and make it thick and heavy. This kind of bagels is very fluffy.”

  Ahmed fixed me up a plain bagel with jalapeno cream cheese. It was just as fluffy in every chewy bite as I had expected. The cream cheese is super savory and a little spicy too. If hot peppers aren’t your thing, there’s nine other cream cheese flavors (including lox, cinnamon raisin walnut and horseradish cheddar) all available to spread on 14 kinds of bagels. Cream cheese can also be purchased by the pound.

  Ahmed is only one example of the American Dream continuing in South Kensington. Even as the city and its demographics continue to change, it is likely that this neighborhood will remain an immigrant community — the same way it’s been for hundreds of years. Each new ethnic group that calls the neighborhood home is just a new ingredient in the South Kensington melting pot. As long as the community remains open to all people seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, there will be restaurants ready to enlighten Americans and remind those immigrants of the best parts of the countries they’ve left behind.

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