Slow Burn

As my travels have brought me to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I found it necessary to make the trek to some of the food utopias that the city has to offer. I could have gone looking for any of the average (or less than average) tasting cheese steak joints, depending on your own opinion. Though I have been to a few of them, they seem to leave me wanting something more, so I decided this time that I would let myself follow the path less traveled.



So I walked and walked through center city to see what I could see and heading along Market Street and then Arch Street, I came across a place I had heard of a few times in passing but was never able to visit, until now. I had reached my destination, Reading Terminal Market. Inside, dozens of merchants, selling any type of food you could ever dream up and wish for.



It should be obvious by now that I had a particular type of food in mind, and I knew just where to get it. I headed directly for Beck's Cajun Cafe, located down one of the main avenues of the market, adjacent to DiNic's Roast Pork.



Becks offers up some of the best Cajun food I have ever tasted, and believe me, if I come across it while I am out at a restaurant, I will drop everything and try it. As the place had just opened (the Market that is, which opens at 8 am), there was not a lot of food out and ready to serve. The Jambalaya was on but wouldn't be ready until 9, and I was getting impatient. I could smell Creole spices all around me as I sat at the counter. I had to have something, so I ordered up a bowl of their fresh Chicken and Andouille gumbo. It was perfect. Hot and spicy, served over rice which only held in the heat and texture. Delicious in every way. The server and the chef at Becks couldn't have been nicer to me either. The chef joked as he cooked and the server gave me a free (giant) piece of fresh cornbread to go with the gumbo, and it mixed perfectly together.



If you are ever in Philly, and find yourself around Center City, specifically around 12th and Arch streets, then mosey on over to Reading Terminal Market and hit up Becks. I promise you, with all of my blogger-credibility, that you will not be disappointed. You might sweat a bit when you're chowing down on their food, but you will love the spice and if you can handle it, the slow burning heat of their delicious Cajun food.