TB was invited by cousins Daphne and Adrian to attend Philadelphia Comic Con last Saturday. At $60/person, I wasn’t sure it was worth it. But he was excited to go, and Daphne already bought the ticket for him. (Thanks, Daphne, you’re such a sweetheart!) So, last Saturday ended up being one of the strangest days I’ve ever had.
Traffic was horrendous, but Sabo found parking right in front of Reading Terminal Market, just across the street from the convention center, where the Comic Con was held.
Already, while at the market, we saw multiple people in some outlandish costumes. Poison Ivy in a bikini, Grim Reaper with his scythe, multiple super heroes, all congregated there, to get something to eat.
Any Saturday, the market is filled, but that day, it was insane! It was a wonder we could find seats to eat, all four of us together! That, together with the parking spot right outside, was a miracle.
We met up with Daphne, Adrian, and their parents, my brother & SIL after lunch. Then the three youngsters set off on their own. I wasn’t going to fork out $60 just to attend a comic convention. Plus TG had her dance rehearsal later in the afternoon.
I spotted my brother at Tommy Dinic’s, which was mobbed. The line went all around the booth. That didn’t stop my brother. He was determined to get his hands on the award-winning sandwiches.
Funny thing happened. My brother ordered his sandwiches with cheese, but he didn’t see cheese added on while the order was being made The guy was so quick that before there was any chance to ask, the sandwiches were already wrapped up. Not wanting my brother, who was visiting from half way around the globe, to miss out on the “real” Italian sandwich, I quickly asked the guy for another sandwich, stressing “provolone cheese, please!!”
The guy looked at me, starting laughing, and made some remarks about me cutting in line, but somebody took my cash. I was indignant. I told him I didn’t cut the line. The person in front of me was my brother; we were together, I said. He continued laughing, but did serve me my sandwich. Turned out you were supposed to order and pay way at the beginning of the line, not where they serve you. Duh!
After TB left with Daphne and Adrian, TG began to fret that she wasn’t able to go to the convention. After all, what kid wouldn’t want to go to a gigantic Halloween party?
So, we came up with a quick plan. We got her home, took her to her dress rehearsal, sat thru the mock performance til she was allowed to leave, then quickly went back to the horrible traffic in the city. We called Daphne to come out and get TG inside, since kids 10 and under could get in for free with a paying adult.
TG was able to see the last half hour of the convention, buy her Minecraft necklace souvenir, and received compliments on her”costume.” She was still dressed in her dance recital costume; she blended in easily.
Sabo, my brother, SIL, and I waited near the exit doors in the convention center. The sights we saw were pretty hilarious. See them for yourself.
I’m still not sure if I understand what the hype is all about. But it was quite entertaining. And the kids were happy. TB and Adrian even made $5 each for selling the free comic books they received upon entrance. Apparently a bunch of collectors stalked them. The books, I mean.
The kids also sighted several celebrities, although they weren’t impressed. Most were popular celebrities before they were even born. TB asked us later if we knew who that dude in “Happy Days” was, because he was just several feet away from him. After spewing out a few names, we finally were able to conclude it was Henry Winkler. How funny that Sabo and I used to think The Fonz was so cool, and our kids just thought … meh …
That day ended as strangely as it started. We somehow found ourselves at Tony Luke’s for dinner, even though we sampled Tommy Dinic’s earlier. It was hot and humid, and we had to wait in another long line to get to our dinner. Miracle happened again! We were able to find seats for all 8 of us, together!
Roast Pork Italian sandwich, however, will not be on the menu for a while for us. But I can definitely offer an opinion about which eatery serves the better sandwich, having eaten the two back to back. Let me give you a clue, it starts with a “T.”
Alright, I’m just going to say it out loud, our dinner was better than our lunch. Tony Luke’s sandwich was just better seasoned, IMHO. Obviously, Dinic’s was far from being bad, but a little bland, I thought, considering they put so much more garlic. And in their defense, we brought their sandwiches home before consuming, while Luke’s we ate freshly made and still piping hot. Dinic’s also piled on more meat & greens.
Tommy Dinic’s
Tony Luke’s
But I’ve had my suspicion even before last Saturday. This wasn’t the first time I had Tommy Dinic’s or Tony Luke’s. I always had a better meal at Luke’s. The difference was not immense, but there was a difference.
The first bite is usually telling. After my first bite of Luke’s, I thought … oh em gee! How can something so simple taste so good. After my first bite of Dinic’s, on the other hand, I thought … wait, that was good, but let me take a few more bites, I’m not sure I got everything on that first bite. See?
Of course it isn’t smart of me to start this debate now that the superheroes are out of town. Who’s going to defend me from Dinic’s fans now?
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The Novice Gardener 