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Milk and Honey Market
Rating Details »
4435 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 387-6455
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 387-6455
- Hours:
Mon. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Milk and Honey Market
Love the name.
Mostly love the market.
So, we've covered at least one of my major obsessions in previous reviews... now, we get to another: honey. Oh, you heavenly amber joy! How your silent sweet nothing whispers make me weep tears of pure happiness! (I'm aware that this is creepy and makes little to no sense.)
Best parts of the market: Honey! Followed closely by the baked goods (cupcakes with cutesy little bees on them, etc), and the various good stuff sourced locally.
Second best parts: sweet little gift-type items for sale, Bassett's ice cream.
I love the collection of items for sale here. The staff are very friendly. The seating area is very convenient. I really hope that it will become a place that I can head to on my lunch break for a soup/sandwich combo in the future.
More reviewing on this one to come...
For a place that's gung-ho on local foods and sustainability, M&H feels pretty sparse in its offerings and has more sugary sweets and prepackaged goods than real food.
I have to admit, I was a fan of the grimy bodega-esque business that occupied the same space prior. Even in their halfassed glory, I could get the for cooking meals. With M&H, I feel like I have to make a small investment in something (like $9 honey) that I might not use every day. I know these places aren't supposed to teach people how to be responsible eaters, but with high prices it distorts the purpose.
Here is what I hope: that M&H's current phase as a bizarro outpost of Center City yuppie mommy food shopping is a brief one, and they will eventually absorb some of the local color and charm of West Philadelphia. Because catering to the yuppie moms isn't going to last long in a fantastically diverse neighborhood.
Aaaa Milk and Honey....yes i love your cheese and meat selection especially the grass fed meats....yet you offer me things at such great prices...and offer little to the understanding of shopping locally.
Some seem to think a store catering to the yummy mummys will not last long..are those that seem to think gentrification doesnt happen.
West Philly is sacred to some...a state that should be understated and yet yelp with struggle..they want to feel as though they are buy ing the most organic product with anarcist swiping thier parents check card.
Milk and Honey is almost facilitating this dream...but in the style of thier parents living room...leaving them with a bitter taste...so they write how they dont like iit.
Mariposa is great dont get me wrong...but having to be on a list in order to buy something seems pretty elitest to me.
It would be great if there could be an in between...full out whole grains political activist meets local organic yuppy...could this happen?
Of course...I see these hybrids walk in clark park everyweekend....its called the farmers marked....so why dont we just have an indor/outdor spot 7 days a week for the local farmers? low rent based...no membership...fresh daily....
but in the end there is no answer....we take what we can get...im happy to get the farmers market, milk and honey, and mariposa...options is what the US is about..and to think is less than the other is not looking at the whole picture
Buy, Grow, Shop Locally is the answer no matter how you get it
One of my very good friends just moved to West Philadelphia, and visiting for the weekend just got way more pleasant on account of Milk & Honey opening. While this section of Baltimore Ave has a plethora of gritty little West African bodegas, an assortment of discount stores, and a decent farmers market, it has been in dire need of a place to buy good cheese, great bread, lovely cakes, local veggies -- and of course, high-quality milk and honey.
We sampled the baked goods (the cookies were tasty!) bought a seltzer, ogled the ice cream, and were really happy that they let us buy one of the jars, even though it was supposed to be part of a display. It was really nice to see so many people come out for their grand opening, and I really hope to see them doing well next time I come to Philly!
West Philly has been waiting for a market like this. The late business hours allow for last minute dinner shopping. I really appreciate the meat and cheese selection, as I no longer need to plan special trips to Center City for these items.
Some of the fresh produce is overpriced, but I may start wishing for a larger selection, now that winter is approaching and my CSA has ended.
Also, the sandwiches are reasonably priced (compared to CC) and the internal ingredients are generous portions. I had a sandwich with thick slices of the tastiest tomatoes I'd had in awhile.
I love this market. It's focused on high quality and especially local foods, that come from small farmers or producers that really care about the product they are putting out. Yes, it is expensive, but you get what you pay for. They seem to buy from the same farmers that sell at Clark Park, so it's a good place to go mid-week or if you couldn't make it to the market. It's all local produce, dairy, eggs, and cheeses. It's cheaper to buy this same stuff at the farmer's market on Thursday or Saturday, but sometimes it's a Tuesday and you are out of eggs. They do carry some imported cheeses, actually, but the focus is local. And their local offerings are fantastic. Try the PA Noble cheddar, it's really grassy and complex. If you can't make it to the Italian Market, they carry Claudio's homemade mozzarella and ricotta. They also have local milk and eggs.
Also, what is the big deal about $9 honey? It will last you a long time. I am really happy this place is around, and happy there are so many other people that care about where their food comes from, and how it's made.
I do wish they would sell mushrooms, and also they need to stay open past 8pm. I know everything closes early around here, but that is crazy.
i, too, have been awaiting this arrival to the neighborhood.
stopped in for breakfast pastries. the people are very nice. my food was good..
i think i have the same issue that it's not really much of a market - do i need $9 honey? no. fancy cheese? not really. but i guess someone in west philly does.
i'm so happy they serve ice cream and can't wait to come back for some. i think it's a nice business with convenient hours (8-8 every day). menu seems tasty but i hope as they get more business they will stock the store with more actual goods.
or just change their name to milk and honey cafe :)
i'll be back for ice cream and a panini.
There was quite a bit of anticipation in the neighborhood leading up to the opening of Milk and Honey. The (still) quite sparse website left most of our expectations up to our imaginations.
I have to say that I'm a little disappointed that M&H is less of a mini-grocer as it is an up-scale deli. It's not as if this neighborhood is lacking for small eat-in places, and a committed marked would've been such a great addition.
That said, it looks as if they'll have a pretty ok selection of dairy, meats, some fruits and veg, fancy cheeses and lunch meats, and baked goods from Metropolitan Bakery. Perhaps the most exciting thing is their ice cream from Basset's! I believe this is the furthest west you can get an ice cream cone after Ben and Jerry's on 40th. This is also one of the few establishments in West Philly that takes cards.
Great food, great service, organic and delicious, customer for life. From paninis to coffee, fresh bread, artisan cheese, scoop ice cream to fresh fruit, veggies, outdoor/indoor seating, pastries and cookies. this place is great, well lit, clean, and they know their food, it's a great and well needed addition to West Philly. Free Wi-fi too, without the stuffy, hipster vibe. Check it out.
Milk and Honey is still a little sparse. I like having a place to get fancy cheese on a whim, or a last minute bread to bring to a dinner invite. The neighborhood definitely didn't have anything like that. The produce selection, which I thought would be good for last minute needs between farmers markets and grocery trips, unfortunately, it's produce from the market, it seems, and thus it's more expensive. I'll hold out til Saturday, or until they get some sort of wholesale going. The dairy is alright in selection and price, but yes, they need more staples. Pastries are super fantastic and well-priced.
Also, I have two service gripes. I'm pretty patient with service issues because I used to work in the industry, but these two have really bugged me. First, one of the guys there always offers me other things when I'm buying. I don't want them. The few times I have gotten pastry I've been asked if I want a coffee, annoying but understandable. However when I am buying a sandwich and I have already said, "Yes I WILL have a coffee now that you mention it," please don't then try to sell me cheese and soprasseta. I do not want.
Also, today I was picking something up, and decided to get a cupcake for my boyfriend. There was someone waiting on another couple, and one guy was free. He could not have been less excited to help me. I mean we are about a step from eye-rolling. I'm sorry, am I bothering you I had to deal with this exchange:
"Can I have a chocolate with vanilla butter cream?"
"Pfft. They're all butter cream. (Yes, there was vanilla and chocolate. Hence my specification. I guess you didn't hear me? No need to be an ass, even if I didn't know.)"
"Okay can I have the vanilla butter cream?"
"Heavy sigh"
Having finished with the other customer, the very nice other attendant came over and made small talk with me while my things were boxed up. He made a joke and was very personable. Upon returning, my clerk gave us a look of daggers. He rang me up, didn't say thank you, and then returned my "Have a good day" with "Yep." Seriously? Even on my worst days I've never been this rude to a customer in an empty store. You work in a neighborhood where people are friendly and are trying to build a diverse community. Get over yourself.
If I go back and this guy is pleasant to me, I'll absolutely update my review with at least one more star. I do believe in a bad day, I know I've had them. But honestly he was just shitty.
This is a first impressions/first week open review, so take it for what it's worth. I think Milk and Honey has great potential but they're probably still finding their way. I was a little confused when I first walked in: what was this place? A meatless deli? Well, there was some meat but there seemed to be a bigger emphasis on cheeses, dairy products, fruit, and deli salads. This shouldn't be too surprising, the place is called Milk and Honey. Besides the deli counter, there were some shelves with dry food items sparsely arranged for purchase... but I think I'd be more excited to see these shelves overflowing with options. I didn't come here to oogle organic food options however; I came to check out the paninis. The one I got had some kind of cured meat, arugula, and fontina cheese. It was pretty tasty, but not that large for its $6.50 price. Also, adding a side was another $2. Seemed a little steep for lunch, organic or otherwise. I passed on the side and got an apple for 50 cents. I will note that there was no tax on this, so $7 was my final price. I was hoping that M&H could be the type of market I could pop in to pick up a quick lunch or dinner, but I think given the portions, I'm not sure it'd be worth the price of really filling up. I'll certainly be stopping in again and hopefully will get a feel for what's great at this local shop.
So, its nicely done inside and its new. but once the novelty wears off, the place is going to need more substance. The stock is sparse. What they have is good, but there just isn't much of an inventory. What it does, is offer convenience. And you certainly pay for it. If I have a craving for good cheese or a cured meat and I am not too picky, I can walk down the block and pick something up. but, you are going to pay for it. It was new, I wanted to see what they had so I admit, I did spend $30+ on a loaf of bread, a quart of ice cream, a block of cured meat and cheese. But, I do like going to a market, looking, having a large selection and get a pretty good value. So, for the things they have at Milk and Honey, I will go to the Italian Market's various cheese shops, salumerias, and bakeries to pick up the bulk of what I need for a bit better price and better selection. Or there is always the Terminal. Milk and honey will be there for the cheese and cured meat emergency when I am out and I am craving something or I need some WHYY icecream. MMM...Bassets. but I can't see it as a regular stop for me. It will definitely be a life savor though for the days I really crave those seratonin boosting cheese and icecream at 7:30 at night and we are fresh out. I welcome it to the neighborhood, just wish it would be a bit more practical for the neighborhood. I really don't think everyone wants to buy 6 ounces of strawberry yogurt for $1.90.