Several historic photos of the edifice hang throughout Reading Terminal Market. A turn of the (20th) century photo includes horse-drawn carriages.

Owner Jack McDavid’s motto is “Save the Farm,” so it makes sense Down Home Diner’s sign would flaunt a Holstein cow.

Down Home Diner dates to 1987 and serves some of the region’s greatest dishes in a classic setting. The diner’s rolling pin logo fits; Down Home’s tasty biscuits are made on-site.

Pennsylvania’s finest breakfast meat is made with leftover pork parts, cornmeal, flour, and meat broth. According to a Down Home Diner T-shirt, “The name is derived from a Medieval English word for leftovers mixed up with the German word “Panhaskreppel” (a thin slice of pot pudding) and the Netherlands Dutch word “Shrapelkoekeje” (mush or panhas fried on a hoe or shovel).” O…kay. Anyhoo, the “meat” crisps on the grill and is really pretty tasty served with good cubed potatoes and skin-on stewed apples, which weren’t syrupy or sweet.

After taking a food-free red-eye flight from Los Angeles, one scrapple plate wasn’t enough. Irregularly shaped corned beef hash, crisped on the grill, tasted terrific mixed with cubed potatoes and topped with “two eyes open.”

My breakfast companion was a friend from Lancaster County, the epicenter for Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, and he was very happy with Down Home Diner food. A plate of tremendous sugar-cured ham included poached eggs, fresh tomatoes, and more stewed apples.

This French toast was moist and delicious, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

A sampling of fresh Lancaster County produce included cherry tomatoes, peas, and asparagus spears that all looked terrific, but it’s not like I was going to cook.

I saw scrapple in its raw form, along with smoked kielbasa and hickory smoked bacon.

Bee Natural features bee products like honey and wax. Watch hundreds of bees building a burgeoning honeycomb behind glass.

In a city known for soft pretzels, Paul Fisher’s establishment has a strong reputation.

An Amish woman rolled dough behind glass for one of Fisher’s magical soft pretzels.

Brushing pretzels with melted butter turned out to be a winning idea.

These pretzels look like they’d have crisp crunch, but each bite was cloud-soft.

The Reading Terminal Market may not be David and Jane Auspitz’s primary location, but even the offshoot offers superior cookies. They bake on-site in a silver and red oven.

Famous 4th Street offers several jumbo cookie varieties, including Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nuts, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut, and Butter Almond.

Peanut Butter Chocolate and Oatmeal Raisin formed a formidable cookie duo. Oatmeal raisin still had a warm, soft belly.

L.D. Bassett founded Bassetts in 1861, Abe Lincoln’s first year in office. Bassetts first occupied the Reading Terminal Market in 1893, producing ice cream in the basement. It’s been in the same location ever since, offering classic ice creams, floats and shakes. There are even 97% fat free yogurts and sorbets, proving that in subtle ways, Bassetts has had to change with the times.

I bought a cup of peach and butter pecan made using whole pecans. The ice cream was certainly very good, thick with buttercream, with distinct flavors.

Cones overflowed with chocolate chip and chocolate ice cream.