Who knew the
humble mushroom could inspire an entire city?
When touring
the Brandywine River Valley in Pennsylvania, anyone with even a slight
inclination towards the culinary arts would be compelled to visit Kennett
Square, the “Mushroom Capital of the World.”
They say you
can smell the mushrooms for miles. Well,
maybe I was downwind, but the historic town of Kennett Square certainly has a
“shroomy” appeal.
The mushroom
farms surrounding Kennett Square are rumored to produce over a million pounds
of mushrooms a week. In fact, half of
the cultivated mushrooms sold in America are grown in and around Kennett
Square. For a primer on how the mushroom mania got started, click here.
In order to
preserve the integrity of the mushrooms, visits to the various farms are
generally prohibited, but Kennett Square is renown for its annual mushroom
festival that takes place each September. If you miss the festival, don't worry. As they say in Kennett Square, "shiitake happens."
If you
happen to visit at any other time of year, no walk through Kennett Square is
complete without a visit to The Mushroom Cap – part gourmet food store, part boutique
and part mushroom museum.
Located at
114 W State Street in the heart of Kennett Square, it’s the ultimate
celebration of the shroom.
In fact, a waiter at a local restaurant told
us it’s the only place you can
actually buy fresh mushrooms in the Mushroom Capital of the World. But, there is so much more, including Mushroom crockery…
Mushroom sculpture…
Mushroom artifacts…
Mushroom trivia…
Mushroom linens….
Mushroom lore…
And, Snack N
Shrooms, a chewy, dried mushroom chip that is deliciously addicting…
After you’ve
satisfied your craving for all kinds of mushroom minutia, cap off the morning
and cross the street for a little nosh at Portabello’s Restaurant.
The portabello flatbread with Gorgonzola
cheese and balsamic vinegar is earthy and divine.
The luscious
State Street Mushroom Soup is spiked with roasted mushrooms, toasted shallots
and Madeira wine – a silky delight!
©2013 T.W.
Barritt All Rights Reserved
