Philadelphia! Read online

  “I had no idea!” Emilia whispered to Emma.

  “Yeah,” Emma whispered back. “It’s really cool! The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed here. And it was even used as a hospital for wounded soldiers in the Revolutionary War.”

  “Wow,” the tour guide said, overhearing Emma. “You have quite a future as a tour guide!” Alfie thought he saw Emma blush as the whole tour turned and smiled.

  Once the tour was over, Emma and the Bertolizzis walked out into the square.

  “That was so cool!” Emilia said.

  “It really was,” Mom agreed.

  “All that history made me hungry!” Alfie said.

  Everybody laughed.

  “I know just the place,” Emma said, leading the family up to bustling Market Street.

  After walking several blocks, they reached a brick building with a big sign in red letters above the entrance.

  “Reading Terminal Market,” Alfie read aloud.

  “This is one of the oldest markets in America,” Emma told them. “It opened in 1892.”

  “Wow!” Emilia said.

  They stepped inside the busy space. There were signs everywhere pointing to different types of vendors: meat shops, cheese shops, bakeries, produce, coffee, ice cream—almost anything you could think of!

  “There are also stalls that sell books, flowers, and lots of other things!” Emma said.

  The family walked the aisles of the market, accepting samples of delicious breads, cheeses, and prepared foods. Mom and Zia stopped to look at a stand full of cookbooks. While they were doing that, Emma walked over to a ceramics stall and spoke to the woman there.

  “I’ll have your new vases ready next week,” the woman told Emma. “I think they’re going to be the perfect centerpieces for your tables at the restaurant.”

  “I’ll let my mom know,” Emma said. “We’re working on sprucing up the restaurant, so I know she’s really excited to see them.”

  “Tell your parents hello for me,” the woman added. “I’ll be sure to call as soon as they’re finished.”

  Emma nodded and waved good-bye. Then she led the way down the aisle to a pretzel counter at the end of the row.

  “Soft pretzels are big here in Philly,” Emma said. “I thought you might like to try one.”

  “Yes, please!” Alfie said.

  They all ordered salted pretzels and then chose different dipping sauces. Alfie and Emma had cheese sauce on theirs, while Emilia tried honey mustard. Zia and Dad both went for spicy mustard, and Mom chose regular yellow mustard. They washed down the pretzels with frozen lemonade. Alfie was in heaven dipping his warm, doughy pretzel into the cheese sauce.

  Mom, Dad, and Zia sat on a bench next to the pretzel stand while Alfie, Emilia, and Emma stood at a tall counter.

  “How long has your family owned the Liberty Hotel?” Emilia asked Emma between bites.

  “It’s been passed down through my dad’s family for at least fifty years,” Emma said. “And it’s been a hotel since the early nineteen hundreds. Before that, it was a hospital. My parents moved in when they first got married and took over from my grandparents, so they’ve lived there since before I was born! My mom makes all the food in the restaurant from scratch. She taught herself to cook, and now she’s teaching me.”

  “Zia has been teaching Alfie and me to cook, too,” Emilia said. “It’s so much fun.”

  Emma nodded. “I think I might want to be a chef someday. Well, either that or a writer . . . Or a musician . . .” Emma laughed. “I guess I haven’t really decided yet.”

  “I’ve thought about being a chef, too, thanks to Zia,” Alfie said. “But I also like music a lot. I play the drums!”

  Emma beamed. “I’m going to learn guitar this summer. I can’t wait!”

  “Nice!” Alfie said.

  “I can’t imagine living in a hotel—especially such an old one,” Emilia said. “It must be so cool!”

  “It is! I really love it,” Emma answered. “We have an apartment on the top floor, but whenever I have friends over to spend the night, my parents let us choose one of the rooms to stay in.”

  “That would be so awesome!” Alfie said.

  “For my birthday last year, they let us have an entire floor to ourselves!”

  “That’s what I want for my next birthday!” Emilia said.

  “Good luck convincing Mom and Dad,” Alfie replied.

  “Living in a hotel has its downsides, too, though,” Emma said, suddenly growing serious. “At least living in our hotel . . .”

  “What do you m—” Alfie started to ask.

  “Ready to go?” Dad interrupted, approaching the counter.

  Everybody was up and moving before Alfie had a chance to ask Emma what she’d meant. He’d have to remember to ask her later. He wanted to know what could possibly be bad about living in a hotel!

  Twenty minutes later, the family and Emma walked into the hotel lobby happily talking about all the cool stuff they’d seen and learned that day. But they stopped short in front of the reception desk. There was a group of angry guests, surrounded by their luggage. One man had his arms folded across his chest with a scowl on his face. Another woman stood off to the side, tapping her foot.

  Emma’s dad, John, was behind the desk, shuffling paperwork and looking frazzled.

  “Normally we charge a fee for a last-minute cancellation,” John was saying. “But we will waive the fee this time.”

  “Good,” the woman said. “I’m happy to pay for the nights that we stayed, but I don’t want to be charged anything extra.”

  Emma walked behind the desk and stood next to her dad. “Is everything all right?” she asked.

  John put on a tense smile. “These guests were unhappy with their stay, unfortunately, so they’re checking out early.”

  “Oh,” Emma said as she looked at her dad.

  “There was a leaking pipe in my room,” the man complained. “Water was everywhere! We were so excited to stay at the famous Liberty Hotel, but it just didn’t live up to our expectations.”

  Emma’s dad finished refunding the unhappy guests’ credit cards. Then he helped them carry their luggage out to their cars. When he returned, he tried to put a smile on his face, but it seemed forced. “Sorry about that, folks,” he said. “We’ve been having this problem for a while. Has your stay been uncomfortable?”

  “Not at all,” Mom said.

  “I think the rooms are very charming,” Zia added. “I was so happy when we found your hotel!”

  John nodded. “I’ve been keeping up with repairs as much as I can, but lately it’s just one thing after another—as soon as one thing is fixed, something else breaks.”

  Alfie realized this must be what Emma meant about living in the hotel having its downsides.

  “That’s a tough situation,” Dad said.

  “We have the option to sell,” John continued. “But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  Emma turned to Alfie and Emilia. “I hate the idea of selling,” she told them. “Especially to a developer.”

  “A developer?” Emilia asked.

  “Yeah. He’s known all over town for tearing down old buildings and putting up new condos,” she continued.

  Emilia gasped. “He wouldn’t really tear down the Liberty Hotel, would he?”

  Emma frowned. “He might,” she said.

  “That would be terrible!” Emilia cried. “What would your family do if you sold?”

  “My grandma has a house in South Philly with plenty of room,” Emma replied. “She’s already said we can live there as long as we want if we have to sell the hotel. It’s just so hard to imagine not having it in our family anymore.” Emma sighed. “I’m sorry to be so down. Everything will work out . . . somehow.”

  “It will
!” Emilia tried to sound encouraging.

  Alfie nodded, but he still didn’t know what to say.

  After a moment, Emma finally spoke. “I should go help my mom in the kitchen,” she said. “See you later.”

  “Thanks for everything today,” Alfie said. “It was really awesome having our very own tour guide.”

  “You’re welcome,” Emma said with a smile.

  The family made their way up to the third floor. Alfie and Emilia lagged behind.

  “Will everything work out?” Alfie asked Emilia.

  Emilia frowned. “I don’t know. I hope so!”

  “I wish there was something we could do to help,” Alfie said.

  “Me too,” Emilia replied.

  After a rest at the hotel, the family was hungry and ready for dinner! They headed downstairs and found John at the reception desk.

  “Do you have any recommendations for dinner?” Mom asked him.

  “Well, there’s our restaurant here at the Liberty. Or I’m happy to recommend something else if there’s a specific type of food you’re looking for.”

  “Oh, let’s eat here!” Zia said. “My friends brought me here years ago, and I’d love to try it again.”

  John beamed. “My wife will be thrilled. Follow me!”

  John led the way into the restaurant. There were groups of diners at several other tables. Alfie scanned the food as they walked past. It looked really good.

  They sat at a large round table in the corner of the restaurant. Before long, Emma came out of the kitchen with a bunch of menus and a pitcher of water. “Hi! I’m so glad you came. We’re doing a special seafood menu tonight,” she said as she set the small handwritten menus on the table. “Normally our menu is more American food, but we’re trying to spice things up and do a special menu a couple of nights a week.”

  “Everything looks delicious,” Mom said as she looked at the menu.

  “Yes, it does!” Zia agreed.

  Emma filled their water glasses. “I’ll be back to take your order.”

  “Thanks, Emma!” Emilia said.

  Alfie looked at the menu. He saw clams, mussels, and scallops in one of the dishes. He pointed it out to Emilia. “Isn’t this what was in that seafood paella in Miami?”

  “Yes!” Emilia said. “I’m definitely getting that.”

  Alfie made a face. He definitely wasn’t. Then his eyes landed on fish-and-chips. That sounded perfect.

  Dad set his menu on the table. “I still can’t believe you kids have been on so many adventures. Did you really have seafood paella in Miami?”

  Alfie grinned. “Yep. At a food festival. We had lots of Cuban and other Caribbean food, too. It was so good!”

  Mom looked at Zia and then back at Alfie and Emilia. “What else have you tried?”

  “We went to the Festa di Pizza in Naples!” Alfie said. “And we tried frog legs in Paris.”

  Mom’s and Dad’s eyes grew wide. “You did?!”

  “And we had chicken feet in Hong Kong, alligator tail in New Orleans, and poi in Hawaii!” Emilia added.

  Emma approached their table again. “Are you ready to order?”

  “I’ll have the fish-and-chips, please!” Alfie said.

  “And I’ll have the seafood chowder,” Emilia said.

  “Great choices!” Emma said.

  Mom ordered the halibut, Zia ordered crab cakes, and Dad ordered lobster tail. Mom gave him a look after Emma left. “Mauricio, that’s the most expensive thing on the menu!”

  “Hey! We’re on vacation,” Dad said. “Time to live it up!”

  Everybody laughed, including Mom.

  “I’m really amazed by the adventures you’ve had,” Dad said. “What was your favorite part?”

  “I think it’s the people we’ve met,” Emilia said. “Everyone was so friendly and happy to show us around.”

  “And it’s already the same on this trip,” Alfie added. “Emma and her family are such great hosts.”

  “They really are,” Zia said, looking around the restaurant. “I feel so bad that they’re having problems. It’s such a great old building.”

  “I wonder what would happen to it if they had to sell,” Mom said.

  “That developer can’t really tear it down, can he?” Emilia asked.

  “Old buildings get replaced all the time,” said Dad.

  Before long, the busboy carried over a serving tray with steaming plates of hot seafood. Everyone dug in eagerly. Alfie dribbled a bit of malted vinegar over his fried fish and then dipped it in tartar sauce.

  “Want a bite of my chowder?” Emilia asked Alfie. She had a sly look on her face, like she knew Alfie wouldn’t like it. That made him want to accept the challenge even more.

  “Okay,” he said, picking up a spoon. He made sure to get a bite that included a mussel. He let the rich broth coat his mouth with a burst of flavors. The mussel was a bit chewy, but it wasn’t too bad this time. “It’s still not my favorite, but I like the broth a lot.”

  Emilia nodded. “It’s really delicious!”

  “Mine is, too,” Zia said. “The mango salsa on these crab cakes is such an interesting twist.”

  “I haven’t had lobster tail in ages,” Dad added between bites. “This makes it worth the wait.”

  Everyone dug in and enjoyed the delicious food. As the meal came to a close, Mom spoke up. “Alfie! Your birthday is in two days. You still haven’t told us what you want!”

  Alfie sat back from the table, full from his meal. “I’ve been having so much fun in Philadelphia that I haven’t really thought about it. I’m just not sure.”

  “Well, keep thinking,” Dad said.

  “I will.”

  “How was everything?” Emma asked as she and the busboy cleared away empty plates.

  “It was wonderful,” Zia said.

  “I can’t remember the last time I had seafood this good,” Dad agreed.

  Emma smiled proudly. “I’m so glad! Did you save room for dessert?”

  Mom started to say no, but Dad chimed in. “What do you say, kids?”

  “I’ve never said no to dessert before,” Alfie answered immediately. “Why start now?”

  Zia and Mom laughed. “I like your thinking,” Zia said.

  They decided to get two desserts to share: a Philadelphia cream cheese brownie and a piece of Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

  Just as they finished the delicious desserts, a woman came out of the kitchen. “I’m Ann, Emma’s mom,” she said. “Emma has told me so much about you.”

  “It’s really nice to meet you, Ann,” Dad said. “You have such a beautiful hotel.”

  “Thank you!” Ann said.

  “And your food is absolutely divine,” Zia said. “Emma told us you’re self-taught.”

  Ann laughed. “Yes, that’s true. I’ve been cooking for a long time now. I have a few good tricks up my sleeve.”

  Zia smiled. “Perhaps we can trade some recipe secrets.”

  “That would be wonderful!” Ann said. “Why don’t you join us for breakfast in the morning?”

  “Thank you,” Dad said. “We will!”

  After all that food, the Bertolizzis decided to take a walk.

  As they walked out of the hotel and onto the quiet street, Alfie and Dad held their stomachs. Mom, Emilia, and Zia couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I knew you’d be too full, Mauricio,” Mom said.

  “I just couldn’t help myself,” Dad replied. “But walking will help me digest.” The family strolled through the streets of Philadelphia. It was much quieter than it had been that afternoon, and a few places were closing for the night. Old-fashioned street lamps lit up the sidewalks and cast shadows on the brick buildings. Alfie thought the city looked even more historic at night than during the day.


  On the corner of a busy street, they found a drugstore that was still open so they could buy toothpaste, toothbrushes, and a few other things. There were a couple of racks of touristy T-shirts, so they each picked out one of those. Emilia chose a shirt with a portrait of Ben Franklin. Alfie grabbed one with a picture of a cheesesteak.

  “A cheesesteak?” Mom said, laughing. “Have you ever had one, Alfie?”

  “Not yet!” Alfie answered. “But I bet I’ll like it.”

  “I sure hope you do,” Dad joked, poking Alfie in the stomach.

  “We’ll get a couple more things tomorrow when clothing stores are open,” Mom said as she took their purchases to the counter.

  When they got back to the hotel, Mom convinced them to take the stairs up to their rooms. “We need all the exercise we can get after that meal!” she said.

  “That food was so good,” Alfie remarked. “They can’t close the hotel!”

  “I agree,” Zia said. “I hope they can figure out a way to stay in business.”

  When they finally reached the third floor, everybody said good night and went to their rooms to settle in. Alfie and Emilia brushed their teeth and then jumped into the double beds.

  “It’s so different this time, having Mom and Dad and Zia along,” Emilia said as she turned off the lamp on her bedside table.

  “I know!” Alfie agreed. “I like it, though—especially going to nice restaurants and ordering whatever we want!”

  Emilia laughed. “That dinner was so yummy.”

  Just then, Alfie and Emilia heard a loud clanging noise.

  “What was that?” Emilia said, quickly turning the lamp back on.

  “I have no idea,” Alfie replied. They heard the clang again.

  “It . . . it must just be the old building, right?” Emilia asked tentatively.

  “I hope so!” Alfie said. “Unless it’s haunted, too.”

  Emilia threw a pillow at her brother. “Don’t say that! I won’t be able to sleep.”