In 2018, OMOI became a TRAVELER'S COMPANY Partner Shop, meaning that TRAVELER'S notebook users can come to our store, and find a welcoming place to share their excitement. Our staff are TN users who love to chat about their setups, and we stock all kinds of rare and limited release TRC items only available at their four flagship shops in Japan.
Just some time ago, it was decided that, as the original TRAVELER'S COMPANY stores have unique collectible stamps at their Tokyo and Kyoto locations, all Partner Shops would also have their own shop stamp that fellow TN users could collect on their travels. Every shop was allowed to pick what their stamp design would be. Some chose famous monuments or scenic views, others chose local icons and popular dishes.
It would have been easy to go with a historical monument—OMOI has been in its Old City location since 2015, called so because of its status as the original colonial neighborhood of early Philadelphia, and its abundance of historical sites important to the founding of the city and the country. Just a few blocks away stand the Liberty Bell, Independence Mall where the US constitution was signed, Benjamin Franklin's Printing Press, the Betsy Ross House, The President's House, and a dozen or so excellent museums that give insight to the many storylines of the country's making.
So that's cool, but given the opportunity, we thought it would be even cooler for our stamp design to showcase a real piece of Philly culture, one that isn't immediately obvious to new visitors of the city: A soft pretzel with water ice.
For Philadelphians, a soft pretzel with a water ice has been a familiar snack since childhood. A summer staple, for sure. A regular recess food, definitely. And a reliable and affordable holdover between meals, for generations. Early German settlers brought pretzels to what would become Pennsylvania at large, and apparently our state eats more pretzels than any other in the country to this day.
A Philly soft pretzel is different from a New York soft pretzel and different from a movie theater pretzel. It's crusty on the outside without being hard, and deliciously doughy on the inside. Goes great with mustard. It has a unique shape, too. Regrettably, there are no reliable places to get a soft pretzel in our whole neighborhood (sike — with the exception of Sassafrass Market, who sometimes has them in a bin by the counter). But who has water ice?
It was starting to bother us that we had a pretzel and water ice on our Partner Shop stamp, but nowhere in the immediate area we could send people to get any. We have a chain called Rita's Water Ice, and it's nice, but Philly has so many local water ice mainstays with unique offerings. Was there anyone like that close by?
John's was. A 15ish minute walk south from our shop. John's Water Ice — a classic corner establishment with an order window only and a line in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, early in the water ice season no less. Construction workers on a break, families with little kids, 20-somethings with their buddies, and us on our research expedition — we joined the queue. It was later in the day. Pretzels had sold out. Well, what flavor do you want?
Lemon (classic). Mango (modern classic). Strawberry (rare!) The flavors were nice and refreshing and not overly sweet — like you know how you can tell some places use straight syrup? This you could tell was real fruit. Each had the perfect texture, super smooth and creamy for being ice. And the price was nice, too. What a treat and a treasure to have nearby.
John's Water Ice
701 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19147