Market Memories
I used to go to the market every Saturday morning with my Grandmother. We would go to the old one and she just had to visit all her friends, argue with the corn people about the type of corn...she loved Seneca Chief and knew her stuff. It was funny, she had to go upstairs to see the chicken lady and get 3 chicken legs, no more no less, then she would take 10 minutes to go down the ramp from the 2nd floor. God help me if I tried to help her or take her Granny cart from her (she was in her 90’s and lied about her age). She taught me about fresh food, who to buy from and how to choose produce. She had some odd methods and couldn’t really cook well but she bought well. Before the old market closed I would always get weepy as I walked up the ramp, I felt her presence. I guess that is why I miss it.
The old market was great, but it was rather dirty. Lucky for her, she passed away before the market went into a tailspin, closed and was reborn on Ottawa Street.
I can state that I have never been a fan of the ‘new market’. It just doesn’t feel right to me and there are too few farmers. I used to love to buy from Farmer Bobs and just loved to see the seasons go by. The current market just seems to supermarkety to me. True some growers still go there and I try to see their products, but the feel is gone.
Are there bright spots? Yes there are reasons to go.
Produce: there are still growers from the county: Simpson Orchards is my fav as this is where I get my cider apples
The others are good too...I have nothing against the fruit mongers but I like the farmers
Cheese: now the cheese lady successor is quite good and they have a wonderful selection….they carry the stuff from Niagara...yum...seems we are always overstocked when we are there
Fish: the new fish monger seems ok...product and price good...lots of perch and pickerel
Bakeries: I miss Adler...ok that dates me but the new ones are ok and well ok
Meat: Good stuff, but I want organic boar again so I’m boycotting Fieldgate Organics (lol not really but the boar was wonderful). Try Gourmet Butcher...Mac is an old mate of mine.
The sausage availability at the market is wonderful. An Eastern European feel is with the sausages and that to me is good.
Olives: the seem better from the market. Get some garlic stuffed from Romano’s. Makes a wonderful Martini which is better than Pete the Younger’s. Actually, the olives are worth the trip.
I truly think that an decent city has at least one good market. Though I don’t care for the new market, it is all we have, so I guess I have to live with it. If I had my way I would take Eddie Francis on a field trip to Eastern Market in Detroit and show him a real market. Farmers, vendors, food, drink; the have it all. I like it better than Kensington Market. We could have that here in a smaller size, but a nice one...we used to have one.
