WE FOUND A COUPLE HONEYS AT THE MARKET
Just Because
So the Downtown Phoenix Public Market is officially open on a daily basis. What’s that mean? It’s supposed to mean that you can shop for fresh, local, organic stuff inside a building anytime you want – as opposed to hitting the tented parking-lot affair that takes place every Saturday morning and Wednesday afternoon. We totally realize that that market just opened and has a long way to go, but it’s off to a rough start.
Our walk through yesterday revealed vast stretches of empty shelves and where there was product, it was simply a widdled down version of your usual farmer’s market faves – honey from McClendon’s Select, tortillas from that tortilla guy, DeCio pasta, Double Check Ranch beef, and some lettuce. We hate to get down on such a worthy cause, but is this really the best we can do? Maybe those Oakville Grocery guys opening up in Scottsdale have got it right—mix the local stuff with the national stuff, so then there’s actually product to buy.
See for yourself:
721 N. Central
(SE Corner of Central Ave. & McKinley St.)
www.foodconnect.org/phoenixmarket
2 Responses to “WE FOUND A COUPLE HONEYS AT THE MARKET”
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No worries about the empty shelves they are filling up as this is being typed with all sorts of great products. A small delivery issue prevented us from getting more on the shelves. The new products are local and a few regional for those items not available in Arizona–which has always been the aim of the Urban Grocery (the outdoor market is all local). We ask your patience-good things can take a bit of time especially when you have the public goal of helping small local business and profit is not your sole motive.
I’ve sometimes felt that the Downtown Phoenix Public Market valued locavore purity at the expense of a comprehensive shopping experience, so I commend the new indoor market for showing some flexibility by allowing a limited number of items from out of state. Of course, I’ve also heard some grumbling about that decision; no course of action will make everyone happy.
I will point out that the indoor market already carries Sweet Republic ice cream and Simply Bread, two outstanding local food products that are not typically sold at the outdoor market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For those two items alone, I’ll add the new indoor market to my shopping routine.