I had my shopping list ready. I still needed most of the ingredients for my Girls Only Dinner Party that very night. I figured I’d run to Meijer or Aldi’s after brunch with my former student/Very Good Friend. But, when she suggested that we eat at Russell Street Deli at Detroit’s Eastern Market, I grabbed a reusable grocery bag and made sure I had cash on hand.
My friend and I split two of the yummiest omelets I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating, along with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, all made with ingredients bought fresh from the stalls at the Eastern Market. And then we started to wander. There was so much to see and hear and smell, from the vivid reds and greens and purples of garden-fresh produce to the hawking cries of vendors to the silver-painted street performer proffering gladiolas to passers-by.
If you’ve never been to the Eastern Market, head down there the next weekend you have free. This is the farmer’s market taken to the highest heights: fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, jams, eggs and cheeses. It’s all there. And it’s all Michigan-made and grown, so you’re supporting local agriculture and business.
I figured I’d at least get good produce and eggs, and I did—much fresher, tastier, and cheaper than at any big grocery store! But I also found fresh (not frozen!) salmon at Eastern Market Seafood, and I found items like walnuts and powdered sugar and apricot nectar at Rocky Peanut Co., a fabulous bulk-foods store. I walked away with my entire list crossed off, my bag bulging, and the marvelous knowledge that I’d saved money and supported the local economy while having a wonderful time with a good friend.
It’s worth the visit. Head over to Mack Avenue and Russell Street (right off I-75, I-96, and I-94 at the highway interchanges) and explore the sensational sights and sounds of Detroit’s Eastern Market! And take along your reusable bags and even a wagon! You’ll be glad you did.
TeacherMommy is a 31-year-old mother of two and a high school English teacher somewhere in a northwest suburb of Detroit. She spends her time at work quelling teenagers with her patented glare and threatening to deposit them in a pottery jar labelled “Ashes of Obnoxious Teenagers,” and occasionally she manages to teach them something about literature and writing. At home, she alternates cuddling two small boys and tearing her hair out over their latest antics. TeacherMommy also occupies way too much time online reading blogs, Twittering, and practicing her writing skills on her own blog, Diapers and Dragons.
