ooooh i can't wait. i love meandering around farmer's markets, purchasing whatever happens to look best that day and figuring out a meal with everything i bought once i get home.

wow i love this time of year.

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Freudian Slips: when you say one thing but mean your mother

an organic produce guy opened up on south between front and second. Best selection of fresh hummus in all of philadelphia. There were a few phillyblog threads about the place.

He only lasted about 3 or 4 months due to an extreme lack of support.

that's too bad. wish i had known about him. i loves me some hummus -- the more garlic the better!

when are going for our dna test ? i'd love nothing more than to start addressing you as "daddy"

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Freudian Slips: when you say one thing but mean your mother

maybe we were part of that polygamist sect. I could be your husband, brother, uncle, and dad at the same time!

Speaking of Chef's Market (whomever spoke of it), that place is in serious need of an upgrade. I would gladly trade it for a Grocery type place or the new Union Market/Gourmet place that opened up on Locust in the Western Union building.

I think we definitely need a gourmet food market, but Chef's Market it is woefully inadequate and just plain bad.

I'm the first to defend any business trying to make it, but I have to admit that chef's market has lost quality while getting more expensive. It used to be that if I needed a quick shrimp fix I'd get them at chef's market and expect to pay a slight tariff-but now they are charging at least $20/lb. for crappier, lesser shrimp than whole foods is selling for $10/lb.!

I still like their sushi, although that's prepared elsewhere, and sells out fast. Anymore I really use them as a convenience store. I pick up soy milk, some hot foods or sushi, and once in a blue moon some bread(if they have anything decent that day).

Still love them for cakes though-the lemon raspberry makes a pretty good birthday cake.

so who went to the opening of the farmers market in headhouse square yesterday? i'm suffering from a horrible sinus headache (allergies) otherwise i would have been there. what did i miss?

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Freudian Slips: when you say one thing but mean your mother

I'd forgotten what a wonderful experience the Sunday morning stop is.

Not all the vendors from last year (like North Star Orchards) were there yesterday, but most of our favorites were. Weavers Way Farm was great. Bryan Sikora from Talula's Table was a huge surprise (I couldn't believe it when I saw the smiling face from so many wonderful meals at Django behind the table), and the sausages were incredible. We couldn't wait for dinner...we had to fire up the grill immediately. Every bite was a fabulous burst of flavor like all of Bryan's cooking, and we'll have to buy much, much more next time.

The perennials were about 40% less than Waterloo so we're squeezing a few more into the garden.

We bought all that we could carry.

Sorry you missed it.

this past new years eve, my wife and I werent going out as we just had a baby in December. Instead we picked up some (extremely expensive) rack of lamb from Chef's Market along with a bunch of other (expensive) stuff. We had guests over to toast before they went out to their parties and what not, and imagine my surprise when i unwrapped the rack and found that it was NOT frenched or trimmed! If it hadnt been new years eve, i might have learned how to improve my butchering skills, but this is not what i wanted to learn and execute at 9.00 on NYE after a bottle of champagne. Thanks to Chef's Market, my wife and I celebrated NYE with a pizza delivery

To give them some credit, when i called the next day, they picked it up and refunded the cost, they also offered a (undisclosed) discount if we checked in with the manager on our next visit, but there hasnt been a next visit in 5 months....

oh, i should mention that we ordered the rack in advance and had to call them a few times to find out when it was ready on NYE day as they needed extra time to, erm french and trim it , and did not call us to let us know when it was available for pick up.

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SITUATION: MOISTURIZED
Oh, sweet tversity, why hast thou forsaken me???
thor must be failing
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Keep in mind that the selection at the farmers market will be limited this early on. Its not as if they are able to grow produce year round. I think we are several weeks away from seeing much fresh produce at all...maybe another month?. I think the only fruit/vegs we'll see will be greenhouse grown and thus a bit on the expensive side (I think they had tomatoes for $2 apiece this weekend). That said, they seemed to have plenty of meats, cheeses, etc.

The thing that bugs me about the market is that the people shopping seem clueless that there are other people trying to shop. They walk around in groups....stop to chat in the middle of the walkway. Stop in front of stands and just look at the produce forever, never touching or buying anything...just being in the way. People bringing dogs on leashes and large strollers through....argh.

Get there early before the crowds!

As for Chef's Market, I've never been impressed with their meats, etc. I use them for last minute produce items that were forgotten or we ran out of....such as needing to grab some ginger for a stir fry when you realize yours is moldy 2 minutes before you are ready to fire up the wok. I wonder how many of their total transactions come in under $2. Most of the time I go in there I am spending less than that....and the "Credit card minimum $10" signs are a bit of a giveaway as to their typical transaction costs. I think their catering makes up the vast majority of their business.