The venerable public market is experiencing something of a deserved renaissance as of late. Harkening back to the era of fish mongers and well, practically anything mongers, the noise, crowds and bustle of a public market evoke romanticized notions of a more sepia-toned era, when the concepts of commerce and customer service were less sterile and homogenized, more personal. Within the past year, a new Milwaukee Public Market opened, Eastern Market in Washington, DC was reopened, and both the Moore Street Market in Brooklyn and the Eastern Market in Detroit have undergone renovations. Philadelphia, with 30 outdoor seasonal markets and 200 local gardens, has embarked on a veritable public market binge with the goal of bringing local food within a ten minute walk of 75% of the residents.
The impetus for the renewed public market surge can be traced to a multitude of factors. In the current economy whether or not the checkbook bears it out, certain shoppers simply “feel” better purchasing goods and products at the public market as opposed to the corporate, big box “hyper-grocery.” In addition, locavore, slow food and farm-to-table movements coalesce seamlessly with smart growth urbanistas in the historic vibe of 19th century era public marketplaces. Finally, well - it’s fun. Who doesn’t enjoy strolling the stalls, chatting with vendors and picking out some of the tastiest, freshest fruits and vegetables and finest cuts of meat available?
Cincinnati’s Findlay Market is no exception when it comes to the recent uptick in popularity. In fact, based on my highly unscientific experiences, aside and apart from foot counts, the buzz at Findlay this past summer has been absolutely palpable.
Ohio’s oldest public market, Findlay has been operating between Race and Elm in Over the Rhine since 1852. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Cincinnati had nine such public markets, serving primarily the residents of the densely populated basin. As time wore on, and the newfangled inclines allowed itchy residents to escape up the hills to the “suburbs,” neighborhood grocery stores began popping up with more frequency as the traditional public markets gradually disappeared. Today, Findlay Market remains the sole survivor of that long ago time, although the Court Street Marketplace at the corner of Court and Vine still operates weekly in a nod to what was once an enormous wholesale 19th century farmer’s market at that location.
While Findlay Market is thriving today, not too long ago the market was beset by salacious stories of internecine squabbling and rumors of vendors fleeing. Customers counts were down, occupied stalls were thinning out a bit, and the natives were most decidedly restless. The recently enacted proposal to open on Sundays was originally met with howls of blasphemy by some of the more entrenched market veterans. To spice things up even more, a public market “civil war” was brewing as interlopers from Covington tried to lure vendors across the river to what they hoped would be a competing market. To its credit, the non-profit Corporation for Findlay Market refused to blink, and Sundays now are the second busiest day, offering a welcome and more laid back respite from the frenzied masses of Saturday shopping.
The reasons for the Market’s uptick in popularity can also be pegged down to a micro-level. More vendors and more variety, including ready-to-eat food, have encouraged more people to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere. Even better, the opportunity to imbibe in beer and wine has provided yet another vaguely European catalyst to the whole communal marketplace scene. Market Wines, in the former historic Elder Cafe/bar on the northwest side of the Market, has an old world charm as if its been there forever. Owner Michael Maxwell acts as the de facto sommelier, orchestrating wine tastings every Saturday and Sunday, as well as Tuesdays from 3pm until 6pm, and has amassed a nice little following. Patrons bring in assorted meats, cheeses, breads, etc., and put together handy little appetizers on the spot as they savor the wine offerings. If you didn’t know better, judging by the loud conversations and laughter echoing out the door, you’d think it still was an actual bar.
Add to this the wildly popular Biergarten, operated by the non-profit Over the Rhine Foundation and the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, proudly serving such historic Cincinnati suds as 22 oz. Christian Moerlein Over the Rhine drafts, as well as Little Kings, Hudy, and Burger products. Not surprisingly, with the popularity of the wine and beer offerings, market patrons tend to linger a bit longer, not rushing to their cars, but rather sitting under the tents for lively conversation and a few cold ones. Be sure and visit on Sunday, August 23, as there will be a City Council Candidates Forum in the tradition and spirit of the original OTR biergartens. According to Brewery District President and Biergarten biertender, Steve Hampton, Labor Day weekend will be the last weekend of operation until next year, so check it out before it’s too late.
New additions to the Market’s vendor mix have only added to the buzz. A new Greek Gyro stand, Areti’s, has opened across from the always popular Kroeger & Sons sausage counter. In addition, peripatetic Belgian waffle king extraordinaire, Jean-Francois Flechet, has moved his Taste from Belgium into an expanded space in the center of the market house selling his famed waffles and crepes as well as baked goods, calzones and other assorted delicacies. Even more recently, Northside resident and Austin, Texas émigré Michael Christner opened his popular Dojo Gelato stand at the west end of the Market House. In a nod to his new home, Christner has even fashioned a Porkopolis flavor among his varied offerings, involving bacon from the aforementioned Kroeger & Sons. Indeed, Christner is a veritable Elmer Gantry of the bacon ice cream circuit, preaching the gospel and gaining converts by the day.
Yet another new entry is the World Food Bar, the brainchild of enthusiastic chef Joshua Stephen Campbell. Campbell left Cincinnati to attend culinary school in Florida in 1999, and has since trotted the globe cooking food everywhere from Thailand to the Bahamas. His World Food Bar typically prepares a dazzling array of salads and ready to heat entrees at amazingly reasonable prices. In addition, he has launched a nascent “secret” dinner club, where foodies and foodie hopefuls sign up in advance for a prix fixe 5 course meal paired with wine at a secret downtown location to be announced the day of the event. The initial event, dubbed “Pinot & Pig,” took place two Saturdays ago at the City Cellars store downtown, where a sold out room of 50 enjoyed Campbell’s wide-ranging culinary offerings, with dishes ranging from Lardo Barded Yellow Fin Tuna with Persimmon Carpaccio, Szechuan Button and Keffir Lime Espuma to 48 Hour Sous Vide of Pork Shank with Sunflower Seed Risotto and Carrot Cumin Reduction (vegetarian options were also available). Campbell hopes to have two events per month, each with a different culinary theme, and at different locations around town.
Of course, the new vendors described above provide further connectivity with the established and more traditional merchants, all of which combines to provide a more vibrant and successful market. As far as sheer numbers are concerned, the foot count at Findlay is way up this year, a marked and steady progression that has been continuing for several years now. According to Corporation President Bob Pickford, an estimated 612,300 shoppers visited the Market in 2008. This number was arrived at with the assistance of UC students and faculty using a complicated system of electronic door 'clicks,' surveys and statistical analysis. In fact, foot traffic averaged out per day has increased steadily since 2005 to the point that the average Saturday now draws 8,550 eager patrons versus 5,987 just four years ago. Moreover, surveys show that those customers come from over 80 different zip codes.
It is important to note that the Market is not just for weekends, as most of the vendors are open during the week, and there is also a Tuesday farmer’s market. One of the key complaints voiced by some vendors is about getting more foot traffic during the week, a challenging prospect at best or at least until the streetcar rolls into town. While some point to the Corporation as not doing enough to promote the weekday hours, others point at the fact that not all of the vendors are rowing in the exactly same direction. Ultimately, the Market could potentially stay open an hour later in order to better capture the after work traffic during the week. While it is exceedingly convenient during the week to just drive down Elder and pull right up to the shed or store, pulling that off before 6 pm is a bit of a stretch for many. With some better hours, it’s far superior to navigating the local supermarket lot.
Finally, a note about the streetcar because apparently no Soapdish column is complete without one or two references: Roughly speaking, the initial leg of the proposed streetcar route would run from the Banks through downtown into OTR and around Findlay Market and back, with the Market being a focal point at the northern terminus of Phase I. Knee-jerk critics like to point to the map and derisively refer to the proposal as a “choo choo train to nowhere.”
Those critics should keep in mind that over 612,300 annual shoppers and the Findlay Market merchants who depend on their business would respectfully disagree.
Missed our video tour of Findlay market and want to see what all the buzz is about? Watch it here.
Photography by Scott Beseler
Taste of Belgium
Dojo Gelato
Findlay Market facades
Market Wines
Bauer Farms
Luken's Seafood