Forkin' it over and mixin' it up at the City Market
Variety is key here.
[Hawk]: We've all been to the City Market for lunch.
A sandwich from Sagrati's, a pizza or pasta from Sister's, a whale salad up at the Wild Carrot, or a coffee and sandwich from Java Moose are all popular choices. There's also teriyaki and soups from Slocum's that are always served up with free smiles, or the lite lunch at Lord's, which we all know isn't really that "lite" at all, which is what makes it great.
The market has plenty of food vendors that have been around for ages and for good reason solid value, quick service for the office lunch crowd and great atmosphere that's one of a kind in the city. Keeping things vibrant and fresh though are a whole host of new additions and one-day-a-week type vendors, typically only there on Saturday.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, Brufrog and I checked out the market for a sampler-type lunch in the market. This place is a nibbler's heaven on Saturday.
[Brufrog]: A busy market is just a fun place to be. The lively atmosphere is contagious, with kids running around, everyone (mostly, anyway) smiling, and plenty of people you know. And it smells like foo...good food. From the fresh fish when you walk in past Billy's Seafood to the exit aromas of Java Moose Coffee, the City Market is a feast for the senses. With all of the small "tapas style" portions on offer on Saturday, it's easy to taste a bunch of great stuff for a relatively low price.
I grabbed a fresh fruit cocktail from the stall by Pete's Frootique, for my daughter, then headed off to forage. On my first trip I didn't get far before stopping at the (relatively) new Korean place. After being warned "It's spicy," and passing a sample test, I grabbed some spicy pork with steamed rice, which came to around $7.
The pork was savoury and sweet, with red chilies dotted through the dish, and the steamed rice was...well...steamed rice. I needed a lot of it to squelch the heat that builds from a dish of this nature. I thought I could handle it after one or two bites, but 10 bites in I was in a cold sweat and trying to look macho. Even so, it was delicious. I'm just a wimp. I took half home and froze it; I'll tackle it another day when I don't have to be anywhere for a few hours afterwards.
I was dying for a glass of Gewurztraminer or a hoppy lager or pale ale to take the edge off of those chilies, but sadly there's still no liquor license in the Market. I know many of you neo-prohibitionists think that having beer and wine on offer would ruin the family atmosphere of the Market, but I just think it would increase each businesses' revenue, assuming they share the profits, and make the Market even more authentic. Of course, it couldn't be a mass-market beer sponsored bar... I'm talking about an artisanal brewpub and well-selected wines. I think it's time this old market joined the 18th century and started selling beer.
[Hawk]: My first stop was A Touch of Spice, featuring the foods of India. Their vegetable, beef or chicken rolls make up a good part of their neatly laid out display and I grabbed a vegetable roll along with two pakoras, little deep fried treats stuffed with curry-infused vegetables. Deep fried foods tend to lose their crispness very quickly after they come out of the fryer but that doesn't seem to matter with these incredibly flavourful little bundles, which are sold at two for a dollar. A little container of coriander condiment for 75 cents made every thing really sing.
Next stop was just on the opposite side of the market at Turcan's, featuring Turkish foods.
Buying the food here is nearly as much of an adventure as tasting it. The man behind the operation greets you instantly once he senses that you've stopped to look at his display, and in one fluid motion, he's spooning some flavourful dip onto a piece of flatbread and saying "you try this".
Before you can say "tzatziki," he's spooning some spicy baba ghanouj onto another piece and forcing that on you as well. I'm happy to be this fellow's personal sampler as everything is completely delicious. And indeed I had easily a third of a pound of food in me before I was given the opportunity to actually buy something.
Turcan's features flatbreads and a variety of dips from the classic tzatziki and hummus to some hot and spicy baba ghanouj or eggplant dip, as well as sarma, a rice-stuffed and lemon-infused grape leaf very similar to the Greek dolmades. It also features one of the best salesmen you'll ever meet.
I dropped $11 on a variety of things and was happy to do so. The sarma are sold in a box of about 15 for $6.50. Dips are generally about $4.50 a tub.
[Brufrog]: I love Turcan's! My second visit, though, was for a chicken quesadilla from Santos' stall. Saint Johners know Santos from Taco Pica, but he also sells his Guatemalan treats at the market. I added one of his Mexican pineapple-flavoured soda-pops to the bill, too.
The super sweet pop came in handy as a fire extinguisher for the spicy pork that I was determined not to let get the better of me.
The quesadilla was a pretty basic snack, with cheddar (I think) cheese, a few veggies, and mildly spiced chicken, but I really enjoyed it with the homemade salsa that came with, and also with the leftover coriander dip from Hawk's lunch.
That's my favourite part about the market: mixing and matching. Just add good beer and you've got the perfect lunch spot.
Brufrog is Craig Pinhey. Hop on over to frogspad.ca. Hawk is Mike Hawkins. Give foodfunk.ca a spin.
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