Fun Times at Findlay Market

After living here for three months, we finally made it to Findlay Market...

And it's just as freaking awesome as everyone's said.

Spring bloomed with full force the day after my birthday, urging Jason, his mom (who arrived two days prior to help us out with baby's impending arrival) and myself to get our pasty-skinned selves outside to hit that Vitamin D. Enter: Findlay Market.

Findlay Market, for those of you who don't know about it, is Cincinnati's most famous and most awesome outdoor market. It's a bit like Portland's PSU/downtown Farmer's Market meets Saturday Market: food vendors fill the air with the aroma of fried spring rolls, fatty gyros and wood fired pizzas; farmers line booths with freshly picked, brightly colored fruits and vegetables; local artists hock a plethora of handmade goods, ranging from baskets and bags to flattened bottles and ceramic pots. There's so much for the eyes, nose and mouth to take in, I'm not sure the brain can process the sensations fast enough.

That's probably why we went twice.

Mmmm. Meat. 

On the first, aforementioned weekend, it was easy to spot us as Findlay Market newbies. We came without extra bags (but ended up purchasing some really awesome totes instead), without cash (There are Fifth Third Bank ATMs) and with empty stomachs (although, come to think of it, empty stomachs may have been the secret ingredient to our late afternoon picnic at Eden Park that day). After making our initial round of the market to peruse the goods, we went to work, purchasing local honey (Great energy for our upcoming labor and delivery!), the most amazing English muffins I've ever made into egg mcmuffin sandwiches and pizzas, spices, hummus, fruit, local eggs with daffodil yellow yolks, salads made on site, local nuts, herbs and strawberry starters that now line our backyard 'patio,' the biggest, crunchiest dill pickles...

Oh the list goes on and on.

After spending way too much of my time here shopping at Whole Foods and Krogers, it's so refreshing to grab goods while catching some sun rays. The experience, finally, made me feel like I was home, in Portland.

Of course, this isn't Portland and Findlay Market has it's own back story making it unique and cooler, in some ways, than the markets in our Pacific Northwest counterpart.

As quoted/stolen from the Findlay Market website,

Built originally as an open-sided pavilion, the market was erected in 1852 but disputes with contractors and difficulties correcting problems with new construction methods delayed its opening until 1855. The center masonry tower was added in 1902. Soon after, public health concerns about the market, which was open to the elements and exposed to increasing urban pollution, prompted the enclosure of the market house and the addition of plumbing and refrigeration. Merchants previously has used cold storage in deep cellars beneath nearby breweries.

1855? Oregon was still so infantile it's statehood that it was dealing with treaties between the natives. I can't imagine there was any urban planning for an outdoor market taking place. 1902? Really, I'm always taken aback by the richness and depth of the history over here. I'm sure that's a sign of my Washington/Oregon roots.

After our first outing, the three of us celebrated the fruits of our labor by, well, gorging our sun-kissed faces, treating our bellies to some of the best (and most local!) food I've had since arriving here. Thank goodness for this gem!