I almost forgot to tell you about our trip to the Lancaster Central Market.
Oh my word it was cool!
After an amazing homemade breakfast at our friend Zoë’s house, The Girl and I headed off to the Lancaster Central Market in Pennsylvania for some lunch supplies for our drive to JJ’s house in Virginia last month.
The Lancaster Central Market is basically the hub of Lancaster. In fact it’s the oldest ongoing farmer’s market in the country. It. Is. Huge. If you can’t find something to eat there, seriously, you aren’t hungry.
You can piece together a meal out of fresh produce, baked goods, cheese and deli meats, or you can sample a pretty wide array of international foods {German, Greek, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Slavic, etc}.
The market began in the 1730’s. It was chartered by King George II in 1742–making the the country’s Royal Market town {a title the residents took quite a bit of pride in}. The market buildings were put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Each week, about 3000 people visit the market. Most of them are locals stocking up on their weekly food stuffs {which makes the market waaaay less of a tourist trap and a bit more charming}.
We gave it 4 thumbs up. Go there. It’s awesome.
How about you, what is the best market you’ve ever stepped foot in?
~Mavis
Kathy says
Best market I’ve stepped foot in is Cleveland’s own West Side Market. Like the one in Lancaster, it has pretty much anything and everything under the sun. It’s huge, people flock to it, especially on weekends, and it celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.
When I truly want to eat authentic Hungarian foods this is the place to go, from meats and fresh veggies, to bread and desserts. Most I can make myself but sometimes you just have to splurge.
If ever you come to Cleveland, Ohio, you should stop there Mavis. It is awesome!
Susan S. says
I second that!!!! The West Side Market is amazing. I go for the German and Amish foods (breads, cheeses, etc…) and the fresh produce – so impressive and also reasonably priced. My Grandmother used to tell me stories about going there as a girl with my Greatgrandfather and haggling over prices with the Fish Monger. We live in Florida but visit the Lake Erie Islands every Summer. Before boarding the Ferry, we always stop at the West Side Market for our supplies, since there’s no grocery store on the island where we have a family cottage. If you have the opportunity, definitely check it out 🙂
Melissa says
Hey! That’s my home town! It is an amazing market and an even better community. I know many of the vendors and know that we’ll always run into friends. Lancaster is a wonderful place to live…ESPECIALLY if you like markets!!!
Tangela says
Was the Lancaster Market the one filmed in for the movie National Treasure? I’ve not been in ANY cool markets such as that or the West Side Market – just little town farmers markets where the local farmers have their produce. They don’t have the array of things such as the larger markets, but they still make me giddy!
Sherry Sullivan says
Hi Mavis,
I’ve been following your blog for a while-lots of good info. So glad to hear you went to the Central Market in Lancaster. We live in Jersey but go to the market any time we visit Lancaster. It is awesome. I was wondering if you tried any of the homemade food. There are some really talented young entrepreneurs in the Market. Awesome cooks and bakers. Organic too. We love it! We have a lot of Amish Markets in South Jersey and they are good but no where near as good as this one!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Well, as a true Northwest girl I have to put my 2 (or 4 or 6) cents in for Pike Place Market in Seattle. As Mavis might say—It. Is. The. Best! Not only is is full of fresh produce, flowers cheese and fish, if you stand outside you have the most magnificent view of the Seattle waterfront. A great place to spend the day.