If you're a foodie, you must visit Haymarket when you come to Boston, even if you are only visiting and have no kitchen. The experience of this weekly madhouse disguised as a tossed salad is amazing.
When I first came to Boston in the late 70's, almost all the vendors and customers at Haymarket were Italians from the nearby North End. But today, Haymarket is even a bit more international than Boston as a whole. With cheap produce, halal meat, and the most reasonable fish market in the Hub, there's a lot to attract poor immigrants as well as the gourmand.
When I go to Haymarket, I always come home with too much. I set myself a $20 budget today for veggies, and here's what I came home with:
2 bunches of scallions
10 lbs of onions
5 lbs of huge baking potatoes
3 lbs of red plum tomatoes
6 ancho peppers
1 lb mesclun baby greens (including 3 colors of baby chard)
a bunch of bananas
4 huge navel oranges
a bag of organic red grapes
2 lbs of brussel sprouts
a big bunch of collards
2 medium Italian eggplants
1 lb portabello mushrooms
a bunch of asperagus
Am I missing anything? I think that's it.
In addition to my vegeholic tendency, I also eat animals, so I also scored:
$2 for a 14" flounder, head on
$9.30 for about 3 lbs of tender goat stew meat
Perhaps tomorrow I will tell you the story of how buying so much food summoned four friends by magic to my dinner table, and about the goat curry with coconut milk and cherries that they all raved about!
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Comments: 11
My office is a 3 minute walk from Haymarket so instead of having lunch on Fridays I go to Haymarket. The best part is you nver know what you are going to get from one week till the next. This week I came home with Kiwi's for Antonio and clementines for Gianni and fresh vegetables to make chicken soup for the family. I also set a budget, it is as much as I can carry and not turn my fingers blue walking back to my office. Have you noticed all the tourists taking pictures?
I'll also not forget the people. The wonderful hucksters (not just corn dealers) laughing, cajoling, and sharing much more than just food. Thanks for the memory Shava.
Why wait till February? You could post an article suggesting a date, time and location. Those interested can post comments if they can make it. Can you add the North End to the list?
Sounds like big fun!
My thought is meet for coffee in the North End, walk around there a bit, and then hit Haymarket. And then, depending on how many people show up, we could run to my house in Cambridge and see what we can concoct with our haul! :)
The coolest is it supports the locals.