The Market Scene

Ever been to one of those markets where it’s a bunch of stalls?  Some are outdoor, some are indoor.  When I lived in Colorado, they were called Farmer’s Markets and are probably still called that.  When I lived in Philadelphia, I would sometimes go to a most notable one which many know as Reading Terminal Market.  Even communities across the globe are working with their local grower organizations and “signing up” to get the latest crops each week.  They are all fantastic methods which help you stay away from the fast food joints that sell you ultra-processed foods which can give you ultra-high cholesterol.  Get your fresh fruits and veggies, cook a quality meal at home and smile when you realize your food hasn’t changed several hands, gone through several machines and been adulterated!  Apparently I’m making the commercial food industry sound like a tyrannical beast.

We all WISH we could eat like that every day but the reality is the foods you buy like that are just as expensive if not more.  Why?  That’s an argument for another day.  But being a money conscious consumer, we all want the best quality at the best price.  So I recommend you do as I do.  Or at least what I used to do when I lived in the states.  Every now and then, make the effort to go to that farmer’s market to get enough veggies and fruits for a day or two.  It’s almost always worth it. 

It’s important to note that the larger the venue, the more vendors there will be selling the same product.  This means they will offer more competitive prices to get you to buy from their booth.  BINGO!   Trick numero uno to saving some cash and getting excellent product.

Let’s bring in a real life example.  Something you should know about me – I’m a market junkie.  I needed my fix, man!  It had been too long since I’d seen a market that had vendor booths.  So just a few days ago, I decided to check out what’s considered the largest market of this type in Rome – Trionfale Mercato.  Take a look at what I saw:

I’m pretty sure the broccoli are actually alien eggs.

Forget meat on a stick – Gimme some meat on a whole pig leg!  I count three hooves.  Do you?

If you want it fresh sliced, you will definitely get what you want.

I didn’t have the guts to try these… get it?  Guts.  Trippa = tripe = innards = guts.  It really shouldn’t be this hard to make you laugh.

I need to pause here because the picture above is just too much.  Did you have ANY idea vitello lingua (Veal Tongue) was so large?  If that’s a baby cow’s tongue, then that baby must have been a teenager.  Freakin’ huge!

Wow.  I’m overwhelmed with how cool this place is.  Better take it easy and relax with a coffee.  Un Macchiato per favore.  Thanks Mr. Java-Man!

I think that girl is trying to see if I will walk away so she can drink my coffee too.  The nerve.

Ok, if I don’t leave now, I’ll empty my entire wallet here.  Better go get some lunch.  This market is making me hungry.  I heard there is a cult following for a local hole-in-the-wall pizzeria.  We should go check it out.

Cool, found it!  That wasn’t too far away. Benvenuti a Pizzarium.  Welcome to Pizzarium.

The books that recommended this place weren’t kidding.  It is tiny.

Let’s go inside shall we?.

You buy it by the kilogram.  So you tell them how much of the pizza you want and the guy cuts it, weighs it, and gives you a receipt. 

While they put it back in the oven for a quick reheat, you turn around and pay the lady at the register.

Let’s buy the Margherita pizza.  It’s my baseline which helps me compare every other institution in Pizza City.

Oh yeah, the sauce is flavorful with plenty of herbs.  Excellent balance of salty to sweet to acidic.  Cheese is good, and not skimpy either.  Not the fake mozzarella you get at some chains back in the states.  The dough is great.  I learned they let the dough rise overnight so the yeast has plenty of time to extract all the good flavors from the flours used.

No wonder this place has a cult following.  For the restaurant owner,  I firmly believe that when you go for quality over quantity (profits), word spreads and it turns into a loyal base which guarantees you enormous profits in the long run.  (For all you business majors in college, please take note of that.)

Ciao my friends!