Market Street Market
I just finished enjoying my first cup of George Howell’s Terroir coffee (Tarrazu, Costa Rica). As the mug cools, I regard the grounds collected at the bottom, like tea leaves, trying to divine some inspiration.
The Market Street Market, only recently established, carries these and other blends of beans. Walking through their already open door, we were greeted by Robert Nason, owner and resident cashier jockey, which combined made me feel immediately welcome.
After reading about their imported chocolates on Kathleen Pierce’s Gourmet Gal blog, I knew I wanted to try the Taza Mexican discs - bitter dark chocolate made with dried chili for a bit of heat in the finish. I think it’s important for a proprietor to know more about the products they carry than just the SKU numbers and Robert was no exception; he informed us about the Somerville-based chocolate company and the texture of their organic, stone-ground candies.
But it’s not all fancy coffee and chocolate, they also carry all the staples. In no particular order, I saw rows of fresh produce, peppers, cereal, frozen waffles, olives, oils, goat & mozzarella cheeses, homemade cannolis, flowers, paper products, made to order calzone (also known as dinner), and the pièce de résistance, a hand-squeezed orange juicer.
(Aside: at 7:30 p.m., there weren’t many fruits and vegetables left. This was encouraging; a high turnover rate ensures the food you’re getting is fresh.)
To my relief, they open early enough for my lifestyle (8 a.m.) and close reasonably late (8 p.m.)
Welcome to the neighborhood! I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of us. Thanks for enabling my burgeoning coffee snobbery.
