Well Fed On the Town

I love traveling and finding the ‘foodie’ places in a city, but every once in a while, I find that there’s a local foodie place that I’ve either forgotten about or never even visited. Cincinnati has one of those places.

Findlay Market is in the Over-The-Rhine area of Cincinnati, just north of downtown. This is a pretty rough area of town, often in the news for violent crimes and drugs. Efforts to clean up the area have been only partially successful. But through all of that, the Findlay Market has stayed going.

And having been around Cincinnati for the last few years in particular, I have heard all kinds of things about the market, yet I’d never been there. Until last Saturday, when my wife and I decided to drive down to it and see what there was to see.

I was amazed, really. The market itself isn’t just a building, though there is a main building, but it includes the storefronts for a block on both sides of the main building. The market was built in the 1850’s, with the market opening in 1855. It’s the same building, with some renovations and additions since then, but the iron girder structure is original and still there.

The market is open year round, but adds a farmers market on weekends from April through November. Even in January, though, there were booths set up with fresh produce (obviously not local, but well priced).

The first thing we came across was a pedestrian area with shops on each side of a wide walkway. One on side was a meat deli, and on the other was an Italian deli. There’s also an information booth that sells some souvenirs. This area opened up to shops to the left and right, with the market running across in front of us. On the other side of the market were other shopfronts, including a gated courtyard where Mr. Pig was set up. Mr. Pig is a barbecue joint that sells to go orders, with the large smoker is sight in the courtyard, and the purveyor taking and filling orders.Mr. Pig epitomizes that which makes this market so incredible. Gant is the owner/pitboss of Mr. Pig, and the sole person working. Another couple came up to Mr. Pig while we were deciding what to order, and I told them to go ahead. Gant told them we were there first, though, not knowing it was okay with me until I told him so. After filling the other couple’s order, he told us all that he just expects people to show respect and isn’t afraid to make sure it happens at his place. He said he was 82 years old and hopes to live another 82 years, but if he can’t live in a world where people respect one another, he’d just as soon go now. Gant is one of those people that you can only think of as a true gentleman. Each order is handed to the customer with a “God bless you”. Oh, he also makes really good ribs!

Inside the main market, the whole length of the building is open in a corridor lined with counters and cases on both sides. Spice merchants, a coffee shop and several meat markets share inside space all year. One of the meat counters is Kroeger & Sons (not Kroger). They make and sell at least fifteen types of sausage. I had to get several, of course, just to verify quality, etc… I can tell you that what I’ve had so far has been from good to very good. The smoked kielbasa is a bit salty, but the lamb, Chicago (very hot!) and chicken with artichoke hears and olives are excellent. They even have a reuben sausage, which is a spicy sausage stuffed not with pork, but with corned beef, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing… A reuben in a sausage disguise!

Another of several stand outs in the market was the Belgian waffle stand, which was actually between the main market and the street, in an enclosed area where produce stands will be open to the outside when the weather is warmer. The name of the ’store’ is ‘Taste From Belgium’, and the owner went to Belgium to learn how to make Liège waffles. To learn more, check out his website. I’d seen him on the morning news before, and thought it would be cool to try a waffle. I almost wish I hadn’t… They are unbelievable!!!

Also in the main market is Aunt Flora’s Cobbler House and Down Home Diner. Aunt Flora’s specialty is cobbler, and it’s great cobbler. Ron and Katrina Mincy run the place, and they make a wonderful product, which includes their own charm and warmth. We just got take home cobbler, but they were as pleasant as they could be; I’d stop back just to say hello, and I know I’d get a smile and a warm greeting. The cobbler was great, too, and Katrina has been on the Martha Stewart show for her southern cooking; she knows what she’s doing.

There were other delis and food stores, fish markets, etc. spread throughout the Findlay Market. It’s such a great place, I’d make a trip there for a weekend if I didn’t work close enough that I can stop on my way home. I can’t wait to get back when the farmers market is going this spring!