Marketplace at East Falls

Before boyf and I went on our little detour yesterday through Laurel Hill Cemetery, we were en route to the Marketplace at East Falls. We had heard from people in our apartment complex that it was definitely a place worth checking out. Not to mention the fact that it was about 2 blocks away!

I was told it was an indoor farmers market of sorts, which is open everyday except for Monday. I didn’t know what to expect when we first walked in, but when I walked through the entrance and saw a huge display of PB Loco, I knew this place and I were going to be very dear friends! (check out my PB Loco review here)

This place was pretty small, but it was HUGE in quality. It didn’t have a bunch of vendors selling the same thing. It had a few stands, but each place was selling something TOTALL different. There was a place for fruits and veggies, nuts, coffee, pasta, a bakery, a winery, a beer distributer, a deli section and others. I was in heaven!

Have you ever seen pasta like this? Each bin is full of pasta of all different flavors and styles. It was incredible. The vendor broke some off for me to try, and it was amazing. I am going to have to buy something special from there one day. It was a little more expensive, but I am a big believer in locally made products that you get what you pay for.

I also have  a MAJOR sweet tooth. Sweets are pretty much my favorite treats. I will devour sweets until my tummy hurts I love them so much. I had to keep myself in check here, but they had some great treats. I will be back!

This is a counter that was full of all types of nuts, and grains. They had flax and goji berries and oats and all sorts of fun stuff. All so fresh and lovely. I am in LOVE!

More glorious produce!

I also found a new obsession: Crossing Vineyards. This is a winery which is 45 minutes or so away from where boyf and I live. I TOTALLY want to go check it out! They had an option to sample 5 of their wines for $5 and I was ALL over that! Yes please.

We tried the Riesling, Blush, Wildberry, Le Nouveau and the Cabernet Sauvignon. YUM!

First up – Riesling – This semi-dry wine is bright and refreshing with floral highlights and aromas of ripe, tropical fruit. I really enjoyed this one A LOT. I think it had hints of honeysuckle in it, which is always fabulous in my book. I will definitely be purchasing it in the near future.

   

Next was the Blush – This vibrant, semi-dry rosé evokes the fruity, drinkable flavors. It pairs well with meat or fish. This was very good, but really sweet.

And then the Le Nouveau – This semi-dry wine is deliciously fruity with a soft tannic structure. Tastes great chilled.I hearted this one. It was red, and it tasted like a red, with hints of white. I am not very good at explaining it was it was fabulous!

Followed by the Wildberry – This surprisingly sophisticated wine is filled with the luscious taste of fresh summer fruit. A smooth finish brings out intense flavors of jam and cloves. This would be fabulous with ice in a blender. It tasted sort of like white grape peach juice.

And ending with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – This medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon opens up fruity and finishes dry, with lingering flavors of cherry, blackberry and anise. Barrel aging adds subtle accents of toasty oak and vanilla. YUM! I love a good red.

 

Seriously, is there ANY better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than sampling wines from a local winery? I think NOT!

Here are my purchases from the day. We ended up getting the Le Nouveau from the winery. YAY! I also picked up some cherries, blueberries, and some ginger from the produce section. I am contemplating adding the ginger to my morning monsters. I shall report back on how that pans out. I also got yogurt pretzels and some dried pineapple.

Jackson, I did NOT buy these things for you. Get your nose out of my purchases please!

 

Up close and personal.

 

If you are in the East Falls area, you should totally check it out. Its awesome. The beer distributor comes in once a month or so and you can do the whole sampling thing too. Boyf and I will definitely be checking that out too.

Yay for fabulous local finds! Do you have any favorite local spots in your area??