Inside the Pike Place Market: Exploring America's Most Beloved Farmer's Market
by Braiden Rex-Johnson
Overview
SYNOPSIS
Come along on a guided tour of Seattle's world-famous Pike Place Market, where the fish can fly and the tomatoes are never far from home. The people, places, and history of Seattle's famed Pike Place Market come alive in this colorful book of photographs, profiles, and a sampling of Market recipes. Go behind the scenes to meet farmers, fishmongers, craftspeople, an herbalist, and even a tattoo artist: the personalities who make this nine-acre village in the heart of downtown Seattle a must-see stop. Locals will discover nooks and crannies they never knew existed, and visitors from afar can now take a bit of the Market home.
My thoughts
This book is very similar to the one reviewed prior to this one, except with more photographs, less recipes, and some new stories mixed in with the old. It's hard to say which book I liked more because right now I'm absolutely mesmerized with the entire concept of the market!
As I've shared stories of my experiences in Seattle along with the stories I'm reading in these books about Pike Place Market, one of my co-workers suddenly realized that it's not a farmers market I'm talking about, it's a culture and a community. YES!! That's what it is! The market attracts young and old, rich and poor, locals and tourists, city and country! It brings everyone together in a lively and fun environment! That surely is why I love this market so very, very much!
Favorite Passage
When the Market started, a policeman assigned stall space to the farmers on a first-come basis. When that proved too hectic, the office of Market Inspector (changed to Market Master in 1912) was created by the Seattle City Council, and the stalls were allocated by lottery. Then and now, the task of the Market Master is a delicate balancing act; because of all the independent spirits in the Market, the job requires a no-nonsense person who is part mother hen, part policeman, and part referee.
"All right, let's quiet down," the Market Master calls out precisely at 9 A.M. as he begins the crafts roll call.
"Van Dyke," he says.
"Forty," Van Dyke replies, indicating the day table he wants.
Immediately, the Master writes the number 1 in the spot number 40 on the dry-erase board.
"Sherwood."
"Seventeen on the wet side."
The number 2 goes on the dry-erase board in spot 17.
"Hansen."
"Fifty-nine."
Artists started coming to the Market en masse in the last 1960s and early 1970s, as the number of farmers diminished. The Pike Place Market crafts community has evolved into the largest permanent crafts display in the Northwest, a unique grouping of craftspeople, artists, and artisans that meets every day in the same location. Some claim it is the largest artisan community in the United States.
