| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining 
What's New at the Old Town Farmers Market
 Rick Hepting - PVScene.com
June 25, 2010
| | Michel Pascal Ferrari of the local Italian restaurant Trattoria Michel. For more information and to keep up with the latest market news, please visit OldTownFM.com. (photos by Sarah Hepting/PVScene.com) | |
The weather is turning here in Puerto Vallarta and with this change comes a new sense of excitement and the tropical expectations of full, hot days and steamy nights. The Saturday morning Farmers Market is a pleasant break.
I probably shouldn't say this too loudly, but the Old Town Farmers Market is turning into a gourmet paradise.
While it is true that there isn't much in the way of fresh veggies and fruits right now (traditional veggies are difficult to grow in the tropical summer) there are several stands with the freshest greens and fruits you'll ever see (straight from farms a little outside of our ocean side paradise...) If you’re early at the market, it’s the perfect place to stock up on these fine salad ingredients. The selection of salad greens and fresh herbs is second to none but the supply is low.
A strange thing happens at a new farmers' market like this: local people with secret family recipes and small businesses with unusual, unique products appear offering their goods directly to the public.
An example of this is Michel Pascal Ferrari of the local Italian restaurant Trattoria Michel. At first glance and at first impression, the question immediately comes to mind, "Why is he here at the market?" Michel owns a fine restaurant in town and it does appear slightly on the strange side seeing him at a table selling assorted fresh-made pasta and sauces. The experience becomes even stranger when you start speaking with him: This is no normal farmer.
Michel sells some of the same varieties of pasta available in his restaurant and some not. One type is made especially for this market and appears only in his restaurant (as a special) if Michel does not sell out of it on Saturday mornings.
All of his pasta is made on Fridays, from scratch from the freshest ingredients. It is sold by the "serving" which translates in real terms to around $40 to $60 pesos a dish. Michel will be more than happy to describe the process and product and uses in any European-based language (he is Swiss). When someone buys directly from the chef like this, s/he is buying much more than simple pasta ingredients.
New at the Market was Nieves Nice, a home-made ice cream stand. Josue brought 6 varieties (out of about 50) and sold his delicious helados for only $10 pesos a cup or a cone: Tamarind, red wine, Oreos, berry... In the true farmer’s market tradition, he offered free samples. If you think you might like ice cream home delivered, ask Josue for his card. His home deliveries are more than reasonable.
Also new was the Tamal Gourmet. Adriana brought 3 varieties to test market and she'll be bringing more varieties each week. I tried her chocolate (with fruit and nuts), curry chicken and a very strange and very delicious pepperoni and veggie tamale.
These were $20 pesos each, a bit more than the common lard/masa pollo tamales on the street, but so, SO much better. Her tamales are exquisitely light and flavorful. Now that the best tamale restaurant in Vallarta, Maria Candelaria, has closed, Adriana is a very opportune find for tamale aficionados.
Not new but getting increasingly more active and complex by the week are Mark's Leek and Thistle Pie Shop, Nari's Thai Food stand, the Carnes del Mundo deli and the Chavattas by the 3 rather exuberant Italiano guys.
The bakeries (I’ve lost count of how many there are now) are the best in Vallarta (by far) with selections and quality you will find nowhere else. If the market served beer or wine, this farmers' market would be heaven for an old food junkie like me. It's damned close even without.
The Old Town Farmer's Market is held on Saturday mornings from 10 am to 1 pm through July 31st at the new Paradise Community Center at Pulpito 127 (between Amapas and Olas Altas on the south side of Puerto Vallarta.) For more information and to keep up with the latest market news, please visit OldTownFM.com.
 |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us