Saturday, April 18, 10:45 a.m.: The debut of Gigi’s Farmer’s Market, Americana at Brand received the desired amount of attention and a fair amount of foot traffic. In the Cole Haan shop along Caruso Way, a store clerk mentioned that I was one of two people who had stopped in so far, and another came in as I left.
Gigi’s Farmer’s Market seemed smaller than the Montrose Harvest Market or the Downtown Farmer’s Market, but that may be because stalls at the Americana were placed back to back so vendors were accessible from both sides of Caruso Way.
Prepared foods including hot lunch entrees and bakery items, flowers, herbs, and jewelery/gift items were for sale; only about half of the vendors sold fresh fruits and vegetables.
Purchase from Gigi’s Market – Fresno grapes. I’ve eaten better fresh grapes, but these were good and consumed within a day.
Sunday, April 19, 10:45 a.m.: The next day was warmer, and a crowd similar to the size I saw on the 18th was at Montrose Harvest Market. Barbeque and other prepared food booths were gearing up for lunch, a brass band was playing, and a large number of new and second-hand goods were on display. There were more prepared food choices and jewelry and gift items at the outdoor market in Montrose. Second-hand books and other flea market vendors were there as well. I saw pretty much the same types of fresh fruits and vegetables I had seen at the Americana, from what appeared to me a slightly greater number of booths.
Purchases from the Montrose Harvest Market: California avocados (I don’t remember the variety but they were delicious), strawberries (bought before I saw “organic” strawberries down the street), and a bar of homemade scented soap.
Thursday, April 23, 11:45 a.m.: At the Downtown Glendale Farmer’s Market the weather was comfortably cool. Single-file booths stretched farther than those arranged on Caruso Way, but not as far as Montrose’s market. The lunch crowd had not yet arrived, but there were people in front of each booth, and almost all the booths featured produce. Downtown had by far the largest variety and selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. I saw only two vendors selling non-food items, and only one bakery booth.
Purchases at Downtown Farmer’s Market: Oxnard strawberries, Mexican squash, and Japanese cucumbers.
How were the prices at Gigi’s? I got great stuff at the downtown market today – brussel sprouts, zucchini, incredible strawberries ($5/3pk from Gloria’s!), blood oranges, a giant bunch of spinach for $1, asparagus…the prices seemed extra low to me today. I loaded up.
I didn’t survey the prices, but I remember what I paid for my purchases: Gigi’s Market grapes were $3 per pound, which is about what they are at the grocery stores. Montrose market avocados were $1 each and strawberries $2.50 per pack. Downtown, I picked up the $5.00 3-pack from Gloria’s, paid 75 cents for each cucumber, and $1.25 per pound for the Mexican squash.
Thanks for the rundown, I frequent the Montrose Market which I love. I haven’t been to the Americana’s yet.
The Americana Farmer’s Market of course had great atmosphere (it was also a beautiful day). At every market I attended last week, the strawberries looked better than those in the grocery stores. The strawberries I actually bought (in Montrose and Downtown) were delicious.
I enjoyed reading the comparison. My view about these markets is that they are very different from each other in style and atmosphere, each offering something worth exploring.
At the Downtown Market, it is pretty much just business. It’s mostly downtown employees visiting a truck market. Good deals, reasonable prices, “just the facts, ma’am.”
At Americana it’s mostly about the environment. It looks like a farmer’s market, but a sort of Disney-like, let’s pretend, market. Don’t get me wrong, it’s VERY pretty and the Americana is lovely, albeit a bit retentively devoid of anything earthy.
The produce there is delicious nonetheless and presented in a very attractive manner. It’s about “produce”as a “production” over at Americana with very good product, organic and otherwise, in a non-organic setting.
In Montrose it is a country fair out of the Mid-west. It’s sort of small-town collides with up-town.
Again, as with the other two, the produce is terrific here. It’s dependable, attractive and reasonable.
Montrose, like Downtown, is unpretencious, but there’s more to do. Antiques and memorabilia mix with crafts, bookseller, political booths and a paradise for stroller-moms and single-parent’s with junior for the weekend.
Montrose doesn’t look a thing like Paris and you can’t buy a ring at Tiffany’s after you buy your raddishes, but there are hundres of stores and cafes in town and virtually none are big chains.
Montrose doesn’t have the gloss or panache of Americana. There are no secutity-type people buzzing around with blue blazers and hair gel or Mercedes Benz crazed “mamas” teetering around on stilleto heels. You are more likely going to expect to see Andy Griffith pop out from the local barber shop.
American is far more “put together” and it all depends on the experience you’re after.
All three markets are terrific, especially if your goal is good produce in the out-of-doors. I recommend putting all three on your list of weekend adventures.