Market at 6th St & Florida/New York NE

[vengroff]

I've driven, well more like crawled actually, through the crowded wholesale market between New York and Florida Ave. NE a few times. It's seven or eight square blocks occupied mostly by wholesale suppliers surrounded by double parked trucks and delivery vans. Fully loaded forklifts dart to and fro, but any larger traffic is at a virtual standstill. Recently, I decided to explore the market on foot, which turns out to me a much better way to get around. There's a lot to see, plenty to buy, and a couple of gems waiting to be uncovered.

The one part of the market that is specifically geared towards the retail buyer is the not so aptly named Farmers Market, which occupies a large building on Neal Pl. between 5th and 6th streets. Inside, the building is divided up into stalls selling anything and everything--fruits and vegetables, meat, run of the mill boxed cereals, fresh fish, CDs, DVDs, fast food, and tremendous selection of hats.

Despite the connotations of the name Farmers Market, the produce is singularly ordinary and skippable. The real find is the five separate butchers. The pork products, in particular, are fascinating. No shrink wrapped styrofoam trays here. This is the place where every part of the hog, from hock to ear, jowel to tail, fresh, smoked, and salted, is for sale. Pork shoulder is 99 cents a pound whole, or $1.19 cut to order. I picked up a pound of thick cut hickory smoked bacon for $2. You can also find treats like smoked turkey legs, beef tripe, and fresh goat. There is a fish stand called the Baltimore Fish Market that has a pretty decent selection of whole fish under ice, with menacing signs warning customers not to touch. They also had some good looking bacalao. On the west side of the building, I noticed that there is a Mexican fruit specialist and a Latin grocery store, but I didn't have time to check them out.

Walking around the rest of the market complex, I saw importers and wholesalers of Chinese, African, and Mexican goods, and was almost run down by a forklift loaded with half a ton or so of queso fresco. A number of the places, despite being wholesalers, have small retail-style area where ordinary people can shop. One shop run by Ghanaians had an overwhelming smell of dried fish. The scent was just like the markets I used to go to when I was a child and lived in what is now Burkina Faso. I would have bought some if I had any idea of the proper way to reconstitute and prepare it.

My next stop was Best Kitchen Supply on Morse St. This is the kind of kitchen supply shop that exists in every large city. For some reason, only the ones along the Bowrey in New York are well known to those not in the food service business. In any case, this is the place where you can get reliable everyday glasswhere for $20-30 a dozen. These are the kind of functional water, tea, juice, old-fashioned, long, and martini glasses that sell for $4-8 each at Pottery Barrel. I consider a certain rate of glasswear breakage inevitable, so I like this kind of price point. You can also get things like a 6 gallon heavy aluminum stock pot for $50 or a bamboo and brass spider for $1.59.

Just down the Morse St near 6th St, across from a curiously placed Subway, is the legendary A. Litteri. They have been importing, distributing, and retailing Italian food products for over 75 years. I had heard they had great olive oils, but what I was not at all prepared for was the extensive selection of Italian wines. It's heavy on Chianti and Barolo, but has good coverage across Italy. In addition to the standart Ruffinos and Gabbianos that everyplace stocks (Is it because that's what Tony Soprano always seems to be drinking?) they have a pretty good selection of smaller producers. I chose a smattering of moderately priced bottles from Castellos I've not heard of before, in an effort to further my education as to what's out there.

Once past the wine, I arrived at Litteri's oil and vinegar section. Most of the olive oil is Italian, but they also feature Spanish, Greek, and California product. The most curious offering was a bottle of oil pressed in California from olives grown in Tuscany. There was a wide selection of balsamic vinegar, but the choices at the top end (the good authentic 12+ year stuff) were thin. Beyond the oils is a selection of essentialy every product that the Italians put in a jar or a can. Tuna, capers, olives, peppers (roasted red, orange, and yellow, hot, sweet, stuffed, and peperocini, to name just a few), mushrooms, and tomatoes. Some of the products are handled by importers in the Bronx, leading me to beleive they may not be so different from what one sees on Arthur Avenue. Pasta is next, in dozens of shapes, both dry and refrigerated.

Finally, at the back of the store, is the deli counter, home of an array of cold cuts and sausages. I picked of pancetta, and prosciutto di parma. For lunch, I had the thinly sliced proscuitto with a drizzle of fruity EVOO and a twist of pepper on slices of yeasty Italian bread from the Catania Bakery. One can only imagine that Catania has been supplying Litteri's since it started baking in 1932. The bag proudly proclaims the list of ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt. Besides the meats, there is a pretty broad international cheese selection. Mozzerella, scamorza, gorgonzola and parmigiano-reggiano from Italy, of course, but also English cheddar and stilton, and some French and American options as well. The deli counter also offers made to order sandwiches. I don't know how the Subway across the street manages to stay in business.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my visit to the market, and consider it a very good resource to know about. I recommend other area eGulleteers stop in for a look see. I'll certainly be a regular visitor now that I know my way around.

[jparrott]

Any idea of hours for the "Farmers Market"...and Litteri's?

Thx

[vengroff]

Any idea of hours for the "Farmers Market"...and Litteri's?

Thx   

The Farmers Market is Tue-Sat, I'm not sure of the hours. A. Litteri, it turns out, has a web page which lists their fairly limited hours.

[vengroff]

I grabbed a sandwich at A. Litteri's today. If you are on Capitol Hill, it's more than worth the short trip north on 6th street. Just head up 6th until you cross Florida. Turn left at the Subway (Warning: Use the Subway as a landmark only. Do not go inside.) Litteri will be on your left, about three stores in.

They have pre-made Italian subs, or you can fill out a little form and specify exactly the meats, cheeses and toppings you want. You can also take a blank form with you and then fax in your order the next time.

Here's my Capicola, Prosciuttini and Provolone, with a side of olive salad and a Limonata.

[Mark Sommelier]

Here's my Capicola, Prosciuttini and Provolone, with a side of olive salad and a Limonata.

Darren, you know that in NY and northern NJ, "capicola" is pronounced: "gabagool". We need Mr. Plotnicki to verify this.

[hjshorter]

What a great looking sandwich.

Thanks for the report on Best Kitchen Supply. We've now got fewer that six wine glasses and I refuse to pay Crate & Barrel prices, so a trip downtown is in the cards for me.

[vengroff]

Darren, you know that in NY and northern NJ, "capicola" is pronounced: "gabagool".

Wise guy...

[maryland crab]

Thanks for the head's up on this area. I have lived in the DC area for 35 years and had no idea. I am off to the Best Kitchen Supply store in the next several weeks as I am totally our of stemware for red wine. My wife keeps putting them in the dishwasher and I keep thinking that I am Henry VIII, hence no more glasses.

In regard to Litteri, do you know or remember if they carry Masi wines? I had a Masi Campofiorin at Obelisk last month that was outstanding and have been having a hard time finding it in Maryland. It would easily be worth the trip for a case of it for me.

And that sub and side really look great. I usually end up at Marcone's in Silver Spring for a really good Italian sub, but that really looks great.

[vengroff]

Here are a couple of close-ups from the Litteri lunch:

Olive salad with crispy carrots and cauliflower:

The crusty bread makes the sandwich:

Next time I'm going to go for Prosciutto ($1 extra) and fresh mozerrela.

[vengroff]

In regard to Litteri, do you know or remember if they carry Masi wines?

They do carry some Masi wines, but off hand I don't recall which. I would suggest giving them a call to see if they stock, or can get, the one you want.

[vengroff]

I just discovered an instant favorite at Litteri's. Cherry peppers stuffed with die-sized cubes of parmesan cheese wrapped in proscuitto. The stuffed peppers are then packed in olive oil. Hot, salty, savory, and smooth all in one little package. They are $9.99/lb, which works out to about $.70 each. A couple of them make a great side for one of Litteri's sandwiches.