DeKalb Farmers Market

[therese]

Entirely possible that the ensemble in question was grey (or gray...), though I couldn't say for sure. Overall impression was subdued, reasonably upmarket. I wasn't looking all that hard, it just struck me as a possibility. I was coming out of the pasta aisle, I think, when I noticed the candidate shoppers. Would you describe yourself as skinny, medium, or more than medium? The woman was medium-ish.

Presumably the guy I described matched either Ari or Jason. Ari's probably passed out on the floor of his kitchen right now in a citrus stupor. Too bad about the bland curry in the cafeteria---we'll have to point him towards all the great Indian options out LaHi and elsewhere.

[tryska]

*lol* prolly more than medium in the bulky sweater!

i dunno about subdued and reasonably upmarket, but if it was me, thanks for the compliments! :) and for the under-30 comment. :D

it may have been Jason - his hair is lighter- not exactly blond tho, and curly. we were in those first dry good aisles probably around 1:45 - 2-ish. (if the man was brandishing a huge jar of kimchi - it definitely was us!)

that would have been a hoot if we actually did cross paths. i think i can say we were hopelessly absorbed in the shopping experience to notice anyone else around us, unfortunately.

[Ari]

No no, I'm here. Recovered from my grocery-induced stupor. You're right, Tryska, I'd forgotten about the blue crabs. It was hilarious - each time someone tried to pick up a crab, it'd clamp onto another crab... which would clamp onto another, and another.... eventually there would be a long chain of crabs clinging on to one another for dear life, and some guy with tongs on the other end of the chain trying to shake them loose and looking perplexed.

[tryska]

*lol*!

hilarious description.

[maf]

We're road-tripping to DFM Saturday, and I have been told that the samosas at (relatively) nearby Royal Sweets on Lawrenceville Hwy are worth a detour. Anyone able to confirm/deny this?

[MidniteToquer]

We're road-tripping to DFM Saturday, and I have been told that the samosas at (relatively) nearby Royal Sweets on Lawrenceville Hwy are worth a detour. Anyone able to confirm/deny this?

confirm

[therese]

The samosas at Royal Sweets are quite good, though I'm not sure I'd drive a really long way to get them. But since you're already going to DFM and want to try them, I'd say sure. The samosas at the DFM cafeteria are also quite good (particularly great with a fresh OJ).

While at Royal Sweets you should get some of the other items. If it's the weekend they'll likely have dhokla (or however you want to spell it) on hand, and they have lots of other savory cracker and nut sorts of things.

The sweets include milk fudge (barfi or burfi or whatever), with our favorites being pistachio and mango. The gulab jamun are good (pick light or dark) as are the sweets made with them. My absolute favorite sweet here is julli (or jooli or whatever), basically the world's freshest cheesecake.

Note that Royal Sweets can only be reached from the southbound (headed towards Atlanta) side of Lawrenceville Hwy. It's a small place and sort of sneaks up on you, so keep a sharp eye peeled for the sign (yellow, up on a pole so you can see it from a distance).

There's another Indian sweet/snack shop around the corner on Dekalb Industrial called Gokul Sweets. Also good, but they lack Anita (the owner at Royal Sweets), a big drawback.

[tryska]

do they carry jalebis therese?

[therese]

Yep, Royal Sweets has jalebis (or is the plural jalebi? you've got the advantage here). My kids like them, but I find them just over the top sweet (really saying something for me). I think they're one of those things that are really best right out of the cooker, like a funnel cake but even more so.

If you could manage to get there right when they were cooking them I think it would be cool. They have gulab jamun in the cooler cabinet, but typically when I order them they go in the back and get some fresh if they've got them ready. Actually, they do that with just about anything that they happened to be just making.

Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing what you think of their stuff. My frame of reference is fairly limited in this instance.

[tryska]

next time i make the trip over that way, i will check them out. i'll be staying in this weekend, i'm afraid, since i've got the head cold from hell right now. :(

[therese]

I need to amend a recommendation I make earlier in this thread that the samosas are DFM are worth a try with the caveat that I'd stick with the vegetarian ones. The lamb ones sound tempting, but are pretty blah and very very greasy (based on a sample size of one, this weekend). The veg ones are hardly fat-free, of couse, but then neither am I.

[west2100]

and it is good.

In other words, today was my first visit to the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta, Georgia.

Never before in my life have I ever seen such a multitude of wonderful ingredients available in one place. The sheer volume of just, stuff, amazed me. If there was ever a place I could spend an entire day, this was it.

Has anyone else ever been there? Opinions/Great Finds? I would like to know what to look for next time, if there's anything especially rare or delicious I missed.

[therese]

and it is good.

In other words, today was my first visit to the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Atlanta, Georgia.

Never before in my life have I ever seen such a multitude of wonderful ingredients available in one place. The sheer volume of just, stuff, amazed me. If there was ever a place I could spend an entire day, this was it.

Has anyone else ever been there? Opinions/Great Finds? I would like to know what to look for next time, if there's anything especially rare or delicious I missed.

←

So you've moved to Atlanta from St. Simon's? Or you're just in town visiting?

Tell us what you got and we'll tell you what you missed. Also note that there are at least 10 other gigantic ethnic markets with a wide range of unusual stuff that you can visit here. DFM is actually sort of "market lite" by Atlanta standards.

[west2100]

I've just moved here for college, actually. While at the market I picked a Mamey Sapote, Cherimoya, Hijiki, Avocados, a few rather wild varieties of tea, and a a couple of danishes.

That last statement you made just has me mentally salivating, if that's possible. I currently want nothing more than to find a truly great Asian market, the kind where I could find things like fresh tofu.

Then again, anything of good quality would strike my fancy, I just want something that tastes like I wish I had known it all my life.

[therese]

That last statement you made just has me mentally salivating, if that's possible. I currently want nothing more than to find a truly great Asian market, the kind where I could find things like fresh tofu.

←

Given that you're first stop was DFM I'm assuming you're at Emory? I live nearby (walking distance) and can give you tips on neighborhood restos.

As for great Asian, try Super H Mart for Korean and Japanese. Be sure to check out the Mozart Bakery to your immediate right as you walk in, as well as the food court stuff. The perimeter of the store (which is a very clean supermarket) features a number of independent vendors selling all sorts of specialty stuff. Lots of stuff to try.

You should also look into the various Indian restaurants and shops on Lawrenceville Hwy/Church/Dekalb Industrial (near DFM). All sorts of nice stuff, including vegetables that not even DFM carries.

[west2100]

Emory it is.

I'll definitely have to check out Super H Mart, I love Asian cuisine, that would be wonderful. I've also heard about the Indian restaurants, so far nothing but good things about them.

I'm absolutely ecstatic to be in the area, the variety is so much greater than where I came from it's overwhelming.

[JAZ]

When I went to the DFM during a recent visit to Atlanta, what impressed me the most was the sheer volume and variety under one roof. I'm from San Francisco, and we have some great markets, but they tend to be either smaller or more specialized, or both. I love our farmers' markets, but there's something to be said for being able to cruise through one market with a great selection and high quality, get everything (or nearly everything) in one place and pay for it all at one time.

[Gifted Gourmet]

there's something to be said for being able to cruise through one market with a great selection and high quality, get everything (or nearly everything) in one place and pay for it all at one time.

←

You certainly hit the nail on the head, JAZ! The place is a wondrous mix of all sorts of delightful items, most of which I would love to cram into my trunk and take home ...

[west2100]

I plan on taking a trip there tomorrow, I hope they have Mameys again. I'm secretly hoping on the off chance I'll find a Black Sapote, but I'm somewhat doubtful.

[shaloop]

I just visited my parents in Atlanta about 3 weeks ago. On the advice of this thread, I went to the Market. It was wonderful!!! I'm so jealous (that nothing like this exits near my hometown). It will be a must do every time I visit Atlanta. And I will have to keep a list of what I need or would like to try so I don't forget anything on my next precious visit. Even my husband and kids enjoyed it. Definitely the best market/grocery store I've ever been in.