Toronto's St. Lawrence Market

In Monday’s posting I mentioned the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.  I love huge fresh markets.  Unfortunately, there are not as many of these markets in the states as we deserve.  Sure you can find specialty and gourmet food markets in most US cities, but they are not to the scale of these great European versions.  My favorite was the huge market in the center of Florence, Italy.  When we were in Italy a few years ago, we had a private tour of the market with a transplanted American chef.  It was amazing.  Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is not as aesthetically attractive and does not offer quite as high end product as the Florence market, but the effect is the same.  As I left the St. Lawrence market I noticed the many condos and apartment buildings surrounding the market area.  I decided I hated the people who lived there.  They have options I don’t.  They can walk out their door, cross the street and have access to fresh baked bread, an endless array of seafood, multitudes of cuts of beef, and all sorts of ethnic choices.  I have Ingles! 

Now don’t get me wrong.  Our little Ingles isn’t so bad.  It’s clean.  The butcher is nice.  I can’t get top of the line gourmet products, but it’s pretty good considering it is in the middle of nowhere.  But, it’s not the only show in town.  I can go to the Pig if necessary.  Actually, the Piggly Wiggly is closer to my house than Ingles and if I needed pig’s feet it would be my first choice!  Several months ago I ran out of cat food and not wanting to drive the ten miles to Ingles, I dashed the three miles to the Pig.  After all, I only needed cat food.  They didn’t have a lot of choices so I settled for the Pig brand.  Really how different could it be from Purina?  When I got home and filled the cat’s food bowl I knew he would dive in as usual.  He was an outdoor farm cat and was appreciative of each meal.  He stuck his nose in the bowl, smelled the Pig nuggets, turned his head and give me a ‘you must be kidding’ look.  I actually expected him to speak for the first time, “Really!  Would you eat this shit?”

I don’t think the St. Lawrence Market sells cat food.  Or at least I didn’t notice it.  But, if they did I am sure the choices would be endless.