Saturday, August 1, 2009

2nd Street Public Market, Dayton, Ohio!!!

Hello, good people!

On the way here in the car with Cliff, discovering Maggie's raw restaurant was permanently closed...(how dissappointing)...i was kinda hoping for a little treat, so Cliff and I looked on the internet anticipatingly for raw restaurants in Ohio..!!!

...and discovered...ZILCH!

Rats!!!

So, off for a non-raw themed day out shopping with the girls!

Cliff and Ken did some masculine car themed stuff...and our friend, Debbie, took her sister, Sherry and me to the 2nd Street Public Market in downtown Dayton, Ohio, Here is Debbie's sister, Sherrie, and me with lots of bags in our hands after a wonderful shopping venture!

Here is the website address to the 2nd Street Public Market in downtown Dayton, Ohio. You will WANT to know this address next time you are in Dayton!!!http://www.metroparks.org/Parks/SecondStreetMarket/Home.aspxHome.aspx

First of all, the market was totally funky, totally artsy, totally unexpected. All i had been hearing about downtown Dayton was how horrible it is. (Our friends live in a suburb of Dayton and rarely go downtown.) Well, this market certainly was a welcome surprise! Organic and vegetarian and green were big themes in the market.

Upon arriving to the market, we were greeted by at least 6 farmers with the most beautiful farm fresh organic produce in the funkiest shapes, sizes and colors! There were baby cantaloupes that could fit in your palm, purple potatoes, and I purchased purple string beans!! In the picture, they look like some strange foreign bodies that came out of someone's colonic! The picture is grossing me out, but they taste delicious. The farmer informed us, apologetically, however, that the purple stringbeans turn green when they cook. Maybe i'll slice them thin on the diagonal and make an asian-inspired raw slaw out of them! i'm thinking something with white sesame seeds and red pepper with a sweet ginger nama shoyu dressing. How decadent!

REFUTE OF THE GLOOM!
Inside the market, i was immediately drawn to a tee-shirt vendor with really imaginative designs. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a tee in my exact size that pictured fruits with the saying 'REFUTE OF THE GLOOM!' Happy fruit depicted as taking away GLOOM? Could my eyes be deceiving me? I read it and reread it a few times. Yup! This was MY kind of tee!

(I also found a cute one in Cliff's size with the most adorable little lizards dancing, called newts, entitled, "Newtist Colony". So cute. He feels somewhat emasculated wearing it, but looks so cute!)

The man running the stand, Robert, had a long, long, white beard, looked like a hippie, and was so sweet! As i was rifling through the tee shirt racks, he cheerily said he hoped i find one i like, and that he would be more than happy to recite me a poem, if i would like! How unique...shirts AND a poem! With my two finds in my hand, I asked Robert how much the tees cost, and he replied shyly with an apologetic shrug, "Well, i ask for $20, but i have a sliding scale." How darling. That sealed the sale for me...what a dearheart.

I gladly handed Robert the $40, and pointing to the fruit themed tee half-whispered to Debbie, 'this one is perfect for a raw foodist'. Our salesaman, Robert, overheard me and chimed in, 'well, i'm something what they call a 'raw vegan...(my mouth dropped) and this shirt was a play on the words FRUIT OF THE LOOM, which is the brand of tee shirt i use. I thought, 'FRUIT OF THE LOOM', 'REFUTE OF THE GLOOM'.

IS THAT NOT AMAZING to have honed in on a raw foodist within 5 minutes of entering the market?? Here am I with Robert! Isn't he the sweetest?

Robert is not only an witty cartoonist and tee shirt creator, but happily shares his poetry with all who will listen. Debbie and I were gently handed a HUGE list of titles of poems that Robert wrote and has memorized, a page of no less than 200 titles, and graciously asked us to choose one for him to recite. My eye immediately honed in on "A potato in a bag." So, we chose that one.

Debbie and I were both transfixed on Robert as he recited. The potato, when the bag was opened, reached out it's 'arms' to the sunlight for nourishment. It was a total raw themed poem filled with images of darkness and light..."even seeds know where the sun is..." How beautiful! Robert explained he's been eating raw vegan for YEARS. I had found a little raw soulmate right here in Dayton!

Please check out his website, order a tee shirt, email him and tell him you heard about him! He is adorable, an incredibly talented artist and poet and an amazing salesmen, and you can just tell, a good soul. This was not just buying a teeshirt, this was an experience and a blessing to cross paths with Robert!

Robert Paschell
Email: rpashell@yahoo.com

Robert sent me across the hall to the raw cheese and sauerkraut vendor! My god, there were more raw surprises in store for me at the 2nd Street Market!!!

A wonderful vendor called EAT FOOD FOR LIFE was selling raw sauerkraut in a variety of flavors! I chose the caraway seed spicy dill. It is really spicy with garlic and red hot peppers, wow!! Here is the website for EAT FOOD FOR LIFE! http://www.eatfoodforlife.com/

EAT FOOD FOR LIFE specialize in organic farm raised no hormone free range meats, raw cheeses, sauerkraut and other fabulous items. AND I could NOT believe my eyes...when i saw stack after stack of raw germinated nuts! I've been eating so many nuts on this trip, but come on, how often do you find a vendor selling germinated, soaked and dehydrated nuts? They are slightly salted, crispy, and sooooo good! Keep me away from them!!!! They are TOO good!!!

After a break later to people-watch, connect, rest and rejuvinate ourselves for more shopping, Debbie, her sister Sherrie and I went our separate ways for a while. Looking around for something good to eat, my eye caught someone eating spaghetti that LOOKED like zucchini spaghetti. Could it be???? Nahhhh....

I walked further to be drawn to a sign above: RAW PASSION BISTRO. Oh, my!!! I mean, I NEVER expected to encounter anything raw here in Dayton. I hadn't even taken my camera! Many of these pictures Debbie snapped with her cell phone!

I enjoyed delicious zucchini spaghetti with basil pesto...and another with walnut cilantro pesto all at RAW PASSION BISTRO! Debbie watched the man prepare it and exclaimed, "oh, they have one of those spiralizers like you brought with!" Yes, they did! And i was so glad for it! Their spiralizer makes spaghetti a little fatter than mine...and it was a nice change! i also had a delicious raw juice that had fresh apricots, celery and ginger in it. Delish!!! Here is some contact info!

rawpassionbistro@gmail.com

Well, friends, my trip to Dayton has so far exceeded my expectations!

Last night we drove to KENTUCKY to the Kentucky Speedway to watch the Indie 300 race where Danica Patrick came in 6th among about 25 drivers!!!! Go woman power!!!

As the Secret says, we attract into our lives what we give out, what we put out. What a treat to have the universe direct me to this wonderful little market, teeming with raw goodies! I must be on the right track! Neither Debbie nor her sister realized the market had such a plethora of raw themed food. It was the universe that led us!!!

And wouldn't you know...Debbie's sister, Sherrie, is INCREDIBLY interested in raw food! We talked up a storm all about raw. She is a believer and would love to incorporate more raw into her diet!!

So, keep putting out there what you want. Keeping wanting what you know is good for you and the universe will respond!!!

Much love,
xoxox michelle joy

4 comments:

Meredith Frantz said...

Michelle-

Who would've thought, Ohio!?!? There are so many raw resources in the strangest of places. I think about in Philadelphia, where eating healthy isn't the norm... yet, there are over 5 raw restaurants/cafes.

In Boulder, Colorado, where everyone is fit and healthy... not a single raw restaurant!

It's awesome that you found raw treasures on your trip. My favorite part of traveling, as a raw foodist, is seeking out and finding new raw restaurants. Have fun, talk to you soon!

Anonymous said...

This is a very old article but I live in Dayton and I love it! There are so many stores that sell organic foods especially fruits and veggies that I really eat and drink 90% raw. I do eat free range organic meat and dairy products on occasion. I encourage everyone to try this type of eating. It will become addicting! So glad I found the article. I do love the Webster Street Station. Great people, good food, good times!

MICHELLE at FREEDOM FROM BINGING said...

Meredith, i didn't even know you left this!!! I hope you guys are doing GREAT! Sending love to you in Colorodo!

Anonymous, YES, i LOVED that market in Dayton! Was it a shock to find so much raw food on a trip just to visit some friends, where I thought i would find nothing. Alas, i've fallen off of raw even though i work as a raw chef. I have not lost the 120 lbs i gained :-(( You can email me if you want! Michelle LaSoprana@aol.com

MICHELLE at FREEDOM FROM BINGING said...

Meredith, i didn't even know you left this!!! I hope you guys are doing GREAT! Sending love to you in Colorodo!

Anonymous, YES, i LOVED that market in Dayton! Was it a shock to find so much raw food on a trip just to visit some friends, where I thought i would find nothing. Alas, i've fallen off of raw even though i work as a raw chef. I have not lost the 120 lbs i gained :-(( You can email me if you want! Michelle LaSoprana@aol.com