March 19
...serving up your daily dish.
If you want to know everything about Paterson, NJ's storied past in the silk trade, then you want to read Phil Read's "Images of America" book on the subject. Only problem, the first printing of just 1,500 was snapped up and the book's been out of print for about a year. Good news: it's going into a second printing, and will be in stores again soon.
Pre-order here and while you wait for it to ship, think about taking a trip to those amazing falls over there in Paterson. We've met too many people lately who've never been. It's not some dumb little waterfall at the end of a trail. According to Wikipedia it's the second-highest large-volume falls on the east coast.
March 19, 2006 in Scooped by Phil Read, Again | Permalink
I still go to the Paterson market as it has the feel of shopping in Europe. When I go on a Sat morning you can hear 4-5 different languages as you squeeze the melons.
Posted by: Iceman | Mar 19, 2006 7:13:14 AM
Do you have to pay to squeeze those melons?
Are they good looking melons or are they left overs from Friday night?
I'm always UP for melon squeezing!
Posted by: pissant | Mar 19, 2006 7:39:50 AM
I visited the Falls of Paterson a few years ago. I couldn't believe my eyes! They are a beautiful sight. I will bring my 6 year old daughter during the warmer months to see them. What saddend me was the condition of the park surrounding the falls. There was garbage all over the trails, benches were dilapidated and it just had an overall terrible look . This is a historical site. Why isn't it taken care of better?
Posted by: mkal | Mar 19, 2006 10:52:47 AM
Or here:
http://watchung.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp
Shame on you Barista, if you are going to give someone free adveritising, please gve it to a localy owned and operated business.
Posted by: Bitpusher | Mar 19, 2006 11:08:50 AM
I've been told there are good meat markets for goat in Paterson. Anyone know who and where? And Ice, where is this market you speak fondly of?
Posted by: Max | Mar 19, 2006 3:45:26 PM
Max,
it's down the street from the egg diner...cross the railroad tracks and take a left and as you pass the strip club it takes you right into the market
Posted by: Iceman | Mar 19, 2006 8:22:07 PM
It's off of Crooks Ave near the railroad tracks.
Posted by: PAZbroke (AMiL) | Mar 19, 2006 9:36:28 PM
Look for the Rainbow Car Wash on your left - it's right before the RR tracks - as soon as you see it, cross the tracks and turn left.
When we lived in Montclair (many moons ago), my parents used to belong to a food co-op and I have many fond memories of going down there early on a summers day, loading up the old woody station wagon and carting it all home to be sold in the local garages. We used to also get eggs and fresh fish sometimes as well. My mom used to make pies to bring down there and the vendors would throw in extra produce at no charge.
I agree, it's like walking into another world. BTW....Corado's Market in Clifton sells goat - you can get it there.
Posted by: Anne Prince | Mar 20, 2006 8:08:59 AM
I think the market is on E. Railway Ave. I used to go there to buy flats of annuals. They were much cheaper than Ploch's. There's a store there that makes the best falafel sandwiches.
The produce is plentiful and varied.
Great trip for a slice of life.
Posted by: DS | Mar 20, 2006 12:54:05 PM
The Paterson Farmer's market is on East Railway Avenue off Crooks, but the entire area is Turkish and Saudi, so you can find stores on Main and Crooks that sell all kinds of interesting things. Take the Parkway North to 154, hang a left, then a right at the light onto Crooks. You'll go through the light at Main and the light at Getty, and East Railway is the first left after you go over the RR tracks. During the warmer months, as crowded as it is, it's still worth it to go on a Saturday, when local farmers sell stuff off the back of the trucks that they picked that morning. It doesn't have the panache of Montclair Farmer's Market, but it's good, basic stuff, and you can haggle. Behind that, on Buffalo, there's a little Asian grocery that has lovely fish, fresh tofu and bean sprouts, and a bunch of canned goods and spices to go with. The Fruiti-Mex market has a huge variety of dried peppers and mexican spices. The place that used to be Fava's is something far less appealing now, but Spinella's is still the same. I used to go back every few days when the flats of strawberries were $2.99. And, of course, Corrado's is on Main Street just east of Crooks, so you can pop in there, too. If you're lucky, they'll have not only goat, but rabbit and pigeon. Take your kids if you're trying to convince them to go veg - nothing like a cooler full of skinned bunnies!
Posted by: Alison Meyer | Mar 23, 2006 7:32:44 AM
