Columbus, Ohio USA
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North Market Habit
July 2006
By Mary Martineau
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Photos by Mary Martineau
On any given day at the North Market, hundreds of people flock for lunch, grocery shopping, meeting and eating! Here’s a look at a handful of folks with faces sighted here habitually, how they discovered the place and their reasons for frequenting this Columbus landmark.
John Dornback and Trish Gentile, Basi Italia, Owners
A good older sister shows her little sis the ropes in life. So it was when Rebecca Gentile introduced Trish to the North Market. She took her to Frank’s Diner for breakfast at the Quonset hut during a visit. Trish became a regular when she moved back to town and later brought her then-boyfriend-now-husband, chef John Dornback. Trish and John now have a standing every-Saturday “brunch date” at the North Market where they dine on Best of the Wurst hot dogs with the works, Flavors of India’s vegetable platter #4, and Heil’s Family Deli’s baked beans and potato salad. (Really, I see them every Saturday and the menu barely changes). The market is the source of various Basi Italia essentials like farmers market vegetables, herbs, ginger preserves and cheese from Curds & Whey, kitchen stuff from Wasserstrom and Jeni’s ice cream. “There’s nothing I can’t get here when I’m out of something!” proclaims John. The couple eagerly anticipates Saturday forays to the market as an opportunity to catch up with neighbors. Trish sums it all up as, “The North Market is our community. This is where it’s at!”
Jami Goldstein, Ohio Arts Council, Communications Manager
Jami Goldstein has been coming to the market for 12 years since back when it was housed in the Quonset hut. She credits co-worker Bill Norquist with introducing her to this culinary mecca. You’ll find Jami at the market two to three times per week for lunch at Lac Viet Market (she favors the summer rolls), picking up cheese from Curds & Whey, bread from Omega Artisan Baking, chocolate at Pure Imagination, a bottle of wine from Grapes of Mirth or ice cream at Jeni’s. She frequents the market for the unbeatable atmosphere, the friendliness of the merchants and the opportunity to bump into someone she knows. And the Bourbon Buttered Pecan ice cream at Jeni’s, according to Jami, “Is simply to die for! I love the Market, it’s important to me. It’s part of my life.”
Aaron Beck, Columbus Dispatch, Reporter
Aaron “accidentally” discovered the North Market in 1996 while cycling. He was conducting a two-wheeled, self-guided orientation tour upon his arrival in Columbus. Since his discovery, he now averages three visits per week for lunch, take-home dinner fixings and finds it “an interesting reading spot.” He loves the location in downtown – it’s on his way to “everywhere” during the week and it’s a fantastic example of shared public space. Aaron is a fan (addict?) of A Touch of Earth’s coffee, and he regularly visits Flavors of India “for the banter with Raj” followed by a combo platter. North Market Produce and Poultry & Game provide regular meal accoutrements, while Lac Viet or “Thang’s Kitchen,” as Aaron refers to it, is another staple. Not only does Aaron find sustenance at Columbus’s public market, he discovered love when he met his girlfriend, Michelle Maguire, working at Pastaria. Finally, Aaron credits the North Market with “making Columbus feel like a real city.”
Spencer Budros, Pistachio, Owner
Spencer has fond early childhood memories of coming to market with his father and picking through Dorothy Gatterdam’s eggs for those with treasured double and triple yolks. He visits the market thrice weekly on ice cream, flower, produce and cheese forays. He loves Marty McGreevy of Market Blooms and finds a kindred tastemaker in Jeni Britton. Spencer and Mike Kast of Curds & Whey have a special relationship as they engage in a weekly cheese for dessert barter. Spencer believes that the North Market sets the tone for the Short North with its dynamic entrepreneurial spirit. “The North Market defines the character of Columbus. And as a small business owner myself, I like to support other small businesses. It’s important!” says Budros.©2006 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.