The Easton Public Market opened to what can only be described as an absolutely over-the-top excited crowd on April 15, after about two years in the making.
Headed up by Market District Director Megan McBride, along with managers Liz Wyant and Brittany Vokoun, the public market is a natural, organic (excuse the pun) extension of the good vibes the Easton Farmers’ Market has been generating, and the role it’s played in solidifying this city as a hub for food lovers. With 13 diverse vendors, the market has become a one-stop shop for all things delicious.
The market is open Wednesday through Sunday. Check out eastonpublicmarket.com for more information.
Mister Lee’s Noodles
We all need to thank Erin Shea and Lee Chizmar of Bolete restaurant in Bethlehem for bringing the Valley its very first legitimate ramen bar. Mister Lee’s cheeky name works on two levels, simultaneously referencing Chizmar and generically named Asian-American restaurants. Its spin on traditional Japanese ramen is a natural extension of Chizmar’s love of farm-fresh, local foods—and mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms.
Dutch Ramen pays homage to Pennsylvania, with a beef-mustard dashi, pastrami, sauerkraut, kale, pickled shallots and 60-minute egg. Gluten-free rice noodles are available, along with a kids’ bowl, too, for smaller appetites.
3rd & Ferry Fresh Fish
Mike and Becca Pichetto, the same folks who operate 3rd and Ferry Fish Market, own this fish stand at the market. Sounds confusing to name a restaurant after a market, but the Pichettos initially thought there would be enough room for a market at their restaurant. Luckily, they could implement that part of their business plan at the market along with fresh clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, shrimp, squid, red snappers, salmon and other unique items, such as Portuguese sardines. Crab cakes and salmon sliders make for quick dinners you can grab and take home. Fish isn’t the least-expensive source of protein, but 3rd and Ferry is competitively priced in comparison to other local retailers that sell fish and seafood. It’s so fresh that you can’t even smell it.
Located in the front of the market, 3rd and Ferry is visible from Northampton Street. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them filleting a fish, right through the big picture window.
Photo by Shelbie Pletz
Full of Crepe
There’s just no stopping K. Ashley Caldwell, proprietor of Full of Crepe. She opened several locations of this wildly popular creperie at once, including Florida and here in Easton at the market. Grab the dry-erase pen and scribble your signature on the wall or just get here early and have a crepe for breakfast, because this particular vendor opens at 8 a.m.
Savory or sweet, Full of Crepe offers tons of choices. The Turkey Lurkee, with turkey, mozzarella, spinach, tomato and pesto mayo is always popular, along with any option that includes Nutella, strawberries and/or bananas. Just sayin’. But you can create your own, or ask for a vegan or gluten-free batter for an upcharge.
Highmark Farmstand
The Farmstand now makes it entirely possible to grocery shop in Downtown Easton, with its stunning array of local and regional farms and producers, whether it’s greens from Salvaterra’s Gardens or Pheasant Hill Farms, or asparagus from Josie Porter Farm, or regional wholesale operators such as Lancaster County Farm Fresh, Common Market (Philadelphia) or Zone 7 (Ringoes, NJ). The Farmstand’s mission is to provide the highest-quality, locally and sustainably sourced products.
The produce is as local as possible in season—with the exception, of course, of citrus and tropical fruits (who can cook without lemons and avocados?), which are USDA organic. As much as possible is non-GMO and/or chemical-free.
The Farmstand is also chockablock with regional grains like Castle Valley Mills’ polenta and Pennsylvania’s own Daisy organic flours, along with oats, rye, buckwheat groats, yellow-pea flour, lentils, and more from New England producers. Raw milk enthusiasts eagerly await deliveries, but there’s also yogurt, along with chicken, duck and quail eggs. It’s even a great spot for pantry staples such as honey, mustard and applesauce and specialty items such as Buy the Farm’s srirachas and Soom Tahini (they’re based in Philly). For dinner prep made easy, Lemon Tree Lane Kitchen’s locally made pastas, sauces, pestos and tapenades are a hit, along with pizzas and crusts from Apple Ridge Farm.
Dundore & Heister
This Berks County butcher, based in Wyomissing, bypassed Philly and Allentown to set up operations in Easton. How’s that for impressive?
Owner Tod Auman’s mission is personal and passionate—to bring back the nearly lost art of whole-animal butchery, through local, pastured and grass-fed products. Regular items prepped in house include pork, lamb, beef, chicken, sausages (ask for the Philly Cheesesteak, with provolone and peppers; it sells out fast), bacon, hot dogs and ground beef with bacon.
And that lost art means you’ll find cuts of meat you may have never seen before (flanken, anyone?), because supermarket butchers are a dying breed. Don’t worry though—if you don’t know how to cook something, the knowledgeable employees in red-and-black flannel are eager to share tips and suggestions.
Dundore & Heister wants to facilitate your meal prep, so they’ve also debuted their amazingly moist rotisserie chickens (which also show up in their house-made chicken salad), a handful of sandwiches including one on a pretzel roll and other pre-made goodies such as Sloppy Joe mixes.
Fieldstone Coffee and Tea
Another long-term farmers’ market vendor, Fieldstone Coffee and Tea roasts its own fair trade, organic coffees within five days of your purchase. Their on-tap, cold brew coffee—referred to as nitro—pours like a Guinness, complete with a foamy head, imparting a smooth, creamy taste to the coffee. Owner Kristina Melbourne and roaster Kevin Jones offer all the typical drinks, from espresso, latte and cappuccino to grassy matcha tea latte.
Speaking of tea, those who love the leaves aren’t forgotten here. Fieldstone offers several dozen loose-leaf varieties of black, green, white and herbal tisanes, and hot and cold teas in season. Try their iced Bingo Blueberry tea—a goofy name for a cup that really packs in true blueberry flavor.
Photo by Colin Coleman
Chocodiem
The Lehigh Valley has landed an upscale spot for gorgeous handmade chocolates. Owned by master chocolatier Jean-Paul (JP) Hepp, a Belgian by way of New Jersey (they also have a shop in Clinton), the shop operates with a fastidious attention to detail and an unparalleled dedication to superior chocolate. Expect a dazzling array of truffles in culinary-driven varieties, such as chocolate-orange balsamic, pink Himalayan sea-salt caramel, naked dark chocolate, or truffle collaborations such as espresso (Fieldstone) or red wine (Tolino).
If somehow chocolate doesn’t get your attention, the riot of color in the macaron case will. These light and airy cookies have developed a loyal following, with flavors ranging from crowd pleasers such as Nutella and crème brûlée to more nuanced offerings such as Earl Grey, rose lychee and the intensely floral honey lavender.
Selections change regularly and these gluten-free cookies come to them straight from MacarOn Café in New York City.
Olive With a Twist
If you’ve been to Frenchtown, perhaps you’ve stopped in the first location of Brian Terry and Christopher Robinson’s shop. And it’s highly likely you’ve walked out with a bottle of organic olive oil or balsamic vinegar—sampling is happily part of the deal. OWAT is much closer to home now.
All of its oils are organic, sourced from California olives and its flavored balsamic vinegars are not synthetically infused; honey ginger, blood orange, fig—all of these balsamics are the real deal. And the oils range from buttery to herby to peppery, or infused with herbs or garlic. Artisanal pasta and condiments round out the offerings. Except for one thing!
It’s also really hard to walk away without a hunk of cheese, especially because, good salesmen that they are, Robinson and Terry are always offering a taste of whatever exclusive, unique cheese they’ve managed to finagle.
Scratch
This place lives up to its name: The doughs, the sauces and even the cheese for the wood-fired pizza are all made from scratch at this joint venture between long-time Easton Farmers’ Market vendor Apple Ridge Farm and Shawnee Craft Brewing.
With its rustic vibe, staff of super-cool ladies and fast-moving line, Scratch is hopping. Rebecca Troutman and her capable team along with chef Amanda Cox are constantly coming up with inventive reasons for you to eat and drink there, whether it’s salad dressings made with beer or garlic knots with the deep flavor of black garlic. The pizza crust is an impossible, delicious combination of chewy and crispy. It’s not all pizza and beer though—there’s bread, soft pretzels, cookies, homemade lemonade and what some call Farmer’s Gatorade: switchel. Ask for it!
The Taza Stop
The Taza Truck already boasts a strong following for its flavorful, garlic-loving Egyptian fare. Now owners Tim Bonner and his wife, Hala Rihan-Bonner, have parked at a rather colorful “stop” in the public market.
Taza means “fresh” in Arabic, and you can be guaranteed their food is just that. Plus, much of the food is gluten free and/or vegetarian; the meat is halal. Breakfast all day is always a winner, and Taza offers a choice of eggs or fava beans served in a pita with feta, tomato and scallions—a totally filling meal. Taza does hummus and baba ghanoush, and its falafel is unusually green, thanks to all the fresh herbs such as dill, parsley and cilantro and the presence of fava beans—not chickpeas.
More Than Q
Traditional, wood-smoked barbecue is hard to find north of the Mason-Dixon Line—at least done right, the way owner and pit master Matt Martin and company do it at the Easton Public Market. Fortunately for the Lehigh Valley, More Than Q chose to open its second location here—and is moving from its original spot in the Stockton Market to Lambertville.
Its meats are dry rubbed and smoked, and you can select brisket, pulled pork or beef or smoked sausage. (The spare ribs earn raves, too.) The sides are stellar; sandwiches are typically topped with a creamy or vinegary slaw along with pickled onions, cukes and sweet peppers. The sauces are Carolina-based; the yellow one is for mustard lovers. If you order the cheddar cheese grits as a side, ask for a scoop of their burnt-end baked beans on the top. Stir it together and bask in the rich, complex flavors. Wash it back with the revived local A-Treat soda.
Tolino Vineyards
This award-winning, family-owned vineyard made its debut a few years ago at the Weyerbacher Wednesdays at the Easton Farmers’ Market. Pop in the back entrance—they’re the first vendor on the right, right across from Scratch and next to Chocodiem. (Market district manager Brittany Vokoun calls that section “the danger zone,” because it’s full of chocolate, wine, beer and pizza.)
Come and hang out here. The first three one-ounce tastes of their wines are free, and beyond that, you’ll pay a mere $5 for six samples. Best sellers include the multi-award winner Mama’s Rosé, with a semi-dry pour with light raspberry and cherry body, and the super easy-drinking Papa’s Red—a combination of cabernet franc, chambourcin and petite syrah grapes.
Youssef's Fruit and Nut Gallery
One-stop shopping for snacks awaits you at Youssef’s, from dried tropical fruits and wasabi trail mix to unusual items such as coffee-and-cream almonds. Youssef’s got everything you could possibly want, whether it’s the standard dried apricots or pineapple or wasabi mix. Ground herbs and spices are here, along with a rotating selection of dried beans, such as navy, Great Northern, black and pinto. Impulse buys are easy here, too, because he lines his counter with pre-bagged items such as apple rings. The honey cashews are a dangerously addictive balance of salty and sweet.
