Detroit: Eastern Market

It’s that time again . . . time to talk about how much fun it is going to Eastern Market. Shout out to Alex & Toni Aloe for introducing us to Eastern Market about 15 years ago! You seriously changed our lives!

This Sunday is the official Flower Day - the Sunday after Mother’s Day. While flower day is great for getting your summer flowers to beautify your home, our favorite day is the regular Saturday market which is every Saturday 6AM - 4PM year round. While there are so many great vendors to get your fresh veggies and other favorites, there are also a lot of places to eat and drink within the market as well. Whether it is an actual vendor, selling in the shed, or a brick and mortar building in the market district, there is something for everyone’s taste and new places keep popping up every year.

WHERE TO PARK FOR FREE

If you are not familiar with the market you might think it is hard to park. It’s not if you know ahead of time where to go. There are plenty of free parking spots through the market, plus some “pay to park” places, but they are not any closer or more convenient than the free parking spots. Please refer to the map below, if you are planning on heading down for Flower Day. This map shows all the free parking spots as well as the potential road closure on Russell Street to avoid. In my opinion, the best lot to park in is the back corner lot, behind shed 6, at the corner of Riopelle and Wilkens. It is much larger than it looks on the map - it’s an entire square block from Riopelle to Orleans, Erskine to Wilkins. (Look for the large neon painted sewer pipes, stacked in what appears to be an attempt at art 😊)

RESTAURANTS & BARS OUTSIDE OF THE SHEDS

Outside the market is where there seems to be endless restaurants with new stuff popping up all the time. Vivio’s, Farmer Franks, Zeff’s, Louie’s Ham & Corned Beef and Mike’s Pita and Grill are our go to places for breakfast, but they also all have great lunch menus.

For the later in the day crowd there are also lots of choices: Jose’s Tacos, Cutters Bar & Grill (known for their stuffed burgers) Supino’s Pizza, Beyond Juicery & Eatery, Amore de Roma fka...Roma Café (opens later for dinner) for old school Italian, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, Bert’s BBQ (always outdoor grilling just follow the smell), Franks Deli & Grill featuring Wigley’s corned beef, and 2 of the newest offerings to open up Mistos Greek Food and coffee and the Motown Bistro.

Then we have the drinking portion of the market. Next to the Gratiot Central Market is Thomas Magee’s Sporting House and Whiskey Bar which has the feel of a true European Pub. The Detroit Distillery, Eastern Market Brewing Co and Lagerhaus No 5 are all within 2 block of each other, the streets are blocked off with outdoor tables so there is always plenty of places to sit and enjoy a nice cold beverage.

FOOD VENDORS INSIDE THE SHEDS

There are so many other places to eat and drink it is hard to decide. There are numerous food trucks each week and open market vendors selling hot food like shawarma and kofta sandwiches, People’s Pierogi -who has a great cheddar sausage with kraut on a bun as well as their pierogi which you can also buy by the dozen to go. There the French Cow that sells fresh crepes to order and then there is our favorite the almond Croissant from Canelle’s by Matt Kino. There are always new vendors coming in so we always tend to find new and exciting choices every time we go.

FOOD TRUCKS

There are always Food Trucks at Eastern Market, we’ve seen as few as 3 and as many as 7 or 8 on any given Saturday. During flower day they will have a good number of then scattered throughout the market but we won’t know until we are there how many or who will be there. This is what makes this day fun, it is always a different experience.

GRATIOT CENTRAL MARKET

Vegetarians and vegans beware. This place is not for you. If you are looking for some great fresh cut meat for the weekend cookout, this is the place to go. This market is home to Cheeche’s Chicken, The Detroit Cheese Company, Louisiana’s Bake Shop, Pietrzyk Pierogi, R.J. Meats, Randy’s Sausage, Ronnie’s Meats and Star Fish Seafood Company. They have everything you can imagine, and it is easily sectioned off for ease of finding what you are looking for. When walking in from the service drive entrance, you will find a full deli counter full of all the cuts of pork you could ask for, on the left, and on the right it is all the beef cuts you can possibly be looking for. As you venture in you will then find Randy’s Sausage selling sausages and smoked meats on the left and more beef and Wigley’s Corned beef (the best in the city) on the right. Keep walking and you will find the poultry counter on the left, with loads of fresh poultry, whole chicken to pieces being sold in bulk. On the right is a vendor selling more beef and pork, who also sells some specialty cuts like shanks and oxtails. This vendor will occasionally have lamb or other specialty meats available as well. And for you seafood lovers the fresh seafood counter is located around a corner in a separate area of the market, along with the cheese shop, bake shop an pierogi.

FUN THINGS YOU WILL SEE AT EASTERN MARKET

Cooking classes are sometimes held in the instructional kitchen in Shed 5. There is a big window where you can watch and see how much fun they are having getting their learn on. During the regular Saturday you can get all your produce . . . but be sure to shop and see who has the best prices! Not all vendors are the same price. There is a person that sells specialty mushrooms - anything from portobello to lions mane, and sometimes we even see Morels. You can get all your annuals, perennials, shrubs, planters, hanging baskets, bouquets of flowers and so much more. It is family friendly and there are lots of families with their kids, some even bring their dogs. However, dogs are not supposed to be in the sheds for health department reasons. The most important thing to remember is bring cash (not all vendors take credit or debit cards)and BRING A WAGON OR CART if you have one. We have made the mistake of not bringing ours and you can get overloaded really fast.