Gourmet chocolates sold at the Public Market.

Do you love to eat? That’s great because this week we are heading to a place where you can indulge and satisfy your taste buds with specialty foods and seasonings imported from exotic places such as France, Africa, Italy, Spain and Mexico!

I hope you’re hungry because we are exploring one of the oldest and largest market in the United States. Historically, that is The Public Market also known as the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.

The market sits on nine acres of land. The two story open air structure has an upstairs and downstairs. The Pacific Ocean and cloudy skies serves as a beautiful backdrop while the cobble streets preserves its historic past and originality of when the Public Market first opened on August 17, 1907.

What is interesting is that the market was filled with shoppers then and presently it is still heavily populated with customers who are eager to get the best bang for their buck. In other words, it was crowded. Trust me that was not such a bad thing because if it wasn’t, I would have questioned why. So what does the Public Market have to offer?

There are fresh fruits and vegetables including produce that are seasonal, delicious homemade ice cream and gelatos that are sold with a smile. As you continue walking around you will find four fish markets that sell live lobsters in a tank, while the mussels, crabs, fish, clams and oysters lay on a frozen bed of ice. If you are wondering which ocean the seafood is harvested from, it is caught from the Northwest Pacific Ocean; and yes, they are fresh!

If you are not a seafood lover, it is okay because there are a variety of meat counters that sells high grade beef, chickens and specialty meats such as veal. If you are craving fresh geese, turkey, pheasants or duck, these seasonal birds are only available during the holidays. Although, the Public Market is a food lovers heaven, locally made arts and crafts are sold there as well.

There are handcrafted wooden items carved in the form of animals, plants and human figures. On display were beautiful oil paintings that highlighted serene places such as lakes, mountains, and forests. A variety of mini sculptures were neatly spread out at the booth with tiny cards under it describing the essence of these creative works of art. There were also artists who invited me to sit down while they sketched my visage on the spot. The drawing was a perfect reflection of the person sitting in the chair…me.

After spending the day exploring The Public Market, I warmed up with what is considered a European cuisine, a delicious cup of coffee with steamed milk also known as a latte. I purchased this in the original Starbucks that was first opened in the early 1970’s in the Pike Place Market. Once it became a success, Starbucks was duplicated all throughout the United States.

My day spent at The Public Market in Seattle, Washington was deliciously delightful!

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