For years, the building above the Haymarket T station was simply a shell that housed towering vents constructed during the Big Dig. But on July 30, the space that started out with just one electrical outlet will become the Boston Public Market, home to nearly 40 local purveyors selling fresh New England produce, meats, cheeses and other foodstuffs and wares. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 am to 8 pm, the year-round market will be a sort of “connective tissue” for the area, says CEO Elizabeth Morningstar, with eight entrances and exits to allow shoppers ample access.
The 28,000-square-foot space demanded careful planning—seafood operations are closest to the service bay, Bon Me’s expected long lines can stretch toward the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, and coffee, doughnuts and Taza’s hot chocolate bar are on the building’s Congress Street side to catch some of the area’s 100,000 daily commuters. Bees from the Boston Honey Company demonstration hive will be able to peep Stow Greenhouse’s wall of flowers through their glass enclosure. This setup, Morningstar says, is meant to prompt conversation: “The difference between a public market and a grocery store is just sort of the magic thing that happens when you discover something new.” It’s already promoting collaboration between the vendors themselves, with Matt Baumann of Boston Smoked Fish Co. saying he plans to use Mamadou’s Bakery bread for his smoked bluefish rolls and salmon sliders, and he’ll direct shoppers to pair their fish with wine from Massachusetts Farm Winery and Growers.
Teamwork continues in the KITCHEN, a 3,200-square-foot space that will offer cooking classes courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen and the vendors themselves, broadcast on a nine-screen wall in the hub of the market, giving shoppers a taste of how their baskets came to be—and what they can become.
Chef Chris Douglass, who serves on the board of the Boston Public Market when he’s not heading up the kitchens at Tavolo and Ashmont Grill, mapped out a trip to the market to prep for a backyard pig roast—and exercised restraint: “Really, I would want to buy everything,” he says.
Starters
– Selection of cured meats from Daniele
– Cheeses from the Cellars at Jasper Hill
– Honey from Boston Honey Company
– Q’s Nuts
– Day boat fish from Red’s Best for some ceviche and a few razor clams to throw on the grill
The Main Event
– 20-pound suckling pig from Stillman Quality Meats
– Hakurei turnips, red Russian kale, garlic scapes, lettuces, radishes and beets from one of the many vegetable growers
– Beer from Hopsters Alley
Dessert
– Coffee from George Howell Coffee
– An assortment of chocolate-covered s’mores and a bag of gourmet marshmallows from Sweet Lydia’s
– Fresh strawberries
Extras
– Fieldstone tableware from American Stonecraft
– Serving bowls from Peterman’s Boards and Bowls
– A doughnut or two from Union Square Donuts to keep me going
Morningstar says the Boston Public Market celebrates being “über local.” With all 37 vendors rooted in New England, and all but three hailing from Massachusetts, nothing travels very far on the way from the farm to your table, as the signs below show.
Cornering the Market
After years of planning, the Boston Public Market opens its doors this month.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | June 26, 2015
For years, the building above the Haymarket T station was simply a shell that housed towering vents constructed during the Big Dig. But on July 30, the space that started out with just one electrical outlet will become the Boston Public Market, home to nearly 40 local purveyors selling fresh New England produce, meats, cheeses and other foodstuffs and wares. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 am to 8 pm, the year-round market will be a sort of “connective tissue” for the area, says CEO Elizabeth Morningstar, with eight entrances and exits to allow shoppers ample access.
The 28,000-square-foot space demanded careful planning—seafood operations are closest to the service bay, Bon Me’s expected long lines can stretch toward the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, and coffee, doughnuts and Taza’s hot chocolate bar are on the building’s Congress Street side to catch some of the area’s 100,000 daily commuters. Bees from the Boston Honey Company demonstration hive will be able to peep Stow Greenhouse’s wall of flowers through their glass enclosure. This setup, Morningstar says, is meant to prompt conversation: “The difference between a public market and a grocery store is just sort of the magic thing that happens when you discover something new.” It’s already promoting collaboration between the vendors themselves, with Matt Baumann of Boston Smoked Fish Co. saying he plans to use Mamadou’s Bakery bread for his smoked bluefish rolls and salmon sliders, and he’ll direct shoppers to pair their fish with wine from Massachusetts Farm Winery and Growers.
Teamwork continues in the KITCHEN, a 3,200-square-foot space that will offer cooking classes courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen and the vendors themselves, broadcast on a nine-screen wall in the hub of the market, giving shoppers a taste of how their baskets came to be—and what they can become.
A Top Toque’s Personal Shopping List
Chef Chris Douglass, who serves on the board of the Boston Public Market when he’s not heading up the kitchens at Tavolo and Ashmont Grill, mapped out a trip to the market to prep for a backyard pig roast—and exercised restraint: “Really, I would want to buy everything,” he says.
Starters
– Selection of cured meats from Daniele
– Cheeses from the Cellars at Jasper Hill
– Honey from Boston Honey Company
– Q’s Nuts
– Day boat fish from Red’s Best for some ceviche and a few razor clams to throw on the grill
The Main Event
– 20-pound suckling pig from Stillman Quality Meats
– Hakurei turnips, red Russian kale, garlic scapes, lettuces, radishes and beets from one of the many vegetable growers
– Beer from Hopsters Alley
Dessert
– Coffee from George Howell Coffee
– An assortment of chocolate-covered s’mores and a bag of gourmet marshmallows from Sweet Lydia’s
– Fresh strawberries
Extras
– Fieldstone tableware from American Stonecraft
– Serving bowls from Peterman’s Boards and Bowls
– A doughnut or two from Union Square Donuts to keep me going
Going the Distance
Morningstar says the Boston Public Market celebrates being “über local.” With all 37 vendors rooted in New England, and all but three hailing from Massachusetts, nothing travels very far on the way from the farm to your table, as the signs below show.
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