Eastern market is the neighborhood just a bit east of the Capitol building. Its characterized by wonderful little shops and restaurants; most of them being independently owned- so very few chains, at least in the area that we wandered.
Its a cute neighborhood, nothing exceptionally special, until the weekend hits. Early Saturday & Sunday morning, the actual Eastern Market opens up, which is a wonderful outdoor farmers and flea market. Last visit I bought a dress, this visit I snagged some gorgeous bar soap made with real avocados and olives. If I could post the scent to share with you all, believe me I would.
What I'm trying to say though, is that you can find just about anything you need here. Local farmers come out to sell their various produce, ranging from typical potatoes and corn to white peaches (I'd never had one before- they're beautiful!) and fairytale eggplants (adorable, by the way). Butchers set up inside to sell meat, fish and cheese. People sell jams and bottled sauces, salsa, and homemade soaps and organic cleaning products. There's also some vendors who sell fresh flowers- one of my favorite things.
Then there's clothes and furniture for sale, both new and vintage. Along with all types of artwork, jewelry and... well- like I said, basically anything you could ever want/need!
We picked up some delicious apple bbq sauce from one of the salsa vendors, on top of the soap and a few other things that we didn't reallly need. And then some fruits and veggies for the week, as well as what we needed for dinner. We had plans to spend the rest of the day out shopping, so I decided to whip up my Single Pot Pasta for everyone. It was definitely a huge hit after being on our feet all day!
Long story short though, I absolutely adore outdoor markets. There's just something about buying your food and things straight from the people who had their hands involved that makes shopping special. If you live in DC, I definitely suggest you check Eastern Market out. If you live in another city or town but have a farmers market or something similar, then I say next weekend you hit that up! It adds such a great element to your cooking experience, and its great for your local economy.
I know whatever city I end up digging my heels into, there will be something like Eastern Market there. And I guarantee you'll be able to find me there every weekend!