The Spot: , Open Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m.
What We Bought: Testing the farmers market waters is inevitable now that cool weather is almost here and there's no better time than when the sun finally goes down at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market night market on Wednesdays. While pickins were still pretty slim, One Windmill Farms, as usual, killed it with an impressive produce haul for the oppressive summer season. Heirloom tomatoes, green tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes and pretty much any other kind of tomato you could possibly crave were available, ripe and pretty, for $3 or $4 per pound depending on the variety you choose. While the okra and fennel were also looking good, we had to grab some $1.50/pound apples to help us quell our cravings for the LuLu's Italian Ice cart--although blood orange creamsicle Italian ice does sound pretty great in 100 degrees.
What We Skipped: Despite the fact that the food trucks were out in full force this week, we were on a shopping mission, so (for once) we skipped the food truck lines. Plus something about rich soul food (which was half of the showing) on a hot night doesn't sit right in our bellies. While there was ample seating for those sampling the food truck wares (which is rare during peak farmers market season), it was mostly because there were few vendors to fill the space.
What We're Still Lusting Over: We can't wait until our favorite vendors and farmers come out of hibernation and we can ditch the summer supermarket doldrums. All of the variety of the local ethnic indoor markets and the granola vibes of Sprouts and Trader Joe's just don't compare to a weekly meet and greet with some of the Valley's best artisans.
We did find one diamond in the rough--Pho King's crispy crepe ($8.75). This fusion masterpiece combines a crepe with the same tasty ingredients you'd find in a bowl of pho. Perhaps we've finally found a heat-conducive substitute for our favorite soup ever? We'll have to try it next time to find out.
