 "Photo: LexingtonMarket.com")
The world famous Lexington Market is one of Baltimore's best kept secrets. A hangout that only your more proud locals know about, it exudes a spirit of community and excitement at its prime West Baltimore location on Lexington Street. It is impossible to depart from Lexington Market without leaving all five of your senses delighted and begging for more.
The Lexington Market has been a part of Baltimore since 1782 and celebrates its 220th anniversary this year. It is the world's largest continuously running market. Bustling for more than six generations, it began as a type of farmer's market, and was then transformed into a site for immigrants and entrepreneurs to establish themselves in the 1950s. All types of ethnicities were represented, making the site a huge melting pot of aroma, cuisine, language and culture. Today the market is very much the same. The only differences you will find are its newly renovated store front and its size: two massive, neighboring warehouses holding 140 merchant stalls.
A trip to Lexington Market is an experience comparable to few others. The market is located in a unique, diverse and cultural neighborhood of Baltimore and caters to a wide variety of customers. At lunch time it is common to see prominent business people on break, kids on a field trip, families getting dinner before a sporting event or just a group of low-key Baltimoreans trying to relax. Lexington Market is a place where all walks of life are pulled together by a universal desire for a great time and good food and entertainment.
The market has something for even the most picky eaters. Shoppers can find everything from fish to produce to baked goods. In addition to grocery shopping, consumers can get all the same things prepared to enjoy on site. The second floor of the East Side building is full of bistro tables and chairs and overlooks the first floor center stage where local bands play all types of music. Also on the second floor, guests can look out the newly-renovated windows and enjoy the encompassing view of Baltimore city.
Experience the local recipes for friend chicken, seafood and deli delights or skip out on traditional Maryland cuisine and try something from the international category at Italian Stallion, Honolulu Restaurant or the Chinese Pavilion, just to name a few. I personally recommend going over to Barron's Deli and getting a shrimp salad sandwich and coke, but no matter what you decide on there is one thing that all Lexington Market customers enjoy ... the fresh UTZ potato chips. Every morning the local UTZ factory produces the fresh-fried potatoes, turning them into little golden crunches of delight. Maybe it's the atmosphere of the market or the special paper bags they come in, but everyone that tries the fresh chips will tell you they taste completely different than those in grocery stores. And a trip is not nearly complete or successful without testing the goods of one of the market's various bakeries. These creations seem too sinfully delicious to simply tag their creators as "bakers."
In addition to the everyday bands and merchants that the market features, there are a series of annual events held. They include Lunch with the Elephants, holiday festivals, The Preakness Crab Derby (which was covered by ESPN last year) and the ever sweet and popular Chocolate Festival.
This year the Chocolate Festival will be held Oct. 6 through Oct. 8 starting at noontime each day. The Festival is a montage of all kinds of chocolate imaginable in all types of forms imaginable. The event includes indulgences such as chocolate covered apples, cakes, cookies, fruits, candies, pies, ice creams, fudge, peanut brittle and candy kisses to name a few. Any food that can have the sweet, creamy substance added to it will be showcased at the festival.
Some of the vendors include the Harbor City Cake Shop, Millie's Bakery, Rheb Candy Company, Konstance Candy, Lumu's Candies and Moore's Candy. The festival turns what is normally the Lexington Market's stage into a chocolate wonderland that will dazzle your eyes in addition to your stomachs.
There are also a number of activities for the chocoholic's entertainment. Chocolate eating contests, live bands and cooking demonstrations are a few things to do in addition to devouring the desserts. The Chocolate Festival is one of the larger events at the Lexington Market and is a great way to experience the market for the fist time.
Whether you go for a taste of Maryland history, culture or chocolate your trip to the Lexington Market is one that your stomach and senses will never let you forget.
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