Eastern Market - Detroit

What do you get when you mix business with pleasure? Answer: A darn good time! My dear friend Wendy & I recently hit the big town of Detroit to explore the famous and historic Eastern Market. I have always wanted to visit Eastern Market and was so excited to finally have the chance to check it out.

Eastern Market is the largest historic public market district in the United States. The first shed was constructed in 1891. The first vendors sold hay and wood. Additional sheds were constructed in 1922 and 1929. Over time the market grew into what it is today.... ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!

​We arrived early and it's a good thing we did! We were unaware that the Detroit Beer Festival was happening at the market that day. Luckily, we were able to find a great parking spot close to the sheds before most of the festival goers arrived. We debated whether to enter the beer festival to eat at one of the many food trucks but by the time we finished shopping the line to the beer festival wrapped around the block!

The Saturday we visited only 2 of the 6 sheds were open but that didn't matter. We were not disappointed. There was still so much to look at, smell & taste! My first stop was the Beignets2Go food truck to try their Beignets & Cafe Au Lait. It was a chilly day so they had sold out of Cafe Au Lait already but their beignets were delicious! Every bit as tasty as the beignets I had in New Orleans at Cafe DuMonde.

I devoured a plate of beignets, dusted the powdered sugar off myself & hit the market running not really knowing what I would find. Wow! It was spectacular. Flowers, produce, nursery stock, food, handcrafted specialty goods, coffee, teas and so much more.

Beautiful Cut Flowers

Fresh Produce

Almost everyone at the market was carrying a huge stalk of Brussels Sprouts. I didn't realize there were that many Brussels Sprout fans out there. I love them and was a bit jealous I couldn't purchase one myself.

Interesting Finds!

Maclura Pomifera
"​Osage Orange"
Isn't An Orange, It's A Mulberry!

Solanum Integrifolium
"Pumpkin on a Stick"
Is Actually An Ornamental Eggplant!

Nursery Stock

The mums were absolutely gorgeous! Had we not been staying until Monday morning I would have packed my car with more goodies.

Murals & Artwork

We found several murals as we walked around the market area. There are many more but it was a little too chilly (and getting a little too crowded with beer festival attendees) so we decided to head out. I will definitely explore the area further when I visit again next spring & summer.

If you are interested in exploring the area's artwork and murals, the parking situation, the sheds or want to locate your favorite vendors, Eastern Market's website provides several different maps for visitors including a Murals Map.

Dinner & A Show To Remember

No trip to the area is complete without a visit to my favorite restaurant, Luciano's Italian Restaurant located on Garfield at 17 Mile in Clinton Township. Luciano's is truly a dining experience. Bring your appetite & prepare to spend 2 hours feasting on authentic Italian cuisine. The food is excellent & it just keeps coming! Roasted red peppers & escargot appetizers, bread baskets, soup, salad, Mostaccioli, Steak Luciano (my favorite entrée) topped off with an espresso and a piece of Tiramisu. YUM!

Joy To The World - Joy To You & Me!

The Motor City is famous for being the home of MoTown Records but Wendy & I are children of the 70's. Our weekend included Classic Rock! We had fabulous seats to see Three Dog Night at the Andiamo Showroom in Warren, MI. Three Dog Night ROCKED! They sounded great & played every one of their hits.

It was a wonderful weekend exploring new areas, enjoying great food, good music, shopping & fun with my friend. I look forward to my next trip to Eastern Market & of course, Luciano's but it's always best to be...

​Home Sweet
Home!