The Market – Gourmet & Specialty Foods

Laurie and I are always on the lookout for special historical and scenic places, nifty attractions or activities, as well as ‘special’ restaurants, delis, bakeries and markets.  We always have a feeling of satisfaction when we discover any of these exploratory highlights!  Beyond that, we also like to spread the word about any and all of our finds…

 

This is ‘The Market’.  It’s located close to Maryville College in Maryville Tennessee.  The Market has been in operation since 2008.  Their catch phrase is that their store is “Where Southern hospitality meets quality by offering the best in service and selection”.

 

 

The Market sources and sells regional produce and meats wherever possible.  They hand pick every vendor.  Their meats are prime-cut, hormone-free and their seafood is flown in fresh daily from the coastal fishing wharves.  In addition, fresh bakery items are received daily from local specialty bakeries.  This store also offers specialty food products and merchandise and it has a huge beer selection and a lunch counter.  In many ways, The Market is a deli on steroids!

This old 1920’s building served as a coin operated laundry prior to its purchase and transformation in 2008. 

 

This photo shows just part of the meat, cheese, deli and seafood display cases.  The fresh meat offerings are beautiful…but with quality meat, one usually finds pricing to match, and The Market’s meat and seafood is not inexpensive.

On the other hand, the price is positively offset by the quality, which is enhanced by the variety of cuts and the types of products available.  The source for meat is Mother Earth Meats.  The store offers 11 varieties of handmade sausage; grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and elk; free range chicken, duck, turkey and pork; browse-raised goat; grain fed beef; cut-to-order rabbit and deer, and; pasture raised eggs.

The seafood is supplied by the Blue Moon Fish Company and Duck Trap River.  Blue Moon provides clams, mussels, lobster tails, crab legs, shrimp and soft-shell crabs… Duck Trap River supplies smoked trout, salmon, mussels and scallops, as well as salmon and trout pate.  Another supplier, Rajun Cajun provides a line of ‘Cajun’ specialty meats and foods.

 

This is a photo of part of the dry goods or dry grocery area of the store.  A wide variety of unusual and/or quality name brand products are available for the customer.  These include such items as coffee, jams, preserves, salad dressings, maple syrup, honey, specialty soaps, candles, lip balms, fancy snack foods, hot sauces, bbq sauces, cereals, spices/seasonings, cookies, cooking oils, vinegars, salsa, spreads and dips.

Did you spot the tables and chairs?  This is one of the seating areas for customers who stop by for lunch at the High Street Lunch Counter…part of the deli portion of the business.  The Market offers 8 different sandwiches ranging in price from $5.00 to $6.99.  One favorite is the Scotty Dog…a bison hot dog with chili, cheese, onions and slaw. ($6.99) They also offer 7 different sides, milk shakes and fruit smoothies.  Lobster Bisque is on the menu too… $4.00 cup, $5.00 bowl and $15.00 for a quart.

Laurie and I stopped by for lunch one day.  She had a big bowl of their great  Lobster Bisque and I took advantage of the special…all you could eat steak with a side for only $10.00!  I skipped the side but I managed to consume a New York Strip Steak and a Rib Eye Steak.  Such a deal…!

 

This is the bakery and produce section of the store.  The focus is on local produce whenever possible and the baked goods are provided by 2 or 3 local specialty bakeries.  One of those bakeries is also one of our favorite spots for sandwiches and baked goods in all of East Tennessee…Tellico Grains Bakery in Tellico Plains.  For more on their products, just go to http://tellico-grains-bakery.com/.

But I digress… Back to The Market!  Did I mention that this store also sells pre-prepared meals to go?  Mother Earth Meats produces most of these to go meals.  They include such items as lasagna, meat loaf, roasts, shepard’s pie, tamales, mushroom ravioli…and such sides as mac ‘n cheese, chicken/tuna/shrimp salad, twice baked potatoes and potato salad.  Laurie and I have taken home a very nice family style chicken pot pie and a quart of that Lobster Bisque. (She insists that I capitalize Lobster Bisque!) The bisque does include a spoonful of lobster with every bite!

 

Then there is beer…lots and lots of beer!  Not only does The Market carry a wide selection of imported beer, they also stock many local brews from around the USA.  These include New Belgium, Duck-Rabbit, Yazoo, Sweetwater, Flying Dog, Left Hand, Rogue, Abita and Fort Collins.   Beyond that, there are many ciders, both hard and soft, as well as a “Growler Wall” with an 8-tap beer ‘filling station’ stocked with regional beers on draft.

Periodic beer tastings are conducted at the Market by regional breweries.  In season, The Market offers an All You Can East Seafood Boil…complete with jumbo shrimp, crawfish, sausage, potatoes and corn…plus $3.00 beer from the “Growler Wall”.  Incidentally…a growler is apparently a 64 oz. jug used for beer to go drawn from the Growler Wall… If I have this wrong, it would be great if someone would send me a correction.

 

OK…This is about it…the end of the story.  I’m got my groceries and I’m in line checking out.   It’s time to get out of here before I drop any serious coin and before I buy something that would further contribute to my waistline!

The Market is a very popular place… It’s a ‘go to’ store for something special and a great lunch.  We will return many times I’m sure.  As a matter of fact, the original Market is so popular that, in 2011, a second store was opened in Knoxville at the corner of Gay and Union Streets.  The phone number of The Market in Knoxville is 865-541-5150.  The phone number for The Market in Maryville is 865-977-8462.  The website for The Market is at http://www.themarketinmaryville.com/.

Just click on any photo to enlarge it…

Thanks for going grocery shopping with us!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave