Sometimes you just stumble on to really fun stuff and sometimes you don’t. On Friday night, Lauren had her purse stolen in the South End by some hooded, bike riding, jerk..not so fun. But…she’s okay and we have been wanting to check out the SoWa Open Market for a while and we finally got it done on Sunday morning. Sowa Open Market happens every Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00 on Harrison Ave in the South End from May 1 until the end of October.
There are tons of vendors with hand-made crafts, funky artwork, jewelry, antiques and vintage clothing surrounded by some really great galleries that are open at the same time. There’s a whole section of farm fresh produce; beef, pesto, honey, cheeses, produce, and baked goods. It’s a very friendly atmosphere and I am going back as soon as possible because I spent most of my time in line at Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese Food Truck.
Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Each week there is a different combination of Food Trucks at the SoWa Open Market. You can find out which ones will be there at the Sowa website. I totally missed the whole food truck revolution hanging around in the suburbs, but I bet you city slickers know what I am talking about. There are food trucks that specialize in cupcakes, veggie sandwiches, Vietnamese food, crepes or whatever. There is a Food Network show called The Great Food Truck Race. I watched it once and thought it was pretty interesting, so when I saw the gi-normous line waiting for Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, I was stuck. I had to get in line and I had to stay. Forty five minutes to get a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but that is just part of the silliness that has made this whole blog thing a lot of fun. While in line I learned that Roxy’s team had just returned from their stint on next season’s Great Food Truck Race which will air in August. That was part of the reason that everyone was so willing to wait, but the other reason is that their grilled cheese sandwiches are really great. They stick with the basic model of a grilled cheese, but their ingredients are gourmet and the guys in the truck are low-key and extremely likable.
I thought their prices were very reasonable….$6.00 for the Green Muenster, $4.00 for a plain grilled cheese and $4.00 for the Beer Battered Fried Pickles. We didn’t get a chance to try the Truffled French Fries, but the Beer Battered Fried Pickles were a huge hit.
The Green Muenster (Muenster, Guacamole and Bacon)
Beer Battered Fried Pickles
This is a fun outing for a summer Sunday. The people are really friendly and there is plenty to see. The art, the crafts, the food trucks and the organic farmers are all terrific- check it out if you get a chance.
Also, don’t forget the Manchester Arts Festival which takes place on July 23, so mark your calendars! It’s a great day of art and relaxation only a train ride away from Boston. There will be artisans showing and selling their hand-made goods up and down the streets of Manchester. We will have musical entertainment all day as well as art activities for the children. Hope you can make it!
Bon Appetit!
Robin and Lauren
