Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

 @JeffHouck
 The Stew
 Table Conversations
 StewVision
 Foodspotting
 Email Jeff Houck

Most Recent Entries

• USF Poly board member quits, saying USF is scuttling the “Poly model”
• Decision 2012: Florida’s Pizza Primary [Every Slice Of Newsroom Pie Tells A Story]
• USF gets big grant for veterans research
• Merlot Jelly, Korean Fried Chicken and Grand Marnier Souffle [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• Researchers say cell phone waves can reverse Alzheimer’s
• Klasko and Obama grip and grin
• Genocide, memory and art the focus of USF conference
• Poly announces budget cuts; fires top administrators
• Debate turns into test of free speech. Some students failed.
• Homemade Potsticker, Pulled Pork With Fried Egg, And Unstuffed Pork Chops [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
• What’s up with the USF debate?
• Local power players work behind the scenes
• Board member wants to put pressure on USF Poly accreditors
• Left college? USF wants you back
• 13 Hilarious, Childish, Rude And Sometimes Irrational Reactions To Paula Deen’s Diabetes [Play Nice]

More

• The Stew
• The Dirt
• Hot Pursuits
• HOMEwork
• Inside USF
• L Archive
  • Green Lite
  • Bring It!

Monthly Archives

• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011

Tampa Gets A Little More Fresh [New Farmer’s Market]

Posted Oct 17, 2008 by Jeff Houck

Updated Oct 17, 2008 at 12:49 AM

The sign of a healthy food life for a city is a proliferation of fresh markets and farmers markets. Several operate in the Bay area, most notably the weekend markets in Ybor City, St. Petersburg and Dunedin, but we could always use more.

That’s why I was excited to learn this week about the start of the Tampa Downtown Market, operating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays (starting Oct. 24) at Gaslight Square along Franklin Street through May 1. If the demand is great enough, the market might expand to Sundays.

Tiffany Ferrecchia, who moved to Tampa from the Orlando area two years ago and runs the organic catering company Urban Taste (formerly Taste for Life), is spearheading the market with help from the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

“We’re very lucky for this market to have the partnership with us,” Ferrecchia told me on Wednesday. “Without them, I’m not sure we could have gone as far as we have.”

The market is somewhat modeled on those she’s seen while living in Winter Park and during her travels to other locations. (She hails originally from Boston.) Vendors will offer ready-to-eat food, take-home fare, produce, flowers and plants, health and beauty, artworks and pet products.

“There are so many markets opening across Florida right now,” she says. “I think it will do a lot for the community.”

For information and a list of vendors, go to www.tampadowntownmarket.com.

As I said, there are lots of great fresh markets in the area. Here’s a map of those in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk and Manatee counties.

View Larger Map