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Talk & Taste: The Past, Present, and Possible Futures of the Urban Public Market
December 13, 2023 @ 6:30 PM EST
$25
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 6:30pm
Essex Market, 88 Essex St, NY, NY, 10002
This month’s Talk & Taste will explore a history that we hold close to our hearts. Essex Market is one of just a few of New York City’s historic public markets still in operation.
Join us as we welcome Robert LaValva for a discussion about a unique and storied institution: the urban public market. What makes a public market “public”? What roles do public markets play in the economic, social, and cultural life of cities? How have public markets continued to evolve and change over time? What are their prospects for the future?
Through an overview of New York City’s own public market history, and with a focus on the recently revitalized Essex Market, we will gain a fuller understanding of this important, but often undervalued facet of our civic infrastructure.
Robert LaValva is a placemaking consultant and creative director who builds connections between food systems, economic development, and public space. In 2005 he launched the acclaimed New Amsterdam Market, which was held at the Old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan until 2014. He consulted on the recent redevelopment of Essex Market and is now part of the planning team overseeing the revival of the old Broadway Market in Buffalo, NY.
To complement this program, we’ll celebrate New York City’s long history as a hub for some of the world’s best seafood—especially oysters! We’ll welcome an expert oyster shucker to teach us all the best technique for shucking our own at home. Then, our culinary curator Chef Annette Tomei will demonstrate a historic dish made famous in the public markets of 19th century New York—oyster pan roast. And, yes, there will be tastes for all!
You will not receive a physical ticket for this event. Your name will be on a list when you check in at the Essex Market Kitchen Mezzanine that evening.
About Talk & Taste
Join Essex Market each month as we explore our city’s past, present and future through food. Each evening, we’ll welcome exciting guest speakers– from cookbook authors and chefs to historians, celebrating our talks with food bites provided by Essex Markets’ diverse array of vendors. Originally conceived by the late Anne Saxelby (Saxelby Cheese) from 2015-2018 in our historic building in the Lower East Side, we’re excited to relaunch this series in our new home at Essex Crossing!
About Essex Market
Essex Market has been a fixture on the Lower East Side since 1818. Since 2019, the market has called Essex Crossing home and now houses over 30 vendors- all with an individual story and distinctive personality that adds flavor to their already delicious offerings. Ready to share their experiences and knowledge, they give a true neighborhood feel to our historic public market!
About If You Care
If You Care kitchen and household products are carefully crafted to have the least environmental impact and lightest carbon footprint possible, while also delivering the most effective results. Healthy home. Healthy Planet. Healthy You.
