Burning Down the House

One week ago a DC landmark and the place where I buy food for my family, Eastern Market, burned down. Or up, more accurately. Most of it is still there, a charred hull of what was a truly charming bit of an old-world shopping experience. It's a large reason why people move to this neighborhood. Within the cavernous, not-up-to-fire-code, brick and mortar building were butchers, produce sellers, a florist, the stinky cheese man, a bakery, a fish mongery... it was delightful. The place was packed on weekends with people not from my neighborhood which kind of sucked, but on weekdays, after work I could head down there just before they closed and pick up enough fresh ingredients to make a dinner that you were proud of. The place was 487 years old (what an Amazing Funfact!) and a nice reminder of what life was like before supermarkets. Not that supermarkets are all bad; air conditioning and refrigeration have their admirable qualities. But you know what I mean. The merchants didn't know my name, but they knew me. They smiled and chatted with you and if you had a kid with you, they give you a banana. I swear it's true. Real bananas.

Thanks to Eastern Market, our house had Mystery Fish Thursday. You see, not having been raised eating seafood (mom never trusted the freshness of California fish, go figure) I decided we needed to try eating more. Being novices in the ways of fins and gillage, I turned to the fish monger man at EM. On Thursdays I'd walk in just before he closed and ask "What's good?" Whatever he recommended, I bought; took it home and made a meal of it. I tried tilapia, flounder, scrod, salmon, snapper, rockfish, tuna: whatever the little man suggested. (I say little because he was only 27 inches tall. Oddest thing you ever saw.) But I digress... He never steered me wrong, that tiny man, and it was all pretty darn tasty. The secret is lemon. Lemons bought at Eastern Market. You see where I'm going?

Anyway, tomorrow night the Pour House is donating a portion of its proceeds to Eastern Market Rescue to help out the merchants who lost their livelihoods in the fire. Ridiculously, I mentioned it to Fritz over at der Post who told everyone on Going Out Gurus that I've got a fire-themed evening. Uh, yeah, right... Um, guess I'd better get cracking on that one. Oh well, it'll be worth staying up late crafting brilliant questions to raise a little dough for a worthy cause. Hope to see you there (he said to no one in particular).

Cheers!