Saturday, November 7, 2009
What a beautiful day! Reminiscent of what it might have been like in mid-September if mid-September had behaved itself.
A revisit to Findlay Market this morning changed my thinking. First, it was mobbed today, unlike yesterday (Friday) when it was just kind of busy. It was hard to move through the aisles this morning. And instead of all the customers being African-American, there was a welcome mixture of urban types today, including lots of couples with young children. And I thought more about what Findlay Market offers--a lot of fresh kitchen staples (poultry, meat, cheese, produce, breads, desserts, pasta) that can be conspicuously absent in downscale urban areas, as we know from reading Mark Winne's book "Closing the Food Gap."
As I sat drinking a cup of decaf and enjoying a delicious chocolate chip croissant, a young man wearing a Zingerman's sweatshirt sat down. I remarked on how I was going to Zingerman's in a few weeks, and he told me how much he loves it, but also suggested that when I am in Detroit I must go to Avalon International Bakery. Turns out his sister owns it. So now I have a new Detroit destination.
Surrounding Findlay Market are two ethnic shops. One, Krause's, is a German deli featuring cheese and deli meats. It's so crowded that a sign on the door instructs to choose a number as you enter. Across the alley is Saigon Supplies, an unwelcoming looking place with bars on doors and windows, and no one but me and the shopkeeper inside. The store is abundantly well stocked, but no customers. Wonder why.
The Taft Art Museum is delightful (see photo above). I've always enjoyed museums in what were once lavish homes, and this is no exception. Although there were several paintings with labels saying "in imitation of Rembrandt" or "in the style of Frans Hals," there were also a number that were real. I wonder if the imitations were thought to be real when purchased.
The collection, a reflection of several generations of Tafts' choices, made me think that if the Buddenbrooks were real, this is what they would have collected. Very solid works of art, including a lot of richly ornamented Chinese porcelain, yet without a lot of warmth and certainly no humor. Given that Rookwood Pottery was established by a member of the extended Taft family, I was curious as to why they didn't have any of those pieces.
My friend Rena, the museum expert, will be relieved to read that finally I've come across two good museum shops--the Cincinnati Museum and the Taft both have good shops with tempting wares. First I've seen on the trip.
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