Union Market

It sounded too good to be true and it was. I dreamed of something at least faintly resembling Borough Market Hall or even the Baltimore markets, but Union Market in NE DC is not a new foodie mecca chockablock with quality products. Rather, it is a boutique-y dollhouse version of a real market. It has a smattering of products that are indeed good quality but generally overpriced and it is very difficult to get to. Maybe it will succeed as part of the redevelopment of that section of NE but for those of us in upper NW it's just not worth the trip.

I went hoping it could be a destination for one-stop shopping, in particular with a good butcher shop and some vegan-oriented food bars. Goshen does in fact offer some fresh juices and a couple of vegan dishes, but it really is just a market stand and they offer what they can carry in. Soup Up offers a vegan soup, but for $8 you expect something more original than tomato basil.

Red Apron Butchery was unimpressive. Why would I buy their sausages and salumi when I can get a better, more robust selection that is much closer at Stachowski's? Harvey's was much more impressive as a butcher, but Wagshal's either in Spring Valley or hopefully on New Mexico Ave. offers much the same. The prices are higher but it is much more convenient. And why would I trek down across the tracks in NE to Righteous Cheese, which is a pale shadow of Cowgirl Creamery.

The market seems much harder to get to than the 26 minutes estimated on Google Maps. For one thing, there is always plenty of traffic to slow you down via Georgia and Florida. Plus you then get trapped in what has to be DC's worst intersection at Florida and New York.

And once you get there it is just much too precious (read pretentious). Cordial, for instance, a wine and beer store, actually got a plug in Food and Wine for an extremely limited selection of $20+ wines. At Pearl Fine Teas, one of the "popup artisans," I got what seemed like an 8 oz. cup of "Hawaiian Zen" for $3.30.

The vendors, excuse me, artisans seem bored and listless, as well they should sitting all day in a cavernous space devoid of customers. I came at 2 on a weekday, so maybe they do land market business at meal times, but I don't think so.

Good markets, like good food, grow organically to meet real needs. Union Market seems like a totally artificial effort to force the issue. I'm much better off supporting my local Farmer's Markets, co-op and above-mentioned NW stores.