[Southend Living]

I went by the new Atherton Mill Market on Saturday... Needless to say my wife and I dropped some serious cash. We picked up fish, desserts, bread and some of the premade meals they had there. We got the Triggerfish and grilled it over the weekend. First time I ever had that fish and can say we both loved it. Duke's bakery had some great bread and the desserts we got (some cheesecakes) were awesome. Will definitely be going back there. We went there at around 11:30 and it was pretty busy, both inside and outside. I can definitely see this market taking off once more vendors are added (they are maybe only using 60-70% of the space now). The only thing that it lacked was a good selection of veggies and fruit, which is something I'd expect to see from a city market. I could also see someone else capitalizing on the foot traffic here. Icehouse will definitely add to it. It wouldn't be a bad idea to add some music outside as well...

Definitely no shortage of fruit and veggies at the Atherton Market now! This is the weekend for blueberries and peaches, and the beginning of the tomatoes. The Atherton Market will also have live music most weekends, including tomorrow (Saturday, the 26th). Tuesdays are worth checking out too. The Atherton is open on Tuesdays from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm, and several of the vendors are offering tasty lunch items made with local ingredients. Next Tuesday there will be a good selection of savory pastries, sandwiches, salads, and some cold soups. It is surprisingly cool in the building thanks to the "Big Ass Fans." Some of the farms don't load in until later in the day, so there is always a fresh selection of fruit, veggies, and meat.

If you haven't been yet - the rundown for this Saturday includes the aforementioned fruit and veggies, all kinds of pastured meat (including local organic beef), eggs, artisan baked breads, sweets, pickles, soap and other bath products, jewelry, chair massage, knife sharpening, flowers, cheeses, SEAFOOD (just wanted to call that out), prepared foods, fresh roasted NC peanuts, artisanal chocolates, fresh pasta, jams, lots of honey, coffee, and probably some things I don't even know about yet. You can also take a bike tour or a Segway ride from the Atherton Market via Charlotte NC Tours.

If you can't find something you are looking for, find me, the market manager, and I'll either tell you when to expect it or why you can't. - Lynn Caldwell