Eat local at Atherton Mill & Market — Charlotte, NC

Living in a city has its perks, and one of my favorite things about Charlotte is our local markets.  During the week, I often stop into the 7th Street Public Market for lunch at Pure Pizza and to wander around the vendor booths (and drool over the wares).  Another gem in Charlotte is Atherton Mill and Market, which is just outside of uptown in South End.  This week, I stopped in for a visit and spent some time chatting with the folks at Atherton.  Every time I visit the market, I’m surprised by just  how much it has to offer–it’s so much more than fresh produce.  It’s local foods, local farms, and local artisans.  Where else can you find nuts roasted that very morning and bread made with local brewery starters?

Atherton Mill and Market

2104 South Blvd

Hours:  Tuesday  10am-7pm, Wednesday – Friday:  10am-2pm, Saturday:  9am-2pm

Just for fun, here’s a list of 9 awesome things I found at the market:

#1 Simply Local – a retail grocery within Atherton Market that offers goods from local producers and farmers.  This is where I nabbed the Big Spoon Roasters Peanut Pecan nut butter for my foodie penpal!

#2  Pickleville – kosher style pickles plus fresh salsa and Cajun creole food.  My favorite is the HOT GARLIC pickle.

#3  Vin Master – a retail wine store with lounge area to enjoy your bottle (or glass) of choice.  Vin Master specializes in wines that are produced using environmentally friendly methods, and the average cost per bottle ranges from $9 to $25.

Rather than arranging the wines by grape or region, Vin Master displays the varietals by taste:  crisp, juicy, creamy, spicy, earthy, bright, and dark.

#4  Savory Spice Shop – sells a large variety of freshly dried herbs, spices, and spice blends.  The spice blends are made weekly, and you can sample everything before you buy!

Throughout the store, there are signs showing employee’s favorite spices and blends and what they like to concoct with them.  I love that!

#5  Bertolini’s Fresh Pasta… I’ll take a pound of each, please.

#6  Belgian waffles from Cast Iron Waffles, featuring brioche style dough.  These waffles are at the top of my to-eat list.

 #7  Senor Pops – serving organic, locally made Mexican style gourmet paletas (popsicles), including passionfruit, Mexican chocolate, avocado, and seasonal flavors like pumpkin and eggnog.  Sure to help you find your popsicle passion!

#8  Fresh surf and turf from Lucky Fish Seafood and Windy Hill Farm.

#9  PLUS lots of great events throughout the year.  This summer I participated in a homemade ice cream contest at the market, and I’m really looking for to the events they’ve got lined up for the fall.

Thanks to Lynn Caldwell for taking the time to give local bloggers the inside tour of Atherton Mill and Market!