This is where I usually extol the virtues of the farmers market’s apple croissants and pain au chocolat, but there’s been a big change this spring. Namely, the baker who fueled my Saturday morning carb fix is gone.
In his place are a trio of pastry chefs clad in crisp white uniforms, pushing small goodies with big prices. White uniforms have always been a psychological (read: psychiatric) turnoff for me, and I’m on an ultra-tight budget — if I can’t steal it, then I probably don’t need it.
However, I would be willing to dip into the Ray’s the Classic fund if the pastries are worth the 15-percent early-withdrawal penalty. Any input is appreciated.
Here’s what else is cooking this weekend:
Thursday
7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd) presents results of the 48-Hour Film Project, in which film makers write and produce an entire movie in two days. Tickets are $9.75 each.
Friday
7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd) presents results of the 48-Hour Film Project, in which film makers write and produce an entire movie in two days. Tickets are $9.75 each.
7:00 p.m. The Back Room at Jackie’s (8081 Georgia Ave) hosts “Flash”, a multimedia event featuring music and live digital design. This event is for adults age 21 and up; admission is $3 per person.
7:10 p.m.Kefa Cafe’s Space 7:10 (963 Bonifant St) hosts a discussion on “Wizard of the Crow” by Kenyan-born novelist Ngugi wa Thiong’o. This event is free and open to the public.
8:00 p.m. The Art Stream theater company presents the comedy “Mission: Environment” at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $10 each.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. The Freshfarm farmers market takes place until 1:00 p.m. on Ellsworth Drive, between Fenton Street and Georgia Avenue. There is no admission for this event.
9:00 a.m.The Silver Spring Garden Club holds its annual garden mart until 1:00 p.m. at the Brookside Gardens visitor center (1800 Glenallen Ave, Wheaton). There is no admission for this event.
3:00 p.m. The Art Stream theater company presents the comedy “Mission: Environment” at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $10 each.
5:00 p.m. Kirsten’s Cafe (9326 Georgia Ave) hosts a reception for young artists with the group Arts on the Block. This event is free and open to the public.
5:00 p.m. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center (8230 Georgia Ave) hosts a reception for the opening of three exhibits: “Shelter”, “Preconceived Notions” and “The Daily Settlement”. This event is free and open to the public.
Sunday
3:00 p.m. The Art Stream theater company presents the comedy “Mission: Environment” at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $10 each.
Photo (lead): Pain au chocolat, aka French crack. Courtesy of Flickr user ToastforBrekkie.
Updated May 9, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
August 21, 2008
10 Comments at "This Weekend"
I had a croissant from (I think) the bakery you’re talking about, the weekend before last. Uninspiring.. I mean.. it was ohk, but not $2.50 sorta good… ashame… I went 2 weeks ago thinking about the apple croissants you always raved about last year…. and was quite dissappointed. Now.. there was another baker who’s peddling mostly $5 loaves of bread (we got a mini loaf of the banana walnut bread… pretty good) who also had some scones and things… I think I’ll probably try there next…
The green onions we picked up for that week’s stir fry, however, were outstanding… so much better than anything from a grocery store…. but doesn’t go with coffee quite as well as a croissant.
Is there a French Bakery anywhere in Silver Spring? I’ve been craving ham & cheese croissants…
Yeah, I’m not digging the whole corporatization of the farmers market. Seems like white uniforms and absurd prices are just another couple bricks in the wall. And what’s with pencil-pushers telling merchants where people will and will not purchase produce? It looks to me like Acorn Park has many times more housing units within a 1-block radius than Elsworth, which is surrounded by commercial space, parking lots, and single-family houses. I think Elsworth is a fine place to have a farmers market, but I wouldn’t hold it up as the gold standard while perpetuating a misconception about south Silver Spring being a wasteland.
I say don’t make things any harder on farmers than they already are. It’s no wonder they can’t survive when the county is blocking attempts at free enterprise. Instead of locally-grown produce, reasonable prices for the foods we need most (fruits and veggies vs. chips and fast food), green space, and normal traffic patterns, we continually strive for sprawling developments, bland produce shipped from other hemispheres, outrageous grocery bills, and life-sucking traffic congestion. This is progress?
Time to get back to basics.
I don’t know of any patisseries in Silver Spring, but I think La Fonda Paisa in South Silver Spring sells pan con jamon y queso.
I missed the previous croissant guy too. I went opening weekend and the people hawking theirs didn’t have nearly the selection of croissants. I think maybe 4 or 5 different kinds of croissants. I agree, the white jackets don’t really conjure “farmers market”.
The new croissants are ten times better than the ones from the previous - no, wait, I meant, a hundred times WORSE. Yes, much, much worse. You don’t want them. Don’t buy them. They should be wiped off the face of the earth - I’ll take care of it, OK? I don’t think they are a corporation, actually, but hey, don’t take any chances. It’s a dirty job, but I’ll be happy to handle it.
It looks like they have replaced a Baltimore bakery with a Bethesda bakery. Go figure. The farmer’s market website shows only 12 vendors. They have nearly 40 listed for the Dupont Circle market. Is it that we don’t have enough business to attract more? They don’t even list my favorite cheese vendor this year. I went the first weekend they were open and haven’t been back again. There aren’t many vegetables available yet.
I preferred the old county sponsored market with Montgomery County farmers. They didn’t necessarily grow the produce themselves,however and they didn’t have fancy stands …pretty much set up a table or two beside the truck. It was best before the Armory was torn down, with many vendors selling only produce: from melons, lettuces, beans, apples, herbs, bunches of flowers and anything else that could be grown locally, no dairy, meat or baked goods. For at least five years before they had to move there were less and less vendors, but the move to the hidden parking lot off Fenton killed it.
I suspect Wombat is trying to hide something from us.
As far as our 12 vendors to Dupont Circle’s 40 vendors, who knows why that is. Organizers claim the Silver Spring market is the second-busiest one of the bunch after Dupont (or possibly third, after Penn Quarter).
Personally, I’d like to see more farmers markets around downtown Silver Spring. Would have been nice to have the Amish market here, but they’ve got a long enough schlep from Pennsylvania to Burtonsville (and now Laurel).
Oh no, please tell me Firefly Farms is still comming to downtown Silver Spring farmers market!
I can’t believe the baker is gone! I loved his cinnamon rolls the best. Do you know how hard it is to make a good cinnamon roll from scratch?
Firefly farms is still there, but I haven’t seen Spiral Path Farm recently. I was hoping it was because it was too early in the season.
Holler back.