German bread, pastries, and very fresh fish

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just click on the images you see here.)

 

There are three booths at the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market that I didn’t cover in my earlier post about the market. These vendors have become important mainstays of my weekly shopping (the market is open 9am to 2pm, from early October to late May).

Fresh Baked German Bread, Amish Butter and More…

The most important of those three for me is the baker, Olga, who sets up shop at the Saturday Morning Market with a stall that doesn’t even have a name, just the phrase, “Fresh Baked German Bread, Amish Butter and More…”. It’s not even listed on the St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market website. But, my own experiences with these breads have made me a fan of Olga’s baking. Another customer, an older woman with a thick accent (I discovered she’s from Poland), told me “this is the best bread…they make very good bread.” She’s right. It’s real European style bread. I’m going to miss her breads in my diet during the market off season .

I can never decide between my two favorite breads of hers, so I’m “forced” to buy both. One is her gluten free bread, which I buy not because it’s gluten free but for its flavor and texture–sour, dense, dark, chewy. (The last loaf I bought was still warm.) The other is her multi-grain bread which must be the healthiest bread on earth. Take a look at the pictures here and you’ll see the quality of bread they make. I suggest clicking on the pictures for real close-up views. You can almost smell the yeast.

A word of warning: Olga’s bread disappears quickly. Get there early. (That’s true for all the food stalls.) I usually get there a half hour before official opening time. Even then the parking lot is almost full and the other folks like me have started buying their favorites.

Michael’s Extraordinary Desserts

According to the Saturday Morning Market’s website:

“Michael Ostrander brings over 35 years of experience as an award winning executive pastry chef in premier hotels around the US. Come sample items like morning glory muffins, blueberry pound cake, apple strudel, rum almond croissant, tiramisu, coconut macaroons, almond biscotti, pumpkin bread, and more. You’ll be ‘wowed’ by the extraordinary flavors and textures of his desserts.”

They’re not kidding. I had a blueberry strudel there recently that was orgasmic. More blueberry than crust, it was the most extraordinary pastry I’ve ever had. For special orders, contact him at 727-744-6073; 230 4th St. N., St. Petersburg. In addition to appearing at the Saturday Morning Market he also sells at the Green Market in Dunedin (October through April). Also, a number of local culinary establishments carry his work. With 35+ years of experience, his bio takes up an entire column in his brochure. His tag line is “Life is Short, Eat Dessert First.” Good advice.

Fisher’s Seafood Market

From the Saturday Morning Market website:

“If you’re looking for the freshest possible seafood, you’ve found the place. Bringing fish fresh off the docks, Martin Fisher filets fish on the spot including snapper, grouper, and tuna. You’ll also find tasty smoked fish spread, shrimp, scallops, clams and more.”

The fish pictured below was caught by the owner, Martin Fisher (727-418-3129), himself, on his own boat, that morning. That is fresh! The smoked fish spread referred to in the above blurb is why I make a beeline for Fisher’s every Saturday. My traditional Saturday lunch is his smoked fish spread on Olga’s thinly sliced gluten free bread. I’m writing this at about 5:30 on a Saturday morning. I can hardly wait to get to the market and then…have lunch!

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Tagged as: bakeries, Florida, FOOD, markets, seafood, St. Petersburg