The new 4th Street farmers market will take over the Retro Row parking at the southeast corner of Cherry Avenue and 4th Street come June 5 from 8AM to noon. Led by Chef Philip Pretty of Heritage and Olive & Rose, along with some help from Alder & Sage’s Kerstin Kansteiner and longtime markets manager and 4th Street Business Associate lead Kelli Johnson, the 4th Street iteration will be inherently chef-focused. Add some help from Councilmember Cindy Allen and the City of Long Beach and you have yourselves a newly minted space for lovers, meaning credit cards will accepted and EBT acceptance will be coming soon.
“That area is so rich in Long Beach food staples: Lola’s, The Social List, El Barrio, Alder & Sage, now Due Fiori,” said Chef Phil. “It made sense to have a farmers market that was more chef-driven and less vendor-centric. And I hold nothing against that—I visit many vendors at the Bixby Park Farmers Market on the regular—but for this space, I want it to be for chef-driven while also serving the immediate community.”
Why the 4th Street farmers market will be definitively different from others.
Chef Phil’s point is a strong one: For rightful reasons, farmers’ markets have become, well, less farmer-y. And that is both strategic and understandable: Many folks want to stroll and not necessarily buy produce or proteins, but have a small bite while strolling. And it has also opened the opportunity for other food centric business—Hey Brother Baker and the much missed Wide Eyes Open Palms immediately comes to mind—to reach new crowds before entering the brick-and-mortar world. But farmers’ markets, at their roots, are for chefs who care about what they serve and home cooks who want to support more locally.
In other words: This will be both for the communtiy and the chefs.
“So many of the restaurants opening—and even many of the more legacy places—are much more food-conscious about what they’re serving,” Chef Phil said. “And that is great. We have the younger generation’s ethics and procurement goals trickling into the older generation. And the idea of having the market at 4th and Cherry is so that they have a place to easily access rather than dealing with food vendors.”
Additionally, bathrooms will be available at Alder & Sage, allowing shoppers to take a brief respite with a cup of coffee and experience the space. Or explore the shops and restaurants in the area. In all senses, it is a win-win. Even more, they’ve already brought on some stellar vendors—Weiser Farms, Black Sheep… The full vendor list? Coming soon.
“We’re working on our last permits, which will likely go through after month one,” Chef Phil said. “And that means we can open up to seafood and meat vendors. So we’ll have Ambruso Flowers, Oh La Vache, and others.”
The roots of a farmers market at 4th and Cherry started to grow years ago.
Kerstin—former owner of Portfolio and Berlin Bistro and now owner of Alder & Sage—had long dreamt of a 4th Street farmers’ market at that very corner. And we’re talking back in the days when she was running Portfolio and Berlin. In this sense, time couldn’t be more serendipitous because 4th Street has never been more flush with restaurants or cocktail-centric bars. (I have a feeling Baby Gee and Tokyo Noir will be regulars at the market.)
“Incredibly happy that after dreaming for many years with Kelli Johnson and Chef Phil about a chef-driven farmers’ market, the time has finally come,” Kerstin said. “The 4th Street Business Association has worked proudly in conjunction with Councilmember Cindy Allen—they’ve handled the permitting, so we can host a weekly market on Retro Row. It’s going to be such a great addition to the neighborhood.”
The 4th Street farmers market will run every Thursday, beginning June 5, from 8AM to noon.
So excited!! Question — it’s on Thursdays but what are the hours?
8AM to noon!
My only problem is how the loss of that parking lot will affect the businesses on Retro Row.