Bid farewell to Summer with this amazing BBQ-inspired food box!
With Labor Day weekend approaching, we’re nearing the end of summer and the beginning of fall. But before fall comes, why not enjoy one last summer BBQ? This week’s Iconic Market Box comes with everything you need for the perfect backyard cookout. From fruits and veggies ready to be char-grilled, premium high-quality beef, incredible burger toppings and an ice cream brownie sundae for dessert, this box will help put the cherry on top to the end of summer.
Frank’s Quality Produce
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, there is no better place than Frank’s Quality Produce, located at the Corner Market Building of Pike Place Market. Three generations of the Genzales’ family have had a presence in the Pike Place Market, starting with Frank “Cheech” Genzale in 1928, and now Frank Jr., the current owner and operator of Franks’ Quality Produce. Locals choose this stall not just for the high quality of produce, but because of the people that make this stall so special. It is not a rarity to find team members recommending recipes or describing flavors of veggies unfamiliar to those who pass by or visit. It is that kind of quality service that keeps locals loyal, and why we love working with this amazing family-owned small business.
Each week, Iconic Market Boxes include a box of produce, curated by Frank Jr. and his team. The produce changes each week based on availability and season, ensuring that our customers get the best produce available – much fresher and better than what you find at the grocery store! Follow Frank’s Quality Produce on Instagram @franksqualityproduce.
Corfini Gourmet
Though technically not a business within the Pike Place Market, Corfini Gourmet is not your ordinary distributer. This chef-driven company supplies the meat and seafood to some of the most well-recognized restaurants and shops in the city! Based in Seattle, their customers consider them to be a
leading distributer amongst their peers for clean beef, pork, poultry, lamb and game programs. They are also able to provide customers dry-aged products with the use of their unique dry-aging facility that is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest. Follow Corfini Gourmet on Instagram @corfini_gourmet.
This week, Corfini is providing us with some of the best hamburgers in the west, Niman Ranch 80/20 ground beef patties. Known for some of the finest tasting, all natural beef, Niman Ranch uses humane farming practices, a high-quality, 100% vegetarian, hormone-free diet that influences the rich marbling and delicate flavor that is a characteristic of their beef.
Uli’s Gourmet Sausage
Did you know that Pike Place Market is home to a German master butcher? Uli Lengenberg trained as a butcher in his home country of Germany, and later took his talents global. He started his first sausage business, Uli’s Euro Deli, in Taiwan and operated it for 15 years. There, he learned about the different flavors of the world. Uli made his first visit to America in 1991, which included Pike Place Market. The Market reminded him of the markets in Germany, and he promptly decided to move to the Puget Sound. Since 2000, Uli’s Famous Sausage has been sold both in wholesale and retail, and customers can visit their dine-in location in the Pike Place Market, Uli’s Bierstube.
This week’s Iconic Market Box includes a package of Uli’s Curry Ketchup. This all natural ketchup has no preservatives and tastes bold and tangy. The ketchup is perfect for topping your grilled burgers or hot dogs for a flavorful kick, or for dipping french fries or sausage! Follow Uli’s Famous Sausage on Instagram @ulifamoussausage.
DeLaurenti’s
There is no missing DeLaurenti Food and Wine on the corner of 1 st avenue and Pike St – from the double door entrance to the smell of fresh coffee being poured and fresh-baked pizza wafting in the air, it is a Pike Place Market icon. For 75 years, DeLaurenti has served up the best specialty foods – think feta and kasseri cheese cut to order, Italian olive oils, imported Italian wine – that you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Founded by Peter “Pete” DeLaurenti, Pete delivered bread in Pike Place Market in the early 1920s, where he met his wife Marmie-Marie whose mother owned a grocery in the lower levels of the Market. After marrying and taking over the grocery store just after the end of World War II, “Pete’s Italian Grocery” began and would be the start of what we know as DeLaurenti today. The store did not move to its current location until the 1970s, after Pete’s son Louie took over the business. Three generations of DeLaurentis managed the store until 2001, when three customers and former Starbucks employees made an offer to Louie to purchase the business, an offer so good he could not refuse.
Today, DeLaurenti is a favorite to both locals and visitors alike. It is common to find fish mongers on their break getting coffee from DeLaurenti’s espresso stand, or Market buskers walking out the shop, chomping on a slice of pepperoni pizza from the pizza counter. The warm and inviting embrace of the shop makes a perfect first impression for those who first enter Pike Place Market. Follow DeLaurenti Food & Wine on Instagram @delaurentifoodandwine.
This week, our friends at DeLaurenti’s have provided two amazing artisan food items – Seattle Canning Co.’s Vashon Island Pickles and seeded brioche buns from Macrina Bakery. The pickles are handmade in small batches on Vashon Island, Washington and are sweet, tangy and sliced, making it easily our favorite burger pickles. Macrina Bakery is no stranger to the Iconic Market Box, and after you try these buns, you won’t want any other!
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese is easily one of the most well-known brands born from Pike Place Market. Known for their long cheese-hungry lines and large cheese-viewing windows, it is no surprise we have been working with them since our first food tour more than thirteen years ago.
Started by Kurt Beecher Dammeier, the Pike Place Market location opened in 2003 and has since expanded to the Flat Iron District in New York City and even to Monroe, Wisconsin. Eating food without harmful additives or preservatives is critical to Kurt and is even part of the company’s credo: “Beecher’s Handmade Cheese makes foods only with ingredients we trust, are proud of, and would eat ourselves. It’s just authentic and original food, full of flavor.”
Beecher’s Just Jack Cheese is a classic Monterey Jack cheese, and is included as an ingredient in the company’s famous mac & cheese recipe. Because of its creaminess, it is the perfect melty cheese. Add it to your burgers before taking them off the grill or mix it with milk or cream and slowly cook at low heat for a deliciously creamy cheese sauce. Follow Beecher’s Handmade Cheese on Instagram @beecherscheese.
Michou Deli
A favorite among the crafts line vendors, artists and pretty much everyone who works in the Pike Place Market, Michou World Class Deli makes another appearance in this week’s iconic Market Box. This week Michou Deli has provided their Smokehouse Pasta Salad. This pasta is a perfect blend of creaminess and bold spicy flavors. Made with Seattle favorite Mama Lil’s Peppers, you already know it is going to be good! Michou’s bounty of panini-style sandwiches, soups, dips, desserts, and salads are beloved for their use of great quality ingredients, and lines are common in the morning and during the lunch rush. Follow Michou Deli on Instagram @michoudeli.
Shug’s Soda Fountain
If your sweet tooth calls you while you are in the Market area, then Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream is the place to visit. Started by Colleen Wilkie and Paul Dormann, the shop opened in May of 2016. Their ship is a charming mix of old school soda fountain nostalgia with a modern Seattle twist. You will also notice a mural of the streets of London on it…a special nod to their daughter, named London.
Known for their Instagram-worthy sundaes and prosecco floats, the statewide shutdown and COVID-19 pandemic put a significant strain on their small ice cream business. Thankfully, Colleen’s creative ingenuity sparked a new concept – a sundae kit! It includes everything you need to recreate the Shug’s experience at home. You will love the soft homemade brownies and the decedent caramel and fudge sauces. Top off your ice cream creations with sprinkles and a cherry on top! Just be sure to B.Y.O.I.C (Bring Your Own Ice Cream)! Follow Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream on Instagram @shugssodafountain.
Perennial Tea Room
Tucked away in the Post Alley in the historic Pike Place Market, Perennial Tea Room is a small, independently owned tea shop run by Dolan Honsa and his small team of tea drinking experts. The shop was originally opened by two friends in 1990. After working at the shop for five years, Dolan became the new owner of the shop when he purchased it in Spring of 2019. His love and passion for tea comes from his own family’s ritual of trying new teas together. Since taking over, he and his team strive to create a nonjudgmental space for people to learn, smell and taste new things and hopefully find their cup of tea, growing the Seattle tea community. They prioritize ordering tea from family and fair-trade farm and take care of their customers by providing a personalized shopping experience to help you find the teas that best suit your taste.
What goes well with a Labor Day weekend BBQ? Iced Tea! The Tahitian Blend is a premium black tea with hints of passionfruit, flowers, citrus, and rose. This brewed tea is fragrant and complex and can be paired with a meal or enjoy on its own. Iced tea not your thing? This blend is equally delicious hot. Follow Perennial Tea Room on Instagram @perennialtearoom.
Middle Fork Roasters
In 2009, a close-knit group of friends and coffee-lovers decided to put their passions first and began roasting coffee in the heart and soul of Seattle’s coffee scene. Since then, they have been regularly active in their community, giving back whenever they can and working with other businesses to help make their own coffee dreams come true. In fact, Middle Fork Roasters are responsible for providing the beans to many businesses around Seattle, including those in Pike Place Market. We’re psyched that Middle Fork created the Savor Seattle Blend – a combination of Brazilian and Sumatran beans, delivering a bold yet buttery body with rich chocolate undertones. This laid-back blend provides an incredibly clean finish that is perfect for easing into your morning routine. Every Iconic Market Box includes a 1 lb. bag of whole bean coffee. Follow Middle Fork Roasters on Instagram @middleforkroasters.
