Latest news with #foodhall
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
The last wholesalers of Union Market
Two different signs tell visitors they've arrived at Northeast Washington's Union Market. One is new and sits atop a renovated warehouse off Fifth Street. Inside, there's a thriving food hall with more than 40 vendors, selling Cuban sandwiches for $17 and South Indian dosas for $15. The other is decaying and missing letters. It stands above a row of nearly century-old buildings a block away on Fourth Street. These buildings were once the center of D.C.'s wholesale district, housing dozens of wholesalers that provided food and supplies to restaurants, small businesses and individuals inside and outside the D.C. region since the market first opened in 1931.
The National
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
John Dory Seafood Market review: Five dishes to try at Belarusian brand's first Dubai outpost
Tucked into one of the deeper nooks of Dubai Festival City Mall's The Market Island, a modern food hall with communal seating, this Belarusian seafood brand is making its first international foray after more than a decade of service in Minsk. You can tell straight away this is one of the more ambitious offerings in any UAE shopping mall food hall. It's sprawling and it looks great. There's an open kitchen, a raw bar serving oysters, and a sit-down space with a mix of couple and group seating all tied together in a light, well-paced layout. The kitchen snakes through the restaurant, with the counter finished in soft green and engraved with fish, a quiet design detail that runs throughout. Focused on serving seafood nose to tail but relaxed in its execution, John Dory Seafood Market delivers some of the best fish you'll find in any mall outlet. It is family-friendly and does what a good mall restaurant should: make you forget you're in a mall. Here are five dishes to try. Oysters (various prices) No oysters taste the same, and that's the point of John Dory's offerings. While sold individually, a recommended idea is to curate your own set and explore the differences in brine, texture and depth. The selection is thoughtful with oysters sourced from France to Fujairah. Served on ice, each has a distinct character. The Gillardeau No 2 (Dh45) offers a meaty depth, while the Dibba Bay No 3 (Dh18), the most local of the lot, is crisp, saline and fresh. The Speciale Krystale No 2 (Dh32) is buttery and rich while the Fine de Claire Geay No 2 (Dh13) is clean and delicate, and best saved for the end depending on how you sequence your tray. Other options include the Fines de Normandie No 3 (Dh10), Speciale Poget No 3 (Dh37) and Speciale Belle-Ile No 3 (Dh25). At Dh180 for all seven, it's best shared with friends. Seychellois yellowfin tuna tiradito (Dh60) Bright, tart and dressed for the occasion. This is a raw dish that's all about balance and texture. Thinly-sliced tuna is expertly laid over a tangy tomato ponzu, garnished with crisp potato straws and a drizzle of Japanese mayo blended with kimchi. The acidity is sharp enough to cut the fat, while the crunch of the straws adds contrast. It reminded me a little of more upmarket crevice. It's beautiful to look at and wonderfully refreshing. Carabineros prawns (Dh300) This is the most indulgent item on the menu, and it announces itself with a bold, no-frills presentation. If you need a reminder that John Dory is, at its core, a seafood fishmonger restaurant, then this is it. Large, vivid red prawns arrive lightly grilled and drizzled with lime. It is all about freshness here. The flesh is sweet and tender. But the real treat, and this is not for the faint-hearted, is the head. That is where you will find the rich umami with all its flavour and fat. Yes, it is pricey but for seafood connoisseurs but this is a treat you owe yourself. Octopus hotdog (Dh75) Now, this is a case where looks can deceive. It looks like a roll with a big piece of octopus in the middle. But once you bite into it, you're caught off guard in a good way. While the tentacle is fresh, smoky and soft, the sauce is the real standout. A base layer of Japanese mayo and kimchi sits underneath the tentacle, while a layer of melted cheese ties it all together. The sauce is spicy enough and coats everything just right. It is one of the most surprising dishes on the menu. Bold and satisfying and Dubai exclusive, this treat could be the UAE outpost's calling card. Dry-aged tuna fillet (Dh65) Years of eating canned tuna as a student meant I rarely gave the fish much thought, so I approached this dish with some hesitation. This version is more considered. White yellowfin tuna from the Seychelles is aged in-house for 10 to 14 days, then lightly seared and sliced into neat, delicate strips. The ageing gives it a firmer, meatier texture, somewhere between sashimi and a lean steak. The minimal seasoning allows the concentrated flavour to come through. It is slightly nutty, with a gentle umami depth that lingers. While it may not convert the sceptical, it shows how tuna can be reimagined in an elegant way. Save or splurge Dishes range from Dh40 to Dh300, with plenty on offer for diners of different appetites and varying passion for crustaceans. The value holds up, especially when you consider the sourcing and technique involved. Between the fish counter, raw bar and dining space, John Dory Seafood Market shows what a premium food hall can be. It proves that accessible, well-executed, even polished dining can exist in a mall without losing integrity. For those wanting to take some of that experience home, the adjacent seafood store sells pre-marinated fillets and ready-to-bake meals. John Dory Seafood Market at Dubai Festival City Mall is open daily from 12pm to 11pm. Reservations can be made by calling 052 240 3898.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
99 Ranch Market ventures into New York City
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market is planning to open its first location in New York City on July 25, the company announced Tuesday. The two-story store in the Queens community of Flushing spans 37,000 square feet and will include a food hall with offerings from 23 vendors. 99 Ranch's latest store reflects rapid growth among Asian grocery store operators in communities around the U.S. Dive Insight: 99 Ranch's new store in Flushing gives it a presence in one of New York City's most diverse neighborhoods. More than half of the residents in the area where the store is located identified as Asian in 2023, up from under 40% in 2000, according to data from the New York University Furman Center, which tracks trends in urban areas. The store, at 3711 Main Street, will carry more than 10,000 items across categories including produce, pantry goods, frozen foods, premium meats and live seafood. The location will also offer complimentary fish frying in addition to crab and lobster steaming. The location will also feature an underground food hall featuring items like dim sum, Vietnamese pho, Taiwanese street food and sushi, according to 99 Ranch, which runs more than 60 stores in 11 states. 99 Ranch noted that while the store will be easily accessible via public transportation, it also intends to provide free parking for shoppers who spend at least $99. Other Asian grocery stores have also recently announced plans to expand in the U.S. H Mart — a key 99 Ranch rival that operates several locations in Queens — is preparing to open its first store in Florida. Meanwhile, T&T Supermarket, an Asian food retailer based in Canada, opened its first store in the U.S. last December and has announced plans to open several more West Coast locations. Tokyo Central, a Japanese retailer that has over a dozen locations in the U.S., is hosting a grand opening on July 26 for a store in Irvine, California. Recommended Reading H Mart readies arrival in Florida Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As Springfield considers a food hall, it looks to the success of a Worcester marketplace
WORCESTER — The chaotic Kelley Square intersection has always been the running joke of Worcester, but for Allen Fletcher it is the secret to success for his food hall and marketplace. As Springfield officials are looking to draw tourists by creating their own food hall, economic development experts and others recently visited the nearby city to learn the pros and pitfalls from someone who is operating one. Quincy Marketplace is the most historic and famous in New England, but other food halls or marketplaces have been popping up in Maine, Hartford and Central Massachusetts where the Worcester Public Market opened in February 2020. 'Location, location, location … 30,000 cars go through here a day,' Fletcher said, explaining that has helped make Worcester Public Market work. 'You have to take advantage of where the people are.' A Springfield City Council working group on tourism flagged the creation of a food hall as a way to boost economic activity. Now the city has hired a consultant to seriously explore the idea. 'I think it is doable and what makes it doable is the real estate portion,' said City Councilor Sean Curran, who led the working group and has continued to push the idea of creating a food hall. There are multiple developers interested in building housing in downtown Springfield so Curran said he hopes to attract one that could follow a similar model to the Worcester Public Market and include housing in the space. He also floated the idea of teaming up with the University of Massachusetts food science and hospitality divisions to add a new unique dimension to the concept. The Worcester Public Market includes 48 apartments. The food and retail hall operates on the first floor with 28 spots for small vendors, a 106-seat food court and an attached restaurant for Wachusett Brewery. The marketplace is a tenant of the building and is designed up as a non-profit that helps create small businesses and draws tourists, Fletcher said. 'It is amazing watching all the individual vendors and the synergy of everything,' said Timothy Sheehan, chief of economic development for Springfield. Walking through the three aisles, a jeweler is located in between a chocolatier and a Irish imports store and across from an Italian gelato shop. There are also restaurants featuring a wide variety of ethnic foods. Izabella Luiz, owner of Sweet Pan Gourmet which specializes in Brazilian pastries, handed out samples of her traditional brigadeiro sweets. She moved from another location into the Public Market four years ago when it opened and has no regrets. 'It is a plaza with a lot of foods and the traffic here is better and here everyone helps each other out,' she said. Ellen Walsh, a barista for the coffee stand created from a partnership between the Monsoon Roastery, of Springfield, and Spilled Milk Gang, which sells specialty coffee and teas, can attest to the friendships created between businesses. Luiz made her wedding cake. Walsh said she believes her bosses would be interested in a location in Springfield, especially since Monsoon Roastery is already based in the city. Some of the lessons Fletcher said he learned in his approximately $28 million venture is that flexibility is key and so is figuring what will work for the location. His original idea was to create a marketplace with a butcher, a fresh vegetable stand and a bakery which would spread the inviting smell of fresh baking bread through the building daily. But that wasn't viable since few people live in the Canal District. Instead they were more likely to attract people visiting Polar Park for minor league games or employees stopping in for lunch. 'People aren't going to buy a pork chop and then go to a baseball game,' Fletcher said. Although there are 48 attached apartments, those residents alone weren't going to generate enough business to keep the concept going so he switched gears. 'We are a place for recreational shopping. People come here to have a good time,' Fletcher said. He said the combination of vendors is important. He wants enough restaurants but doesn't want to oversaturate the marketplace. The natural partners are those who sell pastries, coffees and other drinks. Fletcher said he would also like to expand the retail component, add a breakfast place and a farmers' market. The design of the public market was intentional. The seating area in the center of the building under skylights makes the place come alive. The hall is easy to navigate, which he saw as a problem in other food halls. The Wachusett Brewery is a separate restaurant but open to the rest of the marketplace through a large overhead door. The wall of curved windows butts up to the sidewalk so people walking by can see inside. That's a marketing tool, Fletcher said. 'The more that the building can spill out onto the street the better off you are,' he said. Operations have also switched gears multiple times as the market evolved, said Domenic Mercurio, executive director for the market. Currently rents for the smaller booths are $750 a month and the bread and butter of the public market are start-ups. Women operate 75% of the businesses and 78% are ethnically owned, he said. One lesson learned is to include utilities and trash collection in the rent. Mercurio said they are also asking business owners if they would pay a 5% fee or $35 a month to market the businesses. 'For a lot of people it is their first business so they don't know how it works,' he said. 'We hold their hand and show them.' Along with its regular booths, the market also has pop-up locations to draw a rotating group of vendors, which bring in new changeable elements to the market. A few have become permanent tenants, Mercurio said. The group is also dabbling in holding special events. For example, it brought in a wrestling competition on a Tuesday when the market was closed and earlier a Cuban chef held a demonstration for a Spanish class, attracting new shoppers, he said. While the idea of creating a similar business in Springfield is in its infancy, Sheehan said he thinks it could work. The city would need a developer with a viable business model to make it financially feasible. A parking plan would be vital, Sheehan said. 'I think you would be better trying to retrofit a building rather than starting new,' he said. Ted Spitzer, the city's consultant from Market Ventures Inc., said the first step will be to attract a developer. 'We are just getting started,' he said. 'We will look at case studies and learn from other markets and decide what makes sense in Springfield.' He agreed with Curran that a food hall will best succeed as a mixed-use development. This isn't the first time the city has discussed creating food hall. Anne Burke, who is retired from the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, dug out a box of research materials she saved from the past before the Worcester visit. 'It is a great idea,' she said. 'In 1997 we were talking about opening one in the old Basketball Hall of Fame.' WMass communities brace for weather, climate effects with hazard plans Medical Notes: July 14, 2025 Springfield police investigating homicide in North End Salem Derby will be interim mayor of Easthampton After long break, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast is back (Photos) Read the original article on MassLive.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I had a gastric sleeve operation and have been taking Mounjaro for ten months but still can't cut out my favourite treats. This is my radical plan for finally tackling the nation's obesity problem: JENNI MURRAY
Four years ago, I had to ban myself from entering Marks & Spencer's Food Hall. It used to be my favourite supermarket but I realised I was too weak to resist the many temptations on offer. I vowed I'd only buy my groceries online. But in November, I had to buy petrol and the nearest pumps were attached to an M&S. Oh the horror when I realised I would have to go into the shop to pay for my petrol, to walk past the shelves of cakes and pizzas I'd forbidden myself.
