Fresh Produce at Chicago Street Farmers Market

See that pile of goodness up there? Locally grown squash, okra, and peaches from the Chicago Street Farmers Market. I spent just $5 on my take. There were also blueberries, peppers, corn, honey, eggplant, green tomatoes, potatoes, and cabbage. Plus, homemade pies and cookies, seafood, and a nice selection of plants.

The market kicked off May 22 at Heritage Park in Foley, and though it's small, it's got plenty. (And I suspect it will get bigger as the season heats up and the produce comes in.) It's held every Friday, 4-7 p.m., through September, with music and movies under the stars through July.

Chicago Street Farmers Market
Heritage Park
Chicago Street @ Highway 59
Foley, Alabama

Cornbread Sandwich at Down South BBQ

This sandwich is worthy of a country song, maybe even a sonnet. If it were a comedian, I’d give it its own sitcom. If it were a politician, it would have my vote. Point being: It’s damn good.

We’re talking about a pile (maybe a pound?) of tender, juicy BBQ topped with crunchy coleslaw and cozied between two hot-off-the-griddle jalapeno cornbread pancakes. It fills the entirety of a large Styrofoam takeout container and comes with extra sauce on the side. Because it’s as big as your head, it’s more than a normal person can eat at one sitting, but you can bet that if I were a hard-working construction hunk, I’d down one of these sweet babies most every day. And at just $7.50 (tax included), it’s recession friendly.

Down South BBQ operates out of a teensy wooden house with one window for ordering and one for picking up. You can also get regular sandwiches, baked beans, sweet tea, and fruit cobbler. Everything is made to order, so this isn’t fast food. But it’s worth every minute of the wait.

Down South BBQ
County Road 10 @ Highway 59
Foley, Alabama
251-955-6622

Fish and Shrimp at Fresh Market Seafood

So you’re down at the beach and you want fresh seafood. To cook. You could go to Blalock’s. That’s the obvious choice. There you’ll find a staff that is indifferent (at best) and fish and shrimp that’s been trucked in from the west. For reals. A friend reports that she recently stopped in and asked if the shrimp was local; the young man behind the counter said, “Well, yes, they’re from Texas.” Texas, kids, is three states away.

For honest-to-god-fresh raw seafood, head north across the bridge and into Foley. At the corner of Highway 59 and County Road 10 there is a service station. Attached to that service station is a fish market/bait shop called Fresh Market Seafood. There you will find a wide selection of fish and shrimp that were swimming in area waters five minutes ago. You’ll also find bags of gorgeous frozen scallops, lobster tails, and gumbo made nearby in Theodore. (Plus enough rods and reels and line and weights to make any fisherman grow gills.)

Yes, the place smells a little fishy. No, you cannot buy artisanal olive oils, specialty crackers, hot pepper jelly, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, or any of the other gourmet goodies that Blalock’s stocks. But you can get that in Birmingham.

Fresh Market Seafood

Highway 59 @ County Road 10

Foley, Alabama

251-955-5550