Adelaide Central Market
I miss Adelaide Central Market so, so much. This was like my north star during my time in Adelaide. With it being a small city, this was a pretty central location and very easy to get to from almost anywhere. It was my happy place.
My first full day in Australia started here. It was bustling and crowded and full of foreign things as well as the familiar. It reminded me of Reading Terminal Market in Philly, only like, much cooler? And smaller. And less sit-down restaurants and more fruit stands. Ugh, the FRUIT. It was so colorful and lively and reminded me that yes, it is in fact Summer even though you literally just celebrated Christmas in 30 degree (Fahrenheit) weather. Also the people selling fruit are yelling in Australian accents. It was bizarrely comforting. I don’t know, I can’t explain it!
My absolute favorite place was a combo of Plantation Juice and Big Table. Yes, I’m biased because my friend knows the manager of Big Table (Hi Missy!), but that doesn’t mean it’s not fucking delicious. Their sandwiches are incredible. Also, side note: America, can we start using more halloumi in our dishes? I really feel like this is a missed opportunity. We love cheese.
It’s a big operation for the tiny space it occupies at the back of the market. The staff seemed to have no trouble navigating behind the counter, catering to the many people lined up to get their espresso or salad or breakfast. Oh, disclaimer: there is no table at all, so don’t look for an actual big table. I mean you can have a seat at the counter, or sit at a medium-sized table nearby, but just don’t take the name literally is all I’m saying.
I had an unspoken routine where I’d walk through the market, look at all the delicious fruit, and get a coffee and food at Big Table. Then I’d walk five steps behind me and grab a juice. It was glorious. It was summer. There was fresh juice using local fruit. It was $7. Which was actually $5 American. TAKE ME BACK.
A lil’ churro treat from San Churro
It’s also worth mentioning that there is a churro restaurant right behind the market. A fancy chocolatier that also specializes in churros. It was a dream come true. There was also the time when I grabbed a sandwich to-go (sorry, takeaway), and brought it to the beach. I took a quick bus ride, got to the beach, and ate my sandwich right there on the sand. It was glorious. Did I mention the design for the market is on point? Take a look for yourself. Then book yourself a flight to Adelaide. Then go straight to the market.