Kenosha HarborMarket is the top-rated farmer’s market in Wisconsin, according to HomeSnacks.net. Honestly, we misread it and thought it was the biggest in the state. Plus we already like Kenosha, so this was a no-brainer choice for a farmer’s market on a Saturday.
Located in front of the Kenosha Public Library, the market is large and well-spaced. Parking is not too bad, but you might have to hike a bit.
When we got there we were in a pretty neutral mood. Since we’ve gone to lots of farmer’s markets over the years, it wasn’t really something super-exciting, but we were in for a few great surprises.
We had walked quite a way through and there was the usual stuff, fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. In fact, it seemed like all of the farm stands had the same things, not unusual. It seems like farmers markets could find a way to make it so that every vegetable booth isn’t selling the same exact things and almost always at the same exact prices.
There were a lot of canned items available, some crafts, and even a large jewelry booth that Brenda ended up spending a bit of time at.
The first thing that really caught our eye was Smokin’ T’s Hand Smoked Tomato Sauce. It was great, according to Bob. There is a hot version and a mild version. He hand smokes the tomatoes and onions for his homemade sauce. Brenda didn’t like it. She thought it was too oily.
This week’s theme at the market was Sweet Treats.
After the tomato sauce, we encountered our first must-haves – macarons from East of Eden Bakery. We got five: Earl Grey, Lemon, Butter Beer, Black Cherry, and the Mermaid (pineapple flavored). These are outstanding! In fact, Brenda ranks them as the best she’s ever had, including the ones from Ladurée in New York City. They are the perfect texture and wonderfully not too sweet. Our favorite was the Mermaid. The pineapple taste was so bold, it was like eating a fresh slice of fruit wrapped in those amazing macaron cookies.
Then we stopped at the Mandolin Coffee Co. We saw a syrup that was lavender flavored.
We asked, “What do you make with the lavender syrup?” They offered us a Lavender Chai. We got it iced since it was a hot, muggy day. It tasted mostly of chai, but if it was hot, it would probably bring out the lavender flavor. It was really popular and there was nothing wrong with it, but next time, hot will be better.
We’ve seen woodfire pizza at Bastille Days and at the Harvard Food Truck Feastival. We came across another woodfire pizza grill here brought to you by Savino’s. It’s time for a new pizza schtick. This one seems played out if we see it everywhere in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
How about deep-fried mini strombolis and calzones? A) It’s fried. Yum! B) It’s portable and easy to eat while walking. Make them about the size of a McDonald’s apple pie and you’ll have yourself a masterpiece. You can premake pepperoni, but also offer to make them while people wait.
Next up in the tour – We tried Chicha Morada, in which “purple corn juice, is made into a zesty, colorful punch with pineapple, apples, cinnamon, and cloves.” Purple corn is supposed to contain potent antioxidants and be good as an anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, while promoting blood flow, reducing cholesterol and supporting healthy blood sugar levels. This was at the very popular empanada stand.
It tasted like apple cider with clove. Not sure this will be a staple in our house, but we will definitely check it out again and see how we feel about it.
There was a great little Thai stand that served Thai iced coffee. We thought that might interesting. It wasn’t. It was a sweet coffee with bobas, tapioca pearls in it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything exciting.
There was a fun band there called County Crossings. They were playing folk instruments and sounded great. They seemed to be having fun and were playing upbeat folk music.
There was a tent for the Wisconsin Soup Company. We were excited to try their Gorgonzola Crab Bisque, but sadly they only sold it in quarts, not in bowls. We wanted to try it before we bought enough for dinner and we were out for the day. This isn’t something you want to store in your trunk on a hot summer day. This is something that would be great all year round, but let us buy a serving before we get a whole quart of it.
St. Roger Abbey! I (Bob) can’t say enough great things about this stand. We had seen them before at the Beloit Farmers Market. These nuns bake organic, traditional French pastries, and breads. The proceeds go to support the nuns who are there selling the food and the soup kitchen that they run to help the poor.
We got lots of great stuff:
Brioche du Nord – Brioche with raisins. It’s sweet and hearty. It’s amazing with just some butter on it.
French Meringue – Two ingredients: organic sugar and organic egg whites. It’s hard and delicious with a great eggy taste that’s not crushed by the sugar.
Madeleines – These are delicious, lemony mini-pound cake cookies. We took them home and had them with tea like Marcel Proust.
Lemon brioche (muffin – bun?) – This was amazing. It’s a brioche with a lemon flavoring. Then there’s a surprise inside of lemon curd that we didn’t expect. Awesome!
Then… we got sucked into Mr. Dye’s Pies. “What’s grandma gonna do now?” That’s exactly what we’re asking ourselves after tasting these pies.
Sweet potato – Great texture, not too sweet, and has the flavor of sweet potato and not just sugar and spices.
Nawlins Pecan Pie – Even the crust is great! Just when I thought my (Brenda’s) obsession with pecan pie was over – amaretto flavor! OMG!
Brandy Old Fashioned Cherry – Cherries in a thick filling with a bit of brandy and orange flavors. There is a slight brandy aftertaste. The flavor of cherry is natural, not cloying like artificial flavorings.
That was the end of our time in Kenosha Harbor Market.
Overall, an amazing place. A little bit of everything for everyone.
There was some things there that we would go back for. Give us the soup in a bowl Wisconsin Soup Company from the and Mr. Dye’s Pies and we’re there for lunch!
Wandering with my wife 
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