Thanks to Local Businesses, Farmers Aren’t Left out in the Cold
Published: The Local: Fort Greene/Clinton Hill
February 8, 2011
After we announced last week that Rice was closing, The Local got a tip from a concerned reader. Rice had always kept its bathroom door open to the farmers at Saturday’s Fort Greene Park Greenmarket. With Rice shuttered, would farm stand employees have to trek all the way across the park to the public restroom there?
The Local investigated, and we’re happy to report that the bathroom situation is well in hand. Rice wasn’t the only business with an open-door policy. In fact, there’s an incredible sense of Saturday community on DeKalb Avenue. Rice will be missed, but not for its restrooms.
“The issue is we like the food at Rice,” said Sharin Essig, who has worked at the Pura Vida Fisheries stand for two years. “After we were done for the day, we’d go in there and eat.”
Now that Rice is closed, the most popular pit stops are Samy’s Deli right across the street and Bittersweet, half a block away. Samy’s Deli buys Wilklow Orchards apples, and its facilities are available to anyone who needs them.
Bittersweet gets its cider from the market, and the apples for its apple sandwiches. Employees Marissa Hiller and Robin Cherof stop at the market every week to buy cheese. Their market regulars come by for a coffee or a break from the winter cold and rain, or for an air-conditioned moment during the summer.
“They have pretty much a free pass to our resources,” said Ms. Cherof.
“It really just adds to that neighborhood feeling,” Ms. Hiller added. “Bittersweet is a neighborhood café. Our door is always open.”
Down the street, Catherine’s Caffe and Smooch are also willing share, but get less traffic because of the distance — though they are only a few steps further.
As to what’s going to replace Rice, there are rumors flying and mixed feelings — sadness over a neighborhood favorite closing, excitement about the possibilities, and a bit of concern about whether it will be a good fit for this closely-knit corner. The Local is looking into the rumors, and will update you when we have the facts.
