Tuesday Night a Feast for Foodies

For Highland Park's foodies, Tuesday night has firmly established itself as the most delicious day of the week.

The Old L.A. Certified Farmer’s Market & Outdoor Fair, has been held between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Tuesday since 2006. Six weeks ago, Figueroa Produce launched ‘Din Din A Go Go,' a food truck festival which happens from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.--also on Tuesday.

However, some vendors and local food lovers are wondering if holding the events on separate nights would better serve the area's economy.

“We picked Tuesdays because it worked for the trucks,” said co-owner Ruben Perez. “They have a syndicate, work together, and move around. Tuesdays were available for them.”

Co-owner and head baker of Mardy’s Munchies, Steve Rossen, has occupied a vendor’s booth at the Old L.A. Certified Farmer’s Market since November of 2008. He said the market draws a decent crowd of people, but has noticed a decline in bodies as of late.

“Since the start of the food trucks, you can definitely tell there has been a drop at about 5 o’clock or so,” Rossen said. “A number of the local population is not here, the hipsters.”

It’s uncertain if the implementation of ‘Din Din A Go Go’ has had an impact on the amount of visitors who stop by the farmer’s market, though.

Richard Sedivy hasn’t missed a night of ‘Din Din A Go Go’ since it kicked off last month; he says it’s a great addition to the neighborhood. He also said having both neighborhood events on the same day is positive for the community.

“It’s a good idea. The more the merrier. It brings people out and you get a lot of spillover from one place to the next, it’s kind of a no brainer,” Sedivy said.

Eliza Wells has been a long time patron of the farmer’s market and was unaware that the food truck event was going on at the same time.

“I guess it’s okay to have both events happening,” Wells said. “It’s two different types of events, the farmers market has produce and the trucks have gourmet food, I don’t see how it could conflict,” Wells said.

The North Figueroa Association researched the other farmer’s markets in the area before deciding on which day of the week Highland Park would hold its own.

“Tuesdays seemed to have the least farmer’s markets in the area,” NFA Executive Director Misty Iwatsu said.

Iwatsu said the NFA has been happy with Tuesdays, but that the organization has also looked at having it on another day and possibly adding a second day.

“We wouldn’t want to do it on a Thursday or Friday because those days South Pasadena and Eagle Rock have theirs,” Iwatsu said. “It would be on a Saturday morning or Sunday. It won’t happen in the near future, but eventually it will.”

Perez said he would consider switching ‘Din Din A Go Go’ to another night if the trucks were available.

“We’re pretty loyal to each other and we’re doing this event together, so I wouldn’t step on their toes to bring in some other trucks on a different day,” Perez said.

Vanessa Romo has stopped by the food truck event twice. She also frequents the farmer’s market week in and week out.

“It doesn’t make sense to have two different events at two different locations, it would be a smart idea to combine them,” Romo said. “I go to the farmers market because I like to buy local. I buy my produce at the farmers market, but I don’t really eat there.”

Lisa Morgan runs the Ann’s Bakery booth at the farmer’s market. She’s also noticed a drop in weekly visitors within the last month.

“I just thought it was the economy or the weather, but the weather has been so pretty,” Morgan said.

Morgan said the food trucks are a hot trend right now and many of the trucks have a following. She’s also considered getting in on the action with a truck of her own.

Morgan said, “It’s a stage right now. You have to let those catering trucks go, they need to make money too, but I think in the long run, we’re all going to be okay.”