It had been a little while since we last visited El Mercado del Pueblo, so when we stopped by the other day we were kind of caught by surprise. The deli was there, as was the bakery, and that that was about it. The stocked shelves were gone, with just some items pushed up against the walls.
Now, luckily, the main reason for this was an event happening on Saturday -- more about that in a bit -- but it's obvious that even though the floor was cleared to make space for people, El Mercado isn't quite what it used to be. And that makes us a bit sad, because we firmly believed it could have been a contender. It still could be, but it's obvious that people aren't beating down the doors of this little market and deli.
They should. You should. We should, as, and we've mentioned it before, it's a great market and the deli/bakery holds a high standard. Anyone who wants Spokane to become vibrant should understand that small international markets are integral parts of interesting cities. Here I could launch into a long rant, but let's just say we'll personally come slap you if you don't start frequenting spots like Cassano, International Food Store and, of course, El Mercado.
Tomorrow there are quite a few things going down at the shop, all which are listed on their Facebook page. Salsa classes, mariachi bands, cooking classes... Looks to be a happening day, and a good excuse to visit them if you haven't already. Try their tortas too, they're great.