ronjohn, pickled herring is delicious. great with some buttered hard rolls and a cold one.
and you call yourself a pollock... hrmph!!! now go out and display something with a crowned eagle on it, and tell the ice hockey team to be careful once the weather warms...
for me, it's a threee way tie. of course, i love italian markets. fresh ricotta and buffala mozz, salume of every description, stuffed stuff
(peppers, olives, artichokes, etc.), bresaola and prosciutto, fresh bread and pasta. i could go on all day.
but my next 2 favorite markets are just as fascinating and wide ranging.
i love to stop off at a huge korean matket near my house called han ah reum. there are so many exotic and bizarre things there to try. sometimes i have no clue what i'm eating, but you only live once. no they don't sell fugu.
but they do have every other fish in the sea, and vegetable on land and sea. and much of it kimchi style...
the other favorite market is the farmers market in paterson new jersey. the local neighborhood consists of a large hispanic community, only broken up by enclaves of muslims, eastern europeans, and american mutts like me. so, besides having great prices, there is an incredible mix of both fresh domestic and ethnic produce. you can pick up some store made chorizo, imported kielbasi, halal lamb, and fresh fruit and veggies of every kind right down 1 or 2 blocks of stores.