I'll say, it was a bumpy weekend - the second qualifying final against Geelong did not end how Hawthorn supporters hoped, and there weren't many grins when young 23 went down.
After a sorrowful day or two and some good time tattooing, it was time to reaffirm the support and jump on the brown and gold bandwagon, as this week presents one more "must win" chance for a grand final position.
The best cure for the sporting blues is a good meal. The Farmers Market on 3rd St at Fairfax Ave dates back to 1934, and the original wooden stalls remain today, now housing a unique range of cultural cuisine that hits the hunger spot. It is built on what was dairy land, which was consequently drilled for oil, which in turn made the landowner, A.F Gilmore, a very wealthy man. He and his son expanded the Gilmore Oil Company to become the biggest distributor of gas and petrol products in the Western U.S.
The oil field today is now one of the busiest shopping districts, with The Farmers Market and The Grove drawing many a crowd. But there is a tribute on the site to it's oil history - Earl’s Service, an exact replica of a 1936 Gilmore Gas station, stands amongst the merchants, complete with a 1933 Ford pickup...resplendent with scarf.
The display station was modelled on an original Gilmore service station, shown below.
This one dates from the 1920's and stood on Wilshire Blvd.
The Farmers Market, in the 1950's
From the sky, a shot of the parcel of land that the Gilmores developed, including Farmers Market, Gilmore Stadium, and Gilmore Field, home of the Hollywood Stars baseball team. The stadium and field were demolished in the 1950's to make way for the CBS studios.
I intend on grabbing a map of all the market food vendors and trying each one, week by week, as each time I visit I discover something new. And it's ripe for people watching too! But for that vintage aesthetic, you can't go wrong here. It's like a food hall lost in time.
Now, if only my footy team could draw on the sweet aura of the victorious 1980's we'd be onto something...better luck this week, lads.
Go Hawks!!
