With us watching the “new” Lexington Market come to life in recent years and always centered up at Faidley’s Seafood for the Maryland Crab Cake Tour, we loved our visit with Shaina Hernandez, who gives Nestor a primer and overview on all of the Baltimore Markets and their tasty offerings for locals to patronize and enjoy. Mark it down and get to one of the city’s fabulous markets!

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Host a Baltimore Positive segment at the Fishmonger’s Daughter in Catonsville once the new location is open.
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Coordinate and carry out the Maryland Crab Cake Tour events at the scheduled locations (Lexington Market, Koco’s Pub, Laraville, and Essex on May 1).

Overview of Baltimore Markets and Nestor’s Experience

• Nestor Aparicio introduces himself and the location, Lexington Market, highlighting the importance of crab cakes in Baltimore.
• Nestor mentions receiving gifts, including a Lexington Market shirt and a city connect jersey.
• Nestor shares his familiarity with various markets in Baltimore, including Cross Street, Fells Point, and Hollins.
• Nestor discusses the vibrant atmosphere of Lexington Market, noting the high number of people present and the variety of food available.

Shayna Hernandez’s Introduction and Market Representation

• Shayna Hernandez introduces herself as the President and CEO of the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation.
• Shayna emphasizes the historical and current significance of the markets, describing them as a representation of Baltimore’s past, present, and future.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the lively atmosphere of Lexington Market, including music and radio broadcasts.
• Nestor shares his personal connection to the markets, including his childhood experiences and the evolution of the markets over the years.

Challenges and Successes of Baltimore Markets

• Nestor and Shayna discuss the challenges faced by the markets, including gentrification and the need for investment.
• Nestor highlights the success of Lexington Market, noting its vibrant and mature state compared to other markets.
• Shayna mentions other markets managed by the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, including Broadway Market and Northeast Market.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the unique characteristics of each market, including their historical significance and current offerings.

Northeast Market and Its Unique Features

• Shayna describes Northeast Market as a market that retains the feel of older Baltimore markets, with a variety of stalls and prepared foods.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the fresh produce, fish, and prepared foods available at Northeast Market.
• Shayna invites Nestor to visit Northeast Market, emphasizing its unique offerings and the community it serves.
• Nestor shares his experiences of visiting other markets and his appreciation for the variety of food available.

Role of the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation

• Shayna explains the role of the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation as a small business incubator, helping food service businesses grow and thrive.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the process of obtaining a stall and the support provided by the corporation.
• Shayna highlights the importance of being responsive to both customers and merchants, ensuring the markets remain vibrant and supportive of local businesses.
• Nestor shares his personal experiences of visiting the markets and the positive interactions he has had with vendors and other customers.

Community and Accessibility of the Markets

• Nestor and Shayna discuss the importance of making the markets accessible to all, including those with food stamps and other challenges.
• Nestor shares his experiences of seeing families and children at the markets, emphasizing the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere.
• Shayna highlights the efforts to make the markets responsive to the needs of the community, including providing fresh and affordable food options.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the challenges faced by the markets during the pandemic and the importance of adapting to changing circumstances.

Future Goals and Vision for the Markets

• Shayna outlines the future goals for the markets, including continued growth and evolution to meet the needs of the community.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the importance of maintaining the markets as critical third spaces for Baltimoreans, providing a place for community gathering and support.
• Shayna emphasizes the need for the markets to remain responsive to the changing needs of the community, including new food trends and customer preferences.
• Nestor shares his personal vision for the markets, including the importance of preserving their historical significance while adapting to modern needs.

Personal Connections and Cultural Exchange

• Nestor and Shayna share their personal connections to Venezuela, discussing the cultural exchange and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
• Nestor shares his experiences of traveling in South America and the impact of food on his cultural identity.
• Shayna discusses her family’s background in Venezuela and the importance of maintaining cultural connections.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the globalization of food and the impact of diverse cuisines on the markets.

Promoting the Markets and Community Engagement

• Shayna emphasizes the importance of promoting the markets and engaging with the community to ensure their continued success.
• Nestor shares his experiences of promoting the markets and the positive feedback he has received from listeners.
• Shayna highlights the various events and activities held at the markets, including live music and cultural festivals.
• Nestor and Shayna discuss the importance of community engagement and the role of the markets in fostering a sense of belonging and connection.

Final Thoughts and Future Plans

• Nestor and Shayna discuss their final thoughts on the importance of the markets and their future plans for growth and development.
• Shayna emphasizes the need for continued support and investment in the markets to ensure their long-term success.
• Nestor shares his personal commitment to promoting the markets and supporting local businesses.
• Shayna and Nestor discuss the importance of maintaining the markets as vibrant and inclusive spaces for the community.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Baltimore markets, Lexington market, public markets, food vendors, small business incubator, community spaces, fresh produce, prepared foods, cultural diversity, market history, food stamps, vendor support, market expansion, local cuisine, customer experience.

SPEAKERS

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Speaker 1, Nestor Aparicio, Shaina Hernandez

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 tacit Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. We’re positively in the center of crab cake universe, downtown Baltimore. Here beautiful Lexington market. They brought me a gift. I got a Lexington ad. It’s red. I got another shirt over there. I can pull the oil shirt off. Where we’re doing city connect jerseys, and we’re doing new Ravens. This is, this is my throw, ahead to the Lexington market, as you’re gonna have to get me a cross street at, get me islands at Shane Hernandez is here. I looked at your fancy title, and Gallagher’s been here. You are the president and CEO. CEO means Chief, Chief Executive Officer. I like cheese of the Baltimore public markets Corporation. I happen to know a little bit about these markets because I’ve been doing business with faidley’s done my show in cross street. Went to federal Fells Point as a child. Hollins, I’ve only been in. Don’t be mad at me. I’m East bomb. Done dog. I’ve only been there like once or twice in my life. It’s just not I drove past there today to get my lottery tickets over by Montgomery, Montgomery park, but that’s not one of the ones that I have frequented the most. I lived at the harbor for 19 years, so everything that happened to cross street, arch murmur, and all those across all the caves. Guys, they’ve all been on the Atlas guys when they went in. These are so important to the city. And I, you know, I talked to Damien about it all the time, and Luke and I were just kissing your backside. For you even knew it, because we’re in here, and I’m like, look at how vibrant. And now, right this minute, because it’s three in the afternoon, but there were 150 people here an hour ago. There were lines everywhere. I was giving this out, spring is it’s your season. We’re in your season. Shane, for one oh day. All right, it is for one oh day, isn’t it? Look it’s four one out there. I could have taken a light rail for free, absolutely. All right. Well, give me you’re new to this. And Mac Gallagher sat here about six months ago and said, I know Shayna, she’s coming in western this and that the city. Give everybody the lowdown on what these markets represent

Shaina Hernandez  02:01

what you represent Absolutely. I mean, these markets, in a nutshell, are Baltimore, their historic Baltimore, their Baltimore today, and we want them to be the Baltimore of the future. I mean, if you just step outside right now at Lexington market, it’s a total vibe. It feels

Nestor Aparicio  02:15

cheap parking right there. I see my car too.

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Shaina Hernandez  02:17

You can see your car if you head out into the courtyard, there’s music, there’s radio station out there. There’s I saw magic.

Nestor Aparicio  02:23

There were rapid tunes. Yeah, I parked my car. It sounded like something was going on down here about 1111, 30, I parked and I came in. I’m not listen. I broadcast down here every 12 weeks. I’m going to be with the fishmonger’s daughter over at Catonsville once we get going, but I’m in here all the time. And you know, it’s a little different on a colder day than it is on an Oriole game day. But to me, this has replaced the old market where I went with my grandmother when I was a child in 1972 you know. And I did the show there when Fayette leaves, was the last thing hanging on there a year, year and a half ago. The fact that it’s all made it over here. And I don’t say it’s mature now, but it is mature now. It’s full, it’s vibrant, it’s different. It feels like a great success in the city to me when I’m here at lunchtime seeing these vendors. And I know, you know, ovenberg was here, and then they’re not things open and close, and vendors are like that. But I remember going to cross street when I saw creatures on the floor that we didn’t want the floor there, right, like and then I saw the cleanup, and I saw the vendors change and the gentrification and all of that. But there comes a point where these things grow up and they outgrew that other building, and this was a massive investment for the city, for the state, for tourism, for all, for the faintly, for the family, the Han family and faith Lee family. I am, I want to demon a success to my eyes, as someone that comes down here and speaks truth in the air and lived down here, walked over here for 20 years and lived downtown, I feel like this is one of those things. Not everything has been a success in my you know, the harbor was a success. We need to make it a success again. But I see the hole in the ground with the mechanic is I can point out all the warts about the city. This is one of those things where there was a dream and a vision, and a lot of people bought it, including this family here. And it’s working.

Shaina Hernandez  04:09

It’s working. And you know, the cool thing about the Baltimore public markets is it’s not just Lexington market. We have markets all over the city. Broadway market, northeast market, which is, I love northeast market. What’s the Northeast market?

Nestor Aparicio  04:21

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I don’t know about this. You can invite me over

Shaina Hernandez  04:23

there absolutely anytime. So I would say northeast market is the closest to what I picture in my head when I close my eyes and think of what a Baltimore market might look like years ago, right? It’s still kind of that same feel that you got back in maybe like 30 years, 40 years ago, more stalls, more definitely, plenty of prepared foods, lots of variety, all different kinds of things that you can buy or eat, or, you know, groceries that you can purchase and bring home. But it just, it has a very specific feel, and it’s interesting. I didn’t really know much about northeast market when I started, and so I’m not surprised that you didn’t know that much about it, either. There, but Google about this, any, most of the folks that know about it, Belvedere, I know so Belvedere is not a public market, I’m just saying.

Nestor Aparicio  05:08

But I’m just thinking of like the market said. I know of rum like that is a market in the way I would know it. You would not come in here and necessarily think you’re at the old Lexington market, unless maybe you’re down in the bottom, the bottom feels more stally. And I think the cross street market tried to keep elements of the old market. I don’t know enough about Hollins and Broadway burned, right? And we had, you know, we had a fire there. It had to be redone. I don’t frequent that market as much as I do this market, or even cross street. So I know the vibe about all of them, but to me, this is the big one at Lexington market, and this was the one that was most rethought, I think, absolutely in regard to being moved so much that it was rethought. And it’s world famous well, and the just it has more light and even the roof. And it does feel like it’s been here 50 years, not five. It has, it has some soul and appropriateness to it. I was used that word. My wife should use that love, that word appropriate. I’m like, well, appropriate means that it feels authentic and comfortable. It feels welcoming. It doesn’t feel like, oh, they dropped the spaceship down in the middle of a market, right? So northeast, I know you want to promote that.

Shaina Hernandez  06:24

Talk to me about that a little bit. I mean, join me over. Let’s go. I think we should absolutely go Northeast is, is a goal. It’s a gold mine of just all sorts of different things that you could possibly want. They’ve got fresh groceries, they’ve got fish, they’ve

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Nestor Aparicio  06:37

got Baltimore. I’ve never been Shana. Come on now I’m like

Shaina Hernandez  06:41

a cab. I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t make it up. I promise you, it’s really there. Yep, the people there are, so there’s so many, why this 100 times.

Nestor Aparicio  06:51

Me, my wife lived and almost died at Hopkins for two years. My wife said cancer twice. So like, yeah, I was always looking for, like, a place to have lunch or grab something. All right, I got right McElderry, I got it right here.

Shaina Hernandez  07:03

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All right, look at that fruit in there, beautiful. Yes, it’s beautiful. It’s so much fresh produce, fresh meats, fresh fish, prepared foods. Really good chicken, really good pretzels, just pretty much anything that you could possibly want. I mean, you could walk into northeast

Nestor Aparicio  07:21

twist, Mr. Sausage and delicatessen, I’m looking at all here, yep, smoothie place. All right. All right. You’re gonna get me over there. Give me your background and what you do every day as a CEO and President of these markets. And five, four, how many we got? Five public markets. I got them all I got them. All right. So Hollins, Broadway, cross, Lexington and the forgotten, but not here, northeast.

Shaina Hernandez  07:47

So actually, you missed one, because cross is not technically one of ours right now, even though it is a public market, because the guys at caves are managing it. So the five in our purview actually include the avenue market.

Nestor Aparicio  08:01

The Avenue mark. And

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Shaina Hernandez  08:03

where’s that? Up near Pennsylvania Avenue.

Nestor Aparicio  08:05

Oh, Penn north. All right, see, I didn’t know that’s one of yours either. How many did we have here? Have any closed in the last 50 years that I don’t know about, because these are

Shaina Hernandez  08:17

not in the last 50 I don’t think so.

Nestor Aparicio  08:19

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You’re a state employee. Is that correct? No, your city, nope, no, private.

Shaina Hernandez  08:25

So we’re a nonprofit organization, but we’re a quasi governmental entity of the city. I used to be a state employee, and I

Nestor Aparicio  08:30

don’t, I just don’t know that the politics of all this. I mean, I just come here and buy food, right? I mean, I’m about to go over Lumbini crush some Indian food. Yeah, get the shrimp salad here. If you haven’t

Shaina Hernandez  08:40

done that. It’s delicious. So the buildings all belong. Buildings all belong to the city. These are all city assets. And the Baltimore public markets Corporation runs all of these markets for the city. Yep. So if I

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Nestor Aparicio  08:51

have a stall and I want to have nasty Nestor fish tacos or crab tacos, and I have a dream and a vision to take that stall right there, next to next to Fayette Lee’s. I come see you, and I read

Shaina Hernandez  09:03

from you, we’re the only small business incubator in Baltimore City that provides these services to food service businesses. So I like to think of us as a small business incubator, because really that’s what we’re doing. We’re providing services so that these small businesses can continue to grow and thrive here in the market, in another market, or if they want to expand into a brick and mortar store, and that’s really how I see our role. So it’s,

Nestor Aparicio  09:25

it’s a start a business. Maybe have a food truck one day. Maybe, okay, so

Shaina Hernandez  09:30

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usually it’s the other way. You start with, like, a food truck or going to market and going to, like, weekly farmers markets, and then you would transition into something like this.

Nestor Aparicio  09:39

He did, he did it that way, and he’s such great success story. I mean, there are so many people doing food here, in a way. And I loved, I just came back from South America and I traveled, and I did eight cities in South America walk. That’s how I got skinny, cool, and I love, I eat with my eyes. I mean, it’s like when I go to New York. I’m not there. Why? Like looking at girls? And dogs in the weather and the architect. I mean, I do all of that, but I’m really a perv with my eyes for food. And I don’t eat much, but I eat with my eyes. I learned how to say that in Spanish everywhere. When people ask me what you want, I’m like, just eat with my ojos, you know. I’m good here, you know? And but that’s part of the beauty of like markets, seeing the food as I walk through. And I I always have the same path here. I park, I come in, I set my stuff up, I get my crab cake. I love my lambini. I know where my taharqa is. I just learned how to say I was calling it trinacria, and I learned it’s trinacria, right? Or am I saying it wrong?

Shaina Hernandez  10:37

I thought it was Trina

Nestor Aparicio  10:39

Korea, and it’s Trina, Korea. I pronounced it wrong.

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Shaina Hernandez  10:42

Everybody’s Matt laughed at me. He should have honestly

Nestor Aparicio  10:46

about six blocks from here, and they’re here and that can get their meatballs to go, if I wish to as well. You brought iconic Baltimore brands into this before your time, but the taharka’s, I see parked chicken over here. I walk down and I see families here that are, in this case, fourth generation, right? Yeah, that have been a part of this forever. But then I see, like, in cross street, they had, like, like, a Haitian food, like, the kinds of foods, man, I was a kid from done though, we didn’t get tacos to like, you know, we didn’t have Taco. Nobody knew what a taco sushi. I remember the first time I ate raw fish. I had to go up down to kiwasaki. You couldn’t just get sushi in a market, right? So I just find that the globalization of food that used to like, I’m Hispanic, I’m Venezuelan.

Shaina Hernandez  11:39

I also Venezuelan. So nice.

Nestor Aparicio  11:41

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I didn’t go to Venezuela. Went to Colombia. Don’t tell anybody. But have you ever been? Yes, several times. Most my family’s in Maracaibo. So my dad was one of the very few Hispanic people here in 1975 there was no Hispanic culture. There was no ice. There was no Highland town where everybody’s Hispanic, there was not kitchen help. That’s from El Salvador Honduras. I don’t even think Hispanic people were here picking fruit in the 70s. My father came because Louis was an Oriole. My cousin’s a Hall of Famer. Only Venezuelan in the Hall of Fame is my cousin. That’s why I’m in Baltimore. That’s a cool stat. Yeah, it’s kind of cool so far, but ordonia Cabrera, they’re gonna get in. Even the cheater from Houston is gonna get in. Maybe wouldn’t get my vote when you cheat. But my dad, 1975 76 couldn’t get Hispanic food. He’d have to drive to DC to go to a market, not this kind of market, a supermarket, but there was a Latin market down and like Chevy Chase when I was a little boy, we get in his Gran Torino and drive down because he couldn’t get you ready. My dad, you know, he didn’t. His English wasn’t great. But I’d say, you know, Poppy, I’m hungry. Black did all black? Did I make you Black didn’t black, little black didn’t. And I hated plantains. Oh, my God. Oh my god. You put them in the oven. I’m like, I want a cheeseburger from McDonald. So my dad, you couldn’t. Circle back to that. You couldn’t get a plantain in this city in 1978 you had to. So what I’m saying is, like these markets give you a chance. If you’ve never had Indian food, my God, go get the Lumbini. It’s delicious. But there’s different kinds of cuisine than maybe it was when it was just fried chicken and fruit and crab cakes back in the day. Absolutely, I could think that in this market alone, I could probably eat for two months. Some stalls, I could get something different every day for 10 days, and it would be a curry, a lamb, a chicken, a beef, a veggie. Yeah, it would be spicy. Be non spicy. There’s just so many choices. And I guess that’s the difference in modern world as you come into one of these markets. And I would highly recommend you get a crab cake and fail these, of course, but you have real choices here, Above Beyond, do I just want a sandwich or just want a salad? There’s just so much to eat. Absolutely. That’s my entryway.

Shaina Hernandez  14:02

I come hungry when you come, you should come hungry and come creative you, because you can also buy things, take it home and cook it yourself. You could buy a whole meals worth of

Nestor Aparicio  14:11

swear, right? So when I 20, I still say this, these gringos don’t know, but when I say arepa, they’re like, who’s your rape? I’m like, no, no, no, no, it’s a corn cake. They it’s a corn cake. They had him, man, they had him in Medellin, up in the mountains, who, I did not get any rapist when I was in South America. I feel left out with the pond. My make some. My stepmother made the best ones. You know, my dad made the best with chicken in there and but, I mean, we can, as Venezuelan cultural people, we can get a rapist in this town now. Oh, we get

Shaina Hernandez  14:45

rapists in this town. Are delicious, right? They’re really good.

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Nestor Aparicio  14:48

The market at Remington, the Remington market, our house, our house had an arapa stand for a while. So I just, where are you from in Venezuela?

Shaina Hernandez  15:03

My family was from, took up. Many of them are still there. It’s about five hours outside of Caracas, toward

Nestor Aparicio  15:09

the mountains, to the south, to the

Shaina Hernandez  15:10

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mountains you’re testing mine. I have a family,

Nestor Aparicio  15:14

so my one of the reasons I went to Machu Picchu is I know my family’s from the hills. My my face and the way I look my my father’s family. I don’t know a lot about my family at all. I’ve always wanted to do the 23andme thing, figure out where I’m really from, but, but my father’s family’s from, married up in the mountains, but settled Matt a cucho and Maracaibo and Maracaibo, Venezuela. For those of you don’t get Maryland crab cakes, or you don’t want your canned crab from a red swimming crab from like Indonesia. Venezuela is the place where all the crab comes from, because we they have the same crab. It’s the blue crab that lives in Lake Maracaibo. So a lot of the crab meat you will eat, especially in the winter, not here at faith, because they’re true blue, but you’ll get Venezuelan crab, and it is the same crab. So our people make a hell of a crab cake. I know this working all my you speak any Spanish at all, so I

Shaina Hernandez  16:07

speak a very little bit. I understand it much better than I speak it mom or dad’s so, so interesting. It’s my father who is Venezuelan, but my parents met in Venezuela, so my mother is also a fluent Spanish speaker. Where was she from? Originally, New York.

Nestor Aparicio  16:22

Oh, okay. Nice little background. Shane Hernandez is here. She is the president, CEO of Baltimore market, Baltimore public

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Shaina Hernandez  16:30

markets Corporation, all right, and this is a new role for you. Yeah, very new three. Okay, very new drinking for the fire hose. Yeah, it’s slowing down a little.

Nestor Aparicio  16:39

People need to know about the markets. What you took this gig and you’re overseeing it, you obviously want more people in, more food sold, more vendors, like all of that. What would your message be to people out there, not just come here and eat like I tell them to come eat and find things here I don’t even know about there’s probably some exotic foods here that I’m looking at saying I’ve never had that before. If it’s my chance to eat it, yeah, but you took it over. What goals and where is it right now? What are we trying to build it to?

Shaina Hernandez  17:06

So I think that we’re in a in a good place right now. I mean, like you said, Lexington is doing really well. Many of the markets are doing really well. We have some challenges in some places, but we also have a clear path for how we’re going to solve those challenges. So I feel really good about that. And I think, you know, like I said, the markets are not just they’re not just a place where you go and get food. They’re a critical third space for Baltimoreans. And I think that’s the most important thing, is that even as we grow and evolve and change with the times, we have to make sure that the markets are always responsive to the communities in which they’re in, because those communities are the backbone of why the markets exist. They’re there for the people who live there, but also for the people who want to come and support Baltimore. And so you have to figure out

Nestor Aparicio  17:48

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how to make it both. Well, I know Dami really fought the law here and the government in regard to EBT and being able to shop and selling fish and whether a piece of fruit should be something that folks that are challenged, that have food stamps for lack of better, that that they can utilize these markets for what they were originally intended to be, which is to take food home for that child and feed take take dinner home. It’s a grocery store. It’s not a grocery store here, of course you do. I mean, because it’s a market, that’s what you have to ask. To have, right? You come here Tomahawk state, you get some raw chicken, take it home. You take fried chicken home. You can take a piece of fish here. I saw some salmon over here, some sushi, some Mexican foods, pub cakes, bring home some some lettuce and some produce and some fruits. That is so important. And I think in areas that are challenged, you want to be welcoming to everybody. And I don’t know that that it’s always been fair for the markets. And I think there were some people in the Old Market cheating. It caught and broke some rules, and it kind of screwed up things for everybody in the market. This was a number of years ago, and it was a real challenge for business, especially PPP during that period of time. I remember talking to Dami about it. It was really something where they were screwing the markets. And I didn’t I. I thought, What are you doing? We’re trying to build the city. I’d like to think that people really, and the people that I meet, people like you. Matt Gallagher, being here before running the city with O’Malley, 20 years ago, you like to wake up thinking people trying to get things done, not stopping from getting done right? You want to be moving this thing forward, not trying to be in the way. Yeah, it calls you to get a stall open. You know? It’s got to be by the letter to law, like all that. But you’re trying to get them in and get them into business, not trying to prohibit them from doing business well. And it’s

Shaina Hernandez  19:34

also about being responsive to all of our customers. We have a lot of different customers, right? Not just the people who are coming and shopping in the markets, the merchants are our customers. And like I said, I really see it as a partnership where we’re working together to help them grow their businesses. So it’s really important that not just that we’re being responsive and timely when people want to come in, but that we’re taking care of the people who are already here, so that they know and feel that they’re important

Nestor Aparicio  19:57

to us. Well, every time I come, I’m carrying all the. Crap, and I got bags, and I come down to Lexington market. Some people be intimidated down here. They read the news, or they’re watching Fox 45 or bought lies. When you come down here there, it never fails that I’m struggling. And sometimes I park in the main lot over here, but I got a spot right, right on packaging, which

Shaina Hernandez  20:18

is free until May. By the way, nice through May

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Nestor Aparicio  20:20

for 10 day, I’m carrying all this stuff right at this door. Somebody always holds a door open for me, always, and then somebody else always holds that door open for me. And when I wrap this up in 10 minutes, and I get my Indian limbini, and I take my shrimps out on my cat. I eat some of it too, but she loves it. So I go to walk out, somebody hold the door open for me. And I think the first thing I do when I come here is I have to pee because I

Shaina Hernandez  20:45

drink a coffee. Thank you for sharing

Nestor Aparicio  20:47

what I but I so I have to walk the whole length of the market, and then I go down the steps and I go to the bathroom, I walk around. And every time I come here, I’m thinking, why would anybody not want to come up? What? What would keep you from coming here to get lunch and exploring this really awesome indoor place where you could eat 100 different things. You don’t have to be in the mood for something when you come here. Get in the mood when you get here. That’s absolutely right. That’s what I feel about like the

Shaina Hernandez  21:13

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target of food. It’ll tell you what you want.

Nestor Aparicio  21:14

My story is, I come here, I see children. I see families. I see workers. I see great food. I smell great food. I smell the fried chicken out in front of park when I park my car. So you start, I smell this crab cakes coming from babies on the other side. So I smell it before I come in. I just think it has all the bones to be awesome, and I want to promote it as awesome. That’s all

Shaina Hernandez  21:34

absolutely that’s why I’m here. I love that you’re here, and I’ll love when you’re at Northeast.

Nestor Aparicio  21:39

I know you won’t take me there. Well, she take me out. I haven’t been to Broadway in a while, either. So, yeah, sounds like you have to a little work today. Someone’s at Broadway. I think I had some Thai food. I think I was

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Shaina Hernandez  21:49

at Broadway last weekend getting my picture taken with the Easter Bunny with my kids. She get candy. You know, we didn’t get candy, but they don’t need candy. They they have plenty of candy. They’re all set. I’m waiting for it to go on sale, although if you want candy, you know, Betty Lee’s right down here has a great variety.

Nestor Aparicio  22:04

I went the whole Easter season without having a Mary Sue easter egg, and I feel like I’m gonna get my Baltimore card revoked. If I don’t get a Mary Sue easter egg, I could sing the song everything.

Shaina Hernandez  22:14

So now you’re late. Where are you even gonna find one of those Easter eggs? Man, where are you gonna Where are

Nestor Aparicio  22:18

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you gonna get it? I’m gonna get it on sale, and it’s gonna be left over, and I’m gonna get one of those nougat eggs to honor my mother. Love those. Shane Hernandez is here, Venice Willis, yeah. All right, both of us are gringos, and that’s fine, but she brought me a hat. Alexa, can I put it on? Of course. All right, it’s gonna clash.

Shaina Hernandez  22:38

I’m gonna No, it does. It doesn’t collapse. These are complimentary. Well, it means like hell. That’s not great.

Nestor Aparicio  22:44

I think if you had a play on the White Sox in 71 Oh, it’s clashing. I like it. Yeah. I think maybe

Shaina Hernandez  22:50

once you take your your gear off, it’ll it’ll be better. Appreciative of it.

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Nestor Aparicio  22:54

I’m appreciative of it. Tell me where they can find you and find the markets. And if you are a business person and you’re looking to have a stall, you’re the person to

Shaina Hernandez  23:02

call, right? Yeah, absolutely. You can find us on our website.

Nestor Aparicio  23:08

Is that Baltimore?

Shaina Hernandez  23:10

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Yeah, Baltimore Public Market. See, I’m still new. Baltimore public markets.org, right? All right. See, Baltimore public markets, it’s an org. Baltimore public markets.org, and come visit us. Come to all of our markets. There’s always something fun going on. We have events every single weekend, it seems, and all throughout the week, there’s always something going on, always something for someone.

Nestor Aparicio  23:30

So come out, get an ice cream cone or something. Get that in a Lexington market. My thanks to Shane. Ever stop by for being my guest? She’s getting a Maryland treasures of Maryland. This is the conundrum I have now. They’ve given me the new ones. These brand new We have horses at Assateague. I didn’t realize they were at acid tea, but I see the sand there. Oh, yeah. And then we have crabs, herons. That’s an oyster. It’s an open oyster. I want to eat it. There’s the Maryland treasure. These were our artists, local artists, drew these. Yeah, this. These are, this is the Bay Bridge to two spans, and I’m not giving you all four. Oh, and, and then this is the boardwalk. So which one would

Speaker 1  24:06

you I would like the which one’s lucky? You feel lucky. Let’s, let’s see she feels lucky.

Shaina Hernandez  24:13

I did think you were gonna, I think the, I think we’re gonna go that you go with the heron. Okay, I’m key.

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Nestor Aparicio  24:19

I’ll keep my boardwalk, but it’s all brought to you by the Marilyn lottery, cheap BMC, as well as farnand and Dermer. I don’t have the shirt on, but I usually do. I’m wearing my Oreo gear here today because I wanted to talk throwbacks with Luke. My thanks to Stephen l miles. We talked about it two segments. Luke Jones stopped by. We did some fashion tweets, and Shane Hernandez, my new Venezuelan adamana is here. We’re at Lexington market, and Damien and Alicia and Laura, everybody here. They’re batting them down the hatches. I don’t want to hold your ears because you’re at the market, but they’re moving, not from the market. They’re expanding over in Catonsville, the fishmonger’s daughter, it’s this close to being open, so I couldn’t bring day. Me usually comes down. We talk about shipping crab cakes and this and that, and she’s like, I’m gonna get Catonsville open. I’m gonna get and her mother staring at me. Nancy’s wagging her finger at me, we’re gonna get Catonsville open. Alicia said to me that I could have done the show there today. Okay? Because it’s it’s not dusty anymore, that they’re hiring now carpets and woods and like they’re this close. Okay, the fishmonger’s daughter in Catonsville, that is the Fay Lee’s extension, right out next to state fair, right across Mel guapo, will be over there doing the Maryland crab cake tour next month. We are at Costas and Timonium at the racetrack. On Thursday, we are at Koco’s Pub just past the Northeast markets up on Harford road. We’ll be over in the laraville, that’s on the 23rd and then the first of May, we move to the county. We’re going to be in Essex, having some pizza, John’s having a crab cake. And can I get french fries and gravy in this market? Is there someplace you think, I think that’s such a Baltimore thing. I learned it’s a it’s like poutine in Canada, but Venezuela would be like, Oh, you don’t think we do Papa’s fridas and salsa or something like that, but I’m gonna have proper french fries and gravy, because I didn’t. I snuck in there the other night for a cheesesteak, and I’m alone. My wife’s in Italy right now. She’s making pasta Florence. So I didn’t have anybody to help me eat the french fries. So I did not get the french fries. Keep me skinny. Keep my my your physique, my spring figure is what I’m doing. Thanks to Planet Fitness. All right, I’m signing off. We’re down here in Lexington market. We’re back in the studio right after this. I am Nestor. My thanks to Shana, Steve and Luke and Damian, Alicia and Nancy, who are getting cadence below. We’ll tell you more about that later. Back for more on Baltimore positive. Stay with us. You.