The man pictured here is the sole reason that I am addicted to brussel's sprouts today. One afternoon, shortly after I had just moved to West Seattle, I wandered into his quaint establishment on the corner of 35th and Barton. I put my usuals into my basket and then stopped at the brussel's sprouts bin and peered in with curiosity. Tony noticed this and came over to me, picked up a brussel's sprout, held it up triumphantly and bragged about how they were hand-trimmed and, of course, delicious. I asked him how one would go about cooking them and he suggested sautéing them in butter or olive oil and adding just a little salt and pepper. I could not imagine how a vegetable capable eliciting such pride could have such a bad reputation. I filled up a bag and took them home to Chef Charlie for proper treatment. That short exchange at Tony's Market commenced the fall that Charlie and I ate an average of two pounds of the little green balls of joy per week (that is not an exaggeration) until after Thanksgiving when Tony's converted into a Christmas tree lot. The following three months, when Charlie and I found ourselves obligated to shop for produce elsewhere, were torture. The brussel's sprouts, along with everything else, were always more expensive and never hand-trimmed.
For the last three years that I have resided in West Seattle, up until I moved to France earlier this fall, Tony's has been an integral part in my weekly shopping. I always felt welcome at Tony's. He treated his regulars well, sometimes throwing in freebies or up-selling whatever fruit or vegetable was deemed to be particularly scrumptious that week. Every time we met at the cash register, he would compliment the fact that we ate well as he filled our shopping bags to the brim with produce every color of the rainbow. Over time, we began to consider Tony and his son Joey our friends. The Genzale family, Tony in particular, worked very hard to maintain what they had at Tony's Market, a local treat that is becoming more and more rare across the U.S., especially in cities. We could tell that Tony was a demanding boss and he was not always in a good mood, but he always behaved gratefully to his customers.
At one point Tony went missing from the market for a few days. This was particularly strange for a man who never seemed to take a vacation. It was then that Joey let us in on the fact that he was fighting cancer and was undergoing treatment. The next several months were visibly hard on Tony and his family, and we felt even more inclined to remain devoted to them for our produce needs. We often inquired about Tony's health and he always said he was doing fine. He was a strong man with a fighting spirit and, as far as we could tell, refused to let cancer dictate his life. The summer before we left Tony seemed to have regained his health somewhat and, according to Joey, was doing quite well. This was welcome news, so we were very surprised to hear that his health had taken a sudden turn for the worse shortly thereafter.
As our impending departure for France neared, we let our produce guys in on the news. Tony and Joey both expressed how happy they were for us and told us they would miss us. And certainly, we miss them too. Our new produce guy is much less personable than Tony, but because of Tony I can appreciate the fact that guys like him have a hard job to do and it's not one that always makes for cheery conversation. Tony's Market was such an important part of our lives, especially with Charlie being a chef, that I even went as far as taking my parents there when they visited me in Seattle, introducing them to my produce guys as I would my close friends.
Tony Genzale will be missed by an entire community that he joyfully nurtured with great, fresh food over the years. My deepest sympathies go out to Tony's family and friends and I hope not only that Tony's Market is able to remain a West Seattle jewel for years to come, but that other businesses will follow in Tony's footsteps, emphasizing the importance of being local and personal. If you are in or around Seattle, please visit Tony's Market and buy a Christmas tree. I'm sure Tony's son, Joey, who is reportedly working even the day after his father's passing, would love to hear your kind words and would appreciate your support.
Thanks, Marie, for posting such a lovely tribute. Elena
ReplyDeleteAlas! I came to love Tony's Market after Tony was gone. I would have enjoyed knowing him.
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