Along the hectic Howell highway, you will find a market-and-deli that completely contrasts itself…read morewith its mellow, toned-down atmosphere.
Website: 5/5
It seamlessly interconnects many styles of background and sections within their home page alone. The web page became easy to navigate and led me to various other parts of the site, including the Garden Center, the menus, the backstory, and the Harvest at Howell Road.
Brand: 5/5
The backstory behind the Twin Pond Farm Market is that it started about 20 years ago, as an extension of the family-owned farm, to sell home-grown products into entrees and meals. They have expanded their products to include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert meals. The backstory gives the Farm itself a sense of poignancy with its roots with an Italian farmer who immigrated to the United States and his family who would manage it.
The logo of Twin Pond Farm maintains that simple design with the right color scheme to make it stand out. As such, it always appears in any food-products made directly by Twin Pond Farm.
The exterior has the welcoming sight of a red-painted wooded facade of a farm, introducing you to a stone-cobbled entryway into many varying parts, from the vegetable stands to the hardware store to the deli. When we stepped inside the deli, I appreciated the brown floor and the brown tables, particularly since this specific shade of brown felt very warm and welcoming.
Ambiance: 4/5
The noise was expected with such a small area, however it did not become so bothersome that it interfered with an important phone call we had to make. The radio playing classic rock songs definitely fitted the mood of the market with a tolerable volume.
While I did appreciate the table containing a random assortment of sweets, I did not think that it fitted any purpose and did take up too much room, especially for a part of the market that already makes so much use for so little space.
Service: 5/5
The service attended to any of our needs without any problems.
Wait Time: 5/5
The service did inform any customers with a sign stating that they may have to wait longer for their meals. The transparency gives the Wait Time a higher score. In my case, I did not have to wait too long for my order.
Food: 4/5
I ordered the Hungry Man Special, which consisted of pork roll, cheese, eggs, hash browns, sausage, and ketchup beneath roll buns, along with orange juice. Every part of the dish was well-prepared without having too much grease. The buns did start to come apart and lacked the form needed to contain the ingredients from spilling onto my plate. The sausage definitely had the most profound flavor, giving this sandwich an overall savory taste. Indeed, all of the ingredients had their own flavor, giving the Hungry Man Special a blast of flavor.
Wanting to reinvest in my Howell Township community via the local multiplier effect, I decided that I would also buy some Fig-Red-Raspberry-Orange-Ginger Jam--otherwise known as FROG Jam. Just like the Hungry Man Special, it was also packed with flavor, in which case it had a very sweet flavor with subtle amounts of spiciness.
Worth The Money?: 5/5
The business works well with other small businesses, in the sense that farmers come to sell their products. Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens, as Thomas Jefferson himself would say; and they show their value by cultivating from the earth many products for sale in the vegetable stands and in the deli. The innovatively down-to-earth selection of jams definitely helps Twin Pond Farm Market stand out compared to chain stores. I love unique food products like FROG Jam that use wordplay, and always look forward to seeing such items in any local eatery.
The working class patrons give Twin Pond Farm Market hope. Indeed, there were union workers present treating the deli as their hang-out spot. If a market-and-deli could cultivate a culture within its space, then it would help create returning customers, which definitely works in its favor.
I did note that while they did source fruits and vegetables from local farmers, they did source their meats from Boars Head. If I had any personal suggestions, it would be to also locally source any meats if possible. The market is not well-known for catering, but they do offer apple cider donuts for such occasions, and they do have a catering menu on their website. So perhaps they could offer more individualized catering options for specific events, like Birthdays or Graduations.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
I deeply regret not coming here more before it closes for the winter season.
Recommend To...
Anyone trying to buy locally sourced fruits and vegetables within the appropriate seasons, and if you're already going down the busy highway anyway.
