Name(s)?
David & Erin
Where do you live?
Pinecrest
How long have you lived in the area?
Seven years
Where are you originally from and what brought you to town?
Erin – I’m from Miami, born and raised – I lived away for many years pursuing education and was brought back by University of Miami School of Medicine.
David – I was born in Chicago and raised in Houston, Texas. I came here for my fellowship in gastroenterology and stayed for Erin.
Where did you meet?
We met at University of Texas at Austin, as freshmen, and were each-other’s first date. But, it took almost 17 years for us to reconnect in the relationship we’re in now.
Please share about what you do for a livelihood or what keeps you busy during the week?
Erin – I am a professor of medicine at UM School of Medicine, but I spend most of my time serving as the associate director of the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center. Currently, I’m developing research programs, for the cancer center, that impact our community.
David – I work as a gastroenterologist at the University of Miami and am the director of the GI training program. I spend time with patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns and ulcerative colitis).
Our kids would say ‘David spends most of his time worrying about other people’s poop.’ And David would say – ‘That’s why you have to drink your turmeric tonic.’
How often do you come to the market?
Every Sunday
Do you have a market ritual? If so, please describe.
We have a divide and conquer mentality as one kid is usually in tow. One person gets in line at Babe Froman, the other goes to LNB to get smoothies – usually the Jackson. The one at Babe Froman catches Sybil’s eye to get coffee. Nothing can really happen until after coffee.
The market is more than a ritual. I think the market makes you feel a part of something bigger and I appreciate that. The market is like family and I’m sure it feels like that for everybody – which is why it is so amazing. I think, if you’re regular at the market, the food is a big part of it, but it’s the relationships that develop with the people who grow, make, bake and sell the food. There are too few instances in our world today where you have that level of connection.
What’s your favorite thing to buy at LNB Grovestand and why?
Smoothies, turmeric tonic, guacamole (when you have it – please have it more) and bananas. I feel like the only green I can get my oldest to drink is the green at the bottom of the rainbow smoothie.
What have you made with ingredients bought at LNB Grovestand?
Avocado toast. Besides drinking the turmeric tonic, we used it as part of a marinade for chicken wings that we grilled on our Green Egg. We mixed the tonic with honey, jalapeno and ginger and it caramelized perfectly on the grill.
What’s your favorite thing to buy at other stands at the market?
We are a big fan of Flap and Coco’s sauerkraut, beets and pickles. Each child gets their preferred pickle – habanero, dill or half sour. I think Babe Froman’s Montreal smoked meat rivals what I’ve had in Montreal. Continuing down the row…Sybil’s flavored coffees, the vegan empanadas at Artichoke and vegan banana bread from Zak.
For parents: A favorite activity we enjoy with our kids?
We really love kayaking. We go to Virginia Key in Key Biscayne. We are also a family of bike riders and big fans of Fairchild and enjoy going to Wynwood with the kids.
I wish the market had:
Fresh caught fish
Most-frequented local restaurants and what dish to order:
Upland, Ghee, Broken Shaker & 27, and Alter
For special occasions, I go to:
Mignonette is our ultimate. There’s nothing like oysters and a lobster roll. I think it’s the closest you can get to a lobster roll outside of Maine.
Sometimes when we want to stay local, we’ll sneak into Christy’s and pretend we’re my grandparents. They pour a stiff bourbon drink and that with potato skins, caviar, filet and their Caesar salad – is…well…pretty fulfilling.
What’s the area’s best-kept secret?
Milkshakes at UM baseball games. Also, Raw South on the west side of US1 and 98th street. Jessie and her crew makes tons of delicious vegan meals and juices.
Rainy-day activity:
Netflix and a good couch for napping.
The most romantic spot around:
Standard spa and hotel (under 18 not allowed)
Do you participate in any community or philanthropic events that you would like to share?
The Dolphins Cancer Challenge is a partnership between the Miami Dolphins and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Every dollar raised gets invested in Sylvester’s research mission which allows us to fund innovative research bringing us closer to identifying more effective strategies for cancer prevention, early detection and treatment for a cure. It’s a great family event.
The event is in two weeks and the website to sign up is: http://dolphinscancerchallenge.com
You can walk or ride. At the end of the ride there is a concert and Goo Goo Dolls will be performing. As someone who has dedicated her life to Cancer, it is wonderful to see such a large number of people come out in an effort to – if not eliminate the disease – at least make it better for people living with Cancer.
How and why did you get involved?
Erin – I have been the associate director for the for the past four years. I see my research as a vehicle for social justice and joining was a cool opportunity to elevate that to an institutional level.
Also, joining shows a commitment from the Sylvester Cancer Center to advance a progressive research agenda that is inclusive of medically under-served communities often disenfranchised from cancer prevention.
And, as a young woman, mom, and a wife, having the opportunity to sit at that table and for my voice to inform the instuition’s scope and focus is important. There are not often people like me in the roles that I play, so how could I turn down an opportunity to lean in.
Is there a question that you would like to ask the LNBs?
How often do you drink the Turmeric Tonic? When are the avocados coming back?
A + W: We recommend 8 oz a day of tonic. Sadly, avocados won’t begin until July. We lost all of them in Irma.
Words of advice or a story to share?
One of the things that’s so great about the market is the lessons our kids learn. At the market, our kids learn what it means to eat by seasons. Today in the grocery store, with food coming from everywhere, we somehow forget that apples are not in season all year long. For our older kids, that have been dying for the LNB guacamole, we have had to explain to them that Irma stripped off the avocados from your trees and really affected your yield. Understanding this helps them think broader about global warming and climate change and how that affects farmers and other people besides themselves.