Just like this city, New Amsterdam Market is being built on oyster shells.

Last Saturday, The Feed attended the first benefit of the New Amsterdam Market, an organization that is working to re-create an old-style indoor public market in New York City. Titled “Founded on Oyster Shells,” the fund-raiser offered samples of some of the best local artisanal products currently being produced (East Coast oysters on the half shell, pickled foods from Beer Table and Marlow & Sons, a selection of domestic draft beers from Beer Table, bread baked with spent grain and cheese from Saxelby Cheesemongers, among other delicacies). They also held a silent auction, which included prizes like the opportunity to help birth a lamb, and a meal with Alice Waters.

Today we hear from director Robert LaValva about the outcome of the event:

“We sold out of tickets and even had to turn people away; to us, this was evidence of the support base we have developed for New Amsterdam Market, and a good indication that it should begin to meet more frequently. The auction ended last night and every item was sold; all in all, it yielded about $17,000 and the fund-raiser overall raised $28,000. Our goal now is to raise another $75,000 so that we can initiate monthly markets starting this summer. When we announced our plans to start a monthly market soon, the enthusiasm in the room further confirmed that New Amsterdam Market will be established as an institution this year.”

Congratulations to La Valva, et al. for a successful first event—as he mentioned to us, it’s an even bigger deal to have raised the dough, given the economy. We’ll certainly be among the shopping crowds once the market opens.