Yorkville Market
Deli, Market, Wine Shop, and Coffee Stop—and Yorkville’s De-Facto Community Center
story & photos by Torrey Douglass
I’m chatting with Lisa Walsh in front of Yorkville Market when a station wagon pulls up. An energetic woman with grey hair and a friendly demeanor pops out. Lisa and the woman clearly know each other, and after a quick greeting the local leans forward and asks hopefully, “Cookies?” “Just sold the last one,” replies Lisa. ”I’ve got some more to put in the oven in a bit. Maybe when you’re coming back through?” “Nah, that will be in 10 minutes,” the woman says. “Thursday,” comforts Lisa. “I’ll have more on Thursday.”
I spend just over an hour at Yorkville Market, and in that time folks drop in for coffee, a sandwich, a case of beer, and a pint of milk. Except for the cookie aficionado, they all get what they need. A pair of well-dressed travelers with a polished city vibe stop and ask to purchase some of the decorative pumpkins brightening the front. Lisa is happy to oblige for the crazy low price of $2 each, and they walk out with six of them, along with some pastries and a bottle of wine.
To survive in a sparsely populated area, diversification is key. Yorkville Market is one of the few businesses in the tiny town of Yorkville. The only other public destinations are the post office and fire station a half mile down the highway, and Yorkville Cellars tasting room across from them. The market is the local source for coffee and espresso drinks, cards and gifts, gourmet food items, and a few necessities. Pick up some wine, a salad or sandwich from the grab-and-go deli selection, Cowlick’s ice cream, or a freshly baked cookie (if your timing is right). Much of the stock is local—the art on the walls, ceramics and natural skincare products on the shelves, and garden vegetables in baskets, as well as many of the wines. Like Anderson Valley itself, it’s easy to pass right by, but if you do stop and look, there’s a lot to discover.
The store opened its doors under Lisa’s capable proprietorship six years ago, after her parents bought the property and business and spent some time upgrading the premises. Long-time Yorkville resident Terry Ryder is a fan. “Since Lisa and her parents have arrived in the community and taken over the store, there has been a ‘there there’ for Yorkville, similar to Lauren’s in Boonville. The food is mostly organic and always delicious. She’s provided so many occassions where the community can come together. It’s been awesome. We’re so grateful to her.”
One such occasion is the monthly community dinner the market offers. Though it no longer can be the in-person social event it once was, people can still enjoy a hearty meal for a reasonable price. Dinners are pre-ordered for pickup, and customers sometimes stick around for a glass of wine and a chat. They take their meal home or enjoy it at the picnic tables. A recent dinner cost $25 a plate and included tri tip steak, a baked potato, a garden salad with Yorkville-grown tomatoes and cucumbers, and apple pie made with apples grown in Terry’s yard and figs from trees on the ranch where Lisa’s parents live.
Dennis and Mary Lou Walsh bought the ranch in Yorkville in 1975, then moved there full-time in 1993. Prior to following them to the area, Lisa worked in a wine importing business, specializing in wines from Spain and Italy. But she prefers being her own boss. “I love what I do here. I like seeing people, cooking for people, talking to people, and I make my own hours.” As a mom to two young kids, ages seven and three, the freedom of setting her own hours is appreciated. “They’ve basically grown up in the store,” she reflects.
Staffing is down to one employee because of the pandemic, another mom with kids who are four and eight, close friends with Lisa’s two. Parenting in a store full of delicious foods has its challenges, however. Her daughter and youngest, Rosalie, was recently explaining how she needs to have an ice cream cone. “But you already had ice cream an hour ago,” Lisa said. Rosalie wisely responded, “But I haven’t tried that flavor yet.”
It takes a lot of effort to keep the various spaces in the store functioning. Her workday involves preparing the pre-made deli items, pouring wine at the wine bar, and whipping up espresso drinks over in the deli, as well as baking those hotly-pursued cookies. “I love finding local treasures for the store, like the art and pottery,” Lisa shares. “I wish I had more time to develop the retail side.” The deli is by far the busiest part of the business, pulling in locals at lunchtime and hungry travelers going through town. The wines and beers are popular, too. But Lisa’s favorite part is cooking for the community. “For the last dinner, I was here from 9am to 10:30pm, and I loved it,” she remembers. “It was fun and chaotic.”
Lisa earned a degree in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and she likes to spend a little time flexing her writing muscles when sending out updates and announcements to the market’s email list. Other than the occassional email, however, Lisa is not a fan of technology. Yorkville Market does not have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, so it won’t pop up on most of the radars folks use when sussing out an unfamiliar area. For that reason, you’ll be forgiven if you drive right on by when travelling Highway 128 through the mini-town of Yorkville. Forgiven, but poorer for it, at least if you’re a fan of cookies.
Yorkville Market
Wed–Thu 11am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm, Sat–Mon 11am–5pm
26701 Highway 128, Yorkville
(707) 894-9456 | yorkvillemarket.squarespace.com
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville with her husband, two children, and a constantly revolving population of pets and farm animals.
