While we were on the Emerald Coast of Florida, we stayed a couple nights with my cousin, John, and his wife, Bonnie. One of their favorite places they like to go to is a small market/restaurant in the planned community of Seaside, Modica Market, not far from their house in Santa Rosa Beach. Bonnie knew that my wife is big on breakfast and she proposed going to Modica Market for one of their Belgian waffles one morning.
Charles and Sarah Modica operated a small grocery store in Bessemer, AL. In 1988, the Modica's moved south to the new Seaside development that was being built along the coast. They built one of the first houses in the planned community and after developer Robert Davis found out that the couple had grocery store experience, he asked them to own and operate the small market that he was building in the city center of Seaside. Davis envisioned a small market that sold a little bit of everything, a place where people would have to make multiple trips to encouraging a neighborhood feel to the place.
In 1989, the Modica's opened their market that catered to not only the local population, but to the thousands of tourists who came to the Emerald Coast each year. Modica Market quickly became a local landmark with Charles Modica, Sr. being one of the area's most loved icons. Dozens of local kids got their first job working at Modica Market, many of them calling Charles, Sr. as their first and foremost role model.
Pictured right - Charles Modica, Sr.
Charles Modica, Jr., and his sister, Carmel, also helped in the store. Charles, Jr. worked along side his dad until Charles, Sr. retired in 2006, handing the reins over to Charles, Jr. Charles Modica, Sr. died in 2010 and part of Highway 30A that runs through Seaside is named the Charles Modica, Sr. Hospitality Way.
Carmel Modica lives just around the corner from my cousin and his wife and they've become good friends with her. In fact, when Spring Break hits the Emerald Coast, my cousin volunteers at Modica Market to watch for shoplifting and to help out restocking shelves.
Modica Market is located in Seaside's Central Square. (see map) The Central Square features shops and restaurants with a spoke of streets leading into the center area which features a sloping grassy area with a stage for live music and entertainment. Due to the heavy rains they had just days before we got there, much of the area near the stage was roped off because the ground was still saturated.
The inside of Modica Market features lively colors and high shelves with gourmet foods and boutique-style goods from both America and abroad. Rolling ladders allowed for staff to reach for products on the highest shelves, but most of the items on the upper shelves were decorative in nature. The majority of goods they sold in the store were available by standing and reaching.
The deli part of the market is in the center of the store. Breakfast in the morning includes Belgian waffles, breakfast sandwiches and pastries. For lunch time, the deli will make fresh submarines and sandwiches. Fresh baked goods are available at Modica Market.
In 1996, the town of Seaside became a movie set for the Jim Carrey movie, "The Truman Show." Many of the scenes were shot around Seaside and particularly in Modica Market. Many townspeople - including Charles and Sarah Modica - were featured in the movie. Many still shots of the movie were hanging on the wall near the front door. I've never seen The Truman Show and I'll probably have to rent it at some point to see some of the places we saw in Seaside.
The beer and wine selection at Modica Market isn't extensive, but what they had was pretty impressive. And, I would say, a tad bit pricey. Many of the beers that I like and were available in the market ran a buck or two higher per six pack than what I would normally pay for the beer. Same with the wine. Bottles of wine that would be $15 to $20 bucks in Iowa were as much as 25% higher at Modica Market.
The deli/meat case at the kitchen area in the center of the store features fresh-cut meats, fresh deli salads and ready-to-eat foods. The market also had a number of different types of gourmet cheese from around the world.
It was time to order our Belgian waffles. Bonnie ordered a Belgian waffle with strawberries. I asked one of the young gals behind the counter if I could get fresh blueberries on mine considering I saw that they had blueberries for smoothies. She asked another girl if that could happen and she said it was no problem.
But the only problem was that the girl thought that both Bonnie and I wanted blueberries, so she made up two blueberry Belgian waffles. The girl was going to take Bonnie's back and make a strawberry waffle for her, but it took about 10 minutes for a waffle to get made (there were a lot of people in line for Belgian waffles). Bonnie just decided to take the blueberry Belgian waffle.
Cindy didn't want a Belgian waffle figuring she could have a bite or two of mine and she ended up getting a spinach and feta cheese croissant that was already made up and wrapped in cellophane and sitting on the counter. John just got a pastry for breakfast. We each got fresh squeezed orange juice.
After John paid for our food at the front counter with Charles Modica, Jr. manning the register, we found some plastic composite tables and chairs out in front of the place. John and Bonnie were looking at the tables and said that they were brand new. "Much more comfortable than the old ones they had," Bonnie said. Carmen Modica told us later on that the city of Seaside had put the new tables and chairs in front of the market.
The Belgian waffles were served on paper plates and we had to eat them with plastic forks. But the blueberries were big and juicy, the whipped cream on top was real whipped cream and the waffles were pretty darn good for basic Belgian waffles. It was a nice simple breakfast. Nothing fancy and definitely laid back.
Modica Market caters more to an upscale crowd than just your normal run-of-the-mill grocery store. Their gourmet items and unique food items sets it apart from a normal grocery store. Major grocery chains have come into the area over the past few years and that's cut into Modica Market's bottom line. But given the amount of people milling about and waiting in line to buy something at the register they didn't seem to be hurting. Modica Market has seemed to achieve what developer Robert Davis envisioned for an old-style grocery store in Seaside - someplace that develops a sense of community within the small town. And that's a testament to the two generations of the Modica family who have run the place for 25 years. And it's what keeps the people coming back.
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