I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I’m a little bit in love with food.

Admit it – you have your own love affair with the things you eat, too, don’t you?

Like any relationship, the connection we all share with food is an intricate one. It’s highly emotional, taking us on journeys of unadulterated delight as we water our tastebuds (and really, our souls) with scrumptious morsels and dumping us in dreary depths of despair when we realize that the can of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream is empty or that the fettucini alfredo has nearly disappeared from our plates. More practically, the journey of food from its original source on some farm an unknown number of miles away to the plate inches in front of your face is incredibly convoluted and elaborate, affecting more people and economic and cultural institutions than you can probably think of as you bring your fork or your spoon or your fingers to marry your mouth to your meal. The complicated nature of this bond can logically lead us all to the conclusion that our relationship with food needs to be nurtured properly in order to remain alive and amicable.

A trip to Downtown Market is much like a couples’ retreat for you and your food: it will undoubtedly rekindle the passion you feel for the fare on your plate. Placing consumers a a few steps closer to the source of what they are eating, the market creates authentic, genuine connections between people and food based upon a foundation of unapologetically real flavors and gratifying, original options.

Be forewarned: walking into the open, industrial Ionia Street space will be an uncommonly powerful experience for the olfactory senses. The menagerie of teas at the Spice Merchants exude a cozily sweet aroma, mingling with the pungent scent of fish coming from Fish Lads as other soft-spoken fragrances mosey towards the customer, hints of all that is to come as he or she wanders through Downtown Market.

My first stop at the market is always Malamiah Juice Bar, a can’t-miss destination for anybody with even the mildest sense of adventure. Somehow, Malamiah manages to turn completely unexpected and seemingly incompatible ingredients into lush juices in a matter of minutes. Like most offerings at Downtown Market, the components of each juice are simple, fresh, and prepared before your eyes. Reading through the various health benefits provided by each drink proudly displayed on the menu, it’s surprisingly easy to get over the fact that you are about to drink juiced spinach and order the mood-enhancing Jazz and Blues, or forget about the fact that your immunity-boosting Rise and Shine contains carrots. The unprecedented mixtures never disappoint, no matter how unappetizing kale juice may sound initially.

Just a few steps from Malamiah is the delightful Tacos el Cuñado, which, upon my last visit, concocted the best burrito I have ever had the delight of eating. Perfectly seasoned chicken combined with crisp lettuce, sharply powerful cilantro, and masterfully moistened beans to create a culinary dream. Its taste was rivaled only by its massive size, strengthening my conviction that it is crucial to come to Downtown Market with an empty stomach. There will be something to fill it for everyone, whether it be a crepe from the diverse array made at Penelope’s Creperie, fried rice from Rak Thai, or something else from the dozens of vendors who offer up clean, local, and delicious food to the people of Grand Rapids every day at the market.

Set up like a glorified farmer’s market, Downtown Market is a destination for honest and delicious food for all tastes. Not a single merchant sacrifices quality for efficiency or quantity: the market is a celebration of good food that you can’t help but want to join after entering. Customers can also feel confident about the source of all they are eating, as well as the ultimate destination of the money they are spending: Downtown Market is one of Grand Rapids’ crown jewels in the “eating local” movement, and shopping at the market will put each consumer in touch with fresh Michigan food sources, as well as allow them to support local business. And an added bonus? The industrial feel of the space combined with the fresh food and unique culinary styles will make even the most mainstream consumers feel a little hipster.

So perhaps you have been numbed into complacency by a long line of pizza dinners stretching back further than you can see. Maybe you and food are in a rather stagnant phase of your love affair. Perhaps you simply want to spice up your relationship. No matter what you’re looking for, a trip to Downtown Market is sure to infuse the oft-neglected food-person relationship with a new zest. Ready to reinvigorate your love affair? The market sits at 435 Ionia Street. I’m sure there’s a cup of kale juice waiting for you.