Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

I thought it was silly that I had written about the farmers markets in London and Paris but I hadn't even written about any of the farmers markets in the city that I actually live in. San Francisco has a bunch of farmers markets scattered throughout the week and throughout the city. Last Saturday, I went to the one that wraps around the Ferry Building, which is not at all a bad setting for an outdoor market. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has a good number of hot food stalls in addition to produce and flowers, and they even set up tables overlooking the bay for you to sit and eat. Some of the food stalls, like Blue Bottle Coffee and Hog Island Oyster Co., have spaces inside the Ferry Building, while others are street-food-style vendors, like 4505 Meats where I got my tasty, juicy breakfast sandwich shown below.

Something that was a bit of a bummer at this farmers market compared to my experiences abroad was that the presentation of the fruits and veggies wasn't quite at lovely as what I'd seen in London and Paris, where produce was displayed in cute baskets and really packed into stalls to look beautiful and abundant. I've noticed, in general, that presentation is kept more casual at the outdoor markets I've been to in California. But one thing that I did think was neat and unique about the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was the Veggie Valet service that they offer for free on Saturdays. If you get there early to snag the freshest produce but want to spend the mid-day exploring the Ferry Building and the food stalls, there is a free service where you can drop off your farmers market purchases and they will be kept safely in the shade for the duration of the market. This is pretty handy since the market does get crowded and you don't want your lettuce to get crushed.

I don't know why but I am always drawn to outdoor markets like these. I think I like seeing what's being grown and jarred locally, and I've definitely been drawn into the street food craze. What is unique about the outdoor/farmers markets in your city? Which ones are worth visiting?

| Photo Credit: Me. |