Ferry Building Farmers Market

When I get disappointed with something, it's usually hard for me to change that.  That is the case with my first day in San Francisco.  I was disappointed in not being able to see the city in its true form: independent, forward thinking, and locally conscious.  However, that all changed when I discovered the Ferry Building, which so happens to be a few blocks from my hotel.  I finally found a place that really defines each aspect of the city.

The iconic Ferry Building, once exclusively a ferry terminal connecting to other ports in the Bay Area, now houses one of the most amazing array of vendors selling mostly local products and produce along with some unique food items.  I first saw the building at night and I thought it was beige colored like most buildings.  So I was shocked when it turns out it is light blue.  But back to the main food.

The indoor market is open daily but the outdoor market opens on certain days.  I was lucky to come here on Saturday when every vendor was open.  Here are some of the vendors that I really liked.

San Francisco Fish Company

I love a good fish market.  Although this place is quite small, there is a lot to love about this place.  In fact, I love it so much that it made feel much better about San Francisco and my trip.  There is a variety of seasonal fish sold here as well as hot food.  There were breakfast burritos made with some of the seafood.  But the first sight you see coming here is freshly shucked oysters and clams.  At $2 each, this is a great deal.

On the first day I came, there was sea urchin.  I asked if they could extract the roe or uni, for me and they said yes.  This was an opportunity that I knew I had to take.  At $12.99 a pound, this is a great deal.  This uni was just under a pound.  Even though there is still some grit after careful cleaning, it has some amazing flavor to it.  It's really hard to describe the taste, but I can tell you that this uni had a layer of sweetness and brine to it.  The urchins comes in once a week, and this shipment sold out later in the day.

On the second day I came here, three hours before I left for Las Vegas, my family and I came here for a breakfast of raw Cherrystone clams from Long Island, dungeness crab, Clam chowder, and their house made gravlax, or cured salmon.  The curing seasonings on the gravlax light and mellow enough to not overpower the salmon.  The crabs have been boiled and chilled, allowing the meat to firm up and not stick onto the shells.  The chowder was surprisingly good, despite it not being a local specialty (that would be cioppino).  It starts with a house made fish stock, then heavy cream, potatoes, and clams are added.

Acme Bread Company

Living in the suburbs, it's nearly impossible to get good quality bread.  With I had on my last day here, I got a sweet baguette to go with my seafood feast.  It has to be some of the best bread I have ever had.  The crust was absolutely perfect.  Most of the flavor of the bread comes from the crust, so it's important to the bake the bread properly.  Most bread that you get from the supermarket are half baked or less, leading to a softer crust that I'm guessing is more safer and easier for kids to eat.  That has got to change.

Boccalone

This is a salumeria, a shop that sells Italian style cured meats.  They cure salted pork parts in their own curing room.  They serve hot and cold sandwiches with cured meats and salumi cones and platters.  I got a small platter with capocollo, wild fennel and orange salami, and mortadella with pistachios.  My favorite of the three is capocollo since it had meat and fat, which makes for lots of flavor along with the salt cure.

Sōw

This outdoor vendor sells a small variety of mixed juices.  These are all very interesting and bizarre combinations especially coming from an East Coaster.  All of the ingredients used here are locally sourced.  Since I caught a cold, my parents thought it would be funny to get the Prescription, which has apple, orange, celery, kale, mint, and parsley.

There are many layers of flavor in this one juice.  It starts with the apple and orange, which is then followed by a strong pronouncement of celery.  Last comes the mint and parsley, which freshens the mouth after swallowing.  Initially, I didn't think that it would do anything to me let alone cure me, but I felt this rush of energy and warmth up and down my body.  Thursdays and Saturdays.

Bella Viva Orchards

Fresh and dried fruits are sold at this outdoor vendor.  The fruits are grown in California and dried with sulfates.  Because of the sulfates, they are not organic, but it doesn't mean that they aren't great tasting.  I got half a pound of both the regular and white peaches, which were bursting with sweetness.  Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Ferry Building
1 Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111