The Neighborhoods: Boulette's Larder at the Ferry Building Marketplace

BOULETTE'S LARDER

It has been raining almost everyday since Christmas.  But that hasn’t stopped the brave and hungry among us to go forth and find even more wonderful things to eat.  The day after Christmas we discovered Boulette's Larder in the Ferry Building Marketplace.  A larder?  In the 21^st Century?  This is what we found:  a wood burning fireplace warming up the room, a communal table with a huge bouquet of deep red amaryllis and two people enjoying freshly made beignets, chefs chopping, mixing, sautéing, shelves filled with glass jars right out of a medieval apothecary containing ingredients like black limes, shaved bonito and dried tangerine peel, the glass window of the walk in refrigerator revealing bowls over flowing with tangerines, mandarin oranges, limes, clementines and a pomelo. 

Boulette beguiles me.  This larder speaks of bounty, beauty, and originality.  What can be more inviting than a warm fire, the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread and thick hot chocolate made with half and half?  A wooden table that is big and welcoming.  Mountains of beautiful clementines.  Not just rice pudding but carnaroli rice pudding.  Friendly and familiar but with a twist.  A 21^st Century twist at a place where this alchemy succeeds in nourishing hungry souls, at a time when so many people do not know how to feed themselves with good, wholesome food, for an audience that is seeking and is willing to pay the price that it takes to keep this good idea going.  The price of admission here is our willingness to pay $6.25 for ½ pint of rice pudding. But, oh, what a rice pudding it is!  I think that these are artists at work in Boulette’s Larder.  And in the same way that it is a privilege to pay admission to a museum to see great works of art we are happy to pay what it takes to keep this fine idea going. 

Comments

[gabe]

Dear K: great blog... It's bookmarked now... Please consider posting something about Mr. wine incognito...

::hug::

[Fatemeh]

This is a lovely blog... I too adore Boulette's. Their European-style hot chocolate is excruciatingly rich, deeply complex with a wonderfully bitter finish... sigh.

So glad I stopped by - I had no idea you could get leaf lard at Housewives Market!

[Kathy]

Do you suppose they'd let you stay and read a book for awhile? Would be a great way to soak in the larder from the peripheral vision of one's consciousness. Must pay a visit to inspire my own larder to further glories.

And speaking of lard, if you want to make your own, for the *best* pie crust, Housewives Market in downtown Oakland has leaf lard that you can render yourself!

Great blogg! Its bookmarked.

Kathy L.

[David Leite]

K: Just dropped by to say, "Great blog!" I wish you the best. I've always been a fan of your writing, so I'll be stopping by often.

David

[CC]

You make me happy to be alive and enjoying all of the sensual pleasures available in our wonderful area. By the way, the best French 75 is at Cafe Rouge in Berkeley!