The best way to enjoy the Ferry Building Farmer's Marketplace on a Saturday morning is to arrive before the tourists awaken and the bridge and tunnel crowd arrive. Once upon a time it was possible to begin shopping before the official opening time of 8:00 a.m. Most of the farmers and vendors were able to pause what they were doing to conduct a sale. No more. Perhaps anticipating the onslaught of the Saturday Maddening Crowd has added a dimension of stress for the sellers that did not exist before. Be forewarned that the world has discovered this farmer’s market. It has morphed from a farmer’s market that brings field and farm to the city to being a tourist attraction. This is not the same farmer’s market that started under a condemned freeway off-ramp. Not a tablecloth or monogrammed apron was in sight back then. Just farmers off-loading wood lugs from the back of beat up pick-up trucks. The shoppers have evolved beyond apartment dwellers and office workers. Limousines now dispense Hollywood stars dressed all in black with big sunglasses. Celebrity Chefs to the glitterati scoop up $7.50 a pound cherries and peaches. And with this new tourist/shopper comes a different set of expectations of what the shopping experience will be. They want smoothies, they want monogrammed aprons and eventually they will want all the stores to stay open until 9:00 p.m. In other words, they want to be at the mall or even better they want to be on Disney’s Main Street, U.S.A.. It’s clean, it’s pretty, it’s America. In the meantime, shuddering at the word ‘mall’, the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market has gone one better by becoming the ultimate in foodie boutique shopping. While this new crowd may want the Galleria in Sherman Oaks it now maintains the feeling of the Galleria in Milan. But for how long?
A suggested Saturday time line:
7:30 Peet's for a large, wet cappuccino
7:45 Acme Bread to check out the ‘day old’ shelf to the left of the marble counter. Day old breads are wrapped in plastic and are half-price. Remember that most bread can be revived in a toaster or made into croutons or French Toast.
8:00 Downtown Bakery for the bran muffins. Slightly over baked which makes for a great burnt sugar taste. Buy two as they are small.
8:05 Marin Sun Farms for eggs
8:15 Sur La Table Check out the clearance section where they often add an additional 25% reduction to merchandise on holiday weekends like Labor Day.
8:30 Prather Ranch to grab a flat iron steak if they aren’t already sold out
8:40 Flee
I have a serious problem with the gold-plated (at least they ought to be) tomatos from certain the vendors. The best priced stuff -- it has always been -- is from Mariequita Farms. Just buy what they have that week
But actually when Shogun has local salmon, nothing (including the over rated Copper River stuff) compares. They said this week that next local stuff will be week of July 19.
Posted by: Joan Kureczka | July 16, 2006 at 07:32 PM
I'm loving your blog. You just named like 3 of my favorite places to go in one posting! Yum! I can't wait to go back and read your earlier posts, cause I just came across your blog today. It's great!
Posted by: cpr | July 16, 2006 at 01:13 PM
These tourists also want your blood! Curse them all.
Posted by: will mcCoy | July 01, 2006 at 07:11 PM
Well, once again you nailed it, CM. Although I do believe it is "worse" in the summer-time... Would add breakfast at Primavera, cheese from Andante, and a juicy slab of beef (try the market steak or rib-eye) from Marin Sun Farms! As annoying as the crowds can be, I try to remind myself that I'm incredibly lucky to live in a land of such gorgeous abundance. I'm also very pleased that people are learning more about local sustainable food!
Posted by: EM | June 21, 2006 at 06:22 PM
Did you know that Marin Sun Farms is now selling chickens, too?
Posted by: culinary muse | June 20, 2006 at 06:14 PM