The 'Fisties: Best Place to Shop For Food
When it came time to pick the best place to shop for food, we fretted over the decision. We knew the winner would be a farmer's market, since seasonal produce bought from local farmers beats virtually every store's fruits and vegetables. But which market to choose? The Bay Area probably has more farmer's markets per capita than anywhere else, each with its own personality and devotees.
The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market gets plenty of press, and we do love the high-quality ingredients you'll find there. But it's not perfect: High prices make for expensive visits, and the many tourists and SUV strollers flay our nerves. Lately we've been frequenting Oakland's Grand Lake Farmer's Market, where you'll find fewer people, more ethnic ingredients, and some of the same farmers selling cheaper produce.
We decided to declare a tie. Below you'll find our thoughts on the pros and cons of each.
Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market
Tuesday: 10am-2pm, Thursday: 4pm-8pm, Saturday: 8am-2pm, Sunday: 10am-2om
The best farmers around bring their prettiest and freshest produce to this market after they pass a rigorous approval process. You won't find better ingredients anywhere in the Bay Area, but you'll pay a steep price for the selection, and you won't find much in the way of ethnic ingredients. It's a perfect symbol for those who think organic food is just for the upper-middle-class white folks.
Especially since they're at the market in abundance on the weekend. Gawking tourists, tiresome foodies, and yuppie parents displaying their babies' accessories all jostle with you as you try to shop. When the crowd presses too much, you can stop to admire the gorgeous view or wander into the Ferry Building for a platter of oysters at Hog Island or a good glass of wine at our favorite general wine store, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant.
How the Market Could Steal the Prize Next Year
- Encourage vendors to model prices after other farmer's markets instead of BMW dealerships.
- Create a separate market for the tourists. How about one thousand feet to the east?
- Require strollers to pass through a modest-sized doorway before they can come into the market.
Grand Lake Farmer's Market
Across from the Grand Lake Theater, Saturday: 10am-2pm
When we first visited this market years ago, we were turned off by its location in a parking lot under the 580 freeway. Not near. Under. Thankfully, the market's current organizers pulled the stalls into the bright light of day.
They've also recruited some high-quality vendors. SFist favorites such as Juliet Mae spices, Prather Ranch, Eatwell Farms, and Marshall's Farm honey all have stalls here, as do other farmers and a handful of growers selling Asian ingredients that would simply befuddle Ferry Plaza shoppers. It's not as big as the Ferry Plaza market, but the prices are lower and the crowds are smaller. Entertainment for parents and kids alike makes this a family-friendly market.
How the Market Could Steal the Prize Next Year