San Francisco’s Ferry Building
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When we visited San Francisco for the first time, we fell in love with the Ferry Building and its Marketplace. It has everything that a foodie, a tourist and even a local needs/want/enjoys.
Located in the Embarcadero, near Market Street, the building offers awesome views of the bay that includes the Oakland Bridge… But aside the views, it offers food and lots of it!
Once a transportation hub for the city, the Ferry Building now is home to many retail stores – most dedicated to food/kitchen items – and restaurants. It even hosts one of the most famous farmers market in the United States!!!
Held three days a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market offers great quality and diversity of farm products, artisan and prepared foods. Being world-acclaimed, know that the crowds of not only tourists but locals fill the building and surround areas all looking for the best food. It has been said, that each week, the farmers market receives over 25,000 people!!! On Saturdays, the market receives famous local chefs and farmers to host special demonstrations and to even buy products and goods.
You can find everything at this market – from cheese, flowers, meats, fruits, veggies, oil and more… most of them organic. Be sure to go early to get the best products. The market is open from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 8am to 2pm on Saturday… it is plenty of time to grab what you need, or is it? For us, visiting on a Saturday wasn’t enough and if it was up to us, we would have lived in the market!
But even though the farmers market has more options, the rest of the week when the market doesn’t take place also provides very good quality food and goodies…
For cheese, we went to Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop, which also has a café where you can order cheese platters and eat them there but we prefer buying at the shop and doing a picnic at the Golden Gate Park!
If you like ham, you need to go to Boccalone Salumeria, a store by renowned chef Chris Cosentino (Next Iron Chef, Top Chef, etc). At Boccalone, you can find more than 20 varieties of handmade meats. Quality is exceptional and prices are very good. You can also get sandwiches, paninis or just a platter – or a cone – of your preferred cured meat to go.
The building is home to one of the best oyster/seafood restaurant in the country: Hog Island Oyster Company. You can eat them at the oyster bar, at the restaurant or at the outdoor patio overlooking the bay. And some days a week you can buy them and take them home…
If you are looking for a Latin flavor, you are in luck with El Porteño Empanadas Argentinas. The yummy dough is filled with beef, chicken or onions and cheese, just like they sell them in Argentina. If you have more of a sweet tooth, you can order one – or three or four – of their alfajores de dulce de leche.
And like we mentioned before, the Ferry Building also have retail stores. And if you are looking for good olive oil, you are in luck: McEvoy Ranch has one of the best olive oils produced in California. And they also have body products like soaps and lotions infused with lavender, orange and more.
If you are looking for something sweet – if the alfajores weren’t enough – Miette’s pastry shop has cupcakes for you! The French little and pink bakery has cookies, pastries, cakes and more.
So now you know, whenever you are in San Francisco, do yourself a favor and go to the Ferry Building and explore all of the stores and restaurants. And if you happen to be in City by the Bay on a Tuesday, Thursday of Saturday, don’t let the opportunity of going to the Farmers Market pass you by. You will not regret it!
For more information on the Ferry Building Marketplace, go http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com.
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