A Supermarket in California

Yesterday, I went up to the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco. While the Marketplace itself is open daily, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is open only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Saturday markets are the largest, with tents set up around the Ferry Building and on the building's rear plaza. In addition to the standard market offerings such as local produce, herbs, cheeses, and meats, one can also find local restauranteurs selling some of their cuisine.

My friends and I started out on the rear plaza, where the restauranteurs were set up, and opted for some Mexican food. While they opted for fish tacos, I chose green chile and cheese tamales with a side of black beans. They were extremely filling (masa is so heavy!) and tasty—less spicy than I expected, so that was a little disappointing, but the corn cooked into the inside was a pleasant surprise. 

With our stomachs sated and satisfied, we roamed the remainder of the Marketplace, starting with the remainder of the rear plaza. I enjoyed trying many of the samples, from oranges and nuts, to spices and olive oil, and taking in some of the unique offerings, such as lavender sugar. 

The front of the building offered more of the same, while the building's interior offered more materialistic items such as jewelry, bags, and other tchotchkes. 

Across the street from the Ferry Building, there were tents upon tents of art vendors, selling everything from paintings to clothing. These tents, more than any of the others, were right up my alley. I saw some earrings made from Scrabble tiles; they were cute and funky to look at, but I would judge myself immensely if I ever decided to buy (or heaven forbid, wear) them. Painters' tents boasted painting upon painting of the Golden Gate Bridge, some of which were truly gorgeous. Every tent had something creative and hand-crafted to offer; every tent, of course, except for the one that sold t-shirts stating, "I survived the tsunami, March 11, 2011." I spent about thirty seconds gawking at the sheer incivility of those vendors, before moving on to rage. I don't understand some people.

Midway through our exploration of the art tents, a gathering of cyclists caught our eye. These cyclists were gearing up to participate in the World Naked Bike Ride, and so were clad in various stages of undress, with most opting for full-on nudity. There's nothing like seeing thirty naked bikers to add some entertainment to your day. 

The Marketplace remains open until 6pm on Saturdays, but we opted to head back to the Caltrain station around 2:30. We walked alongside the Bay while enjoying the beautiful weather and the pretty view:

I'm not someone who thrives on organic or fresh produce, though it's certainly a nice thing when you can get it. What I really liked most is the casual environment of the Marketplace; it's a relaxing way to spend a weekend morning, and reminds me of the New York street fairs I used to frequent with my family. 

No, farmers markets aren't anything innovative, but when they're well-arranged, I can't help but find them comforting and enjoyable. The Marketplace is definitely worth a visit.