Bay Area Farmers’ Markets

During the summer before my senior year of college, I had an editorial internship at CitySearch.com. For those who don’t remember, there was a time (pre-Yelp) when CitySearch was a popular tool for learning about restaurants. There were two really cool parts of the job — (1) when I was sent on a paid restaurant review to Spork and (2) when my review of my favorite farmers’ markets was included on the homepage along with my byline. It’s unfortunate that I no longer have that article — because I bet I could have just copied and pasted the content here. My favorite markets haven’t changed much over the years!

San Francisco

• SF Ferry Building (Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday — for amazing, but expensive, produce and beautiful views— I try to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds and sample my way through the stalls — Kashiwase is my favorite for stone fruit and almonds)
• Fort Mason (Sunday — for a smaller neighborhood market that still has a good mix of produce and prepared food — check Roli Roti’s schedule to see when they’ll be onsite)
• Alemany (Saturday — for a farmers’ market where people still haggle and the produce is much more affordable — get a snack from El Huarache Loco so you aren’t shopping on an empty stomach)

East Bay

• Downtown Berkeley (Saturday — for my favorite market — great food, fun people watching, and happy vibes — pick up Phoenix Pastificio’s crab ravioli and peppery biscotti to eat along with your seasonal produce)
• Temescal (Sunday — for my second favorite market — not huge, but it has everything you need, and it’s always cute to see all the kids playing in the creek— Andy & Cindy’s Thai red snapper is great for lunch)
• North Berkeley (Thursday — for a small evening market, with only organic produce, that you can walk through in a few minutes— then head across the street to the Cheese Board for pizza)

Other

• Marin (Thursday & Sunday — for a huge weekend market when San Francisco is covered in fog — I find it a bit overwhelming, but I never regret making the drive)
• Palo Alto (Sunday — for a weekly market that seems to get bigger every season — look for Manresa Bread if you’re craving a breakfast pastry or need a good loaf of bread)