Part Two: Last Saturday in San Francisco

Crab at Hog Island Oyster Company

A week ago, after an amazing tour of the Frida Kahlo Exhibit at SFMoMA, a stop for Melatonin at GNC for Brian’s trip to Australia, a shopping quickie at Virgin Records for a hat I saw the day before, and a brief respite at the hotel for Brian’s business commitments, we hopped on an antique street car on Market for a slow scenic ride to the Embarcadero and on the Bay. The Ferry Building, on the East Bay at the head of Market. It opened in 1898 and was the transportation hub of city. Trains from the East, and ferries from all the East Bay and Marin all came to this terminal.

“From the Gold Rush until the 1930s, arrival by ferryboat became the only way travelers and commuters—except those coming from the Peninsula—could reach the city .. The opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936, and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, along with mass use of the automobile, rendered the daily commute by ferryboat obsolete.” ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

The building has now been renovated as a mixed-use property with a public food market. A large farmers market takes over the areas around the market on Saturdays, (There’s a smaller group of vendors on Tuesdays on the Embarcadero sidewalk).

The arcade inside the building houses The Ferry Building Marketplace, with shops, restaurants, cafes that are opened all week and that’s where we headed.

First Stop, Hog Island Oyster Company, for lunch. We got in line and miraculously were the only two person party and were seated at the counter immediately, (left, top) even the smiling counter woman was surprised.

Two cold local beers and a dozen iced oysters (left, center) started us off, but you would have expected that, with buttered bread, of course. (We think the butter was Plugrá, or as good as Plugrá).

I went for the Traditional Oyster Stew, (left, bottom) creamy broth, plump oysters and fresh herbs, two slivers of grilled bread garnishing the bowl. It was wonderful, right up there with the Oyster Pan Roast at the Oyster Bar in NYC’s Grand Central Station. For me, there is no higher honor I can offer.

Brian, went for the famous Clam Chowder. Brian is very faithful to his chowder, he gets it every time he comes. I think this was his fifth bowl. I had a taste, and I later agreed with our friend Rebecca, it IS the best clam chowder in the entire world. (Sorry no photo, I was too blissed out to focus, but you can see it in the photo album, San Francisco 2008)

After lunch, we stepped out to the waterfront, just outside. The Farmer’s market was closing down, which was a good thing because I can get frustrated not being able to buy arm-fulls of fresh produce that are not allowed on the plane due to their possible terrorist tendencies. But there was plenty of temptation inside the building.

Flowers were gathered for our rendevous with Rebecca, as was wine. We couldn’t resist tasting our selection at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant’s bar, and coming to the conclusion that all wine vendors should offer this option. Wouldn’t the world be a better place?

We stopped at all the vendors, at least once. I was stopped in my tracks at Far West Fungi, which had a field of organically grown, cultivated exotic and specialty mushrooms. Be still my fungi loving Polish heart.

I admit, I got a little emotional walking through this building. At one point my eyes actually misted over and like a two year old I whined to Brian, “I can’t go back to Adrian, I need these things in my life.

Yep, right there, my heart fell out of my body and now resides again in San Francisco.

- - - David.


Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Saturday trilogy,
where our travelers cross under the waters
and go where they’ve never gone before . . . El Cerrito