Heart of the City Farmer's Market

Chels: I can't rave about Heart of the City Farmer's Market enough. To say that I love this farmer's market would be a gross understatement. Living in the Tenderloin I truly appreciate the diversity that Heart of the City Farmer's Market brings all us Loin' locals. HOC is open every Wednesday and Sunday (major holidays excluded) rain or shine (although your choice of vendors may vary depending on the severity of the downpour). And you're better off going early to mid-morning. Some booths sell out early and pack it up once they're out of goods. The must visit booths are: 1) The Mushroom Guy - I LOVE THIS GUY. Ask him about the mushrooms. Not only will he give you great advice on how to cook them and what other foods to pair them with. But he has a habit of throwing in some extra shrooms for the inquisitive customer. His theory is that if you like the mushrooms, you'll come back and buy them next time. Smart man. 2) The Nut Stand - Now this takes a little more describing as there are multiple booths slanging nuts (deez nuts??). The best nut booth is back towards Hyde Street by the guy selling flowers. These guys are great. Go for the Chili Lemon Almonds (like crack), if you're crazing something sweet nothing can beat the Maple Almonds (also like crack), and if you like pistachios you HAVE to try their Teriyaki Pistachios (have you figured out that deez nuts are like crack yet?). There are numerous booths that sell really fresh, fine produce. But telling you the hands down best produce booth would greatly depend on the season and exactly what item you were looking for. Go and peruse, get your hands dirty in the Tenderloin (eewwww not like that, sicko).

Justin: Getting by on a budget is tough in the center of the second most densely populated city in the country. (NYC beats us on that front.) If you're sick of paying convenience store prices for produce, I strongly recommend you check out the HOC Farmer's Market. These guys are out there, rain or shine, every Sunday and Wednesday. You can find stuff there that you can't find anywhere else. Chels already mentioned the nut guy. Those chili-lime almonds are out of this world. You can also find eggs, gourmet Italian and Middle Eastern goodies, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and basically anything else. If you're looking for freshly killed chicken, you'll have to look elsewhere as PETA and others put a stop to this last year. If you happen to be hanging around Civic Center while it's going on, go ahead and give it a stroll. Try some fresh peach slices or grapes, check out some strange plantlife that you won't find at Safeway, buy some fresh herbs and spices. Remember that every dollar you spend goes directly to the farmers who brought all this good stuff into the city, not some lousy megamart chain. Haggle a little. The true master's of the art know that all the good stuff goes fast, so if you want to see the very best they have to offer, go early. If you go close to 5 PM, slow moving items are being practically given away. Check it out!