We were in San Francisco for approzimately 19 hours this past weekend. We arrived Saturday night for an amazing wedding reception and left Sunday afternoon.
We stayed at the Harbor Hotel right across the street from the water, with a gorgeous view of the Bay Bridge.
I know I've told you before that San Francisco is one of my most favoritist cities ever. In such a short time there I knew exactly what I wanted to see. I've been looking forward to the Ferry Building ever since Adrienne blogged about it here.
I have no idea how it's possible I've never been there before. I've always wanteed to live in San Francisco but now I believe I want to live in the Ferry Building. I'll just sleep on the floor near the bakery.
I didn't get any good building pictures! Its the grey building in back. Next time I'm there I'll get some pictures and give you some history of the building. (I know you're holding your breath)
Inside the building, at the end of Market Street along Embarcadero, are the most delicious variety of food-related vendors.
Heaven.
I'll spend the next 2 years highlighting some of the fantastic shops inside.
Kingdom of Herbs "Organic Edible Plants for Garden and Home that Nourish, Season and Heal" Now they also carry lovely home goods and unique plants and plant containers.
It made me want to buy these things and then run home to tend my garden.
Then I remembered that my "garden" is actually a 3'x5' balcony.
These chairs are reason enough to have children. Actually now that I think about it, I could just put a cute plant on the seat.
Far West Fungi! Oh my, you should have seen B's face. B loves mushrooms. This place is a mushroom lovers dream.
Do you want to grow your own mushrooms? Buy this mushroom log!
I've never seen so many mushrooms. There were more in a chilled display case...and these are just the fresh ones.
Has anyone ever eaten fiddlehead ferns? I'm so curious.
They also offer dried mushrooms and medicinal mushroom supplements.
Oh and the truffle products. Sometime soon I'll show you the truffle salt we got and rant about truffle oil.
The people working there are really knowledgeable and can suggest mushrooms for whatever dish you desire. What a treat.
McEvoy Ranch produces organic olive oil in Petaluma.
Their displays are just gorgeous and I wanted to buy this little atrium.
Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop. You love them already, don't you?
This place was packed. There is also a store in Washington DC if you live nearby.
I'm dying to take a tour of one of their creameries in Petaluma or Point Reyes.
Cowgirl Creamery has been catching the eye of cheese lovers around the world. Their mail order was featured in Zagats Food Lover NY addition. Their cheeses have won awards across the US and Europe.
Ok this isn't cheese. But I love the idea of spearment sugar and lemon verbena sugar.
I can see it all now. B & I picnicing, breathing in the crisp salty air, eating crusty sourdough bread with fresh cheese and strawberries sprinkled with spearment sugar. And champagne. Don't forget the champagne.
~sigh~
I love single thin blue ribbon in the cheese on the left.
There is so much I have to learn about cheese. Check out their library of cheese here. Unbelievable. I'll have to start checking them off one by one.
That concludes today's tour of the Ferry Building. I'll be back tomorrow with some more eye candy!
What a cool place! Even my kids are standing around me commenting and oooing and ahhing over the pictures. Mushrooms somehow amaze children.
ReplyDelete☺ Celeste
Fiddlehead ferns! I've heard of them and think it would be marvelous to try them. Cheese! Oh, Heaven! There will be cheese in heaven, Right? Right? Oh, Please!
ReplyDeleteI love all your posts Dawn. Seriously I learn so much. I definitely think you needed that mushroom log. Wouldn't that be cute sitting in your kitchen somewhere?:)
ReplyDeleteFiddleheads!!!! I LOVE them! As a kid, I used to snub my nose at them as my mom oohed and aahed over how good they were. Boy was I dumb. They are delicious, and they have a very short season here. I only had them once last year and I was heartbroken. I think you have to be careful with them, they can carry toxins or something and you have to be careful, but I forget what it was, exactly. My mom worries about all this stuff and now she won't eat them. Of course, that was last summer, now that they're almost in season again, she may have changed her mind. : )
ReplyDeleteCowgirl cheese! Looks deliciously devine. That cheese with the blue ribbon, it looks like it should be on display in my living room. It's so pretty!
~Andrea~
Yes, Yes, you are so right! I do love them already. Cowgirl Creamery that is, I MUST go there when we come down for our summer vaca. I love cheese and most of all I love San Fran! Its nice to come to your blog and see/read all the wonderful exciting places you explore. My family is going to love me for all the places I will drag them to while we are exploring California in July.
ReplyDeleteSmooches,
Andrea
When I die, I'd like my ashes sprinkled in the Cowgirl creamery.
ReplyDeleteI was just there right next to those same mushroom thingys and the fiddle head ferns. Such a cool place. Seriously could hang there a while. Maybe we could both camp out sometime - slumber party at the Ferry Building anyone?
ReplyDeleteDawn,
ReplyDeleteSeriously you have increased my desire to be in San Francisco just immersing myself in the atmosphere and ambiance of being there. From the clam chowder bowls you have tantalized our appetites with to the fresh steamed crab, this is just another reason to visit.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
You were only an hour away from me!! I love SF. Match and I will take the ferry sometimes into the city and just wander around. I love that bakery! Doesn't it smell delicious? There's also a great spot walking distance from the building that has clam chowder in a bread bowl. MMHMMM.
ReplyDeleteReally? My daughter was in San Francisco this past weekend too. She brought me back sourdough bread (per my request).
ReplyDeleteI've never been but now, I really want to go! Looking forward to more pictures.
I've had fiddlehead ferns. They were tasty!
ReplyDeleteThe "blue ribbon" cheese is called Humboldt Fog (and seems to be all the rage lately).
Also, there is a mycological society in LA which goes on mushroom forays and sells mushroom kits even cheaper. =)
What a classy great place ... All under one roof! You could spend all day there, I bet!
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the cheese store! So many cheeses so little time!
Thanks for the virtual tour! I feel rejuvenated!!!
AWESOME. It's so on the list for when I visit. (There's a list. It includes The Stinking Rose, where everything is garlic, all the time!)
ReplyDeleteNumber one, San Francisco is my favorite place that I have ever been. I have a GG painting and I am just in love with the city.
ReplyDeleteNumber two, I love mushrooms like B and that place would have been heaven to me.
Number three, I want to go to that cheese show. Oh my word....cheese! Is there anything better?
That tour made me want to go out there again.
Beautiful pictures, Dawn!!! I've never been to San Francisco... but I sure want to go now.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good time! :-) ~ Coreen
Dandy. Seriously. I have the same photos and the same blog post!! It's sitting all lonely and unfinished in my drafts. I LOVED Cowgirl Creamery. Did you go to Frog Hollow Farm? The people that work there were soooo nice!! I had a pear that was unbelievable. Gotta get that post out. Thx for inspiring me! Always love your SF posts.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS CRAZY WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME???? mushrooms and cheeses and san fran UGH...love all those things...I could die but I choose life...and a vacay in san fran...meet me there....
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! I had no idea an entire store dedicated to cheese was in SF. The next time I get up there I am hitting them up. How yummy!!
ReplyDeleteI love these kind of places. I'm going to have to check out the Washington, D.C. Cowgirl Creamery in June when I'm there!! Btw, I love those chairs too, would have bought them for plants in the yard, would be super cute!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place! Reminds me of Chelsea Market in NYC...
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit San Francisco. I've heard so many wonderful things about it. Maybe some day! Oh and...cheese!
ReplyDeleteDawn! You were in SF and didn't call?!? Ok, well, it was clearly a very quick trip, but...I can see you have a new love, which is the SF Ferry Building! Our FAVORITE Cowgirl Creamery cheese is the Red Hawk Triple cream...to DIE for!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope you make it up here some other time when you have some leisure time to spend. I feel like I know you so well just from reading your blog, and yet I've barely spent an hour with you! (well, I guess about 6 hours if you count your wedding & reception, but I had to share you with about 250 other people!)
Keep up the great blogging and photos!
Joanna
Bravo! I came across your blog randomly after googling "where to buy fiddlehead ferns in sf" or something similar. They're so delicious and only available in spring. Glad to see Far West Fungi has them (I had a hunch they would and was planning on stopping in anyway). Try this, it's what I would probably eat as a last meal if I were on death row: morels, fiddleheads and fresh shelled English peas sauteed with olive oil, white wine, a little garlic, salt and pepper, finished with butter and tossed with fresh black pepper fettucini. Try it with or without a little crubled chevre on top. I swear those 3 ingredients are the perfect springtime trifecta.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the cheese that you pointed out is one of my favorites: Cypress Grove is the maker and the cheese is called "Humboldt Fog". It's a creamy soft goat's milk cheese with a layer of edible ash. Another favorite of mine is their "Purple Haze": a delicious lavender scented chevre.
Happy eating!