Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Thursday, March 11, 2010

More of the Ferry Building

IMG_2109

This post on the Ferry Building is ending up a 3 part post. You know me. You could give me a single cookie and I could take 45 pictures and write 3 paragraphs on it.

So the fact that I've compacted this into 3 posts is a miracle. Almost as miraculous as you coming back to read it!

IMG_2082

Scharffen Berger Chocolate. I could kick myself for not going back here. There was just too much going on and I got side-tracked. I really wanted to get some cocoa and cocoa nibs!

IMG_2083

I really have no idea what to use cocoa nibs for but I feel deeply that I need them. And who can't use some good quality unsweetened cocoa powder? Just think of the fantastic chocolate tortes and souffles we could make.

IMG_2080

Acme Bread Company. You absolutely must have sourdough bread in San Francisco. Seriously. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside with an actual sourness to it as compared to the sourdough you get in some places that tastes just like french bread.

IMG_2081

B had a conversation with the girl who worked there...I love that B always asks questions and gets interesting information. Behind the bread you can see the bakers in the kitchen. That is where all the magic happens. They bake for this location (when it's open to the public during normal hours) as well as for some restaurants in the city.


They are only closed 4 hours a year. You read that right. The only time there is noone baking bread is from 8 pm - 12 midnight on Christmas Eve. Being a baker is not for sissies.

IMG_2084

These are shots from the Village Market. It's grocery store that perfectly rounds out your food shopping needs.


Like many grocery stores you can also find things like soaps and cosmetics.

Aren't these peach branches just lovely?

IMG_2086

Speaking of branches... oh that bottom wreath. I love it so muchly. If it wasn't $75 I would have it up in my room right now. Made of manzanita branches and absolutely gorgeous.

IMG_2143

Their produce looked amazing. The vegetables were rich in color and crisp looking.

IMG_2145

In the back of the market is the family owned Golden Gate Meat Company that also has wild game and the Hog Island Oyster Company. Fresh and locally grown, I've heard these oysters are delicious.


IMG_2094

Boulettes Larder. I was immediately drawn in to this place. Its accessible from the water side or from inside the building. Gorgeous. Unique. Open stoves with copper pots hanging above.


It's so fantastic that they don't allow any photography. They very nicely asked me to delete that picture I just took and hovered while I did. So next time, I'll be sure to snap away and then run :)

We'll eat there in the future but I think you know how it will pain me to eat without being able to share pictures of my meal. It's a sickness really.

IMG_2154

Mariposa Baking Company for all of you living gluten free. Their items looked tasty and they sold a nice variety of goods.

IMG_2123

The Gardener, it's a mixture of unique items for home and garden. I loved so many things I had a hard time focusing enough to even take pictures.

IMG_2117

Like this doormat. It was expensive but I respect the amount of work it would take to put it together. Sooo pretty.

IMG_2121

I suffer from ADOS. Attention Deficit Ooooooh Shiny! So places like this throw me into a fit. The thing is... the closer you look the more you fall in love.

IMG_2122

Its not like seeing a bunch of stuff on a table...only to find out it's all crap. This is the complete opposite. I mean, how cool are these plates? There were a bunch of different unique designs and so artistic.

IMG_2119

I adore this cutting board. It came in both small and large version. The perfect housewarming gift. Completely seamless and smooth. Each piece of wood was different and each cutting board had it's own pattern. I love that they each told their own story.

IMG_2120

Oh and these bowls! You know how I like for things not to match too much and this is just gorgeousness.

I'd love to mix these elegant, rustic pieces with some clean-lined vintage milk glass in blues or greens. The wheels are turning....

IMG_2107

I Preferiti Di Boriana has specialty foods from Tuscany. I fell in love with the quaint feel.
If I didn't already have jars upon jars of jams I would have bought some of their wild fruit specialties.

IMG_2103

They were putting out their baked goods as we passed by. On the top are bomboloni (Italian donuts) with raspberry, nutella, chocolate and custard fillings.

IMG_2104

On the bottom are the sfogliatella. This is the first time I've seen these and I had to google to get some information. They are made by layering those pieces around fillings like orange ricotta or almond.

Are they not striking?

IMG_2102

They have way more than sweets. You can come in and have lunch and cooking classes are sometimes offered.

The owner spent many summers in Tuscany and has kept her family contacts. She buys from others in the nearby towns and most of them are family operated. For instance, the copper pans they carry have been handmade by the Cesare family for over a century.

IMG_2106

This fresh tomato and pasta sauce was so fragrant. I mean it's cold sauce and I could smell it when I stood to take these pictures.

IMG_2114

You really can't have too many chocolateries. But I have to say that Recchiuti Confections is definitely in it's own niche.

IMG_2111

I love that they display their chocolate in jewelry cases. It makes perfect sense to me because chocolate and jewels are about equal in my mind.

I was sold the moment I saw the flavors offered. Fleur de Sel because I love sweet and salty. Oh but look at the Burnt Caramel, Tarragon Grapefruit & Sesame Nougat.

IMG_2110

Notice that their truffles in the middle look like actual truffles...which is what they are supposed to look like...hence the name truffle. But really most truffles are perfectly rounded instead.

They have fun pairing chocolates specifically for red wine and for whiskey. They even have a varietal box. Varietal? This is for the connosseurs or for those in training. Just like wine, growing regions and weather temperatures produce cocoa with different flavor profiles. The varietal box features chocolate from Colombia, Ecuador, Madagascar and Venezuela.

I'll leave you with that for the day. I'm off to go find some chocolate...

16 comments:

  1. Dawn,

    Another wonderful day out at San Francisco's beautiful and quaint markets. You are right about one thing, the sour dough bread we get here does taste like french bread. Oh how I miss that authentic sourdough taste!

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wowy Zowy!
    I would absolutely go nuts there and spend tooo much money! It's a good thing we do not live anywhere close!
    The sfogliatella look intriguing. Those lovely light layers ... yikes! Leave it to me ... I focus on the food out of all of the other lovely pics of yours!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Loved this little tour! :) I live fairly nearby, but don't make it there nearly enough.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the tour too, I live in PA so it is interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh man I love that place. Whenever we are in SF we have to go there. And the Farmer's Market on Saturdays (at least I think it is Sat. It might be Tuesday too)? To die for.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Scharffen Berger! I dream of going there someday! I took a chocolatier course a few years ago so I have my favourite couverture brands. I learned how to temper chocolate by hand. It ain't easy, I'll tell ya that! I love seeing and tasting different chocolate pairings. Sesame nougat sounds quite interesting! Hm, I wonder how fiddle head noir would taste? : )

    ~Andrea~

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well that settles it. As soon as I can get away from the office for a few days, I am heading to San Francisco....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nutella filled donuts?! I think I just cried a little. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Attention Deficit Ooooooh Shiny! HAHAH!! That made me like...guffaw. I really didn't want to say that word, but it really is the only way to describe the blast of laughter that came out of my mouth.

    The Gardner is one of my favorite shops at the FB. I got an awesome farmer's market calender there and it's got paintings of vegetables for each month.

    Ooooh, Italian donuts. So yummy looking! I'm going downstairs to eat now. And if we don't have any chocolate in the house, I'm going to have to eat my computer screen. Burnt caramel. I'm so eating that part of the screen.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for sharing! There is a good chance I may never get there but with your posts I get to see a bit of it all.
    ~ingrid

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love looking at the Ferry Building through your eyes. I always viewed it as a place to walk through, that happened to have decent bathrooms, on my way to another part of the city. I really need to go back and just wander around the shops. Have you stopped by the olive oil shop? I always tell myself I need to buy some. I am a sucker for olive oil.
    BTW, just went to a St. Patty's day potluck today and there was a chocolate FOUNTAIN. It was a-mazing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Could you please STOP! I want to go out there right NOW! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How did I MISS THIS??? Seriously, that t-shirt CRACKS ME UP. I would buy one for all of my Jewish friends in a heartbeat. Do you know what I think is hilarious? When I sprinkle kosher salt on a piece of pork. I giggle every time. Anyway. Love that cutting board, and the bird plates. AND the chocolate. Holy moly. What an awesome place!

    ReplyDelete
  14. How'd I miss this one. That looks like such a fun place to visit. I'm just dying here!!! Oh and those powdered sugar things...just too much:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. look at all those lovelies... what a lovely place.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those bird plates are incredible! Sooooo pretty! I wish that store was much closer to me so that I could wander and fritter away my time and spend way too much money and...hmm...maybe it's better this way.

    But I still want those plates. :)

    ReplyDelete

Your comments make my day- thanks for visiting!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogging tips