by Patricia Freer

Created on: June 03, 2008

Ferry Building Market Place: A Store for every course.

Before supermarkets, microwaves, and fast food, preparing the evening meal involved a daily trip to the market. If, like me, you find that concept appealing, maybe even romantic, it can still be done right here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Located on the San Francisco waterfront, at the end of Market Street, is the historic Ferry Building with its 240 foot clock tower reaching towards the sky. The Ferry Building was built in 1898 as a hub for travelers coming from the East by train, and those commuting by ferry from the East Bay or Marin County for work in the city. With the building of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge in the late 1930s, and the growing popularity of the automobile, travel by ferry became passe. By 1955 the Ferry Building was just another office building. Worse yet, in 1957 the Embarcadero Freeway was built directly in front of the Ferry Building and the Ferry Building was forgotten in the shadow of the freeway for the next 32 years. In 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake turned out to be a blessing for this historic building, as it destroyed the Embarcadero Freeway. The forgotten Ferry Building and its grand clock tower re-emerged behind the rubble. Ten years later, in 1999, construction began to restore and revitalize the building. Completed in 2003, it is once again a destination for locals and tourists alike.

On the 2nd and 3rd floor are offices, including the hearing room for the San Francisco Port Commission, but the ground floor is where all the action is. The 660 foot long building is filled with light from the lattice windows and skylight above. The steel trusses, marble walls, and mosaic floor remind visitors that this was built in another era. In an area once full of travelers, is a 65,000-square-foot public food market, known as the Ferry Building Market Place. Every day of the week you can find all the makings of a fabulous meal. As an added bonus the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market operates there every Tuesday and Saturday. Farmers from around the state set up stands to sell produce grown in the rich fertile soil of Northern California.

I set out on a Saturday morning, with my Ferry Plaza Farmers Market canvas bag in hand, to find dinner. I walked from one end of the market to the other getting ideas for a meal. I stopped at Cow Girl Creamery, a shop full of artisan cheeses from around the globe. The clerks have extensive knowledge of cheese and samples are abundant. I asked about

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