Ferry Building Marketplace: History, bay views and artisan cheeses
Like the Empire State Building in that other great U.S. city, the 1898 Ferry Building is an iconic and comforting point of reference for San Franciscans. Commuters still rush to catch their ferries, docked behind the building, while glancing up at the building’s 245-foot-high clock tower to see if they’ll make it. And if they don’t, there’s a consolation prize. While waiting for the next ferry, they can enjoy dinner or shop for dinner ingredients at the gastronomic paradise found within the building’s walls.
All along the building’s 220-yard-long “Grand Nave” hall are dozens of establishments devoted to one thing: your stomach. But the Ferry Building Marketplace is no food court. The emphasis is on local, sustainable, organic and gourmet foods and beverages at the restaurants, cafes and shops. Its reputation draws foodies from throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
The Slanted Door is exquisite fine dining: a Vietnamese restaurant with a California-cuisine twist and a view of the bay from most tables. Taylor’s Automatic Refresher offers comfort food at family-friendly prices (most items are under $10). There are also excellent seafood, sushi and Mexican restaurants, with most offering outdoor tables and hours until 10 p.m. And there are two coffeehouses and a wine bar popular among singles.
Then there are the shops: butchers, bakers, seafood peddlers, an organic produce market, and shops that exclusively sell olive oils, fine chocolates, herbs, teas, mushrooms, fruits, artisan cheeses and gelato. Only a couple of businesses have no cuisine connection; Book Passage is an outstanding independent bookstore with regular readings by bestselling authors.
The location is invigorating, with the bay a few steps from the rear of the building, and the highrises and hills of downtown San Francisco spread out before you at the front. It’s hard to beat an alfresco lunch on a sunny day at the Ferry Building’s restaurant tables or on the benches that face the Bay Bridge.
As if the food inside the building isn’t enough, another enormously popular draw are the farmers markets that operate just outside the building three times a week. Farmers and local food purveyors sell produce, flowers, baked goods and artisan street foods at these markets on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10 am-2 pm) and Saturdays (8 am-2 pm). The Saturday markets draw the most proprietors (120 or more) and visitors (up to 15,000).
The 2000-2003 renovation of the Ferry Building, which was neglected for decades after bridges replaced ferries as the primary gateway to San Francisco, has been a stunning success. The ferries and streetcars that converge at the Ferry Building are more packed than they’ve been in decades, bringing commuters back in droves to this resurrected landmark. With restaurant-goers, foodies and tourists added to the mix, it’s become the most visited building in San Francisco.
Posted by Bob Cooper
