During my first two weeks in SF, I was staying at the company hotel downtown. Between instant oatmeal and shoving tiny cartons of perishables in my stocked mini-fridge, I would dread walking out the door– only to see a Chipotle and Cheesecake Factory as my closest options. Thankfully, we had this to look forward to during the week, which made me want to cook more than ever.
“The Heart of the City” Farmers Market in Union Square, just steps away from City Hall, was our pre-show stop every Wednesday and Sunday! It was in a relatively bad area (near the not-so-tender-Tenderloin) but it bore delicious fruit and fresh piping hot meals for shoppers, passerbys, a lucky homeless chap, or a hungry cast and crew.
ROLI ROTI:
Roli Roti serves up some of the best rotisserie chicken I’ve ever eaten. The natural juices of the skewered whole chickens drip onto golden rosemary potatoes, creating a unified pairing that satisfies with moisture and sensational simple seasons.
Whether its the pinch of natural sea salt, the $6 price tag, or the swiftness of the catering duo, this place is delightful– down to the perfectly packed truck/chicken cooker/restaurant on wheels that it is. This is definitely high on my list of downtown SF places to lunch. I believe they are only at the market on Wednesdays and not Sundays.
THE CREPE ESCAPE:
The Crepe Escape was a place I consistently “houdini-ed.” Wheaty, dairy throat would not hold out on a double-show Wednesday. BUT the entire cast raved about this market staple. Not only did they create homemade, right out of grandma’s kitchen, savory and sweet crepes, but they appreciated our show’s business so much that they gave us a discounted price AND sent us a going away brittle bark on our last Sunday. According to everyone who tried it, they didn’t need to charm us since their delectable dishes were charming enough on their own.
The standouts were the cinnamon sugar crepe, the pesto-tomato-mozzarella crepe, and the nutella crepe with strawberries and caramelized bananas. I still salivate remembering their intoxicating aroma in the hallways of our dressing rooms. The people knew how to run a business with quality food as quality people. If only they offered a GF buckwheat crepe……
KETTLEPOP:
Last but not least, was the legendary Kettlepop that could be eaten in one sitting or last the entire week (if you were frugal ;). This kettlecorn was popped fresh right in front of you and available in 3 different sizes. The balance of salty and sweet was truly on the nose…my nose…yummm. The best kettlecorn I’ve ever had, hands down. Gluten/dairy free and calorie rich!!!!! The appeal is the freshness. Even if it was sold in-store, I don’t think it would have the delicious taste that makes it so satisfying.
“Heart of the City” Farmer’s Market
United Nations Plaza
Market btw 7th and 8th
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.558.9455
Open Wed and Sun 7am-5pm
EatingOnTour 