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2001-12-17 - 6:09 a.m. red eyes and tears no more for you my love I fearI'm a food junkie. Not exactly a foodie ('cuz I love cheap greasy food as much as expensive posh food), but in love with good food nonetheless. You my have gathered this from my previous entries. As a true food lover, let me share with you my ideal food shopping Saturday here in the City...(Editor's Note: a version of this piece previously appeared on epinions) The place I typically start off my gourmet hunting and gathering is the Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers� Market located in a parking lot on the Embarcadero at Green St. This place gets packed with people after 9:00 a.m., so I always try to be here by 8:00 a.m. Yes, this means I am sometimes here after being out late and *not* in the mood to socialize with people. But it's worth it to miss the huge crush of after 9:00 people. Since shopping for food on an empty stomach is a big no-no, I get revved up with a latte from the espresso cart and then enjoy breakfast: tamales or carnitas tacos from Cucina Primavera; brioche French toast with lavender honey and fig and marionberry jam from LuLu (no longer available, alas); Hobbes apple wood smoked bacon and eggs on a baguette from Hayes St. Grill; doughnut muffins and pecan sticky buns from Healdsburg Downtown Bakery; or strawberry and whipped cream filled crepes from Chez Natalie. After a tasty breakfast, and half the altte, I'm ready to enjoy the selection of dozens of vendors with local produce, cheeses, baked goods, jams, meat, seafood, flowers, and plants.Some of my favorites are the Romaine butter lettuce hybrid from a small vendor that also has unusual flower bouquets; Russian banana fingerling potatoes from Small Potatoes; all the dried peppers from Tierra Vegetables; Haas avocados from the stand with avocados and blood oranges (Brokaw?); and huge artichokes and tiny baby asparagus from Green Farms. After an hour or two at the farmers� market, a quick trip to North Beach, our Italian neighborhood, is in order. I like to pick up my favorite coffee from the source: North Beach Blend coffee from Caffe Trieste on Vallejo St. Another North Beach favorite is homemade pasta and excellent salami sandwiches from Molinari Delicatessen on Columbus Avenue. I like to save the sandwich for lunch if I'm here early; if it's lunchtime already, and I have friends in tow, walking up Columbus to Vesuvio and ordering a pitcher of Anchor Steam, and enjoying our sandwiches while soaking up some of the Beat flavor the neighborhood used to have is always a good thing. I feel this way even though I took a blind date here for lunch...and 30 minutes into the date he was asking me if I wanted to have kids...ugh. For unusual California wines, I like to stop by Coit Liquor also on Columbus Ave. The next stop on my gourmet grocery shopping trip would typically be Whole Foods. This Texas-based chain emphasizes organic produce and gourmet prepared foods. Their San Francisco store features an amazing selection of imported and local artisanal cheese, a dozen or so types of olives, and is the only place to consistently find fresh truffles during truffle season (not that I can afford truffles mind you). Not sure if an interesting cheese that caught your eye would be to your liking? Ask for a sample � the staff will usually be happy to give you a taste and a recommendation. Finally, if I'm not too worn out yet, and can carry more goodies home with mr on MUNI, I stop at Trader Joe�s. Billed as "Your Gourmet Grocery Store", this is a great place to find tasty gourmet food at a fraction of the price you�ll see it going for elsewhere. For instance, Terra chips can be found for up to $3.29 at some grocery stores but are regularly found at Trader Joe�s for $1.99. You�ll notice most shoppers stocking up on beer, wine and frozen foods � you should do so also. Wine prices are typically $2-$5 off what you�d pay elsewhere, with bigger bargains to be had if you stop by frequently. The frozen food aisle features a huge selection of items suitable for quick dinners or workday lunches at excellent prices. I just wish they'd bring back the frozen Mac and Cheese with bead crumbs on top that I lived off of for two years...it was sooo tasty.
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