San Diego’s Ocean Beach Farmers Market
This is no generic analysis of a local attraction, no, this is first-hand insider practical knowledge I’m about to divulge. However, I do have to start with the standard where/ when stuff but then I will dish out what you really need to know.
Where: Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. 4900 block of Newport Avenue.
When: Every Wednesday. 4:00-7:00 Winter, 4:00-8:00 Summer.
The San Diego community of Ocean Beach is beyond the end of Interstate 8. Yes, the government said ‘we can’t go any farther, we’ve run out of land.’ OB is beyond the reaches of the US Government-that’s almost reason enough to visit. It is the top edge of the Point Loma peninsula. Our square acreage is about 2 miles. So you could say we’re a close group of locals here. Well, on Wednesdays, residents don’t go to the grocery stores. We go to the Farmers Market.
We close down a third of our main drag, Newport Avenue-so don’t have your car parked there around noon because the towing companies have a field day on Wednesdays in OB. By 4:00, business is booming. Yes, we have produce, breads, pastries, jewelry, fish and flowers, all meeting the standard farmers market requirements. We have live music, jumpers and llama rides-don’t all markets have llama rides? Everybody comes, everybody buys something-and if you arrive nearer to closing time you can often get things cheaper.
Alright, now if any of you have been to a farmers market you know that they can be pleasingly overwhelming because everything looks so good. And while everything usually is, I would like to divulge the items you must purchase if wandering through the OB farmers market:
Salsa – La Salsa Chilena. Some have fruit, some have corn, some will clean out your sinuses. It’s the best salsa I’ve ever had-and I’ve tried a lot.
Strawberry tiramisu – A woman who spends her days making and selling sweets decided to concoct this unheard of delicacy when she thought people might want something other than coffee and chocolate. As someone who is allergic to those two things and has never been able to try tiramisu, this woman is my favorite person every Wednesday. Even if you like the classic tiramisu, it’s worth a try. I’ve not seen it anywhere else.
Hummus – This is a weekly staple for me. They have a dozen different flavors – garlic, roasted bell pepper, cilantro, even eggplant is good. Sold with pita and falafel.
Crepes – You order and then watch as they make them for you. There’s one with nutella, banana, marshmallow crÃ?¨me and strawberries that my friend dreams about.
Nut butters – Every nut you could possibly imagine and some you didn’t know existed. It’s homemade and missing that pesky trans-fatty acids. Worthy of spooning.
Honey – They say you should eat local honey because it helps you fight local allergies. Well if you live here or are visiting, isn’t that exactly what you need? But that’s not the best part, they have flavors-mixed with fruits and spices. Sage honey? You betcha.
Dried fruit – I’ve always thought of dried fruit as leftovers that nobody knew what else to do with. So when I reluctantly sampled a dried plum, I was blown away by the best-tasting juiciness I’d ever experienced in fruit. I always get Pluots-a plum-apricot hybrid.
Bamboo – Get your very own bamboo tree here. I’m not talking about those dinky (but lovely) plants they sell at Target. I mean planting-in-the-ground or in-a-pot-the-size-of -New Zealand bamboo trees. Runners or Clumpers, your choice. Don’t worry, there’s somebody there to explain it all to you.
Cookies for 50 cents – This is fabulous, because you throw down a couple silver coins and nibble on a cookie as you peruse everything else. They have more kinds of cookies than Casanova had lovers. I love the pumpkin with some sweet kind of frosting.
Three-raisin bread – I didn’t even know there were three kinds of raisins but apparently when you put them together and bake them just right, the bread just melts in your mouth. All you’ll eat on Thursday is three-raisin bread toast.
Empanadas – Pastries full of meat and/or spinach-sounds yummy? Okay, but they really are. Try them. They are as warm as they are good.
Jellies – Well, if you can buy peanut butter, you have to amazing jellies to go with, right? They are. Again, tons of flavors and combinations that Knotts Berry Farm hasn’t thought up. They even make one with jalapenos-you have to try a sample of that one. They’re even waiting for you with plastic spoons in hands.
Nuts – Salt, no salt? Mixed? Cashew? Macadamians? Toffee-coated? Cinnamon-coated? The choices are endless but not so important because every little bag of nuts is worth eating.
Samples – Don’t eat before you come. You can fill up on samples. But try to be nice and buy a couple of things. We want these sellers to keep coming back.
Directions: 8 East or South on Sea World Drive to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Turn right/west on Newport Avenue. The market starts in a block. Parking is best on the streets on either side of Newport (Santa Monica and Niagara.)
