Thursday, September 1, 2011

San Francisco street food and farmers' markets

By now, you probably know that I've always had a soft spot for farmers' markets that boast fresh, delicious and organic produce, as well as simple and vibrant dishes that celebrate ingredients themselves.  Well now, I've developed an additional obsession - street food.  

Across the country, the concept of street food has been rapidly evolving and expanding so it does not just refer to late-night taco trucks anymore.  In an eclectic and fast-paced city such as San Francisco, the street food craze has taken off.  Before I get into that any more, however, I wanted to share a couple photos of the vibrant produce I recently encountered at the Noe valley farmers' market.



And now, back to my newfound love of street food...

Over the past several months, I've spent countless hours researching food carts across the country in preparation for the San Francisco Street Food Festival that took place earlier this month; however, I waited until then to experience food truck fare for myself.  Here are two delicacies that I enjoyed the most out of a wide array of new cuisines and foods that I sampled.  

-courtesy of Pinx-

-courtesy of The Creme Brulee Cart-

After that eye-opening first encounter, my interest in street food skyrocketed. Thankfully, San Francisco is home to  off the grid, a "mobile food extravaganza" that showcases street food vendors on a daily basis.  I've had the privilege of attending this roaming collection of "gourmet" food trucks twice thus far, and plan on returning many more times.  More info and pictures coming soon!