01 Peet’s Coffee and Tea Move over Starbucks, this is the Bay Area. Peet’s serves wonderfully strong coffee, as well as a variety of coffee drinks, teas and pastries. (P.R.)
Published: August, 2004
02 Book Passage
This family-owned, independent bookstore truly represents the Bay Area. When Bill or Hillary Clinton comes to town, they come here. (P.R.)
03 Ferry Plaza Seafood
A dual-purpose fresh fishmonger and lunch counter, this is the way San Francisco should be. Whether it be to pick up today’s catch for tonight’s dinner or to sit down for a steaming bowl of clam chowder, you might run into a couple of San Francisco’s finest wearing bibs and enjoying a whole crab for lunch as they take in the wonderful view of the Bay. (P.R.)
04 Hog Island Oyster Company
An oyster bar with a few hot dishes such as mussels and oyster stew, the goal of most customers is Hog Island’s locally raised oysters served on the half shell and cold beer or wine, served with complimentary Acme bread and sweet butter. (P.R.)
05 Slanted Door
Serving original Vietnamese cuisine in a gussied-up atmosphere, this is possibly the most talked about restaurant in town. (P.R.)
06 Taylor’s Refresher
This isn’t your typical fast food, but it is your place for a top-notch burger and fries, fish tacos, or other tasty treats. They even serve wine by the bottle, glass, or can. (P.R.)
07 Oak Hill Farm of Sonoma
A flower shop that practices sustainable agriculture to raise its own flowers? Welcome to the Bay Area, folks. Stop in for beautiful and unusual arrangements from this Sonoma farm’s shop. (P.R.)
08 Ciao Bella Gelato
Gelato is like ice cream— well, sort of. This gelato scoop shop serves the creamiest stuff this side of paradise, in many yummy flavors for your approval, please. (P.R.)
09 Farmer’s Garden
This a year round, fully organic produce store. Soak in the vibrant colors and flavors that abound here. (P.R.)
10 Miette
A self-described French-American patisserie, Miette serves cakes, cookies, and other treats. A favorite item is the macaroon. (P.R.)
12 Tsar Nicoulai Caviar
At this Parisian-style “caviar café,” there are a few seats for customers to occupy while they sample domestic and imported caviars. Tsar Nicoulai is also a retail shop. (P.R.)
13 Golden Gate Meat Co.
A family-run butcher shop with its own dry-aging chamber. If you want the highest quality meats and house-made sausage, or just a fully-cooked rotisserie chicken, this is your one-stop shopping spot. (P.R.)
14 Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
This is the outlet for chocoholics. Made from the finest ingredients, Scharffen Berger chocolate finds its way into many different forms here. (P.R.)
15 Acme Bread
One of the first things you smell when you enter the Ferry Building Marketplace is Acme Bread. Acme offers many of the breads found in European bakeries, including some morning breads and a ciabatta roll with an exceptional crust. (P.R.)
16 McEvoy Ranch
Selling their own certified-organic Marin County extra virgin olive oil, this is the liquid gold of the Bay Area. They also sell olive oil soap, fruit conserves, and lavender honey. (P.R.)
17 Cowgirl Creamery
With a wide selection of locally and internationally produced farmhouse-style cheeses, yogurt, milk, and butter, you cannot do better than to treat yourself to an Acme loaf and a piece of cheese from Cowgirl as you watch the day go by from the back deck of the Ferry Building. (P.R.)
19 LuLu Petite
The popular Lulu restaurant in San Francisco now has an outpost at the Ferry Building, offering hot and cold sandwiches, soups and salads for take out, as well as a smattering of gourmet sauces and condiments that would make great gifts. (P.R.)
21 Capay Organic Fruits and Vegetables
Capay offers a full range of organic seasonal fruits and vegetables with friendly service to boot. The bonus: most of their fruits are already ripe and ready to eat. (P.R.)
22 Bay Crossings
If you need information, ferry tickets, newspapers, gifts, postcards, a map, or a disposable camera, this is your store. Get your bearings at Bay Crossings, which also offers Ferry Building memorabilia and cold bottled water for your enjoyment. (P.R.)
23 Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
This is a different kind of wine store: there is a forty-five seat wine bar with many selections served by the glass; and the shop itself is well organized with labels for the styles of wine, many of which emphasize California producers. (P.R.)
26 The Gardener
This store specializes in items for the table, kitchen, and garden, including tools, ceramics, linens, and baskets. (P.R.)
27 Imperial Tea Court
This is the real deal. Sit down and choose from a selection of over 50 tea varieties, some of them organic. Enjoy small snacks in an authentic atmosphere. (P.R.)
28 Stonehouse California Olive Oil
This olive oil producer is well known for citrus olive oils. Oil can be purchased in bulk or bottled. (P.R.)
29 Village Market
This quaint “general store” offers a wide selection of foods and snack items, as well as aspirin, baby food, and other items found in a small drug or convenience store. (P.R.)
30 Recchiuti Confections
Long available by special order and for private parties, these fine chocolates now have a retail home in which to wow their loving customers. French-style chocolate candies, dessert sauces, and artisan treats are on the ticket at Recchiuti. (P.R.)
31 San Francisco Fish Co.
This fish counter also offers house-made salads, soups, and chowders to be eaten onsite, and an extensive menu of take out items such as whole poached salmon or cioppino base. (P.R.)
32 Potter Family Farms
This family-run business is a meat-lover’s blue heaven. With conscientiously raised beef, pork, lamb, and goat for sale, what more could one want? (P.R.)
34 Far West Fungi
A large selection of fresh and dried mushrooms. When available, they offer wild mushrooms such as morels and fresh porcini. (P.R.)
36 Market Bar
One of only two full-service restaurants in the entire Ferry Building Marketplace, Market Bar buys many of its ingredients from vendors right in the building, turning them into artful dishes—also has a full bar. (P.R.)
37 Sur La Table
A kitchen store that carries almost everything for the home or professional chef. If you could design the ultimate kitchen and tableware store, this is what it would look like. (P.R.)
39 Mastrelli’s Delicatessen
This feels like a real Italian deli— as it should, considering owner Joe Mastrelli has a background with Molinari’s Delicatessen in North Beach, a San Francisco institution since 1896. (P.R.)
40 Frog Hollow Farms
As well as a store representing this famous orchard, it’s also the best kept secret for drip coffee and pastries in the morning. If you want to find out how stone fruit is supposed to taste, try one of their peaches or nectarines. (P.R.)
42 Delica rf-1
This Japanese “delicatessen” offers superb bento lunches and other delicacies that reflect the clean flavors of contemporary Japanese cuisine. Vegetarians will also find great selections here. (P.R.)
43 Mistral Rotisserie Provencale
This classic French rotisserie offers chicken, lamb, and pork, as well as soups and stews. They must know what they’re doing because the roasted potatoes are allowed to catch the drippings from the chickens in the rotisserie above. Yeah! (P.R.)
33 I Preferiti di Boriana- Montepulciano
Owner Boriana S. Dimonte has stocked this store with her favorite items from her home town in Tuscany. Offerings include handmade pasta and fruit conserves. (P.R.)
44 Mill Valley Candleworks
Remember the candlestick maker? They’re still handmade, but now a portion of the profits benefit childrens’ charities. (P.R.)
Text by: Paul Redman (PR)
