Not that long ago, when you went shopping, you went to individual purveyors of the goods you needed – the butcher, the baker, and, yes, even the candlestick maker. But seriously, instead of everything you needed being under one, glaringly-lit roof, you shopped at individual, local businesses. And you got to know the shop owner which meant not only knowing where your food was coming from but also maybe having an “in” on a special crop, or product, coming soon. That time and experience would be lost if it wasn’t for Farmer’s Markets. Carole Jacobs takes us to San Diego where the must-see options are plentiful and the “roof” is the big, open sky. 

The Farmers Market in Little Italy. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

With 48 Farmers Markets and Counting, San Diego is Where to Go for Fresh

When I moved from Philadelphia to California, I figured I’d never find another farmers market to equal the historic Italian Market in South Philly. Every Saturday, my Uncle Zeke sold sweet Jersey corn and peaches from his Garden State farm stand, and  hulks of pork and beef swinging on hooks in butcher shops magically materialized into my Sicilian grandmother’s famous meatball. The smell of anise cookies wafting from the Italian bakery was wired into my DNA like the aroma of cheese steaks at Pat’s Steak, ordered “wid” or “widdout.” There was even live entertainment: kids on street corners sang Blue Moon acapella and roller skaters put a new spin on dancing in the streets, grooving to music blaring from fridge-sized speakers.

While  I’ve yet to find an authentic Philly cheesesteak at any farmer’s market in California, (banned because of their high fat content) and the live action here seems to take a different form, when it comes to anything that sprouts from the ground, San Diego is in a league of its own. With 48 farmers markets, there’s one on every day of the week, and many operating year-round.

The bounty, courtesy of San Diego’s sun-kissed Mediterranean climate and long growing season, is grown on some 7,000 local farms, many of them specialty farms on 10 acres or less. Because of the small scale of farming, produce can be harvested at peak ripeness and sold hours later at a local  market.

Over a long summer weekend, I gobbled my way through 13 farmers markets located near aquamarine coves or tucked in dusty, army-fatigue green foothills, and ranging from sophisticated Main Street affairs to homespun markets. I sampled tomatoes that made my head spin; lemons, limes and oranges that put the “p” in pucker up; candy-sweet apples and strawberries, and asparagus, spinach and arugula still wet with dew. Juice from fresh pineapple, mango and guava splattered my shirt,  blackberries stained my mouth a vampire-purple, and only a lack of time and a one-size-fits-all muumuu prevented me from sampling the 35 other markets.

Featuring live music, psychic readings, belly dancing, yoga classes, llama rides and international food booths dishing up pad Thai to panang curry, it’s no surprise San Diego’s farmers markets have become a local weekly ritual akin to religion. For some, they’re a place to sample wares while pushing double-wide baby strollers; for others, they’re a place to enjoy authentic ethnic cuisine without getting on a plane. And for still others, they’re a place to meet, greet, see and be seen – like an open-air Tinder with veggies. Whether you go to stock up, fuel up or hook up,  here are six markets you won’t want to miss.

Radishes at Little Italy Farmers Market. Photo by Visit California.

6 Must-See San Diego Farmer’s Markets

Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market, Saturday, 8 am-2 pm year round; the Little Italy Wednesday Market, Wednesday, 9 am-1 pm year round 

The hood: Once home to San Diego’s flourishing tuna fishing industry and generations of Italian families who made their living on the sea, today Little Italy is Ground Zero for foodies of all stripes—you’ll find Top Chef alums next to old-school eateries in a lively urban neighborhood packed with patio cafés, packed restaurants, craft breweries, urban wineries, art galleries and boutique hotels.

The goods: With 200 tents running five blocks along downtown Date Street, these two sister markets are the big kahunas of San Diego farmers markets – even the famous chefs shop here. Look for artisan-cured meats, fresh live uni from the water off Point Loma, rainbows of fruits and veggies from 360-plus organic farms; fresh eggs and cheese from local dairies; chicken, turkey, beef, pork and lamb; wine from estate-grown grapes; homemade pasta and fresh baked goods.

Do lunch here: Try the French crepes at Artisan Crepes; the sweet corn and scallion tamales at Gourmet Tamales or the samosas and naan at Masala Cottage.  Wash it down with espresso from Joes on the Nose or an organic flax seed smoothie from GreenFix Smoothies.

Don’t miss: African Sisters Farm, where Idzai Mubaiwa continues her Zimbabwe family tradition of growing scallions, carrots, broccoli and greens, beets, kale, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and celery on four plots within San Diego city limits. (Michelle Obama visited the stand and put it on the map.) Kawano Farm/Mountain Mushrooms sells the kind you eat while Hidalgo Flower Growers’ bouquets of lilies and hydrangeas look like Georgia O’Keeffe paintings on steroids.

Sweet dreams: Stay in the mood at the historic La Pensione Hotel, a stylishly affordable boutique hotel with Italianate rooms and an Italian restaurant that is Little Italy’s best-kept secret.

Roses and Apples at Hillcrest Market. Photo courtesy San Diego Tourist Authority.

Hillcrest Farmers Market, Sunday, 9 am-2 pm year-round 

The hood: Located a few miles north of downtown San Diego, Hillcrest is San Diego’s LGBTQ central hub with edgy bars, hipster restaurants and coffee houses, vintage clothing shops, used book stores and theaters showing indies and foreign flicks.

The goods: The 175 vendors deliver everything from fragrant herbs at Keys Creek Lavender to monster bulbs at Majestic Garlic, homemade granola at Grammy’s Granola and juicy berries at Pudwall Farms Berries,  plus a killer international food court serving up Korean BBQ to Brazilian cheese bread.

Do lunch here:  Savor spinach kapota at Turkish Grill, African sweet jerk chicken at Flavors of Eastern Africa or Filipino pork Shanghai lumpias and pancit at Lady G’s Canteen.

Don’t miss: Everyone’s welcome at Hillcrest Brewing Company, the country’s only openly gay brewery. Drop by for house-brewed beer and stone-fired pizza.

Sweet dreams: Step into Hollywood glamour at the historic Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows, built in 1946 and a fave of Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and Betty Grable, who danced the night away in the hotel’s Mississippi Ballroom.

Take some flowers home for your table from the Ocean Beach Farmers Market. Photo by Carole Jacobs.

Ocean Beach Farmers Market, Wednesday, 4-8 pm in summer and 4-7 pm in winter

The hood: Although Ocean Beach sits on prime waterfront real estate, the neighborhood still exudes a small-town chilled-out hippy vibe and is fondly regarded by locals as the ‘hood that refused to sell out. (While other beach communities have embraced commercialism, in  Ocean Beach you’re more likely to find food coops and dive bars than fast food chains.) Although detractors bemoan Ocean Beach’s somewhat scruffy vibe, the tight-knit community of students, surfers, musicians, artists and other free-spirited types wouldn’t live elsewhere, and, in fact, proudly refer to themselves as “OBceans.”

The goods: Smaller than Hillcrest and Little Italy but considered hipper, this market gets the prize for scenic beauty, offering views overlooking the ocean and Kodachrome sunsets. As well as organic produce, you’ll find unique handcrafted arts and crafts, gluten-free goodies like blueberry macarons, tie-died dresses swinging in the breeze, live reggae, belly dancing, llama rides and magic rocks at Philosopher’s Stone gem store.

Do lunch here:  Carbo-load  on Mexican torpastas (baguettes stuffed with pasta) at Devine Pastabilities, have paella at Pintxos, and satisfy your sweet tooth with fresh cannoli at Boston’s Cannoli or homemade Italian cookies at Aunt Mary’s Italian.

Don’t miss: The Ocean Beach Pier, constructed in 1966 and the longest concrete pier on the West Coast. It’s the perfect place to watch surfers catch waves that break just below.

Sweet dreams: Set on cliffs overlooking the pier, the Inn at Sunset Cliffs has a mid-century beach vibe, a seafood restaurant and a terrace with panoramic views.

Shop for a picnic at La Jolla’s Farmer’s Market, then take to the beach. Photo by San Diego Tourist Authority.

La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market, Sunday, 9 am- 1pm 

The hood: Welcome to the zillion-dollar hood of La Jolla where adobe villas perch on seaside cliffs,  Prada and Gucci beckon from boutique windows and the appetizers at quaint seaside trattorias start at $70. “The Monte Carlo of California” is testament to the fact that the best things in life cost a fortune!  And while you’d need buckets of loot to live here, even starving artists can afford the organic produce at the farmers market.

The goods: With 150 local vendors, along with produce you’ll find everything from fresh seafood from the local waters to fresh eggs from Meza Farms, green basil curry paste at Oh Momo! Curry Paste, and booths selling handcrafted jewelry, paintings and soups. The market was founded in the late 1990s and proceeds continue to benefit La Jolla Elementary.

Do lunch here:  Get a veggie-avocado-pesto crepe at Crepes Up or chicken pot stickers and shrimp dumplings at the House of Bao tent, then cleanse your palate with a refreshing lemon ice from So Cal Famous Beach Ice. For a picture-postcard picnic spot, head to  Ellen Browning Scripps Park, nestled atop cliffs carved by pounding waves.

Don’t miss:La Jolla Cove, an aquamarine inlet surrounded by cliffs with towering palms overlooking a beautiful white pocket beach.

Sweet dreams: The elegant Empress Hotel, just steps from downtown shopping and the beach, has a restaurant, spa and fitness center.

Fresh tomatoes at the Loucadia Market.

Lemon Grove Farmers Market, Thursday, 3-7 pm

The hood: At the other end of the spectrum from La Jolla is homely little Lemon Grove, where you can still buy a house in the mid-$300,000. Located nine miles east of downtown San Diego, it claims the “best climate on earth” thanks to its location near coastal mesas and canyons that yield warm summers and moderate winters.

The goods: This basic, no-frills market with a Mexi-Cali vibe offers stellar bargains on fresh produce, 75 percent of which is grown within a 15-mile radius. You’ll  also find great deals on fresh meats and cheeses, wheat grass, basmati rice, grape seed oil, toasted peanuts, and Mexican fare like carne asada. The market is also one of the few places on earth where you’ll find verdolagas, a sort of “Mexican parsley.”

Do lunch here: Dive into homemade chicken, beef, pork or chile and cheese tamales at Hot Tamales.

Don’t miss: The Green Cowboy, a nearby farm selling organic, hydroponic produce. Check out owner Chad’s vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes, gleaming eggplant, beets, Anaheim peppers, and unusual produce you’d never see at Vons, including daikon radishes, opo squash, Japanese cukes and Alabama watermelon.

Sweet dreams: Cross the bridge and stay at Coronado Island’s historic 1906 Lodge, an elegant boutique hotel two blocks from the beach with free bike loaners, afternoon wine and cheese, and luxury digs.

Leucadia Farmers Market, Sunday, 10 am-2 pm

The hood: Located 25 miles north of town on the coast, Leucadia is a charming  little surfing town where you’ll find more soccer Moms than OB-style tats and piercings. From the bluffs above town, staircases lead down to three secluded beaches whose pristine strands and thundering waves lure beach combers and surfers.

The goods: The small market is packed with organic produce, fresh local honey and nuts. You’ll also find homemade hummus and marinated mozzarella at Baba’s,  gourmet Brazilian cheese bread at Cheese Delights and kombucha et al at Superfood & Company.

Do lunch here: Try the grilled balsamic artichokes or Cubano Sandwich at Annel and Drew’s Kitchen; the gyros at New York Gyros or the crustless gluten-free quiche at KEESH. Or follow the surfers to the Leucadia Donut Shoppe, where Tom and Emily Cheu have been making scrumptious old-school donuts for the past three decades.

Don’t miss: Climb the crumbling stone staircase down to Stone Steps Beach, a narrow, breathtaking strand. Keep your eye on the tides – you wouldn’t want to get stranded here. (Or, on second thought, maybe you would!)

Sweet dreams: Splurge on a stay at L’Auberge Del Mar, a luxury coastal spa resort in the picturesque neighboring village of Del Mar, and home to KITCHEN 1540, an award-winning restaurant showcasing seasonal coastal cuisine prepared in an open kitchen.

L’Auberge del Mar can be home base while enjoying the Farmer’s Market scene in Leucadia. Photo courtesy L’Auberge del Mar.

More info: For a complete listing of San Diego’s farmers markets, visit the San Diego County Farm Bureau at https://www.sdfarmbureau.org/farmers-market. Note: Hours and vendors at specific markets are subject to change.

— Story and photos by Carole Jacobs, except where noted

Hungry for more? While you’re in California, check out Carole’s list of things to do on Catalina Island. Or head up to Los Angeles where Rich Grant tells you how you can get around without a car. We put it to the test ourselves.

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