Washington Post:
by Valerie Jablow
If eating locally and dining globally are key for happy travel, then San Francisco's landmark Ferry Building should become a much-savored destination. And we have an earthquake to thank for it.
This summer, locally owned shops offering everything from homemade cheeses, breads and chocolates to "cult" wines opened for business in the renovated building, delighting hordes of hungry commuters and tourists. Several celebrated local restaurants, including Chef Charles Phan's Slanted Door, are slated to open by January, as are specialty shops for gelato, seafood and garden supplies. And four days a week year-round, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market will occupy the building's stone arcades and squares, bringing the city a cornucopia of locally grown fruits, vegetables and plants. Expanding ferry service from the terminal's new docks offers passengers fast and easy access to Sausalito, Vallejo and other Bay Area communities.
Who could have imagined this a generation ago?
Opened in 1898, the Ferry Building -- with its distinctive clock tower rising 240 feet above the palm-tree-lined Embarcadero -- once served as an actual portal to the city. Millions streamed through one of the busiest terminals in the world to the nearby financial district and the once-bustling wholesale produce markets surrounding it.
Hours for businesses vary, but the building itself is generally open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm Saturday, and 11am to 5pm Sunday. Farmers market hours are 10am to 2pm Tuesday, 2 to 6pm Thursday and 8am to 2pm Saturday; the garden market is open 9am to 3pm Sunday.
Free walking tours of the building are offered starting at noon on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays.
General Info: 415.693.0996, FerryBuildingMarketplace.com
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