Santa Monica Farmers Market

11/15/07

Good selection, Great Quality!

by denag at Citysearch

I've heard the market is even better on Wednesdays but I've only gone on Saturday mornings. All the fruit and veggies are so fresh and the farmers are very nice and allow you to take small samples. The flower vendors including the orchid vendor are fantastic. Beautiful flowers and very reasonably priced.

09/18/06

Smaller than expected

by FarmersMarketFanatic at Citysearch

This farmers market is actually not on the pier but on 3rd street and Arizona. Just keep walking down the 3rd street promenade walking mall and you'll run right into it at the end of the mall. I expected it to be big according to an earlier review, but its a pretty small farmers market. Just one strip. Its a nice market, with lots of veggies, fruits, flowers, honey, soaps, milk, etc. to choose from. I only saw one stand that you can order food from, but its varied, from breakfast to burgers. I also expected it to be busy - I went at 12pm and it wasn't busy at all. I like the Hollywood Farmer's Market better on Vine and Hollywood Blvd. but Santa Monica Farmer's Market was nice.

• Pros: Ambience, Parking
• Cons: Small Market

08/07/06

Famous chefs and local foodies flock to California's largest--and most popular--farmers' market.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Every Wednesday and Saturday, foodies and chefs browse through the vast selection of organic, pesticide-free produce at downtown Santa Monica's famed farmers' market. Clued-in shoppers who spot Campanile's Mark Peel or Spago's Lee Hefter shouldn't be intimidated. Friendly and knowledgeable vendors are happy to explain to cooks--novice or pro--why their Chinese eggplant is better than any found at a supermarket.

The Goods
Stands are brimming with top-grade goods; exotic greens, brightly colored veggies, gigantic fruits and fresh-cut flowers. Small-scale, quality-obsessed family farmers working the market go to great lengths to produce the purest heirloom tomatoes and the tastiest Asian pears, among numerous organic specialties. Wonderful aromas tip shoppers off to the high-quality standards. Within the first block alone, you'll likely come across the fragrant tarragon, mouthwatering peaches and vibrant sunflowers.

11/06/05

The best farmers market ever!!!

by patata0680 at Citysearch

I've been coming to this market for 2 years now and I love it. The products are great and the variety is excellent. They DO have food vendors: from the creperie (Acadie- really delicious especially the spinach and goat cheese one) to Mexican, omelette parlor and more. Try the rockenwagner bakery for sweets or the Victorian bakery (inside the house) that opens only during market hours...They even have horse rides for kids...I'm going there, right now!! It gets really crowded go there early.

• Pros: creperie, fruit vendors, Victorian bakery
• Cons: parking after 11am, crowded

07/11/02

My Favorite Farmers Market

by MicheleMoss_Citysearch at Citysearch

There are plenty of samples at most of the tables--you just have to ask. The summertime is amazing at this market. A lot of the top chefs around town come here for fruits, veggies and greens they can't get anywhere else. You've got to get here early in the summer or rare fruits that may only have a very short season (certain pluots, boysenberries, heirloom nectarines and tomatoes) could be gone before you start your shopping. I've been going here for four and a half years for delicious rose fingerlings, fresh bread from the Breadman, sprouted seeds, fresh eggs and goat cheese and a bevy of other foods. The prices are reasonable for what you get and beat the hell out of anything you can find at a supermarket. Farmers at this market have been written up in the L.A. Times, Gourmet and plenty of other publications.

• Pros: Great Selection, Reasonable Prices, Friendly Vendors
• Cons: Crowded, Food Sells Fast

05/14/02

Best Organic Greens in LA

by SGabriel at Citysearch

I make a 45-minute pilgrimage to this market to find the best organic greens in LA. Be prepared for a mind-blowing selection; I found one vendor with over 40 varieties of lettuce! Generally, its hard to afford a all organic, all the time lifestylebut the prices here are incredibly reasonable. Once I started shopping here, I could never go back to supermarket quality or prices.