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Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Who doesn't love a farmers market? So far I haven't been able to hone my taste and be so discretionary about them...so I love this one too! Everything you might expect and maybe not everything you want depending on the season, of course! Fruits were expensive but my practice comes from other countries where living on $1 a day is the norm....that wouldn't even buy and apple here!
My favorite part besides the fresh pasta is the Gourmet Crepes stand. Its was my first intro to savory crepes...4 times in Paris and I always went for the dessert genre! It was my best though! I realized I love melted brie cheese and in my experience it is hard to find. Pesto, plus all the veggies (can't remember if they have artichoke hearts or not) and it was divine!
The apple desert crepe was just not something I loved even considering my love for apple desserts. Next time I will go with the lemon or banana version.
The line can be long...but its worth it! (to me and a lot of others!) CASH ONLY!
**The Best Farmers Market I've Ever Been To!!!**
*Great music (by Left Bank) and I felt as though I was in Paris
*Clean and not cluttered
*A crowd was there but it wasn't crowded
*Amazing produce, baked goods, meats, fish, jams, and misc foods
*Nice people and easy parking
I bought two Naan, that cilantro-based dipping sauce that I'm mad for that is found in Indian restaurants (what is it called??); Quiche Lorraine; organic rainbow Swiss Chard, and apples. Yummmmm! I will definitely be back!
The orchid guy is my favorite, usually you can get a beautifully orchid for $10-15, and they make great gifts.
This farmer's market is pretty on places to buy lunch and not as many produce stalls as other markets, but still there are plenty of choices. I like the grilled chicken for lunch, but the other cooked-food options are miss-able. Go for the produce and freshly baked bread and your morning will be a success.
The Sunday Palo Alto California Ave Farmers' market has a little bit for everyone, produce, baked goods, Fresh Pasta and food vendors etc.. and it's very open too which is nice.
You would be missing something very special if you didn't stop at the Gourmet Crepe stand and try one of their delectable crepes. Each is artistically made by Vanessa (owner) and her crew using the freshest, mouth-watering ingredients. It is definitely worth the wait and you might have a hard time deciding! Try many styles, they will amaze you. I'm a devoted regular.
I love all fresh produce and farmer's markets. While my absolute favorite farmer's market is the one at the Ferry Building in SF, I think the farmer's market at California Ave is the best nearby farmer's market. Bigger and better selection than at Menlo Park or Palo Alto (downtown). Less selection in terms of produce than the Mtn View farmer's market, but more selection in terms of premade foods. For example, California farmer's market has a crepe stand, Mexican food stand (run by the Oaxacan kitchen - yummy and cheap tamales!), rotisserie chicken stand, and others where you can get a delicious cheap lunch to eat outside on one of the benches. Such a great way to spend a sunny Sunday late morning.
Other vendors I especially like include Big Paw olive oil (try the California Gold, it's the best olive oil EVER), Barlovento Chocolates, and any stand selling heirloom tomatoes. :)
Everything is great there except one thing.
Music is great,
Food is great,
Price is great,
Vendors are great,
the only thing that sucks are the snooty people who won't move out of your way, and well, are quite obnoxious!!!! Grrrrrr.
But of course I will still give it 5 stars because I love this Farmers Market.
Vendors are great, but the selection is not as robust as the Mt View Farmer's Market, which is my favorite one in the area. I actually prefer the Palo Alto Hamilton St Farmer's Market because it has an Asian veggie vendor, while this one does not. Also, everything here is expensive. I only go here because it's within biking distance, it's convenient, and you can grab breakfast after you shop at Joanies or Cafe Brioche.
Delicious crepes! (but be prepared to wait in a long line)
Amazing Indian bread baked in ovens right there on the street!
Fantastic fruit vendors from the area!
Oh, and I love the Cowgirl Cheese vendor -- check them out.
yeh, so its a little pricey, but whaddya expect from the great city of Palo Alto?
The organic fruits and vegetables are truly a sight to be seen. Beautiful specimens that taste like heaven. Last weekend I came home with some mixed greens of Kale, Chard, Spinach, fingerling potatos, vine strawberry tomatos, sweet potatos, a giant cucumber, and fresh sage. I made my bf the most excellent dinner and the flavors were divine given how fresh and quality the produce was.
The rotisserie chicken cart was calling my name, maybe another weekend;)
Here is the run-down on the prepared foods (see photos)
- The crepe stand: pretty good, but still not as good as Bistro Maxine's in downtown Palo Alto.
- The rotisserie chicken outfit: it's OK, but not great - I don't know why everyone raves about it.
- chicken mole negro tamale at the Oaxaca food stand: it's OK. The mexican hot chocolate is so-so.
pluots? no, not PLUTO...
according to wikipedia, they're "a complex cross hybrid of plum and apricot, exhibiting more plum-like traits." according to me, they're the new and odd fruit i met and got to try at the PA farmer's market!
oddly enough i've been to two farmer's markets in the bay area recently (since when did they become so popular and trendy?!) and i would have to rank this one a little bit higher than the one in saratoga:
better fruit selection -- lots of berries, peaches, PLUOTS, and more!
better snack selection -- nuts, breads, jams, honey...
better food stall selection -- crepes, indian food, seafood, mexican food...
and decent veggie selection...
plus, the best part is it's right in front of joanie's cafe (see other entry) and it's a great way to pass some time while you're waiting for your name to be called to get brunch!
The hubby and I came to FM on Sunday just for the Oyster Bar! Their Top Neck Clams is to die for. Nicely chilled, straight down the throat it went. :)
The hubby said my pick for breakfast since he chose last week on baby daddy's day... hmmmm, my pick… Read more »
Best farmer's market in the area. The biggest difference is that they actually have enough space to walk around and get stuff - you aren't chock-a-block like the Sat FM @ the post office downtown.
Divided into prepared food (Eastern End), Produce (Middle), and crafts (west end near El Camino)
Lots of organic stuff. Go early for best selection.
This place is great.
Wife and I were in the area when we decided to give the Palo Alto California Avenue Farmers Market a try. This farmer's market is open year round and on Sundays from 9AM - 1PM.
The first thing I noticed about this Farmer's Market, is parking can be a bit problematic. We managed to find a parking garage and was able to find a spot to park, but it was still a pain. We found the farmer's market and I have to say first impressions, this farmer's market is very nice. They have it well divided up with primarily a good size vegetable and fruit section and a pretty diverse ethnic food area including a BBQ Rotisserie Chicken Truck which was a first for me.
As I was thinking how good of a farmer's market this and started looking at all the produce, then it hit, the prices. This must is the Whole Paycheck of farmer's markets because even though most of the stands are Organic, the prices here are double and triple what you pay for at most other farmer's markets or fruit stands.
Just to give you a couple example, Green Onions, which you can normally get for $1 were about $1.50 here and about half the amount you would normally pay for. Bell Peppers were about $3 - $4 a lbs when normally they are $2 - $3 at other markets. Heads of lettuce around $3 when you can buy Organic Lettuce for $2. Apples and Oranges started around the $2 and went as high as $4 when i can get the same organic apples and oranges for about $1.50 lbs.
The other item I noticed, it was mostly the trendy items and super fruits that they sold here. They definitely had a lack of the asian vegetables like Bok Choy, Lemon Grass, Ginger, Radishes, and the long String Beans that you see plentiful at other Farmer's markets. So if you're hippy that works at Google, this might be the spot for you.
The only real bargain that I saw here was the huge bag of mixed salad for $6 and in the end, that's what we left with. Other than that, everything here is way out of price.
So overall, if you're into Whole Foods and think their prices are reasonable, then this is your farmer's market. If you're looking to get things at a reasonable price, skip this Farmer's market, there are no real bargains here. So 4 stars for selection, 1 star for value, 2 star for parking gets Palo Alto California Avenue Farmers Market a 2 Star Rating and look elsewhere recommendation.
Stopped in on this one today. I think its a bit smaller than the one in Sunnyvale, but seemed very similar
The same yummy Oaxacan (Mexican) vendor was there, so lunch was chicken tamale wrapped in banana leaf and smothered in mole negro. These tamales are meat filled and awesome.
Went noonish while on errands. No problem parking, crowds were moderate (much less than Sunnyvale in fact.) That fact that this one has food and the Menlo Park one purportedly doesn't gives it the edge.
Pisses me off I can bring a dog to sit outside in these restaurants, but they can't go down the same street when the market is on. :x
Oh well, I think its awesome these markets are year round. Everyone promises me nice winters here, but I was sold that bill of goods about Seattle too, so I am remaining wary :p
I like to go here twice a month mainly for lunch. I have to be honest that I have never purchased any of the fruits or vegetables from this farmer's market or any other one. I only go for the food stands. Now the beauty of this farmer's market (like all other ones) is that you get to sample things along the way before you get to the food stands. You hit all your nutritional needs before you get to your main dish. And the best part is that you don't end up pigging out and buying with your eyes because you'vev had food to curb your appetite! Almost every stop, there is freshly cut up season fruits, bits of dessert items, dipping sauces with delicious bread, etc.
The grand stop for me is the rotisserie chicken at the end of the farmer's market street. It is by far the most succulent and flavorful chicken I have ever had. It is $6 for half a chicken or $6.50 for a quarter, which comes with potatoes. You can also get a whole chicken for $12. I have also tried the mexican food, indian food, gourmet sausage, crepes, german bakery, and the vegan food stands. They are all hits. It's such a great place to go for brunch and it's a fun experience to go there to try new things.
Lots of choices. Many certified organic produce sellers (never really checked out the credential, hope they are all legit). Parking is abundant on streets parallel to California. Friendly people shoppers, kids-friendly grocers (lots of samples for kids). The only issue is the premium pricing - which should be expected for shopping in Palo Alto.
Great market! Hubster and I love these things and it's nice to have one pretty close.
Snagged some yummy macaroons and some ethnic hot pockets, gandered at some jade bracelets and dodged many a stroller.
Why do some moms use their strollers as battering rams? Look lady, I'll move over and give you access to the daisies, just ask nicely! Running over me (and Hubsters) toes isn't going to get you anything but bad karma.
We parked over in front of the Olive Garden and it was easy to get in and out.
I stummbled into this market on Sunday and was pleasantly surprised. I have often passed by this market, but never stopped. I am glad that I did and will be returning.
There seemed to be a good balance between produce/products/food stands. Yes, there were plenty of produce/fruit stands, but I was very thrilled to also see a fishmonger, a meat vendor, and other unique stands among the standard ones.
The added bonus?? The roast chicken stand with roasted potatoes cooked underneath the rotisseries. Takes me right back to my Parisian days at the rue de Buci.
Although this farmer's market is not large, it has everything that one could want in the Bay Area.
La Boulange bread! Fresh veggies and fruits! A cute florist! Yummy-looking Mexican and Indian take-out food! A cute creperie!
Now if they only had a Blue Bottle Coffee outpost, I would be here everrrry week!
Let me begin with my qualifications. I am a farmers market junkie. I'm the kind of person who snacks on sprouts and knows the week in the spring when asparagus should first be expected.
That said, after a 5 year tenure in Santa Cruz where "organic" and "local grown" ring like the native tongue, my sojourn into the Peninsula farmers market scene has left a little to be desired. Mtn View is bustling but limited on organic options. Sunnyvalle is a bit more down home but "pesticide free" simply aint the same as cali organic standards. And folks, livin' on Whole Foods just doesn't seem to mesh with my anti-establishment nature!! I wanna meet the people who pick my food and THANK them.
Alas, then i visited the Cal Ave Market. The percentage of organic growers is much higher than the above mentioned. They even feature some of the heavy hitters, like New Natives for sprouts (try the peanuts.. you will never be the same!) and Happy Boy (basil and tomatoes almost gone for the year folks.. get your bruchetta ON!). I like the vibe. I felt the values. i will go frequently. And even though dredlocks are in shortage, that might just be ok. A gal's gotta grow up sometime..
I've been a Menlo Park Farmer's Market shopper for the last 1.5 years (convenience sake) but branched out today. Cal Ave FM was nice... better, i'd say (though time didn't allow for much detailed comparison of produce selection). Kinda more happenin', bigger, some good vendors, noticed some grass-fed beef i'll try sometime.
Had a veggie tamale... sign said it was made w/ veggies and goat cheese. Was alright but not quite what i was anticipating/hoping....would've like a little more distinction between the corn part and the veggie/goat cheese part but all parts were pretty much combined. Recommend getting some extra sauces on the side.. that seems to be the Oaxacan's main scoring points. Sampled chicken tamale w/ mole negro sauce and it was mas rico, esp liked the complexity of flavors in the sauce. i'd go with meat variety were i to try one again.
When i don't want to spend half of my saturday driving up to The City and hitting the farmers market at the Ferry Building, i hit this place on Sunday to pick up some goodies to cook with in the upcoming week. I realize this makes me sound like a bit of a tool, but its the truth.
This market certainly is a bit more low key than the one at the Ferry Building, and it has much more of a small town, traditional farmers market feel to it. Sometimes it can be a nice alternative to the craziness of San Francisco. Prices are normally better, relations with vendors tend to be a bit more personal and intimate (get your mind out of the gutter). Love the rotisserie chickens and the kettle corn (though not at the same time).
Just moved to CA and LOVE this market! I'm so glad it's around all year!
It's small but packed with goodness. If you haven't already done so, you must try the PLUOTS (plum+apricot), which many of the farmers are selling, before they are out of season. DELICIOUS!!!
Also, between the fruit samples and the food samples you can basically eat for free. But for a more substantial lunch, you can get fresh cooked Indian, Mexican, Vegan, Rotisserie Chicken and more.
This is a brand new market, open every Sunday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., complementing the Saturday market in downtown Palo Alto. And while the latter is definitely a "home-grown" affair, the Calif. Ave. market is quite the production, feeling more like a street fair than a gathering of growers. There's live music, handicrafts, that sweet-salty crack we know as kettle corn, chocolates, bakers, and vendors of just about every meal known to mankind.
Oh, yeah, and there's fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish, too. Frankly, I wanted to give this market 4 stars just because it feels less like a true local-organic-food confab than a slick marketing gimmick. But I've bumped it back up to 5 stars because it's promised to be here year-round (the downtown market is dormant in winter), the hours are long enough to actually get breakfast OR lunch, and frankly the quality of the fresh fish and fresh oysters left my mouth watering.
Because it's only been open once so far, we'll have to see whether the vendor lineup changes, or the ratio of farmers to entertainment increases, but for now I'm just damn happy they're here. Definitely check it out if you're looking for a relaxed, sumptuous way to spend a Sunday morning.
Now that the downtown Palo Alto farmer's market is closed for the season, this is my new go-to market. They have some of the same vendors which is nice to see familiar faces.
It's sooo roomy compared in other markets, finally I'm not getting bump into by people. Although this past Sunday probably had the most people I've seen there so far. So happy that Palo Alto has a great year around farmers market.
After visiting a number of sad little San Jose Farmers Markets, I was so excited to stumble upon the California Avenue Farmers Market this afternoon. My boyfriend and I wanted to grab something to eat and headed to Palo Alto on our way back from SF. When we saw California was blocked for the market, we decided to stroll through to see what we could find.
This Farmers Market turned out to be a nice little market with a variety of foods. There was a nice mix of veggies that you don't typically see in the grocery stores, some really tasty citrus fruits (mmm, blood oranges), lots of flowers, a couple of vendors selling breads and tasty looking sweets, and there were about 4 or 5 food vendors cooking food. We had a yummy sausage for lunch. I'd absolutely go back to check out the market again.
The only bad thing is that almost all of the shops and restaurants on California were closed. It was pretty cold, so we really wanted to eat indoors and since everything (except Starbucks, the Counter, and Palo Alto Bakery) was closed we were forced to eat out in the cold.
As Farmer's Markets go this one is pretty good. My boyfriend lives somewhat close by and I live very close to the Menlo Park Farmer's Market so we switch off week to week. I like this one but I love MP's because I can walk to it. Mid-Town parking can be HUGE pain in the butt!
Awesome! Tried a blueberry cream cheese scone from one of the stands, which was really great.
Good place to get organic fruits, vegetables as well as jams, spreads and sausages.
I got some salmon creamcheese spread made with wild salmon that was soooo good.
There's soom good restaurants along California as well which makes for a good combination.
Go early to miss the small crowds , but if you want the crepes go before 11 am because that's when it takes like 15-20 minutes.
This one is larger than the Saturday downtown one, with plenty of room for roll-y carts, strollers and casual browsers. This is a huge, huge plus -- too often at markets I'm bumping or getting bumped by hungry folks.
The California Avenue market has more of a one-stop shopping feel: fish, cheese, bread (more vendors), jam, oils, pickles, veggies, fruit, snacks without long lines and yes, meat. As another reviewer noted, this market has a decent number of organic farmers. The meat stand is interesting: frozen cuts of grassfed beef, lamb and goat (!!) Two other grocery stores are on the same street if there's something else you need.
Fresh, local, organic food. Reasonable prices. Fun people. Nice local music... I mean, can one ask for anything more?
Last week, I was reminded that the new farmers' market would be starting. At 11:30am on Sunday, I finally decided to get out of my pajamas and head on over. On the way there, I kidnapped a friend.
I was impressed with the turnout. They closed off the three blocks east of El Camino. Maybe it's the more open layout, but it felt bigger than the market off University on Saturday's. It also reminded me of the Sunnyvale's Murphy St. market (which makes sense now that I see they're part of the same association). I was surprised at how many vendors as opposed to produce sellers were there. It was almost 50/50.
The market is clearly separated into two sections, processed goods and produce which I think made it easier to find things. The Roti chicken truck will be there every week with their juicy, rosemary chickens. I loved seeing the woman selling fresh fish while wearing a baby carrier. For those of you who like Esther's German Bakery, they were in attendence offering their breads and pastries.
My main interest is almost always the produce. It's not yet a huge selection of produce, but I thought it was a good start. I recognized several of the displays as the same ones I've seen at the Sunnyvale and Mt. View markets. Hopefully, things will pick up as more people come each week.
So besides buying a generous bag of English peas and a half chicken for dinner, we ended up eating some sweat potatoe fries at The Counter. The California Avenue merchants must have been pleased with the foot traffic.
Great selection of food stands and produce.
This market is larger than the University Ave one or the Menlo Park one. Great selection of breakfast and lunch foods. Also, a large number of produce stands to check out. Some are great deals, some are not so good. Either way, there are awesome samples and this is a great way to spend a Sunday morning.
Not much in the way of bulk purchase options, plants, or cut flowers. (there may be some that I haven't noticed)
For vegans: Alive! comes from San Francisco, there is a tofu tent, and the Oaxacan tent has great tamales and other Oaxacan specialties.
There is more vegan food available here on Sunday mornings than any other time/place in Palo Alto.
Yah-hooobie!! I love farmers markets!! This ones got it down... Although, I couldn't find any tomatoes or bell peppers.. Had to go to the Menlo Park farmers market to find them. California ave is a perfect place for a farmers market! So why don't you go GET FRESH!!!
I can get entire meals at this market; veggies, fruits, meats, fish, cheese, bread, even dessert. It gets 4 stars rather than 5 because, like most farmer's markets, the prices are a bit high. It's a bit like an open air Whole Foods.
If you can't grow it yourself then get it here. This Farmer's Market has everything. I shop organic and this market has a ton of great organic vendors, including fabulous organic raw vegan food from Alive! I am especially fond of the sprout people, Bob and Terry's Cold Creek Ranch avocados, Lovely tattoo'd Linda's greens n special garden things, Angrea organic tropical fruits (she sells the best CA grown bananas, mangoes, jackfruit, lychees, coconuts, etc.) and the hot eye candy over at Happy Boy. Every month or so Scott Peterson sells his BEAUTIFUL pottery and I always treat myself to a new dish to eat out of! There is also a nice guy who sells fresh, soft Medjool dates for great prices. I raied the organic plant stand and got 3 boxes of all sorts of herb, veggie and fruit seedlings for under 90 bucks. I paid almost that for 1 box of assorted seedlings at the garden store! I stock up on farm fresh goods every Sunday, it's the highlight of my week. Every Sunday starts out fabulous thanks to this lovely farmer's market. Come experience God's garden gifts from farm to your fingertips, lively music, art vendors, fresh flowers and plants and ready to eat foods. I look forward to the earth offerings each season brings! Spring will be here sooner than you know it. Don't wait to get healthy, start now, stop organic - local and seasonal. Save money, increase health, get some fresh air and exercise and get your Farmer's Market fix ON!!! Prioritize your wealth on good health. Food at the farmer's market can be trusted, abused food picked, shipped and shelved can not. Eat the best - eat fresh, what's it going to hurt!?
I didn't want to like this market - it screws up my traffic by closing the turn off El Camino to California Avenue every Sunday morning. But when I actually checked it out I was impressed! Close to El Camino it's more of an arts & crafts market, with jewelry and hat vendors. Then the fresh fruits and vegetables start. Interspersed with those are vendors selling jams, honeys, olive oils and other great foodie gifts, and others selling fresh fish, smoked fish, and rotisserie chicken. And there's live music! But even better is that you could enjoy breakfast or lunch here easily. There are the bread and pastry vendors in addition to an excellent selection of hot food sellers - crepes, mexican, indian, and a few more I can't recall. Yummy.
This is by far the best farmers market I've ever been to. I love Kashiwase Farm's peaches & nectarines. The quality is very consistent - SOOOO SWEET & JUICY everyweek!!! I also like Happy Boy's veges,Gourmet Crepes, & Mexican hot food.
Buy Local, Eat Local makes me & my family happy!
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Fruits & Veggies
Mountain View, CA
Category: Fruits & Veggies
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Fruits & Veggies
Redwood City, CA
Category: Farmers Market
Los Altos, CA
Category: Fruits & Veggies
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