FUN AT THE FERRY MARKETPLACE!

Looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday morning in SF? How about a visit to the Ferry Marketplace and Farmers Market? The Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (it's also open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California certified farmers market, and is the largest farmers market in the whole city! You can find everything here from produce and flowers to breads, cheeses and jams. Now the actual Ferry Marketplace is open seven days a week and has more than forty different food shops inside. It is a food lover's dream with so many gourmet and elegant food stands to choose from. Louisa and I decided to spend our Saturday morning in San Francisco here. We bought cheese, meat and bread both from the Farmers Market and from the Marketplace, and made our own little picnic. It was fun and a fairly inexpensive way to have breakfast!We walked around the Farmers Market first and sampled all different kinds of cheeses, breads and sweets. We bought some AMAZING Bodega goat cheese from the Yerba Santa Goat Dairy.I am usually not the biggest fan of goat cheese, but this one was so creamy, and didn't have that horribly bitter and tangy taste that many goat cheeses do have. Next, we headed inside to the Marketplace and bought some more cheese from Cowgirl Creamery.They sell an Artisan Cheese American selection bag for $20 which includes three different types of cheeses and a knife. We splurged the extra $5 and also bought the wooden cheese platter to put all of our cheeses on. The other thing that I recommend you buy (if you like meat) is one of their Framani Salametto salamis...delicious! Right next door is ACME...one of the best bread makers in all of SF!!!And of course if you are in SF, then you must have some traditional San Francisco sourdough bread...it really is the best sourdough you will ever have!
Once we had purchased all we wanted, we went to the back of the Marketplace which faces the bay and set up our picnic. Great view, great friendship, great food...what more could you want out of life? One last thing I want to tell you about the Farmers Market and the Ferry Marketplace, is that outside of the building there are dozens of vendors who sell jewelry, clothing and souvenirs. I found this amazing bracelet by a local designer...very happy about my purchase!

FISHIES & COCKTAILS

Does the idea of going to an aquarium after-hours, and having a cocktail while you are there sound good to you jet setters? If it does, then I know just where you should go in SF...the California Academy of Sciences. Every Thursday night is something called Nightlife, where you get the chance to see the museum and aquarium animals, have a drink and some food, hear great music and dance to some of SF's best DJs!Louisa and I decided to check it out last Thursday night (thinking if it's not a good event, who cares? It only cost $12.)...well we had so much fun, we did not want to leave, the place was packed with people, and we said we would definitely go back!They had penguins, alligators, and a Planetarium (we didn't see it, if you want to go, you must purchase the tickets in advance and pay extra). But look at some of the awesome exhibits we did see!

It's a fun place to head to with a friend, a date, or alone. There is so much to see and do, plus there's also a hands-on section where you can really get up close and personal with some of the animals. If you live in San Francisco, then I definitely say you must go. If you are planning a trip to SF, put it on your list of things to do if you are in town on a Thursday night. Consider yourself a Jet Set Smart Insider for knowing this, because while it's open to the public, you won't find many tourists here!

Event Details:
When: Thursdays, from 6:00-10:00pm
Price: Tickets are $12 ($10 for Academy Members). Last entry is 9:00pm.
Note: You must be 21+ with a valid ID to enter. Food and drinks are not included in the price, so bring cash with you!

SF

Jet Set Smart is back from a weekend to trip San Francisco...or "SF" I should say. (Learned that's how the locals refer to it). It was an AWESOME trip! I have been out to SF before as a tourist, but this time I got to see the city from the point-of-view of people I know who live there. I have to tell you, I fell even harder for this city this time around. I discovered new restaurants, neighborhoods and stores that I can't wait to share with you all. Stay tuned for my JSS Guide to SF...a very local perspective! :-)