Naked Hippies and a Roach Coach

Off the plane in San Francisco and I head straight to the Oakland Farmers Market where fresh guacamole sells for $5.00, citrons are everywhere, and I buy Indian samosa’s laden with cilantro chutney.

Fresh juices, pomegranates, music, chef demonstrations fill my senses.

Ahh.. I love this life!

The citrus is abundant, the artichokes giant blooms with stalks as big as my arm!  I can’t help myself and have to purchase a cup of coffee from beans just roasted before my eyes.

I don’t even drink coffee, but will make an exception here.

I taste it  ~ love the bitterness and subtle flavors of roasting.

I love all the quirkiness and boldness that comes with the markets and the food and drink holes of Berkeley and San Francisco.

I had a great laugh while watching Bill Maher interview Alice Waters when he said he imagined naked hippies running around Berkeley.  I have never witnessed such, but it wouldn’t seem so out of place if I witnessed it!

Some things that California seems to get right (and we should strive for on the east coast):

• Bars with house-made salami made with pork from local farms

• Late night munchies at a bar consisting of roasted and marinated beets, a bowl of crunchy romaine  leaves with anchovy dressing, spinach pie, a hollowed out parmesan bowl of parmesan cheese chunks for the grabbing  (the local board of health in my town would shut me down if I offered such!)

• A 'Roach Coach' that serves Mexican food at midnight at a local dive bar.  This one serves certified organic late night snacks in biodegradeable containers and the truck itself is run on vegetable oil.  Even I will eat this late at night for this experience.

Heading down the coast to Big Sur ~ loads of stops along the way...

Image Credits: www.eatingla.blogspot.com; emptyhighway