Jack London Square Farmers’ Market

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, so B and I decided to check out the Jack London Square Farmers’ Market in Oakland (Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in SF is closed on Sundays). Similar to the Ferry Plaza, this farmers' market has tents set up along a waterfront, giving it a beautiful backdrop. There’s also a soon-to-open plaza/building for permanent local vendors.
What I liked about this market:
- Has more of a festive vibe and family-oriented atmosphere than the one in San Francisco
- The prepared food stands were excellent! My favorites were the Indian food stand (forget name, but not Sukhi’s), East & West Gourmet Afghan Food stand, and Cholita Linda’s taco stand.
- Tons of seating on the lawn and along the water with gorgeous views
- Parking was surprisingly easy

What I didn’t like about this market:
- There were only a few produce stands and the selection was slim. (Keep in mind, that I’ve been spoiled by the size and number of vendors at the Ferry Plaza for several years)
- It's relatively small and doesn't take long to cover the whole market
- They don’t proactively give out of free samples and let you try the fresh produce/food

Chicken Tikka Masala Naan Roll – my favorite eat of the day! You must come to the Indian food stand and get one. I forget their name, but make sure it’s the one with a portable tandoori oven. I was really impressed that they actually had a tandoori oven at a food stand to ensure the quality of their naan…and you can definitely taste the difference! It’s warm, soft, and a little bit crispy on the outside, but not too doughy on the inside - basically, awesome. There were many different types of naan rolls, but I chose the one filled with savory and spicy chicken tikka masala…DELISH!! [Tip: the naan rolls are large and quite filling, so I recommend sharing one if you want to eat at more than one food stand]

East & West Gourmet Afghan Food – I was smitten as soon as I tasted a sample of their spinach bolani (thin, stuffed flat-bread) topped with their garlic mint cheese spread and sweet jalapeno jelly. YUM!! I loved the interplay of the cool mint and creamy cheese with the sweet spice of the jelly, and the bolani was the perfect canvas. Of course, I had to buy some!
Cholita Linda – their mint limeade is a must! Refreshing and thirst-quenching. I also liked their spit-roasted chicken taco (the fish taco was just ok), and appreciated the side of tortilla chips with oxacan cotija cheese.
Golden Nugget Mandarins – I’ve never seen such wrinkly and bumpy oranges before. Fortunately, they taste better than they look.
Organic Strawberries – Beware of this stand! The strawberries looked beautiful when we purchased them, but went bad and molded the very next day...grrr.
BITE METER: Jack London Square Farmers’ Market – 3.5 bites (out of 5)