The Last Underground Market

San Francisco Soda Fountain

On Saturday I went to the nighttime edition of the Underground Market, an indie food mart taking place at SOMArts. Every since a New York Times article, the City has been threatening to shut it down, so this was the last event of its kind. There were about 20 vendors, all perky & lovingly proud of their food. Everything looked & tasted homemade.

I arrived a little before 8p, & the place quickly became a crush of low-key hipsters. It was sometimes difficult to figure out where the lines were. As one of my friends came away from a booth, a woman stopped him so she could photograph his 2 plates of food.

Raw Daddy Ruben Cone

I was excited to eat this crispy flax seed cone & its tangy filling of uncooked ingredients featuring sauerkraut & mustard. It made me think of Bavaria.

Braised rabbit ragu over polenta, with biscuit. One Ninety Seven.

This braised rabbit ragu with polenta & a dense biscuit was hearty.

Moroccan lamb pie. Desperation Bakehouse.

I liked the sweet flavors in this Moroccan lamb pie.

One of my friends bought us these rich moon pies for dessert.

Simply Mochi

I couldn't leave without this sampler of fresh mochi. The dessert flavors, such as strawberry cheesecake, tasted just like their descriptions.

Admission required a hand stamp, as well as a warning that we might encounter food that was technically uncooked.

Another hand stamp was required for alcoholic beverages. It looked like a fish when applied but soon resembled an unsightly birthmark. This was not a cheap dinner, & drinks in particular were overpriced.

§ The Last Underground Market
Saturday December 22nd, 2012
11am-4pm: Drinks, Take-homeables (gifts and packaged items)
6pm-2am: Drinks, Hot Food, Music
SOMArts