Five years ago, the most you could expect to get at a farmers market in terms of prepared food was tacos off of a taco truck, or tamales. Well, things have really changed, and now you can get just about anything, from crepes to pupusas. Last week at Alemany Farmers Market, we came upon this vendor selling wood-burning oven pizzas, right there in the parking lot! They had built their own oven with a take-apart frame that could be transported on a trailer. We were allowed to look inside and see the pizza-making in action.
The pizza itself was wonderful - warm and crisp with a tangy sauce and delicious toppings. This one was egg, proscuitto, and mushroom. At at $11 (enough for 3 people), it was very reasonable. Warm foods taste especially good on typical San Francisco mornings, which can be overcast and chilly before the fog burns off in the afternoon. The food was so good, I almost forgot that we had come to buy produce!
There are a lot of pizza places in San Francisco, and a handful that serve a decent pie. But pizza-on-wheels is a novel idea, and they have the right strategy by doing parties and events (imagine having your own pizza oven roll up along with someone to do all of the work!) This is definitely the first pizza I have seen at a Farmers Market, and by using the ingredients all around them, such as the "market pie" special that was featured, including California walnuts and fresh greens, they are doing a great job of participating in the local community.
