Location: 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA, United States 941111
Opening Hours: Thursday (front plaza) and Saturday (South driveway) 10:00am to 2:00pm
Facebook: Farmer’s Wife Sonoma; CUESA
Telephone Number: +1 415-291-3276
Official Website: www.cuesa.org
The Farmers Wife Menu
THE FARMERs WIFE at CUESA Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Under the heat of the sun at Ferry Plaza, locals religiously line up for Wise Sons and 4505 Burgers, two of the more popular stalls at the Ferry Plaza farmers market by CUESA. I managed to squeeze myself between lines to take a look at their food selection that includes noodles, bacon burgers and Reuben sandwiches. It’s not a really big farmers market gig but I like that they have few choices but well-crafted ones.
This is the scene that happens every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Since 1999, CUESA, which stands for “Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture”, bridges the gap between urban dwellers and farmers through sustainable agriculture. One could just embark the F streetcar that traverses the Market Street all the way to Embarcadero to reach the Ferry Plaza.
I stopped at the last stall, the smell of smoky bacon and cheese emanating from the grill behind the counter. There was a modest line building up, the appeal of which made me curious.
The Farmers Wife had just joined CUESA Ferry Plaza Farmers Market last February 2015, and they have already earned much respect from sandwich lovers. Chef Owner Kendra Kolling uses fresh farming ingredients to make the best grilled cheese sandwiches, adding a personal touch to them with Gravenstein apples from her husband’s Sonoma Apple farm. “Farm-to-table” is such a controversial term nowadays but Kendra likes to call their coooking a way of life.
The Farmers Wife Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Egg – $14
The grilled cheese sandwich smelled so good while it was grilling at the back.
The sandwich is simple, and yet combined it becomes a powerful sandwich. Fried egg from Tully Dolci Organic Farms, Gravenstein Apples from Paul Kolling’s Sonoma Farms, and Honey Lavender Bacon layered The Farmers Wife grilled cheese sandwich. The arugula balanced the gooeyness of the cheese with its acidity, and I was half tempted stuffing my sandwich with the side salad.
The moment I sat on the outdoor chair, there must have been at least two people who asked where the sandwich was from.
Where one gets the juiciness in an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich, the Farmers Wife’s grilled cheese sandwich offers that an extra added sweetness and crunch brought by the freshest apple ever.
If Kendra Kolling’s grilled cheese sandwich won the hearts of Wich Hunt contest for Sonoma’s Best Sandwich in 2012, aiming to be “Best Sandwich in San Francisco” isn’t a far away idea.
The Farmers Wife Rating:
[usrlist “Taste and Originality: 4” “Customer Experience: 4” “Value for Money: 3” “Brick and Mortar: 3”]