St George's Market, Belfast Northern Ireland

For better or worse I travel regularly for work but there's usually a chance to steal a little time to see the country side wherever I am. For me tourism always has a food component and while I was visiting Belfast I discovered a thriving market in the center of the city. 

Built in the 19th century the market has that distinct Victorian look of community buildings in the United Kingdom but word is that the site was the location of the central Belfast market as far back as the 1600s. Named the best indoor market in the UK in 2014 this is a great stop for the food tourist to Northern Ireland.

Open every weekend the market is a lively shopping mecca thrumming with tourists and locals buying fresh ingredients and eating lunch. On Saturdays the market offers local food and crafts as well as live music, making it a great stop during a day out in Belfast. On Sunday the emphasis is more on local Crafts - making it a good stop for souvenirs but less lunching options. 

There are a number of competing Hop On Hop Off bus tours in Belfast all of which stop conveniently outside the market. Be warned though at lunch time these buses are packed to the brim with hungry site seers who pour in to the market 100 at a time. For the best choice of goods and to avoid the crowds try going to the market early while tourists are still off seeing the Titanic Museum. Make sure to get to the market before 3pm as vendors will be clearing out and the market closing between 3-4pm.

The open warehouse style market makes it easy for vendors to load in and load out and provides large open seating areas to enjoy a warm snack. It reminds me of Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia with stall owners hawking their wares and a happy bustle of commerce. 

As well as the standard Green Grocer fare - fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat there are a number of fantastic specialty stalls and global specialties. 

Local farmers and producers sell small batch items like jams, chutneys pickles and cakes. My pick of the Irish baked goods has to be the slices though - buttery rich jam, fruit and nut slices abound and all are delicious. This is a country that obviously relishes in morning and afternoon teas. 

Innumerate bakers offer fresh loaves, for a taste of the local stuff try the Irish Soda Bread - delicious with hot warm soups and stews. Regular European migrants and recently resurging economies mean that there are many Italian and French bakery options. Some of the bakers also offer fresh sandwiches and pressed paninis. 

Hot food stalls offer international snack foods like pies, pasties, crepes, paella and curries. 

Irish beef is definitely worth stopping for - tasty and grass fed I've never eaten so many good burgers as I did in Ireland beating out the US at their own game. 

The market is also a great place to pick up spices and hard to find ingredients. Wagyu beef, fresh seafood, exotic spices and more are fantastic for the cook or the foodie in your life. 

There's wifi in the markets as well as a few stalls selling battery packs and sim cards which also makes it a convenient stop for travellers. If you get sick of the crowds there's a brasserie that overlooks the market and a great little pub across the road. 

All in all a great stop with lively community and excellent food. 

St George's Market

http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/tourism-venues/stgeorgesmarket/

East Bridge St

Belfast BT1 3NQ

UK

Indoor food and craft market with live music
Great for tourists

Ferry Building Food Market, San Francisco

We do love food markets and I've been making more of an attempt to visit them in various cities. I admit that I had not taken the time to go to the Ferry Building despite it being in my city primarily because of it's location at the Embarcadero - a busy and touristy area of town. Don't let that put you off though the markets are well worth a visit and the crowds are manageable if you go mid week or early morning on weekends. 

The San Francisco Ferry Building was converted into a food hall after the decline of ferry transport in the city and earthquake damage. Large renovations have been completed to bring the beaux arts building back to its former glory. 

I had heard it touted as a farmer's market but there's no flimsy marquees here, this is high end boutique eating from California creators like this Golden Gate meat company stall. The Ferry Building is one of the few places in the Bay Area that you can reliably get dedicated butchers and game meat. 

Drying hams and beef can be found on display at a number of butcher and charcuterie vendors. You can see the deliciousness forming over time. 

Prather Ranch Meat Co. is another specialty butcher featuring sustainable and humane meat, free of antibiotics and hormones common in the US.

Mariposa is the gluten free bakery that amazes my coeliac friends. This is no dull heavy brick style bread that some wheat free bakers produce but instead a huge range of bread, cookies and pastries that have the mouth feel and density of wheat based products. I don't know what their magic is but Mariposa makes for great gifts for those with dietary restrictions and always delights. 

This nut stall offers a huge arrange of raw and roasted nuts but also the most amazing natural nut products like additive free nut butters and brittles. Try the cinnamon almond brittle it's amazing. 

Finding good quality honey in the US can be hard and shockingly honey is often watered down with glucose or corn syrup. Beekind is the answer offering pure local honey from a variety of orchards and wildflowers.

There are plenty of options for the tea lover like this stall from Heath Ceramics with a wide array of tea cups and pots as well as crockery. Or try the Imperial Tea Court for an Asian traditional tea house offering Chinese and Japanese teas in a formal setting. There's even a dim sum restaurant included for those who like their tea with a side of pork. 

A number of the bakery vendors like the Acme Bread Company sell sandwiches pre-made or on custom order and featuring the meat and cheeses of other vendors on display. This makes it a great option for a brunch or lunch outing. Be warned though there are only a couple of venues that have actual seating. Consider buying yourself a picnic and heading down to Pier 39 to watch San Francisco's infamous urban seal lions.



We decide to stop at Boccalone - a charcuterie store run by celebrity chef and Top Chef Masters winner Chris Cosentino. This is a great stop for the cured meat fan or the foodie TV obsessive. You can buy cones of shaved cold meats - great for a low carb lunch option or buy yourself a pressed sandwich filled with melt in your mouth charcuterie.

Prosciutto cotto with provolone and whole grain mustard $8.50USD

Hot italian sausage sandwich with peppers and onions $8.50USD

Of course my favourite offering has to be the Cowgirl Creamery Cheese shop. They offer a huge range of cheeses direct from Cowgirl and other local cheese producers from Marin and Sonoma Counties where goat's cheese is a speciality. They also have a small sandwich shop called Cowgirl Sidekick offering the fanciest grilled cheese one could imagine. 

Buy local artisan cheeses by the round or tub and take home plenty of sides like fresh pickles, jams and nuts to make the perfect cheeseboard dinner. 

They don't stop themselves at local cheeses though. European cheeses from Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and more are available as well as American cheeses from Wisconsin (which rival the European cheeses in taste and quality). 

All in all the Ferry Building is a fun day out if  you can handle the crowds or plan around them. Definitely take the chance to buy local organic produce to take home or to have a picnic around the northern tip of San Francisco with beautiful ocean views and the usual eclectic San Francisco Culture. 

San Francisco Ferry Building 

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

San Francisco Ferry Bldg

San Francisco, CA 94105

High end food market and boutique eateries

Chelsea Market, New York City

Well things have been very busy recently for me, we got married and have been traveling for the honeymoon. Expect a lot of catchup and a lot of travel posts over the next few weeks as we've been eating and drinking up a storm. 

One of the great pieces of food tourism in the US are all of the inner city gourmet markets available to the urban foodie. Chelsea Market is one of the classic food destinations in New York City and conveniently located near my office! 

Chelsea Market is a combined food business and office space between 9th -10th Avenues and 15th - 16th streets taking up the whole block in a gorgeous 19th century brick building.  If you're expecting a farmer's market you'll be disappointed, instead it's more like a food hall and specialist food vendors. Some serve hot meals and sit down dining, others sell kitchen equipment, spices, rare ingredients and all manner of things for the foodie. 

On weekends and at lunchtime the place gets packed to the rathers with wide eyed and hungry shoppers. If you're a tourist in New York think about heading down during mid morning to get fresh options and plenty of space. For the best place to eat a picnic lunch of tasty morsels bought in the Market don't fight over the few seats in the building itself instead head outside to the High Line which runs along the 10th Ave portion of the building. 

There's plenty to be explored but here's some of my favourite stops at Chelsea Market, go check it out yourself!

Spices and Tease has every herb and spice you could possibly need in bulk and in fine quality. Expensive or hard to find ingredients for European, Asian and Middle Eastern dishes can be easily found. If you're interested in trying out an exotic dish but never could find saffron, sumac or oaxaca then this is a place for you to enjoy a global taste mission all in one place. 

If you've been in the US for a while the thing that you miss the most (yes, even more than the coffee) is the bread. New York is one of those exceptions that proves the rule - the bread is amazing and the sandwich shops endless. There are numerous places tht you can get a great lunchtime sandwich in Chelsea Market in Italian sub or Jewish deli styles. This display case of ready to be pressed panini is from Buon Italia.

Bowery Kitchen Supply has one of every gadget and plate you could possibly want as a cook or a host. Oyster shucking gloves, ginger microplanes, icing spatulas, sushi plates and cazuela de barros can all be found with a neat deli counter shoved in the back. Expect to part with some money particularly if you take even the smallest peek at the knives and copper pans.

The Lobster Place is an infamous seafood vendor with one of everything delicious you could put in your high end NYC dinner party. Maine Lobster and New England Oysters are definitely top of the list for the local seafood afficionado. 

Of course there's plenty of other places in Chelsea Market to grab a bite. Try Dickson's Farmstand Meats for hand crafted charcuterie or Lucy's Whey for artisanal cheeses galore. For a sit down meal try the legendary Morimoto or Buddakan for delicious Asian fusion meals or for a more casual affair take away a delicious Cambodian sandwich from Num Pang. 

There's also a display space for rotating exhibits and we're lucky to find on the day that we're visiting The Balvenie are doing a launch for the Rare Craft collection. We collect a tipple of the whole range and a free whiskey glass to take home.

As part of the campaign they've had many rare crafts made and are on display, nervously watched by their security and marketing team. Hand crafted instruments, boots, clothing, architecturally designed lamps and this exquisitely restored The Balvenie Morgan sports car are all on display.

You can easily walk the whole market in an hour if you're pressed for time or really take your time to poke and shop, eat and sip for 3-4 hours. Combine a trip to Chelsea Market with a wander around this trendy neighbourhood and stop at local eateries like Cafeteria or Murray's Bagels for lunch.

Chelsea Market

http://chelseamarket.com/

Gourmet food hall and restaurant destination
Free entry, spend to your budget including many cheap bakery options