OMPlate: To Market We Will Go... Plus One-of-a-Kind Food and Friendship

...but first we must navigate the week. And what better way to begin Fresh On My Plate for June than a stop at one of my favorite local spots, Pappalecco?

*If you are looking for a schedule of local farmers markets and would like to cut to the chase, click here. Also, if you have not noted it yet, you may begin to realize I am a bit of a rambler. This is poetic license, however I promise I will fill more with content, recipes and practical matters as I get my blogging chops together. Dear reader, please be patient!

Where was I? Oh yes, I loves me some Pappa!

Pappalecco and Coffee with Amber
I met my friend, Amber, at the Little Italy Pappalecco for coffee on Wednesday morning. One of my favorite things to do is to meet Amber for coffee. Or pretty much any time. It is a testament to her good humor and verve for life that she has a large circle of friends who adore her. I am lucky to be counted among them.

Amber could make a living being paid to attend people's parties to keep the atmosphere and conversation top notch. And by top notch, I mean often gritty and honest... she will go where no 50's housewife ever dreamt about going without having to run to the local pews to repent. She will talk about anything, stretch your imagination, make you know yourself or realize there are parts of yourself you have never truly known until that moment. She will introduce you to her friend Doug and somehow you will feel better to have known him, or at least know about him. She is way cooler than that guy in the Dos XX ads. She makes cursing as cute as a curtsy, but in a down-to-earth way, almost as though you were hanging out with a totally hot dude. And it is not easy to make her blush, so I am hoping this post does the trick.

So anyway, back to Pappa. We met up and I ordered my Iced Vanilla Soy Latte (yes I am aware that soy milk is processed, don't hate me for my im-puritan heart). As they always do, my eyes wandered to the display case as my drink was being prepared. Oh! delectable tidbits nestled lovingly in perfect rows of pastry goodness. Oh! creamy delicious stracciatella gelato crafted to perfection and melting ever so delicately beneath a deeply satisfied tongue.

Sonoma enjoying a gelato-stuffed croissant at an earlier date

And the breakfasts... the breakfasts!

Tricolore Breakfast - Yum!

I am rendered speechless. Mostly because I am trying to remember to breathe while stuffing my face full of this gorgeous fare. Click here to have a look at the whole menu and learn more about this one-of-a-kind-spot.

And what makes the food even more lovely is the owner, Francesco, who may as well be a troubadour plucked straight out of the romantic period of literature, a true poet who translates his love of the art of life, people and poetry straight to the plate. Though the mission statement on the wall as you enter the Little Italy location (there is also a store in Bankers Hill) says it all, the light that fills this place is even more evidenced by his happy and helpful coworkers.

One day I will post a proper feature, but for now, if you have not been there, please make a point to go by. The Little Italy Farmers Market is just a block away on Saturday mornings, and if you arrive early enough, you can get a seat and enjoy a little breakfast at Pappa's before perusing the market stalls.

The Mercato
I finally made it to a local farmers' market on Saturday morning. This is not just any farmers' market, I dare say it is the farmers' market, though some may argue the Hillcrest market rivals it (I would have agreed in the past, but man the Mercato has it goin' on)!

Stall after stall of earth's bounty offered in piles of color and texture. The smells, the sounds, and this guy:

Not a very good photo, but Smilin' Jack puts on quite a show. I dare you to keep a scowl with this guy around.

I began to scout around for some produce to prepare for the coming Sunday's Concert in the Park at Spreckles Park in Coronado. I hadn't an inkling of what I was going to prepare, but as cooperative friends had agreed to a blog-friendly "Farm to Table" theme, I knew I was feeling pressure to be a lively participant.

After checking out three blocks' worth of fare, I gravitated toward the beets

And grabbed some goat cheese from a Modesto purveyor who bore a striking resemblance to the little critters from whom the cheese springs (I promise I will get a photo next time)!

In my mind's eye, I began to realize a spring beet salad with some fresh goat cheese, pressed red onions and baby arugula. I also came across some agretti, or salsola soda (click here for the wiki), a leafy vegetable that enjoys popularity in Italy and, according to the purveyor, is used similarly to spinach.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this alien-looking ingredient, but in the spirit of adventure, I couldn't resist!

I stopped by the Japanese eggplant and baby squash for a photo of the spectacular contrast of colors:

Then stopped by Greenfix smoothies in hopes they could remedy the fallout of the previous night's libation indulgence.

I dare say it worked, or at least I was feeling a little less like jumping out of my skin after imbibing one of their drinks. GreenFix inspired me to begin juicing a few years ago, after I found out it could be as delicious as it is nutritious. We will revisit the juicing topic during Make it Raw! week, after I dust off -er- find the juicer.

On the way out, I grabbed a crusty sourdough baguette from Bread and Cie, opting for the healthier of two choices; it was this or the usual chocolate croissant. It seems to me, of the most pleasurable things in life is ripping shards of bread from one of these babies and really putting the ol' choppers to the test.