The SLO market

With college students returning for their first week of school, Thursday night’s San Luis Obispo farmers market was even wilder than usual.

Though serious-minded cooks may no longer rank it among the state’s best (there were only a couple of dozen farmers), it’s hard to be too begrudging of three solid blocks of good barbecue and bands and locals and tourists packed elbow to elbow.

And what produce there was was awfully good. Mike Cirone had apples and peaches from See Canyon. SLO Grown Produce had brightly colored peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. Fife Farms had the most fragrant, sticky-sweet Muscat of Alexandria grapes you can imagine. If you’re going to be anywhere nearby, you should pay a visit.

San Luis Obispo downtown farmers market, Higuera Street, Thursdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

-- Russ Parsons

Photo by Russ Parsons