New Taste Market is Back, Just in Time For the Holidays

New Taste Marketplace

Get an early start on your holiday shopping and support the S.F. food scene at the resurgence of the New Taste Marketplace, happening this Saturday at St. Gregory's Church on Potrero Hill. The charming market is celebrating its two-year anniversary, and after a four-month hiatus has triumphantly returned with SF Examiner food critic (and occasional SF Weekly contributor) Jesse Hirsch at the helm. Hirsch took over director duties from Michael Davidson, aka the Grilled Cheese Guy, and for his debut has curated a list of nearly 40 vendors in a mix of longtime New Taste participants as well as new ones he's picked up through his Bay Area food writing career.

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As usual, the market will be split between snacky things to eat while walking around and items you can take home or give as gifts. Befitting the 10 a.m. start time, there will be brunchables from the likes of Beauty Bagels, Quiche and Carry, King Knish, Marla Bakery (a venture from pastry chef Amy Brown, formerly of Nopa), 197 Coffee Roasters, and Neo Cocoa. On the more savory end, there will be three food trucks, including Little Green Cyclo and El Sur empanadas.

Gift-seekers can browse cookbooks from Christopher Books, handmade aprons from Buttons and Pears, letterpress stationary from Hearts and Anchors, beautifully packaged spices from Oaktown Spice Shop, all manner of pickled goods from Studebaker pickles, confections from Jade Chocolate, and much more.

All of the awesomeness will be set to tunes from old-school soul DJ Bubba. Proceeds from vendor sales and the donation box up front will benefit The Food Pantry.

As for Hirsch, don't go expecting to meet the anonymous critic face-to-face. As he told Eater SF, he plans to wear some sort of mask -- when we talked, he was leaning toward being part of a team of Zorro-masked volunteers (misdirection being a time-tested disguise technique), but we'll just have to wait until Saturday to see what he comes up with.

Bottom line: It will be a tasty day on Potrero Hill. "I'm looking forward to eating a lot of good stuff on Dec. 1st," Hirsch says.

New Taste Market
When: Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: St. Gregory's Church (500 De Haro at Mariposa)
Cost: Free admission

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