Liberty Public Market
Liberty Station Public Market
Point Loma
One of my favorite things to do the on weekend is to go to the Public Market at Liberty Station. Although it is open 7-days a week, there is an excitement and vibe that takes over this place on the weekends. Here you’ll see plenty of locals and visitors browsing the aisles of artisans, prepared foods, local coffee, fresh fish, pastas, salads, beer, wine, cheese, pastas, and pastries.
The SD Experience
Once entering, I like to make a swing through the market and see what’s new and what food strikes my fancy. I usually go in late morning, so I start with a coffee at West Bean or a chai latte at Le Parfait Paris. If you like chai then Le Parfait is the place. It's reallly the best chai I’ve ever had. They also offer a variety of pastries such as macrons, croissants and breads which are great if you’re looking for something sweet to eat. They also have good morning sandwiches, quiches and crepes.
If I come a closer to lunch time then I’ll still grab a chai at Le Parfait and go two stalls over for a salad from Local Greens. At Local Greens, they have a large variety of fresh salads to choose from or you can make your own. It’s kind of like a Chipotle or Subway style where you tell them what ingredients you want added to your salad as you make your way down the aisle toward the register. I tend to like the California Dreaming salad, which is more of a Mexican salad with Organic Cilantro Jalapeno Lime dressing. Sometimes I’ll create more of an Asian salad on my own, but for some reason I can never remember what I put in it the last time, so it’s always a new experience.
During the last year, I’ve really developed an interest in Poke Bowls and the stand with Raki Raki Ramen and Pokirito is truly one of the best around. If you like sushi, but have never had a Poke Bowl, this is a must have. I like to start with a white rice base and add two scoops of raw salmon or mix it up and get one scoop of salmon and one scoop of tuna. Then I add toppings like cucumber, cilantro, green onion and avocado. I’ve tried different sauces on top, but my favorite by far is the spicy aioli.
Once I get my food, I scout a place to sit down and enjoy it. If it’s cold outside, then there usually is a place to sit somewhere inside. But if the weather is nice, then I like to take my food out to the patio where there is plenty of seating and often live music on the weekends. Or if I bring my dog, we’ll usually bring a blanket and sit in one of the grassy areas and enjoy our meal as a family picnic.
Of course, these are just some of the many places to explore and enjoy at the Liberty Public Market. So I encourage you to walk around and make this experience one that is as unique and enjoyable as I make on every trip. There is so much more to do and explore at Liberty Station, so I'll be posting a separate entry on that along with the history of this location which was once a Naval Training Center.
Getting There
My favorite way to get to Liberty Station from my home in Downtown San Diego is by bike. If you are downtown, it really is an easy, enjoyable ride along the harbor with a dedicated bike path most of the way. It's about a four mile trip one way and just enough to make me feel like I deserve to have something good to eat because I got some exercise. If you are visiting San Diego and don't have a bike of your own, you can use one of the bike share bikes such as Discover Bike or Jump. Jump bikes are electric pedal assist bikes to make the trip even easier. Or you could hop on a scooter. Check out my entry about the Harbor Bike Ride
to learn more.
Of course, if biking isn't your thing you can also get here by rideshare services or driving. There is usually plenty of parking available.