Farmers' Market at San Pedro Square Market

On Saturday, I hopped on the Light Rail to meet up with a friend at the farmers' market at San Pedro Square Market. Held every Saturday on West St. John Street (in between Almaden and San Pedro), the farmers' market is open from 10 am to 2 pm and is the perfect way to start the weekend. It's open all year round, too. 

I didn't buy too much this time because we're in the process of moving again (more on that later), but I foresee coming here on a regular basis to stock up on locally grown fruits, veggies, and flowers. The farmers' market at San Pedro Square Market is as much a feast for the eyes as it is a feast for the table. 

A lot of great things are happening in downtown San Jose, and San Pedro Square Market feels like the epicenter of it all. It was home to SJ MADE/SJ EATS this past weekend as well, a sort of urban craft fair of local vendors, artists, and of course, food trucks. It's exciting and promising to see how things have changed since we left. 

Tip: Don't forget your reusable shopping bags.

San Jose Taco Festival of Innovation

Tacos, friends, and lots of sunshine made for a perfect day this past Saturday at the San Jose Taco Festival, held at History Park. Organized by the folks who put on Movable Feast, the San Jose Taco Festival was the largest food truck event in Northern California. I had been looking forward to the event for so long that I even bought tickets for it while we were still living in Singapore.

The event did not disappoint. Jeff and I arrived at around 11:45 am and met up with some friends. We decided to split up to get tacos from several different trucks to make sure we sampled as many as possible. All tacos were only $2 each! My favorite tacos were the ground beef tacos from Curry Up Now. We had tacos from six different trucks before we all started to feel the food comas coming on. I really wanted to end my meal with a sweet treat from one of the dessert trucks, but I just couldn't do it. I was way too full.

Tacos weren't the only thing available for purchase at the event. Some local vendors came out to set up shop. Two of our local favorites, The Usuals and Mayberry Workshop, were in attendance. There was also some great live music going on throughout the day.

It was great to see such a good turnout at the San Jose Taco Festival. The event was really well-organized and the crowd seemed to be having a fun time (maybe everyone else was in a food coma, too). I'm already looking forward to next year's festival; I hope to see even more food trucks and local vendors. And since I saw several dogs at the event, I'll make sure to bring Stan and Joe, too. 

Blue Skies Ahead

A friend of mine had some errands to run in San Francisco last week and I couldn't resist the opportunity to tag along. The weather was a little brisk, but the beautiful skies made up for it. These photos were taken along Hyde Street Pier and at Fisherman's Wharf.

The weather here is starting to warm up, which means we will probably be spending more time outdoors. Our spring and summer weekends are starting to fill up with trips to the cabin, camping trips, and barbecues. Jeff is already looking forward to buying more beer brewing equipment to make beer on the weekends. I'm looking forward to spontaneous trips to the beach or to go hiking. I think it's going to be a great summer.

See my last post about San Francisco here. 

Mr. Chewy Review & Giveaway {Sponsored Post}

Our dudes, Stanley (brown nose) and Little Joe (black nose).

In case you haven't noticed by now, I am a little obsessed with my dogs. When it comes to my dogs' food, I am rather picky. I've fed Stan and Joe several brands of food over the years, but have come to the conclusion that Acana is the best brand for them. It is grain-free and made with local ingredients. Acana makes my dogs' coats beautiful, their breath doesn't smell bad, and they love eating it.

The downside of feeding them this brand of dog food is that it's hard to find in San Jose (I had a much easier time finding it in Singapore!). So when I was contacted recently by Mr. Chewy, an online pet food store, I was happy to find out that a) they sold Acana and b) they offer free shipping (in the continental US) on all orders over $49.

Mr. Chewy sells more than 80 popular brands of pet food for dogs and cats, as well as pet treats and health products. Ordering from their website is incredibly convenient for me because that means I don't have to hunt around for a vendor that sells Acana and my orders come straight to my door. Their shipping is really fast, too. My last order came less than a week after placing it.

Another thing I love about Mr. Chewy: you can sign up for automatic pet food delivery so you don't even have to think about when it's time to buy more dog food. As soon as we move to our new place, I'm setting this service up. Check out their website at MrChewy.com.

Okay, so now for the blog giveaway:

I'm giving away these two packages of Stan and Joe's favorite dog treats to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Tell me about the dog you'll give these treats to! Contest is open to anyone, anywhere, and closes on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be chosen at random.

For J&F readers, if you enter the code FLOM9063 when you place your first Mr. Chewy order, you'll receive 10% off and Mr. Chewy will make a $10 donation to the Best Friends Society, a charity dedicated to finding homes for shelter pets and rescue animals.

Thanks for reading and entering!

UPDATE: Giveway winner is Elia. Thanks again to everyone for entering! 

A MVBL Feast

Every Friday at the corner of Canoas Gardens and Curtner Avenue, hungry folks wait in long lines to order street food from a caravan of brightly-painted food trucks. These aren't your average roach coaches though. The vendors at Movable Feast serve creative and gourmet dishes that are easy to eat while standing. Or sitting, if you're lucky enough to find a vacant red bucket to turn over and use as a stool. From lobster rolls to deconstructed samosas to ice cream sandwiches, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Movable Feast has four regularly scheduled Street Food Markets every week throughout San Jose. For more information on locations and times, check out their website.

Tip: Bring your own camping chairs to sit in so you don't have to worry about finding a seat.