The Sunnyvale Farmers’ Market was by far the largest market we visited. Sandwiched between office buildings, the market extends in a t-shape along E Washington Ave and juts into S Murphy Ave. Despite being produce-dominated, the market also features jewelry vendors and artisan goods—breaking the traditional farmers’ market mold. Join us as we explore this unique market and share our culinary experiences.
Zaida’s Kitchen (2/10)
The first vendor we visited was Zaida’s Kitchen, which offered authentic Oaxacan Mexican cuisine. Desperate for some morning sustenance, Mollie ordered both a mango agua fresca and vegan burrito. However, she ended up waiting over half an hour and dropping $22 for a disappointing meal. The vegan burrito was overwhelmed by mushy zucchini, and she could not appreciate the black beans, cilantro, tomato, onions, salsa, nor guacamole as a result. It did not help that the ingredients were not evenly distributed throughout the burrito, which led her to experience the ingredients in separate bites. The best feature of the burrito was the handmade yellow corn tortilla, which was flavorful, soft, and thick—dissimilar from your classic, flat white corn tortilla. Hoping to chase the unpleasant flavors down with the agua fresca, Mollie was met with another letdown. She could not detect a single hint of mango in the drink, and its pulpy nature introduced far too many mixed textures in the liquid. For these reasons, her experience at Zaida’s Kitchen was poor, earning it a 2/10.
Donna’s Tamales (7/10)
Allured by the delicious smell of steaming tamales, we meandered toward the Donna’s Tamales stand to see what they were serving. Muzamio, the Sunnyvale vendor, warmly greeted us and offered a wide variety of salsa samples. Mollie’s favorites were the pineapple salsa and the mango salsa with their fruity yet spicy notes. Although the two had similar consistencies, they had completely different flavor profiles and spice levels. The pineapple salsa was incredibly spicy as a result of the acidic pineapple flavor combining with mouth-roasting jalapeño chiles and tangy onions. In contrast, the mango salsa was significantly more mild and tomato-based. While Mollie resisted the urge to seek out water, she asked Muzamio a few questions about the business. He shared that Donna’s Tamales was founded by a Mexican woman who was inspired by the blend of Californian and Mexican cultural cuisine. Although the business was bought by Muzamio’s current boss a few years ago, Donna’s culinary values remain strong.
Fabrique Délices (9/10)
Next, we visited a small French booth, nearly overshadowed by the large pastry line beside it. Skye bought the Lamb Merguez sausage, which the vendor, Yuki, recommended as one of their most popular products. The $12 sausage was sold frozen and Skye tried it with her family and a side salad that night. The Merguez was nicely seasoned with only a little bit of heat, so you could still taste the lamb, and made for a filling dinner. Yuki said the Sunnyvale Farmers’ Market is one of five Fabrique Délices visits in the area; however, the company operates on a national scale out of Hayward, CA, according to their website.
PastaRey (7.5/10)
Our very last vendor visit of the day was PastaRey, a business built on healthy Sicilian pasta and wood-fired pizza. Their vegan ravioli piqued Mollie’s interest with its uniquely paired ingredients. Each pillow contained zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, carrots, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. After she brought the vegan ravioli packet home, all she needed to do was boil two quarts of salted water, stir in the pasta, and let it cook for three to five minutes. Mollie was surprised when she tasted the pasta and it reminded her of the Trader Joe’s butternut squash ravioli. She thinks that the sweeter and richer ingredients happened to emulate the strong flavors and creaminess of the butternut squash ravioli fillings she’s used to. Despite the fact that the vegan ravioli’s ingredients led her astray, the pasta’s flavor was surprisingly pleasant.
Overall, while we endured several negative tasting experiences at the Sunnyvale Farmers’ Market, it was definitely worth a visit. The atmosphere is incredibly welcoming and a stroll in downtown Sunnyvale is always rewarding.
