Pearl Market

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Seattle Super Sonics’ world championship win. Their coach, Lenny Wilkens, was a hero to me and I followed him with all my teenage awkwardness to his basketball summer camp outside Leavenworth for two years. I went to a couple of games that season in hopes of autographs from Downtown Freddie Brown, D.J., Gus Williams or Jack Sikma. At one of the games I won the program drawing and was inundated with weird gifts and gift certificates to suburban restaurants. The clock radio that I retrieved from the Sonics office was a particular treasure. This team was the first team I followed with any passion and I miss them still three years after they broke my heart and moved to Oklahoma City.

The SF Giants run for the pennant rekindled the same kind of excitement as we watched and listened on the radio during the exciting weeks leading up the World Series. After 25 years in San Francisco I finally had a hometown team to cheer for. The games dominated everything else we did. I had the day games on the computer during the workday and on the radio in the car. We all watched on t .v. when we were home in the evening. The kids sported their gear everyday. We were on a first name basis (or last name basis as the case may be) with Buster Posey, Juan Uribe, Lincecum and Brian “The Beard” Wilson.

The other night Victor and I had a two-hour soccer practice to get through before we could get home and watch the Giants. We played and played until I thought I would lose my mind. I finally talked him into going for a snack. We drove to Pearl Market on Eddy and Divisidero. We had actually been there the week before but lost the photos I had taken and wanted to go back. The first time we were there we walked into a slightly disturbing scene as a couple of addicts were ordering sandwiches with very precise directions. We walked around the other way and started to look around. It was a very well stocked market with plenty of groceries at decent prices. Vic already knew he wanted a Push-Up but we wandered around anyway. We bought some fruit roll ups for Vida and a Longboard Lager for me. I was severely tempted by some Jiffy Pop popcorn.

The second time we visited I noticed a fruit display with pomegranates and other pretty nice looking fruit. There were plenty of healthy snacks amid the Doritos. Vic was more comfortable there this time and picked out some shell pasta for another night. We wandered the aisles amid the cut rate orange “juice” and baby rice cereal. Cleary this market tried to serve the needs of the neighborhood since there was no other larger market close by. Vic got another push up and some eatable lanyard candy for Vida and we got back into the car to listen to the game.

Vic’s Snack—push-up Vida’s Snack—fruit roll ups and eatable lanyards Beer of the Day Longboard Lager 12 oz