This coming Saturday, I’ll be back at the New Taste Marketplace again, slinging homemade sodas along with a slew of other local vendors.  We’ll be at the usual spot on the corner of Mariposa and De Haro, across the street from the Anchor Brewery from noon till 5pm (or until I run out of soda.)

On tap, I have an particularly great line up this week:

My usual “take no prisoners” Ginger Ale, made with eight pounds of fresh squeezed ginger and eureka lemons, Good ‘ol Southern Boy Sweet Tea Soda, and Meyer Lemon and Fennel Fizz, made with backyard meyer lemons.  Not my backyard mind you, I don’t have one.

All of my sodas are handmade with fresh ingredients, and naturally carbonated using yeast, just like fine champagnes and craft beers, but without the alcohol. They’re served fresh on draft for $3 each.

But, what to eat with these fine beverages? If you’re anything like me, there is only one real answer: Barbecue.  At this particular market, there is a whole lot of it, an abundance of riches.  The New Taste Market is going to be overflowing with the greatest food since the creation of fire: real barbecue, cooked slow over real hardwood smoke until it’s falling apart tender.  Yum.

Photo by Sonya Yu

Selling smoked deliciousness will be:

Dontaye Ball with Good Foods Catering.  Dontaye will be serving BBQ pulled pork, BBQ chicken and his Modern BLT with tomato jam and spicy mayo.  I love that BLT.  I’m starting to drool on my keyboard a bit while typing this. I interviewed Dontaye on camera a while back - you can check it out here.

More into texas style smoked brisket? Then Dan has you covered with his Slow Hand BBQ.  Look for it parked out front, perfuming everything in sight with smokey goodness. He has some great BBQ sauce on hand, but his brisket doesn’t need it – they’re perfect the way they are.  (The ribs are great too.)

Or maybe you want a more international flare? De Humo Mexican Smokehouse Cuisine by Molly Raney (pictured above) is the new kid on the block, and she’s been making great sandwiches at every New Taste Market since the first one.  She tops her smoked pork shreds with a homemade mole sauce, and a spicy slaw with just the right amount of heat. Sure it isn’t traditional, but I dare even a purist to try this and not smile.  The smoke shows through, and is enhanced by the addition of the mole sauce.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up trying a little bit from all three.  I love a good BBQ throw down, where the real winner is me, since I get to eat a mountain of BBQ.  And If you’re still hungry, you can try the public unveiling of 3.141 Pies.  I’ve tasted some of his early test pies, and they’re tasting great.

Looking over this week’s line up, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few others I’m particularly excited about: Lamb belly tacos from Gastroclub, Pickles from Rachel & Rachel (We’re hardcore pickle fanatics in my house, and these are exceptional,) House-roasted coffee from Old Skool Cafe, and artisan pasta from Baia Pasta.  Oh, and Bacon Crack from Nosh This.  That stuff is just as addictive as it’s name implies, and is particularly good with a dark beer.   I could go on listing here, but you get the idea.  The full lineup is online here.

Now I’m hungry.  Saturday can’t come soon enough.  See you there!

Tags: new taste marketplace

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