I had heard a lot about Oxbow Public Market. People said that it was a place not to be missed, so I had pretty high expectations when I finally went there recently. At first, I was a little surprised that it wasn’t as big as I had imagined. However, the more I looked around, the more I liked it. I only wish we had come when we were hungry instead of after a late lunch at the end of a busy day trip to Napa Valley.
The market is full of purveyors specializing in local, artisan products. Oxbow Wine Merchant is a great place to grab a drink; a fine selection of cheese, nuts, and even fig cakes caught my attention. Behind these windows is a riverfront patio.
Next time I’m definitely treating myself to some of these beautiful chocolates from Anette’s.
Next to Anette’s Chocolates is La Crepe!, a cute option for quick, tasty eats.
Everything at Ca’ Momi looked delicious. I think this place will be my new lunch stop in Napa Valley. It has Neapolitan pizzas (yuuum) and an amazing selection of authentic Italian pastries. They are also open for breakfast at 7:30.
Gourmet cupcakes? Yes, please.
My son loved the peanut butter chocolate ganache from Kara’s Cupcakes.
I love the tradition of sitting down over a slow cup of tea. All the merchants are open like this, so you can view everything as you walk by or can easily enter to get a closer look. We don’t have a lot of indoor markets like this in the U.S. It reminded me a bit of the covered markets in Italy or Brazil, where you can browse the local products and see community gathering for their daily shopping.
There are many more merchants, including upscale food at the Kitchen Door, organic ice cream, Venezuelan food at Pica Pica, a taqueria, and an oyster bar. The center of the market is full of long tables with benches, giving the place a casual community feeling. There are evening events, like Happy Hour and Brewer’s Night, and a farmer’s market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. I’ll definitely be back!
Have you been to Oxbow Public Market? What are your favorite indoor markets?
(This post is part of this week’s photo series at Budget Travelers Sandbox and Delicious Baby.)
looks nice -and great photos. will definitely put it on the list for my next trip to napa. Reminds me of the SF ferry building market which is a favorite. I wish they would have had it around when I lived there!
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I haven’t actually been in the SF Ferry Bldg, at least not in the last decade, so I’m glad you mentioned it. I have meant to go when I am in SF but keep forgetting. Did you live in the Napa area before?
I went there on my epic Napa adventure 2 years ago. Everything looked and smelled so good, but we were all stuffed from brunch.
ehalvey recently posted..Saturday Snapshot: Calder Mobile at the National Gallery in Washington, DC
An epic Napa adventure? Sounds awesome.
Oh man I would spend the entire day here.
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I can imagine that you would love it! I will be back there next month.
That looks great! Is it a reasonable day trip from San Fran or should I save this for when I happen to be in Napa?
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It isn’t very big but the variety of food and products is excellent. I think it would be a reasonable day trip from SF if you plan to arrive hungry, and then add one more stop to your day. It’s in the town of Napa, so you could do the downtown or head over to the Silverado Trail and do a bit of driving and wine tasting.
I love a good covered market and this one looks like a winner -definitely worth heading to when you’re hungry. And man that cupcake looks good.
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I should be ashamed of myself for not going to Oxbow Market yet. Looks awesome. You’re right — it’s best to go to these places when you’re hungry if you really want to appreciate it. I like the marketplace in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
If I’ve been inside Ferry Building, it has been so long that I don’t remember. I definitely need to go there soon. I think you will enjoy Oxbow next time you’re in Napa.
Hmmmmm! Cheese heaven is what I’m thinking when I look at that picture
And an authetic crepe place? Fantastic! You’re so right, gthere are usually so many fun options at markets that it makes them great lunch or dinner places.
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It’s especially nice to have those options in one place because eating out in the Napa area can be expensive.
What a fantastic market! I’m not sure that going hungry would be a good idea for me – I might not be able to stop eating – particularly if there are crèpes and cupcakes!!
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Well, that might be part of the fun!
Especially with all the fresh, local ingredients!
That cupcake is killing me! I’m so glad I have a green tea cupcake just waiting in my kitchen or I would be sending hubby out to satisfy this craving. I love indoor markets. We have Pike Place out here and just visited Granville Island in Vancouver. Both are very tasty experiences to be sure.
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I haven’t been to the one in Vancouver, but I’ve been to Pike Place several times. It’s a great market even if it’s crowded. I love the fish vendors.
Yummmmm! Delicious. I’ll have a little of everything.
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You had me at chocolates, cupcakes and crepes. Yummy! I am definitely adding this to my list on my next visit to Napa. Thanks for the tip!
Mary @ The World Is A Book recently posted..Walking through the Land of the Giants
Let me know when you visit next time! I’m sure your kids would enjoy the treats here.
Reminds me of the market in Grand Central Station. Temptation everywhere!
InsideJourneys recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday: Clouds
I don’t know about the market in Grand Central Station. Next time I’m in NYC!
This market is about an hour’s drive from where I live, and even though I’ve lived in this area for 40 years (much longer than the market’s brief life-time), my first visit to it was last September. Some of the market’s food vendors are very well known in the San Francisco Bay Area, and have locations elsewhere, especially in the much better known Ferry Building in San Francisco.
The City of Napa, which sits at the foot of the renowned wine-growing valley of the same name, was a cultural and food “backwater” (often flooded in the winter) until recent years. Today, it has great places to stay and eat, and has a very interesting historic district that you can tour on self-guided or guided tours.
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Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that some of the food vendors have other locations in SF. I’ve stopped in the city of Napa many times and always found it to be quite nice. I will be exploring its downtown in detail next month.
Love markets and the idea of breakfast at one, but 7:30 on a weekend would not be happening for me.
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True, 7:30 is early for me, too, but I love the idea of breakfast at a market. Maybe at 10:00?
I do love food markets. I get bored of eating the same things all the time, and markets always have so much variety.
Denise recently posted..Picture Perfect: Singapore Botanical Gardens and Orchid Garden
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Napa – didn’t know about Oxbow Market. Will have to check it out next time.
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Yum! Now I want a cupcake- and cheese! Haha- I will definitely add this to the Napa travel list I have going for when we visit!
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Let me know next time you visit Napa!
I Love markets like these. And oogling over all types of cheeses and chocolates and fancy this and that. YUM!
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