Choosing what to have for lunch at the Thursday market is always one of the hardest decisions of the week for me. The vendors at the market are so creative and the seasonal specials always so enticing that in the year and a half since we re-launched the market, I’ve rarely eaten the same thing twice.

Earlier this week I caught up with Chef Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats to find out what he was planning for his Thursday menu. The mastermind behind the Zilla dog tells me that this week he’ll be serving up a patty melt that I’m sure will become legendary. Ryan sources most of what he uses directly from local farmers and vendors (including many that sell at the Ferry Plaza), and his rendition of this diner classic includes a grilled Magruder ranch beef patty topped with caramelized Dirty Girl Produce sweet Spanish onions mixed with melted gruyere cheese and slices of Mezzo Secca dry aged jack all served on rye bread from Tartine Bakery. He’ll also be featuring a soup with house made Cotechino sausage, Iacopi Farms butter beans and dandelion greens from County Line Harvest. A Boudin Noir sausage with a slaw of Pink Lady apples from Hidden Star Orchards is also in the works. 

As usual, the folks at 4505 Meats aren’t the only ones with enticing specials this week. Here’s a look at a few of the other treats in store for you at the Thursday market:

•    Captain Mike’s Holy Smoke - Albacore tuna lox sandwich on Acme bread with house made cream cheese, roasted golden beets, pickled onions and toasted walnuts
•    Namu - Jajang Myun: Korean black bean paste noodles
•    Tacolicious- White bean and fennel soup with bacon and pickled onions
•    Hapa Ramen - Chicken confit banh mi with chicken liver pate and house made pickles
•    Scream Sorbet - Moro Blood orange sorbet
•    Pizza Politana - Market pizza of the day: roasted mushrooms, Fontina, and caramelized onions
•    Roli Roti- Porchetta sandwiches

Specials and a complete list of farmers at the Thursday market are updated and posted on the CUESA website every Thursday morning so you can plan ahead.