20105 Tue Jun 04 17:25:37 -0700 2002 1 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 68789 Lovely summer--catch it when you can! Skipped out of work early today to cruise the mini-farmers market at Justin Herman Plaza. Lots of cherries, but they all looked a bit sticky and squishy, and picked over, so I went for some delicious bright-orange/yellow pluots, glistening, pristine organic raspberries, freshly dug little ruby crescent fingerlings (their skin is still flaky and almost a translucent rose-quartz color), round ronde de nice squash (perfect for grilling) and perky beets with very happy greens attached. Best of all, rye-raisin "rabbits" (little round rolls) from the Acme stand. They only sell these on Tuesday, and I love them! Heaven warmed up with goat cheese. Then on to Plouf, where we sat outside in the sunshine and ate lovely, tender, incredibly greaseless adn crunchy fried fennel and calamari. Pretty good salad nicoise but awesome mussels mariniere, a huge pile of sweet, very fresh mussels in a briny garlic-laced broth. (Skip the fries that they try to upsell to go with the mussels--they are dry and tasteless.)A lovely break in teh afternoon, and a wonderful way to soak up some of that oh-too-rare sunshine. Tue Jun 04 17:25:37 -0700 2002 0 dixieday 1 68836 Hey, the mussels are the speciality at Plouf. Only been disappointed by them once ... overcooked. But, I always order the frys and well; it's the classic combo. Good with a beer or a refreshing white ... I usually opt for the Sancerre. Tue Jun 04 23:08:09 -0700 2002 68789 0 John E.