Richmond Flea Market - A major fiesta addresses taco trucks, sanitation, and authenticity

[rworange]

A trip to this year-old flea market is like going to a Mexican street market ... except you don't need to buy a passport, get frisked by security and hop on a plane to get there.

It is filled with music ... anything from Mexican rap to plaintive love songs. Get your palm read. Get a massage,

Buy anything your heart desires ... colorful live birds (parrots, parakeets & cockatoos, love birds), fresh produce, tires, clothing, lingerie (bras $2), toys, state-of-the art tamale pots, arts, crafts, automobiles, power tools, home and audio electronics ... new or used ... the list goes on.

Rest on shaded picnic tables at the back for a little lunch.

There's Don Pandos churros - long hot churros rolled in cinnamon and sugar ($1.50)

The interesting thing about the Don Pandos cart was a hand-washing basin built in. Also in the food vending area, was a little mobile hand-washing cart with four sinks.

Don Pandos had a San Rafael address. I asked him if he sold there. He said no. The restrictions there were too difficult. Too bad, Marinites, no churros for you ... and they were good.

I asked if Don Pandos made coiled or filled churros. He said no. The health department wouldn't allow that ... only the same type of churros sold at Costco.

I tried very hard to track down the one San Rafael Taco to with no luck ... trust me ... if ever there was a place that needs mobile vendors it is San Rafael's Canal District.

However, in another part of Marin, a new PF Changs is being built. Why do I feel like some sort of addict ... roaming the streets for illegal authentic food.?

So, hand washing options are easily addressed if that is the issue.I would guess the upscale Swiss-style chicken truck meets all the Marin regulations, so it would seem that it is a achievable for taco trucks as well.

But, I digress ... back to the terrific Richmond Market ...

Taqueria Al Campo is a taco truck that also sells fish tacos in addition to carne asada, pollo, tripas, cabeza, al pastor and ground beef.

Cafe Allegra sells meat on a stick, spaghetti, pozole, birria and menudo. The Mexican / Italian theme extends to the tortas ... res (beef), pollo (chicken) or chorizo Italano (Italian Sausage)

Two stands sell fresh fruit drinks - raspados (Mexican snow cones), aqua fresas, juice and smoothies. One stand even has whole coconuts.

The dried fruit and nut stand also sells potato chips, duritos and churritos. They provide hot sauce and lemon juice to sprinkle on the snacks.

The chinacos (corn curritos con chile) are highly, highly recommended.

Think Mexican cheetos ... without the preservatives and so, so much better. They have a strong chile / lime coating and the only other ingredients are corn, salt and oil.

For the braver the stand has jars of pickled pig parts which are put in a plastic baggie and then dressed with lemon juice and hot sauce.

Should your snacking needs hit you in another part of the rather large flea market there is a girl with a paleta cart who moves through the flea market, the slivery bells announcing that frozen ice cream treats are near by

There are about 100 vendors, with additional stands for people selling their household goods.

Admission is free on Saturday. On Sunday, kids and seniors (65) are free and for all others the $1 fee is a well-worth it admission to this slice of Mexico.

Located just off 580 on the Richmond Parkway in a location even God would abandon. It is next to an auto parts lot with a fence of old truck trailers and cars. In the not to far distance are the Richmond refineries.

It is just a lot of land where no one would want to build. It is actually nice ... lots of room with palm trees and olive trees dotting the flea market. In the distance is a good view of Mt. Tam and the hills of Marin ... paradise waiting ... well, maybe ... they paved paradise and put up a PF Changs.

Here's a great link to California Flea Markets with info about this market
http://www.fleamarketguide.com/CA.aspx

Open: Year Round

Days Open: Saturday and Sunday
Hours open to the public: 7:00 AM--4:00PM

[dimsumgirl]

What a find! I can't wait to check it out. Thanks for letting us know! It sounds like it will be well worth the drive from Sacramento one of these weekends!

[Ruth Lafler]

On a similar vein, has anyone been to the flea market near the Oakland Coliseum? From the taco trucks and other street vendors outside, the blaring salsa music, and what I can see of the merchandise driving by (it's on my favorite route from my house to the ballpark), it also appears to be an essentially Mexican flea market.

[rworange]

I'm considering a Flea Market tour.

kare_raisu turned me on to the food at the Escondido flea market ... amazing stuff ... and I never went while living there because I didn't think there was anything interesting.

The Richmond Flea Market doesn't have anything close to what I read about Escondido, but it is pretty impressive ... and popular ... for being one year old. I see lots happening here as this market matures.

The nice thing about some of the produce vendors is that the fruit is just picked and ripe. Boxes of peaches, apricots and nectarines still have leaves attached and you have to take care because it is picked dead-ripe so it doesn't take the ride home well unless handled correctly. Throwing that bag in the trunk was a mistake. Great stuff though for $1 lb.

[Robert Lauriston]

You're talking about the fruit at the Richmond Flear Market?

[Ruth Lafler]

Sounds like a great place to pick up fruit for canning/preserves.

[rworange]

I guess so. Not all of the fruit is farm produce. There are papayas and one guy was selling clementines, for heaven's sake ... in July. They looked good, but I've never seen those much outside of Christmas time. They had pineapples ... gold pineapples ... I continue checking.

The only thing is if getting a case, you would need to be strong or have some sort of cart. The produce section is at the very end of the flea market.

There were only 3-4 fresh produce vendors. However it was alll a little less expensive than elsewhere. Limes that are 10 for $1 almost anywhere were 12 for $1.

[Ruth Lafler]

Limes were super cheap at the Mi Pueblo Food Center, too. I think the Mexican limes were 20/dollar and the key limes are featured in their flyer this week at 2 lbs for 99 cents.