One of my favorite Sunday pastimes is to go to the farmer’s market in Santa Monica on Main Street (9:30am to 1pm), grab some food at one of their many food booths as well as some pomegranate juice from a juice stand, and then claim a spot on the lawn where I can people watch to my heart’s content.

You can’t do this at most farmer’s markets because they don’t usually offer the option of sitting in a central area. And also at this particular one, there are some good-looking people who turn out for some reason. Beautiful girls in their relaxed Sunday wear and big sunglasses; surfer guys with their messy, just-rolled-out-of-bed look. If only I knew how to flirt. Looking for dates at this market saves you the trouble of having to peek in someone’s grocery cart to make sure the produce outweighs the TV dinners since everyone here is shopping the organic produce.

But back to the food. The yummiest offerings get the longest lines–i.e. Acadie Crepes and Corn Maiden’s tamales. The longest line of all usually belongs to the one for omlettes, with the line usually starting out near the Victorian’s dining patio and winding around the building to the front of the omlette booth. Who can resist the smells emanating from there? The call of sizzling sauteed vegetables? The line is slow-moving but just the thought of getting a bite of that savory omlette is usually enough to get you through the duration of standing there for 20-30 minutes.

If you don’t want to stand in line too long, try the crepes. There, the line is faster-moving and usually a bit shorter for savory or sweet crepes. I, of course, always have to go with the sweet ones, specifically their #14, Paris–buckwheat crepes with Nutella, bananas and creme Chantilly ($6.95). So yummy.

To wash it down, there are a couple of juice stands that offer freshly squeezed orange juice or combos you couldn’t get in most grocery stores, like apple/pomegranate ($2.50).

Then you can go sit on the grass to people watch and listen to the bands while you enjoy your meal, or if you’d rather sit in an actual chair you can try your luck finding a seat on the Victorian’s dining patio. But usually it’s packed and there are other people looking for a seat, waiting to beat you to the punch.

But it’s really better sitting on the lawn, or even on the wall, for the best vantage point of market patrons. Most people usually gather in big groups of friends with all their picnic blankets and hold court until the horn sounds signaling the end of the market. It’s such a nice, relaxing way to start off a Sunday.

2600 Main Street
Santa Monica, California 90405
(310) 458-8712
Cross Street: Ocean Park