Discovering the Best Juice at the Farmer's Market

There's nothing better than experiencing a farmer's market especially when traveling. In Paris, walking to the market on rue Montorgeuil, steps from where my mother lives is a daily ritual - espresso at the corner cafe, a loaf of baquette at Strohrer and some "stinky" cheese from the local cheese merchant - heaven! On a business trip to Milan a few years back, I stumbled upon a farmer's market which butts next to the

city antique market. I picked up some beautiful cuff links along with a slice of pizza with truffles. And two years ago, I went on a food frenzy of all my childhood favorites at the Salcedo Village farmer's market in Makati City, Philippines.

So it's not surprising that I had to visit the farmer's market just blocks form our rental home. Located on Arizona between 2nd and 4th street, the Santa Monica Farmer's Market is small but still worth the visit. My childhood friend's teenage son, Kiran, accompanied me on my search for Spanish chorizo for saturday morning breakfast back at the house. While we failed in our chorizo quest, we discovered the best juice ever from Gerard's Farm. Still frozen in the bottle, we shook the bottle of fresh blackberry juice before each gulp, breaking down the frozen concoction with each shake finding true pleasure in the simplest summer drink. Kiran and I agreed that it was the best juice ever. And with that discovery, we considered our trip a success.