All through summer, Pioneer Courthouse Square holds a Monday Farmers Market. To the uninitiated, it’s the ultimate lunchtime escape for office-bound downtown workers. Brightly colored bouquets, farm-fresh corn tortillas, and crates of berries take the air-conditioned chill off. Of Monday’s market offerings, Tastebud’s special lunch menu gets our top vote. 

You could go for their amber, wood-fired bagels topped with fresh curiosities like peaches and honey cream cheese, but the real find is Tastbud’s menu of rotating seasonal salads: 3 for $5. This week brought toothsome wheat berries with roasted corn, red pepper, and summer squash sliced thin, a jumble of cucumber, tomato and fresh mozzarella in pesto, and a honkin’ portion of chickpeas with bite, coated in a creamy, garlicky tahini sauce. For $3 more you get thick slices of slow-roasted lamb leg thrown on top—more than enough food to keep you supercharged for the afternoon slog.

You can also find Tastebud's wood-fired wares at the PSU, Hillsdale, and Shemanski Park Farmers Markets. Check their website for details. 

Pioneer Courthouse Square Farmers Market
Mondays, 10 am-2 pm
June 17-Sept 30